I sweat because I care

Today was my first day of exercise. It was awesome!! It was so invigorating. I knew it would be, I am not a total stranger to exercise. But it was wonderful. This morning, I didn't want to get out of bed. I was feeling a serious case of the lazies, but I got up and did it. I'm so proud of myself!

I went to my closet and dug around in the back until I found my forgotten yoga mat. I took it in the living room and stood in front of my television. I worked out while I watched my DVR recorded episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. It made it all go by easily. Here are the exercises I did today:
Bow Extensions- Stand with feet slightly farther than shoulder width apart. With a 5 lb. weight (I used a gallon jug full of water) raise your arms above your head on your left side. Bring the weight down towards your right knee while lifting right knee towards the weight. Do 3 sets of 15 reps, then switch to the other side and repeat with the same 3 sets of 15 reps, taking 30-60 second breaks between each set.

Leg Lifts- Lie on your back with your palms flat on the floor next to your hips. With your feet together, lift both legs so they are perpendicular to the floor, then ease them back down. Don't touch your heels back to the floor, but instead stop about an inch above the floor. Do 3 sets of 15 reps. If you can't do the 15 repetitions, that's a good thing. You want your muscles to max out. I did my first two sets of 15, but my lower abs and upper thighs were burning by my third set, I could only do ten. You should work your muscles til you can't move, then take 30-60 seconds and complete the set.

Jumping Jacks-These go to exercises for junior high gym classes are great cardio for burning calories and lots of fat. I did 3 sets of 20 reps. Then I cooled down by walking in place. When my heart rate returned to normal, I felt so good! This afternoon I went for a walk with the boys. I carried Andrew in the Maya Wrap and pushed John in the stroller. It is such a beautiful day outside, hot and sunny. I worked up a great sweat and surely burned lots of calories!

Enjoy your day!