Exercise
I can’t believe I’m about to actually write a post that even hints at “the holidays”. Already??
But since Halloween is so last week and I’ve been seeing light up penguins and snowflakes in the stores since August, I guess it’s time to admit they’re coming. It’s not just the holidays themselves that make this a tough season for diet and exercise, but the fact that it gets dark before you leave work and can be freezing cold.
<–obviously I had to include a Halloween pic
But what do we say about excuses? Stop them. Find a new way.
Here are a couple tips from my latest adidas women’s training post:
First things first.
Make exercise a priority and do it first thing in the morning. Yes, it’s cold and no one likes getting up earlier than they have to, but think about the alternatives down the road: overweight, out of shape, chronic disease. It’s not as much of a stretch as you’d think.
Do something small.
You don’t have to run an half Ironman to check off the day’s workout off your list. Do anything that gets you moving –anything!
Be prepared.
Dress for success in the chilly temps of winter. Some of my go-to’s are the Climawarm+ tights {with the softest lining ever} and the half-zip fleece pullover from adidas. So comfy and cozy, yet functional.
Pay for a class or membership.
Yes, I just told you to spend extra money during the holidays. But if you paid for it, won’t you feel bad skipping it?
Check out the adidas women’s training site for the rest of my holiday fitness tips!
Psst. if you’re looking for something to put on your wish list already, I highly suggest the adidas Springblades. I could certainly use the extra forward energy during the dreary winter. I’ll have more gift list ideas in my next adidas post…
adidas Women designs innovative performance products to help women commit to their best self and conquer their fitness goals. We inspire women to look and feel their best – be pretty, be tough & be confident.
Compensation was provided by adidas via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of adidas.
Biking
For most people, this weekend’s holiday was Labor Day. For others, it was a different holiday. The official kickoff of the season known as college football.
Perhaps you can tell which team the husband’s side of the family pulls for…
Before heading over to the in-laws’ to watch the first game of the season, Grandma picked up the little guy and the husband and I headed out on our first bike ride together in at least a year. We’re gearing up for our two-day bike ride extravaganza for MS, and neither one of us has put nearly enough time in the saddle. This was actually the husband’s first ride of the year.
Of course he kicked my butt the whole ride, as if he’d been training all year and it was my first time on the bike. We rode a few loops at the park so we could avoid dealing with cars on the road. When we got tired {which didn’t take long} we headed back to the car. I pulled my phone {yes, the rice worked!} out of my bag and saw we rode a whopping 7.5 miles.
7 and a half.
That’s not going to cut it! The plan was to ride again this morning but it’s pouring rain.
It’s funny, I started riding my bike when my body couldn’t handle running without injury, but my body is just not made for biking. I watch people fly past me right and left, uphill and down, and I just pedal, pedal, pedal away, never catching up.
I suppose it’s just a challenge I’ll have to keep working on, because nothing worth it is ever easy, right? But I long for the day when I can head out for a long run and not have it hurt.
So how did you celebrate the long weekend? Run a race? Cookout? Lounge around? Obsess over fantasy drafts and first football games?
Holidays
As I sit in front of my brightly lit Christmas tree and glance at the stockings hanging on the mantle, I’m still having trouble believing this weekend is Christmas. The warm weather and the change in Christmas tradition certainly isn’t helping either. Instead of heading home for the holidays this year, my mom and step dad are headed here as we speak {I write?} to celebrate with us in NC.
So in order to get in the spirit, I’ve got the tree lit, evergreen scented candles burning, and I’m about to pull out a fresh log of gingerbread cookie dough for some holiday baking.
And of course the Christmas music is blaring. In the spirit of Christmas music, here’s a video that’ll get you in the holiday mood. {Have I ever mentioned how much I want to be in a flash mob? Well, I do.}
<–obviously I had to include a Halloween pic
