April Fitness Tip - The Plank

Here's the April fitness video. This one covers the Plank. It's an easy exercise for the core that you can do almost anywhere. Is there an exercise you'd like for us to cover on the blog? Let us know and we'll schedule it! To view the video full size on our Youtube channel, click here.

Exercising: Find your Fun!

I've been thinking a lot lately about how physical fitness (or at least exercise) and spiritual well-being and true happiness seem to really go hand-in-hand. And yet, when we think of "getting fit," most of usually obsess over calories burnt, calories taken in, time on the treadmill, and the like. We never think about how exercise makes us happier people.

For a long time, my exercise routine and fitness regimen had the same meaning. As some of you know, when i started working at the Y nearly 5 years ago, I was substantially overweight. So I started to exercise with the simple goal of losing weight. I'd tried the whole "exercise" thing in the past, but could never stick with it. I think something clicked when I discovered something I love to do. Exercise should NOT be miserable, nor should it be something that feels like work. You gotta go out and find something that's fun. And that should be the very first thing you look for when you're looking to start a workout routine. Ask yourself: "Would I have fun if I _______ for exercise?" If the answer is no, move on. If the answer is yes, then you can start asking questions about target heart rate, calories burned, even what cute outfit you'll wear whilst doing said activity. But for goodness sake, start by having fun.

We're really good at attaching this idea to work. If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times, "Find something you love to do, then figure out a way to get paid for it." No one ever questions this line of thinking, but it's not often that I've seen someone slogging through a treadmill run just stop and announce that "This is no fun, so I'm not doing it anymore."

It's time to change that. And if you want, you can start at the Y. Consider this my personal invitation. If there's a regularly scheduled fitness class that we offer that you've always wanted to try, come on! There's space for you. If you don't like it, you can leave. If it's fun, you might just be on to something. Here's a list of what we've got to offer. Check it out and choose one. And I want to hear what you chose. Tell me about your class in the comments on this post, or leave it as a comment on the Y's Facebook Fan Page.

I run. It's fun to me. So now how about you? What do you do to exercise that's Fun? I want to know! Let's hear it!

Today's healthy food: Quinoa (pronounced /ˈkiːnoʊ.ə/ or /kwɨˈnoʊ.ə/,). Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds. I love this stuff. Check out this site to learn more about it and find great recipes.