Help on The 12 Acts of Fitness Challenge

There's been a few questions about some of the exercises for the challenge, so here are some answers:

First, I want to make sure it's clear that you can do the challenges in ANY order. You don't have to worry about counting down or up. Just do as many as you can by New Year's Day. And keep track so I can award your points!

Here's a link that shows how to do my favorite neck stretch and the doorway stretch: http://taylorgoldensneaker.blogspot.com/2011/11/im-thankful-for-novembers-challenge.html

Here is a yoga tree pose:

Remember, you can modify by placing your foot on your ankle or waaaaay up on your thigh.

Here are some of the squat varieties:

The classic ball squat. You can hold weights too.

The sumo squat is just a body squat but with a wider stance and toes slightly pointed out.

The plie squat has a very wide stance and your body stays more upright. You can add a heel raise for more challenge.

The chair squat just gives you a target to make sure you squat nice and low. Plus it gives you the security of knowing something will catch your fall if your legs give out! Raising arms is optional.

The sissy squat is more advanced and can be a bit awkward at first. But it's a great challenge for the quads. Make sure you have something you can hold on to for balance.

My favorite way to do single-leg squats is with the ball because I'm not ususally strong enough to do it unsupported!

Here is a reminder for the crunch.

For this challenge, hold the "crunched" position for a count of 5 before lowering, then repeat. You can also lift your feet off the ground and/or hold some weight (medicine ball) between your knees. You can do these in bed!

Those are the exercises I've received questions on so far. Sorry it took me a bit to respond, but let me know if you need any others clarified. I'll reply as soon as I can!

The Twelve Acts of Fitness

On the first day of Christmas my trainer gave to me... a really awesome fitness challenge!

See how many of these 12 acts of fitness you can perform by the New Year. You get 1 point for each one you accomplish. PLUS you get to double your points if you accomplish ALL TWELVE. Yes, that’s right: DOUBLE POINTS!!! This is a good way to really rack up the points (and perhaps make up for your slacking on the previous challenges) during, this, the last Golden Sneaker challenge of 2012!!!

You can choose to do them all at once or spread them out until the end of the month. Here's to a healthy, happy holiday season!

· Spend 1 minute doing a yoga tree pose on each foot. (Foot can be placed on thigh, calf or ankle – avoid placing on the knee)*

· Do 2 minutes of stretching. Must include a neck stretch and doorway chest stretch.*

· Do 3 varieties of squats, 10 X ea. Choose from the following: body squats, ball squats, sumo squats, sissy squats, jump squats, plié squats, chair squats, single-leg squats, or choose your own! *

· Spend 4 minutes dancing to a song you love.

· Eat 5 servings of fruits/veggies in a single day.

· Do something active 6 days in a row. This can include anything from an actual workout to standing and marching in place during the TV commercials.

· Eat 7 shelled Brazil nuts; or 26 almonds; or a handful of shelled pistachios. Find out what 1 serving of your favorite nut is and make it a regular snack… just don't over-do it.

· Take 8 deep breaths before responding to someone who just really ticked you off.

· Take no more than 9 bites of a particularly indulgent treat. Depending on what it is, this could be quite a lot or not nearly enough!

· Spend (at least) 10 minutes doing something that will make you feel like a kid again: hula hooping, trampolining, playing hop scotch, jumping rope (But you MUST also do a chant. Y’know: Cinderella, dressed in yellow went down stairs to kiss a fellow…), skipping to your Lou (or is it loo… I’ve always wondered).

· Perform 11 crunches with a 5-second hold. Too easy? Do them with feet elevated and squeezing a medicine ball between your knees.*

· Knock out 12 pushups (wall, kitchen counter, knee, standard). Too easy? Make them burpees instead.*

* email me, text me or leave a comment if you have any questions about the technique of any exercise.

October Halloween Challenge

I challenge you to not buy any candy until the day you need it. Too late?

Okay, if you've already bought your candy, don't open it until the moment you need to hand it out. Too late again?

All right, all right - here's the REAL challenge:

By the way, good job to any of you who have accomplished either/both of the above challenges but assuming that most of us haven't been that disciplined, I'm focusing on improving the aftermath of the nutritional debacle known as Halloween:


Aww, makes me wonder
what little Grant will be
for Halloween!

Challenge: Get rid of any Halloween candy you have left by the end of election day, November 6. Give yourself/your kids a week to enjoy the spoils of All Hallows' Eve.... maybe even celebrate the outcome of the election (because Obama WILL be out... we hope, we hope, we hope) but come daybreak on November 7, the leftovers go promptly in the trash.

So make sure you've eaten any of the good stuff you want, then throw it out and clean up your eating for a few weeks before the next round of holiday goodies! I think we should enjoy our holidays, but we don't need to prolong the debauchery so that it becomes a two-and-a-half-month-long "chew-chew" ride on the (literal) gravy train. (Can you believe I just made that up... I know - waaaaay clever).


So.... you get 1 point if you wave bye-bye to your left-over candy by November 7.

And don't forget to vote!

The First Great Commandment (of Unlaziness)

Of all the fantastic messages I managed to hear during this General Conference, Elder Holland's words really struck a chord within me. I take this excerpt from his talk:

Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland

“’Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.’ Jesus said. So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go back.

“To all within the sound of my voice, the voice of Christ comes ringing down through the halls of time, asking each one of us while there is time, ’Do you love me?’ And for every one of us, I answer with my honor and my soul, ‘Yea, Lord, we do love thee.’ And having set our ‘hand to the plough,’ we will never look back until this work is finished and love of God and neighbor rules the world.”

This resonated with me because to show God we love Him requires conscious effort from us in both our thoughts and actions. It requires from us a lifetime of service to our fellow man. It requires the discipline to overcome negative and complacent attitudes. It requires us to overcome Lazy in spirituality, attitude and action!

Let's show God how much we love Him!

Did anyone else listen to conference? You get a point if you did!!!

Overcome Spiritual Lazy(ness)

This man has probably never been lazy
a day in his life.

This is the first challenge in October; there will be another one coming. This one is for this weekend and involves General Conference so I wanted to get it out there, pronto!

CHALLENGE: Pay attention and select a principle/thought/teaching, etc. from any talks from this General Conference that you will incorporate more fully into your life to help you overcome spiritual laziness.

This challenge was inspired by a portion of Sister Carole M. Stephens' talk during the General Relief Society Broadcast where she talks about becoming more "spiritually awake" in order to fulfill our duties. This concept really hit home with me as I realized how easily I can become lazy in my spiritual attitude and actions. I really needed to hear her words: "It isn’t enough to just be on the journey (of life); we must be awake to our duty and continue with faith as we draw upon the comforting, strengthening, enabling and healing power of the Atonement.”

Since this challenge will be hard to quantify and thereby reward points.... how 'bout this: If you watch any part of General Conference, you get 1 point!!! This should be a gimmee for everyone, right???

So, pay attention to the talks and I would love, love, love it if any of you emailed or posted about the principles that stood out to you this session.

Overcome... snoozing during conference! (You thought I was gonna say Lazy, as usual, huh?)

Going For The Gold(en Sneaker)

Well, our family didn't exactly go for the Gold. But we did manage to get one medalist:  me! Yes, I am finally reporting in on the Olympic Challenge.  So, congratulations to me for earning a Bronze medal.  I wish I could've been a better example by winning the Gold... I feel a little like Michael Phelps.  Ahhh, the pressure!!!  I'm not perfect, people! 

But, don't forget: the challenges always continue! Just because I put a time limit on them for point-earning purpose doesn't mean you can't keep doing them!!!

I did find out from the survey that "Brilliant," was the favorite British phrase most of us picked up during the Olympics. I just don't see "Bob's your uncle" ever catching on here in the States.

So... here's September's challenge:

Do something active 6 days a week so that Sunday is truly a day of rest. Make yourself earn that day of rest! "Something active" can mean several things: a formal workout, an evening stroll, some yoga/stretching... even a quick set of 10 body squats and 10 kitchen counter push-ups.

JUST DO SOMETHING ACTIVE EVERY SINGLE DAY, except Sunday.

Point Value: 4 points if you do the 2 weeks left in September; 2 points if you do this for 1 week.

This is an easy one even if you haven't been very active up to this point.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START MAKING YOURSELF HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER... or earn "Not-So-Dumbbell Award" points!

Brilliant!!!

Black Bean Burgers

*I did test this out during the Olympics and am now finally getting around to posting it. Any of you who have tried out their recipe for the Olympic Challenge can still post it and get the points for it. But you gotta act now!

I am on a quest to find the ultimate black bean/veggie pattie. I've tried a few lately and I'd say that this is my favorite so far.

I think they key is to not expect a traditional "hamburger" taste. If you can thusly adjust your burger mentality, veggie and/or bean burgers are a yummy, healthy way to get a protein/vegetable-packed meatless meal. And the girls really liked them!

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

• 3 medium carrots, grated
• Half a medium onion, finely chopped (I grated mine since I was already grating the carrots)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup kale
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I used ground unfrosted mini wheats - those with wheat/gluten issues maybe could try crushing rice chex???)
• 1 tsp salt

ONE: Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin, chili, garlic, and onion powder and continue to cook until the veggies are soft. Remove from heat and set aside in a large bowl.

TWO: Place drained beans, kale, and cilantro in a food processor and pulse several times until beans are mostly mashed but a few chunks still remain.

THREE: Add the beans, mustard, bread crumbs, and salt to the bowl of veggies and stir to combine. Scoop out scant 1/3 cup portions and form into patties.

FOUR: Heat the skillet you cooked the veggies in over medium heat and spray generously with cooking spray. Place the patties in the skillet a few at a time and cook 4 minutes a side until lightly browned and heated through.

TO FREEZE: Before cooking, form the patties and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes to flash freeze the outsides and then place them all together in a freezer bag. Defrost overnight and cook according to the directions above.

After cooking, follow the same directions as above and reheat in the microwave.

NUTRITION INFO:


Per Serving (1 burger) - 124 Calories (7 Calories from Fat), 1g Total Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 463mg Sodium, 22g Carbohydrates, 6g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugar, 6g Protein, 75% DV Vitamin A, 13% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 36% DV Iron

Sharon's Note: Adjust spices to taste. I, personally, cut the cumin and chili powder in half. I also used my George Foreman grill which worked nicely.

Training To Be The Next Gabby Douglas

Okay, so Gabby would laugh hysterically at our balance challenge and the fact that I was having a hard time even demonstrating the exercises on the video! But while none of us will be flipping and twisting on a 4-inch balance beam like our Olympic gold medalist, I think we'll all benefit greatly by adding a little balancing work to help balance us out!



Sorry for the wait! Click the link below to watch my impressive balance performance (hahaha!).

As a reminder: The challenge is to do any or all of these exercises 2-3x/week. Do on each side about 10x each. Any of them can be made more difficult by closing your eyes. Highly recommended: Stand close to a counter or chair for safety!

http://youtu.be/sourb7KCJTg

I hope the other challenges are keeping you busy! I will send out a survey monkey at the end of the Olympic games to see how everyone did!

The Real Olympic Challenge!

Olympic Creed:

The most important thing in the Olympics Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

I think this is applies perfectly to our own Olympic Challenge: I know many of you don't even bother with the bonus challenges because you think, "why bother; I haven't done many/any up to this point, and any points I get won't help me win." But, the important thing is to just take part! Fight with us to overcome Lazy!

You MUST see this video, by the way, it gives me goose bumps every time! Click on the link below to watch.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HBu14q1dNP0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Olympic Challenge:

Complete all 5 challenges during the duration of the 2012 Olympic Games (July 27 - August 12).

Point Value:

Gold Medal: Completed all 5 challenges: 10
Silver Medal: Completed 4 challenges: 8
Bronze Medal: Completed 3 challenges: 6
Honorable Mention: Completed 2 challenges: 3
Way-To-Go Mention: Completed 1 challenge: 2

Physical Health Challenge: Do any (or all) of the balance exercises in the video 2 x/week. Do 10 repetitions on each side. Note: you can make any of them WAY more challenging by closing your eyes. Also, I highly recommend standing close to a counter or chair so you don't fall over!

(Please note: The video will be coming demonstrating the above exercises. Keith has not had a moment to spare to help me with this and I can't do it without him! Pathetic, I know. So work on the other challenges for now!)

Nutritional Health Challenge: Try out a new healthy recipe and share the results on the blog (good or bad!). Use one that's already been shared on the blog or search for one of your own. I know this is a goal for many of you but I've enjoyed it so much, I want ALL of us to do it.

Spiritual Health: Add a little more gratitude to your attitude. Pay particular attention to the gratitude portion of your prayers. Use this thought to help you: What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

Mental Health: Limit the amount of time your TV is on to 2 hours every day. Not how much you watch it, but how much time it's actually ON. The only exception is if you are watching the Olympics. No joke. This might be a tough one for many of us, but this is an excellent anti-aging practice for our brains. (Read this link if you need convincing: http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongrelationships/tp/Turn_Off_TV.htm) Use your free and quiet time to exercise your brain (these might help: http://www.brainmetrix.com) and/or work on any of these Olympic challenges!

Emotional Health: Compliment at least one person each day. Mix it up: family, friends, strangers. Try to do it verbally and in person, but I'll even count texting, emailing and phone calls.

Please note: you don't have to do these challenges perfectly! In the spirit of the Olymic Creed, just take part! You will earn your points if you honestly attempt to incorporate these challenges during the next 3 or so weeks.

"Faster, Higher, Stronger" - in all aspects of our lives!

Faster, Higher, Stronger

Okay, mi familia, I have not been a strong presence in our Golden Sneaker Challenge lately. Sorry. But, let's move on to bigger and better things. Like our Olympics bonus challenge!!!
I am not going to issue the actual challenge just yet. But, I want to get you motivated and prepared to jump into it! Even if you have not been participating up to this point, this is a good one to start with - everyone can do it and it has plenty of variety.

This challenge is based on the five Olympic rings. You will have 5 different challenges to work on during the 2 weeks of the 2012 Summer Olympics which run from Friday, July 27 to Sunday, August 12.

The 5 challenges cover these areas: Physical health, nutrition, spiritual health, mental health and emotional health.

I repeat, EVERYONE CAN DO THESE, I promise. I will issue the actual challenge within days (I know you've heard that before!) so you can hit the ground running after watching the Opening Ceremonies on July 27!

Let's DO THIS, everyone!

Overcome Lazy!!!

This reperesents my dream Olympics!

No, wait... this one does.  Really!

A Little Fun With Stanley

Ah, it was so great to see Fit Stanley again and catch up with him. (Still waiting for the pictures, Twitchells - hint, hint)  I'm sending him on ASAP, but in the few days we've had him here, he was itching to get out and do something (he really hates sitting around) so we took him up to Mt. Charleston to do some hiking with us.

It was significantly cooler up there and it was wonderful to escape the Las Vegas heat for the afternoon.

This hike was in Fletcher Canyon and as we got further in, we had to scramble over some very slippery rocks (which we dubbed "silk rocks" because Zoey asked why the rocks had silk on them).

We even found a natural rock slide which the girls and Stanley enjoyed several times. They made Stanley go first just to make sure it was safe.

So, watch your mail: Fit Stanley is ready for his next active adventure!

Hello, My Name Is Sharon...

I've been so out of touch this last month that I feel I need to introduce myself! Between school ending, family visitors, a vacation, a near search-and-rescue mission (the van Keith was driving to scout camp broke down in Death Valley - emphasis on Death) and a few family health crises, it's been one crazy month! Looking back, it hasn't been the laziest month, thankfully, but it was just haphazard and chaotic with plenty of good AND bad stuff thrown in.

What I mostly regret is not getting a monthly challenge out, nor any check-in surveys to see what's going on with everyone!  One bright spot was getting Fit Stanley back home safe and sound.  The Twitchells kept him active during some summer activities (Note to family - please don't COMPLETELY submerge him - he's not waterproof - but he can handle a few splashes).  I know they took pictures to document it, we're just waiting to see it on the blog!  (Hint, hint).   Ooooo, who'll get him next??? Watch your mail!

Also, watch the blog because the JULY CHALLENGE is coming within days, perhaps even hours.... but most likely days. It will be Olympically-related, of course! I can't wait to watch the games and be inspired by some seriously un-lazy folks.

We survived June! Let's tackle July!

I Miss Stanley

Fit Stanley, in case you forgot who that is. I sent him off into the cold, cruel world and haven't heard a peep from him since. I hope he hasn't fallen into a deep ice crevasse during a hike up Mt. Everest or flapped away into the wild blue yonder during the free-fall of a skydiving outing. Most likely, he's just having such a good time that he hasn't had a spare moment to check-in with the mother ship here. Which means we should have a plethora of amazing photos of his active adventures once he finally pauses to catch his breath (hopefully very soon, hint, hint).

I was going to name it Nigel.

I wish I could officially annouce the news of the birth of my baby kidney stone, but, it must've scraped (ha, ha, ouch!) on through before I could catch any of the evidence. Good news: urine is clear; Unpleasant news: I'm still having some pain and discomfort in my kidney, so it's off to the Dr. I go just to make sure something weird isn't going on. But it's nothing like the pain of the first attack, thank goodness. I absolutely know that it's been the prayers and fasting of you, my family, that have gotten me through this. I thank you all sincerely and exuberantly for that!

And, finally, I really racked up the points on this Bonus Memorial Day Challenge! 20 big ones for me!!! I know there were a few of you that earned some as well, because I was also on the receiving end of the challenge, and boy, was that fun! Thank you so much to my wonderful family who "remembered" me and sent some love my way. What a boost!

I AM SOOOOO BLESSED AND I HAVE THE BEST FAMILY ON THE PLANET!!!
THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU!
LET'S HAVE AN UN-LAZY WEEK!

Bonus Memorial Day Challenge

Every man is a hero and an oracle to somebody.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope it's lovely for everyone. I think it's an occasion that warrants a bonus monthly challenge! And it's non-physical, which might please some of you; might disappoint others.

Memorial Day is a special time to remember those that have passed on, but the Bonus Challenge is about recognizing loved ones still with us that might need a little "remembering."

Challenge: Send a card or email to someone who might need a special hello or words of encouragement at the moment.

Point Value: 2 points for every card/note mailed (snail mail), 1 point for every email sent. (Keep track and report to me - preferably via your surveymonkey emails. That way I only have to look one place to keep track of points!).

Deadline: May 31. See how many you can send out in 1 week!

I think this definitely qualifies as an exercise in emotional strengthening which can benefit both the giver and receiver! It's a great way to overcome Lazy... How many times have you thought: "I should send them a note...." and then put it off?

Well, DO IT this week!

A Few Things To Report

No one has reported earning any points on May's monthly challenge so far, except Keith... and I've earned some as well.  I hope you guys are doing it but you won't get points unless your report them to me!  C'mon, who doesn't want to win $50???!!!  There are still many days left to earn many more points this month so get going!  C'mon who doesn't want to feel good in the morning???!!!

I'm glad to be able to report on other activities going on.  Mom and Dad report that they usually get at least a couple of workouts in during the week.  Stephanie has texted me and facebooked several of her workouts lately and she's mentioned that Chrystie is involved in many of them, so good job ladies!  Keep swimming and treadmilling and circuit training, etc., etc.!  Jean and Travis mentioned doing some P90X workouts lately and I know they continue to head out on family bike rides.  Now if they'd only remember to include Fit Stanley maybe we'd see some cool pictures of him in action!  Jean has plans to do better with her snacking this week, so we'll wish her the best on that!  It was great to hear from Alex, who checked in with his survey monkey this week.  He didn't sound too pleased with himself lately, but I think he should be proud of his sweaty yard work and football playing.  Now, follow through with your plans for running this week, Alex, and you'll be able to score higher next week!  Keith continues to bike like crazy both on and off road.  We've both been enjoying our new fitness toy, the heavy exercise rope. That thing is killer!  Keith was skeptical at first, but he's been won over.  If you have a spare minute and 46 seconds, you can see it in action in a video on my latest blog post:  www.lazytrainer.blogspot.com.  I also, am working on controlling my snacking with mixed results.  Some days are definitely better than others.  I've been finding that consuming a few shakes/smoothies throughout the day helps.  I keep them low-cal and find that they keep my stomach pretty full for quite some time.

Keep working hard, family.  I love when you take the few minutes to fill out your survey monkeys.  It really helps me to put together these updates!

Everyone do a morning activity burst tomorrow!!!

May's Monthly Challenge

This is a great challenge that everyone can and should do.  It was inspired by Mom who told me she was already doing it herself and I thought it would be great for everyone to enjoy the benefits.  I myself do something like this regularly and notice that on the days that I do, it really helps perk me up and starts my day off right.... and it often results in ensuring that the entire rest of the day is more active overall.

May Challenge:  Morning Activity Burst

Point Value:  1 point for every day it is performed.

Description:  In the morning soon after you get up (right after relieving yourself, while waiting for the shower to warm up, while waiting for the microwave to ding while cooking your healthy breakfast oatmeal, etc., etc.) do some squat stretches.  Lower yourself into a manageable yet slightly challenging squat, then stand up straight and stretch arms straight up to the ceiling.  Hold for a brief moment and repeat as many times as it takes to get your heart slightly pumping.

This is a great, easy way to really rack up some points.  It's early in the month, so see how many days you can do this.  You may just find yourself adding to it, as I have done:  sometimes I add a few more exercise/stretches to it and repeat the circuit until I've done a mini-workout.  It's awesome and I feel amazing!

Please keep track of your point totals and you can report them weekly(ish) when I send you the Weekly Progress Report survey.  Thanks!

Prize Money!

Check out the Money Pot!  It's up to $40!!!  Hey, it's better than $0, huh?  If we all pitch in a little, I think we can get it up to $100 by the end of the year.  When I send Fit Stanley your way, I'm also including a SASE requesting a small donation to the prize pot.  Not a lot... just what you feel comfortable contributing.  I'm hoping for at least $10 from everyone, though.

So as a reminder: 

"Not-So-Dumbbell" award is $50 gift certificate to your choice of iTunes or Sport Authority.  Winner determined by whomever earns the most points from the monthly challenges.

2011 winner:  Me!  By A LOT, too!  Thanks, everyone, for being pathetic and letting me win. (And it wasn't just because I was issuing the challenges. My niece, Ashlee beat me on the Taylor side!)

"Golden Sneaker" award is the Golden Sneaker trophy plus all the money in the prize money pot (last year it was $100).  Winner determined by earning the most votes at the end of the year.

2011 winner:  Keith.  He unselfishly spent the prize money on Regan's soccer registration.

It's fun to win!  YOU should see for yourself!

Fit Stanley and Weekly Report

Well, I know Fit Stanley is in good hands with Jean, Travis and family.  I just hope they're keeping him busy and that we get to read all about his first active adventure soon.  Can't wait!

I realize that I need to summarize the weekly reports that come in from the surveys so we can all make a more informed vote on the winner when that day comes at year's end.

Dad reported getting several workouts in last week and is hoping to add a couple more this week.  He also conveyed his excitement for meeting Fit Stanley soon!  Mom told me that several mornings last week, she did some pre-shower exercises and stretches to get her going for the day.  Awesome.  My week was slightly above average.  Exercising was a bit interesting since I hurt my foot but I modified and got some good workouts in; just not as many as I'd like.  My dietary habits are still challenging me but I hope to have some progress to report on that soon.  One of my boot campers recommended I watch "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," on Hulu.  It's totally gotten her to clean up her act eating-wise and she hasn't even had the desire to eat her usual junk for weeks now.  I'll let you know how it is!  Keith has extended several of his bike rides home from work when he's had the time and got in a few upper body strength workouts as well.  I think there's some other good stuff going on out there, but we won't know unless they report in!

Keep (start) reporting - good or bad - it'll help keep you on track!

I am sorry I didn't get a challenge issued for April.  I was so preoccupied with getting the Fit Stanley project underway that time just slipped away from me.  But Mom gave me a good idea for May's challenge, so watch for that coming up!

Here's to a healthy, productive week!

Fit Stanley's Already Working Hard!

I love it!  The Johnson Family is already off and running with the Fit Stanley project!  Chrystie and Steph didn't even wait around for the "official" Fit Stanley to arrive - they made their own personalized Stanleys and put him to work! 

He looks pretty happy.  I'm guessing this is pre-workout.

I think Stanley's winning the race.

I'm not even sure who this little acrobat is... Lex?  Danika?  Livy?
Stanley looks like he's having fun!

Cutest little dumbbell I've ever seen!

Can't wait to see how this guy looks in about 6 months!

This is a great warm-up for when the real Fit Stanley comes to visit.  Can't wait to see more pictures!

Keep it up!!!!!!

FIT STANLEY!



 

Meet Fit Stanley. He’s coming for a visit very soon. He’s ready for an active adventure (or just a routine workout) with you and your family.

This is Rock holding Fit Stanley.
He's the son of one of my Boot Campers. Tough kid.

Here’s his story:

Hans, Franz and Richard Simmons found Stanley in the garage. Stanley’s mirror had fallen on top of him as he stood in front of it flexing his muscles. Stanley was as flat as a whole-grain, gluten-free tortilla. Stanley went to the doctor where he was declared, “flat, but still fit.”

Stanley liked being flat. When he dropped a dumbbell on his foot, it didn’t hurt because it was already flat. When he rode his bike, he had no wind drag because he was very aerodynamic.

But what Stanley liked most about being flat, was fitting into an envelope and being sent to his friends and family to join in on their fitness adventures.

He hopes to go places and do things he’s never done before this year with the Johnson family. Help Fit Stanley stay in “shape” by including him in some of your fitness endeavors this year. It can be a creative new activity or just part of your regular routine. He likes it all! Just don’t let him sit around for long and get dusty. He gets really cranky.

Fit Stanley has already been on several outings with the Keith Johnson family and he’s ready for more!

When you receive him follow the instructions and pass him along!



Backyard hopscotch.

More hopping than scotching for Zoey.





He just kept smiling the whole time.



Fit Stanley accompanying me to Boot Camp at the park.
I was doing uphill lunges with a 10-lb. medicine ball but with him it was, like, 10.00000000000001 lbs!
Yeah, thanks Stanley!

Mixed Bag

Well, thanks to the Weekly Progress Report surveys I know how several of you did this week. And, as I expected, it was quite a mixed bag of results! I'm glad to hear of the good stuff going on out there and I appreciate those with a less-than-stellar week still letting me know what's going on.

Remember, it's about progress, not perfection. So don't let the poopy-licious days/weeks/months get ya down. If you can bounce back... or even just slowly ease yourself back... from some rough days/weeks and make the next week even a little healthier, then you're making progress!

Just a bit of advice based on some of the comments I received: When your time/energy/mood is not conducive to exercise or working on your fitness goals, try to at least spend a few minutes breathing deep, thinking calm thoughts and stretching a bit. It doesn't take much time or energy and, holy cow, does it make you feel a ton better! Try it next time you haven't been able to do anything else "healthy-ish" and hopefully it will help get you back on track when you're willing and able.

And don't give up those great family traditions that might include some not-so-healthy elements. Those are important family feel-good times. They usually only happen every once in a while and we just need to enjoy them and get back to our normal, healthier lifestyles ASAP!

Let's make it a good week!

Good General Conference Advice To Help Us Overcome Lazy

Imagine that! We got some amazing counsel from our leaders at General Conference. Glad I listened! One particular concept stood out to me because, while it applies to our eternal spiritual salvation, it can be totally applied to our physical health and happiness, as well.

Elder Neil L. Anderson said, "Our journey of discipleship is not a dash around the track, nor is it even comparable to a lengthy marathon. It is a life-long migration toward a more celestial world."

Can't that totally be said about our journey to optimal health and happiness: It is a life-long migration toward a more healthful, un-lazy lifestyle.

I also extracted these thoughts from a few of his later comments: Not every day is our best performance. We'll have our ups and downs over the weeks/months/years (physically, emotionally, spiritually) but it's the consistancy of our efforts - both large and small - that gets us to our ultimate goals.

So, that being said: make the small effort to stay focused on your Golden Sneaker goals by filling out the Weekly Progress Report survey! I can't wait to see how many of you made the effort to march!

I also can't wait to introduce the next phase of our Golden Sneaker Challenge very soon. Let's just say Fit Stanley is a name with whom you will soon become familiar. He's coming to visit each one of you!

Stay tuned....

Marching On...

So is anyone remembering to march?!

I admit, I've only done so twice - it's an easy one to forget about! My wonderful, supportive husband (albeit reluctant at times) has also earned two points. The first time, I got a call from him Monday night. It was a little odd because I was at home working on the computer and he was in our bedroom, so when I answered, I asked, "what are you doing?!" He answered, "marching." Isn't he fantastic?! He'd just read the challenge on the blog and got right on it! And then, this morning, he had taken Zoey to her dance class when I needed to call him. There was kind of a pause after he answered and he explained that he'd had to go around the corner to start marching because he didn't want any of the other parents to think he was weird.

Thank you, Sweetie, for overcoming Lazy!

It makes me think that just maybe I should call each one of you and remind you to march during our entire conversation so everyone will get at least one point! I wouldn't make it a short conversation, either. I'd drone on and on about all the cute little things my girls are doing and the plot twists of the latest book I'm reading. Heehee.

Siguen adelante, mi familia... March on, march on...

Forward... March!

March Challenge:

Stand up and march in place during 1 or more phone calls each day until the end of the month.

I would like to challenge you to do this during ALL calls, but I'll be pleased if you do it during at least 1 call a day.

You get 1 point for every day that you march in place during at least 1 phone call until the end of the month. So keep track of how many days you have a marching phone call and let me know. Counting today (Monday) you can earn up to 6 points!

I already marched today! Actually I only left a voice mail, but from the moment I dialed the number until the end of my message, I was marching! I only felt a little silly.

But more than anything, I felt PROUD that I'm Overcoming Lazy!

By the way, this will really help those of you keeping track of your steps with a pedometer!

So Proud Of My Golden Sneakers!

Future Golden Sneaker Winner!

Thanks to all those who completed their goal surveys!

Wasn't it quick and easy and fun?! Well, those are the first words that pop into MY head, anyway!

I hope you found it helpful in making a plan to set your goals in motion. Just a warning: I plan on using these surveys a lot this year in helping us report progress and get/give feedback, etc.

The reason I say I'm proud of you Golden Sneakers is that you've let me know through the blog posts, the surveys, texts, facebook, and/or emails that many of you are off to a good start. Most of you indicated you have a positive attitude going into the Challenge this year!  And you're DOING things!  For example, several of you have signed up for Weight Watchers.  Jean reported making progress on reducing her soda consumption.  Dad is using his new punching bag for workouts.  I love it!

Upcoming events:

• Another (the quickest one yet) survey! Woot, woot! Look for it in your email tomorrow!
• Another Monthly Challenge for the final week of March! (remember the first Challenge this month, worth 1 point, is to fill out your personal goal survey).
• National Rub Your Tummy and Pat Your Head Day. Okay, I made that up, but it would be fun to celebrate, no?

Keep up the good work, mi familia!

Thanks, Grace!

Thanks to Grace's birthday party, several of us got to try a new activity that challenged us a bit physically, I'd say.  Rock climbing!  I hadn't dressed properly to do any climbing, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't at least give it a try. 

Grace showing us how it's done!

Especially after watching Travis make it to the top of his wall and get to triumphantly ring the cow bell.

More cow bell!

So I kicked off my flats and surprised myself by making it to the top of my wall as well.  This one didn't have a cow bell, so I just had to utter a primal shout of victory... right before I made the mistake of looking down and whimpering for my Mommy.  I was higher than I realized!

Just like Spidey

We all had a great time and I got one step closer to accomplishing my goal of trying 3 new fitness activities this year.  First one down!

The little ones got into it too.  Isaac got quite a bit higher than this, even!



And they all loooooved the swinging!