How Fast Do You Lose Your Fitness When You Stop Exercising?

I just got back from a week off and today was my first day back to work at my studio.  I've gotten (struggled actually) through 2 of those classes and the third one is coming up.  I'm amazed by how challenging today is for me.  It got me thinking about exactly how much fitness you lose when you stop your usual routine and how fast does it happen.

I came across a pretty interesting article and thought I'd share it :)  I know it's cycling specific but you can apply the info to any workout regime.

Even though it's a bit of a struggle for me today and probably will be for most of this week, I'm SO happy to be back at it.  Working out not only benefits your body it also benefits your mind/mood - can't wait for my group to get to the studio so we can do our Tabata Bootcamp workout :)

Restful Vacation!

I'm back from my vacation in Powell River.  Mostly I did as little as possible but I did mange to fit in a quick 50+km ride (forgot to put on Strava) :)

As an adult I can really appreciate the beauty of Powell River.  As a kid/teenager though I couldn't wait to get out.  I have no plans to ever move back but I will always enjoy my visits! 

Time For Some Time Off :)

This is it!  I'm officially on vacation.  I'm shutting down my studio for 1 week!  I've never done this before and am having mixed feelings.

Down time is SO important and I'm not very good at it.  It's just too easy to get caught up in your work when you love it so much.  I don't even consider it my work - it's my passion.  My passion is definitely taxing on my body though so it's time to take a bit of time off for some much needed recovery both physically and mentally.  Although I do plan on taking a class or two at Coast Fitness in Powell River and getting in an outdoor ride or two....  :)

Guilty Pleasures ;)

Sometimes you just gotta indulge in some wine, Netflix and chocolate brownies - that's right, plural.....

HUGE Mistake/Learning Experience

Last year I made a terrible business decision that I'm still trying to recover from.  When I really thought about it I realized that my decision was based on fear and self doubt.  I've heard from other entrepreneurs that if you're feeling scared and doubting your abilities it usually means you're on the right track and you should keep going after your goal.  Last year I let the fear take over and as a result I suffered quite a blow.

It was a great learning experience though!  (shine that penny) :D

Here is what I learned:

• if someone offers you something that sounds great for everyone involved ask yourself 'why are they doing that?'  What's their motivation - unfortunately it most likely isn't that they want to see you succeed.  
• Compare what you're bringing to the party to what they have to offer - make sure it's an even contribution.
• keep your finances completely separate from those involved in this new venture and share fixed costs equally - NEVER let anyone have access to money that you worked your ass off for.
• always have a back-up plan and awesome supportive friends that will help get you through the tough times - I hope my friends know how grateful I am for them ;)
• be prepared financially - apply for a line of credit and/or an increase in your business loan before you actually need it.  Once you use up all your savings and incur more credit card debt you won't be able to get any financial help from the banks - there's just nothing they can do if you look bad on paper even though the circumstances that got you there were out of your hands.
• don't let fear and self doubt motivate your decisions.  Sit back, talk to a lot of people and then make a decision based on facts and numbers.  Even if you're not quite where you expected to be in a certain amount of time, if you have a product that people enjoy and you're authentic you will eventually build your business to what you want it to be.  

I honestly feel that everything happens for a reason.  I had a few people caution me about the decision that I inevitably made and I didn't listen to them because I felt this was something I really wanted/needed to do.  I now know that I was just giving in to fear and self doubt.  I came out of it a bit banged up, but also a bit wiser....at least I hope so ;)

How Much Water?

Did you know that I'm a published author??  :)

Here's an article I wrote about water

Killer Leg Workout

Can't make it to Wholey Fit today for a killer leg workout but need your fix?  I'm here to help! 

Do the following routine:

. 

Warm-up 5-10 minutes

Starting position:  Stand tall, abs in, shoulders back and chest up (if you like you can hang onto a pair of dumbbells for this routine, but it's probably not necessary).

Take a big step forward into a forward lunge (remember to push through the heel of the front leg).  Return to starting position.*

Next take a big step out to the side into a side lunge (the leg that you step out with will be bent, the other leg straight - you'll feel a nice inner thigh stretch on that straight leg).  Return to starting position.*

Now take a big step back into a reverse lunge (remember to push through the front heel).  Return to starting position.*

Finally step back and diagonally into a curtsy lunge (if you're stepping back with the left leg, it will land behind and to the right of the right leg).  Return to start position.*

Now start from the beginning, but this time do 2 of each lunge (ie forward lunge, return to starting position and do a second forward lunge, then repeat for side lunge, reverse lunge and curtsy lunge), then 3 on the next set, then 4....see where this is going?  Try to get up to 10 of each lunge! :)

*instead of returning to the starting position where you're standing on both legs, you could just bring the leg back to the starting position, but don't touch down (ie balance on supporting leg).