Fitting Exercise Into Your Busy Schedule

I know this is something that a lot of people struggle with. Time! How do we find time??? Look, we all have lives right? We work, we go to school, we have our kids to take care of, etc. And sometimes it’s just not feasible in the season that we’re in to hit the gym as much as we’d like. So I sat down and thought about some tips I would give someone who is busy but wants to fit exercise into their schedule.

1. Decide if you’re an AM or PM workout person

I’d call this the first step. This is key because when you figure out what you like, you’re that much more likely to do your workout. If you don’t know, try both. I’ve found myself doing both at different times. It’s just whatever season I am in at the moment. Let’s face it, if you have all your energy in the mornings, but you try to continually workout after work at 5PM you will crash and burn every time. Get to know your body.

2. Next, PLAN

Prepare your gym bag ahead of time. Every night before I go to bed I make a penciled list of everything I have to/want to accomplish the next day. I then write down the times for everything I have to do and then write in times for things I want to do. That was I can prioritize.

3. So make it a priority

Once you decide if fitting a workout into your day is important to you, make it a priority. If you’re an AM exerciser, get that booty up early enough before work. If you’re a PM exerciser, go straight to the gym after class/work. If someone says “hey let’s go to dinner tonight” make sure to schedule dinner at a time that you can get your workout/shower/and change beforehand. Make it a priority.

4. Motivate yourself

If you like to workout in the AM, wear your gym clothes to bed. If you like to workout in the PM, plan a healthy and yummy dinner in the crockpot so you can look forward to that afterwards. Buy some new gym clothes. Get new gym gear. Download some new music that you’ll be excited to listen to. Find something that you like and learn to motivate yourself with it.

5. Get an accountability partner

It’s important to have accountability partners in all aspects of your life…spiritually, emotionally, etc. so why would your fitness life be any different? There’s strength in numbers, my friends. If you have a class or workout set up with your friend to both be at you are less likely to skip it.

6. Use those lunch breaks

For real. Take a walk during your lunch break. It’ll get you outside with some fresh air and it will get your heart rate up. After sitting down most of the day, your body will really appreciate it. You need a break anyways.

7. KISS

Keep it short, stupid. No i’m not calling you stupid. Instead of “Keep it simple, stupid”…keep it short! Just because you’re not working out for a long time doesn’t mean you won’t see benefits from exercise. Do some HIIT for 30 minutes, walk around your neighborhood, follow a quick yoga DVD, do some squats in your office for a break during your work day. Try some moves I showed in my stability ball video. Just get moving.

8. Multi-task

You all have seen my pictures before…I read while I walk the streets of my neighborhood. I know, some of you are thinking about how unsafe that is and some of you are wondering how you could be coordinated enough to do that. Well, I’m really not that coordinated! You’ve also seen pictures of me studying for exams while walking the treadmill. Hold some planks while you’re scrolling through Instagram. I do them all. I love them all. I love to exercise while I am doing something else.

So these are just a few tips I have…there’s definitely more where that came from. Now share: what do you like to do??

Inside My Gym Bag

My gym bag…otherwise known as my purse. But seriously, it is. I carry my gym bag more than I carry my purse!

I’m an organization junkie and I feel like I have mastered some “tricks” to keeping my bag organized and effective. So I thought we could talk about that today.

Now, I usually go dressed and ready to the gym, but this is what I take with me every time.

All the necessities, right in my Lululemon bag, this is a similar one. I got mine for Christmas a couple of years ago and it still holds up nicely. It’s super sturdy which is needed because sometimes my bag gets heavy after my wallet, water bottle, and yoga mat are all thrown in there.

I love a clear bag! Right here is a cute 3-pack of clear toiletry bags for a great price. These might have to be my next investment!

It’s so much easier being able to see what’s inside to make sure I have everything. In this bag I keep my body wash and washcloth, chapstick, lotion, all toiletries (including make-up removing wipes), along with extra hair ties and headbands. I always, always keep multiples of those because that’s the worst if you get to the gym and realize you don’t have them!

This little bag came with my Lululemon bag and it’s where I keep a change of clothes. I keep separate bags because I always hated when I would throw everything inside my main bag and then it was a maze trying to find what I was looking for. This process is so much easier!

It holds my gym clothes (for when I used to workout after work), or it will hold my school clothes (if I workout before I go to classes for the day).

I always keep an extra pair of socks, underwear, and a sports bra in here as well. Those are also things you don’t want to forget about!

The side zipper pocket holds my yoga mat cleaner, body wipes for if I just need to wipe sweat off my face real quick, and the female necessities. You never know when you need these and I keep them in the zipper pocket so they don’t fall out/are seen. Nobody cares to see that stuff!

The other side of the bag is more pockets without the zipper. I keep my workout watch, headphones, my keys, and my phone on this side. This makes it easier to reach those things without having to dig to the bottom of my bag. I learned that the hard way when it took me 5 minutes to find my keys one time after just throwing them in my bag.

At the very bottom of my bag I keep all of my “workout specific items”…you know, socks for Barre class or wraps for boxing class. I don’t always need them, but when you do, you do. You know what i’m saying?

A few more things to note:

1. I keep a beach towel in my bag…but always a lightweight one. I don’t know about you, but we have lightweight and heavy beach towels. I always use the lightweight ones because they are easier to stuff and they aren’t as bulky and heavy. I will usually use this as my towel if I shower at the gym , or to towel off from the sauna, or a towel to wipe off sweat during my workouts.

2. If I am going to yoga, that towel is usually replaced with my yoga mat, unless I am just carrying it by hand.

3. I always keep a cheap ol’ pair of flip flops at the bottom of my bag for if I am showering, or using the sauna after a workout, or if I want to let my feet breathe after a sweaty workout.

4. I “re-stock” my small extra clothes bag first thing when I get home if they were used so I don’t forget. You don’t want to end up having to sit in some sweaty clothes because you forgot your extra pair.

5. Keep travel sized toiletries in your bag. They are easier to handle and cheaper to purchase too.

Now let’s go hit the gym with our organized bags! And then we can jump in the pool afterwards? 😉

Tell us about your gym bag! Am I missing anything?!

My Fitness Routine

Morning, y’all!

Today’s post is one that I was actually surprised I hadn’t written before. I searched my own blog for this post and realized I had never made one…say what???

Update: I found a post that I did on my spring workout routine last year. It’s funny how we forget out own posts 🙂

Incorporating fitness into my daily routine is something that comes naturally to me. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone and I totally understand that. But it always has for me.

Growing up, I was always involved in sports.

I’m pretty sure the first sport I ever played was t-ball.
In elementary, I played lots of soccer, I tried out gymnastics, I took dance classes (but that didn’t last long), I took golf and tennis lessons, and was on the swim team.
In middle school, I went from volleyball season, to track and field season, to soccer season.
In high school, I started off the year in volleyball and ended the year in softball. I joined a dodgeball team with some friends as well. And of course, I was always in attendance at baseball games (even though I didn’t play).
I took a martial arts class once too…that was FUN!

I mean, my life has always revolved around sports and some form of exercising. When I went to college and no longer played sports I found myself really missing it. I missed the competition, the goofing around at practices with friends, the being hard on myself to do better…but mostly just being active. I really missed being active.

Middle school started my days of running with being on the track team, but college is where I began really working on my running and enjoying it. Lately, I haven’t enjoyed it as much. It started feeling more like a chore to me than anything else so I stopped.

So that’s when I started to try various forms of exercise over the past 4 years…

…I ran on the treadmill…

…I ran outside…

…I started attending yoga class at Lululemon on Sunday mornings…

…I tried workout videos…

…I’ve tried following along with Kayla Itsines’ workouts…

…I tried just going to lift weights…

…and I lost interest in all of these things.

Back in November when I started my Fitness Goals, I decided to do something different exercise-wise.

I decided I wanted to join a gym. I used to go to Emily‘s gym with her and attend group exercise classes there and really loved it. I’m sure it’s the teammate in me (after playing all those team sports) and being surrounded by like-minded people looking to achieve the same goals as me. I just loved every part of it! So November is when I began testing gyms out to get serious about joining. I started with a couple of yoga studios. And I found one that I really really liked. However, it was all yoga classes. While I love yoga, I didn’t want to limit myself by that being the only form of exercise I could do. So I started trying out different gyms, you know the normal 24 Hour Fitness, Lifetime, etc. And i’ve finally found one.

Now, group exercise is it for me. It’s my preferred form of exercise. Maybe that’ll change, maybe it won’t. We’ll see since i’m difficult to satisfy 🙂

What does a normal week look like for me?

Well, I try to attend one yoga class, one strength training class, one HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), and then the rest I usually hit are cardio classes. I do take 1 day as a rest day and sometimes depending on what’s going on for the week i’ll take 2 rest days.

Monday‘s have really brought me to get up at 8AM for BodyCombat. I love this class. I mentioned it before, but it’s a martial arts mixture with Muay Thai, Boxing, and Kickboxing.

Tuesday‘s  have found their way to become my rest days because of classes, but now that i’ve changed my schedule I can fix it by fitting a class in my school schedule.

Wednesday is another cardio day where i’m going to a TurboKick (kickboxing has become one of my favorite hobbies lately) or Insanity. Or that’s my strength training day with BodyPump.

Thursday is usually dance day. I’ve been to a couple CIZE dance classes and a U-JAM class.

Friday has been another rest day or else i’ll go to Pop Pilates.

Saturday is my HIIT. This class will surely work you and I would totally recommend you trying to incorporate some HIIT into your exercise regimen. It will boost your metabolism as well as increase your after burn rate (calories you burn while just sitting around).

Sunday is either my TurboKick class or a yoga class at Lululemon.

Really it depends on what is going on that day. I love these classes for so many reasons but also the fact that I go in, I do what the teacher says, and i’m out in an hour. That’s it. That’s all. Then i’m healthy. Haha well, that and of course the foods I put into my body…but that’s another post for a different day. 😉

So you want to incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine? Here are some of my tips.

Find YOUR time.

Sometimes finding a time to workout is hard. I usually keep my gym’s group X schedule open in my safari to refer to when i’m looking at tomorrow. I like to figure out my schedule of things I HAVE to do and then i’ll decide whether or not I can hit the gym in the morning or the afternoon. Which is often times why you’ll find me there first thing in the morning. I get ‘er done and get going with my day! Some days it doesn’t always fit into what I have going on and i’ve been known to stress about that. That leads me to…

Don’t let it consume you.

Now that i’ve found a gym I like, classes I like, instructors I like…I have a hard time NOT going (more on that later). But do I want the gym to run my life and keep me from enjoying my family and friends? No. In fact, I sacrificed my Monday class yesterday to spend time with my dad at Starbucks. Did it stress me out a little bit? Sure did. But when my dad’s not here one day for me to get a coffee with am I going to still be mad about missing that workout class one Monday morning? Absolutely not.

Try different things.

Like the different types of exercising I previously mentioned, I had to find out what suited me the best and what I enjoyed the best. And you should too. It’s not so much of a “workout” when you’re enjoying what you’re doing. Just like a job. It’s not a job if you’re enjoying what you’re doing. No matter what it is!

Test different gyms, classes, and teachers.

There’s one teacher that I absolutely enjoy!! Therefore, I want to continue going back to her class. Finding a teacher that you look at and say “yeah, i’d want to look like her” is so much more motivating too. You feel like since she’s looking like this after teaching these class I ought to at some point! As for testing different gyms, there were some that I just did not like one bit. How much would I have regretted getting a membership before trying it out???

Eat when your body needs it.

I think there is a lot of confusion with this. Personally, I usually don’t eat before I go to morning workout classes. I get up and go, which is what i’ve always done since my morning volleyball practice days. There’s nothing to prove that a fasting workout is bad for your body, or eating before a workout is good for your body. This is a personal preference. So make sure you do what your body needs! All day for that matter…don’t eat when you’re not hungry. Don’t starve yourself when you are hungry. Find a healthy balance! I know i’m still working on this too.

Drink yo water.

You’re getting tired of hearing that now, aren’t you? There is so much research around this topic that if I received a dollar for every article saying how important water was, I wouldn’t have to work the rest of my life 😉 Find a cute water bottle and carry it with you! Do not leave your house without one!!!

Trust the process.

One day you will thank yourself for waking up early and hitting the gym…or squeezing in a workout class before plans out with friends that night. One reason I love working out is that it just makes me feel so much better about myself too. Am I exactly where I want to be in my fitness journey right now? No…but I am getting there and trusting that the process will get me there. Just don’t give up!!! Trust me, I have multiple times and it just makes it even more difficult for me.

So that’s me and my fitness routine. What does yours look like? What would you tell people who want to start incorporating a fitness routine into their schedule?

Why Kylie loves Spinning, and you can too!

Hello! Hello!

This morning, my friend Kylie is over here to talk about one of her favorite work outs: Spinning. I haven’t had a guest blogger here at Colors of Life, so I decided it was time for one! And it works especially well seeing as I talked about my spring work out routine yesterday, today was the perfect day to have her over here! I have no idea how Kylie and I met, but i’m so glad we did because she is so sweet, so positive, and so fun!

Do you remember my “Why I love running, and you can too!” post or my “Why I love yoga, and you can too!” post. Well, I asked Kylie if she wanted to do a little spin-off of that and she agreed. This girl does it all. She teaches PiYo and Spin and runs marathons and runs after teaching those class; all that jazz. She totally puts me to shame! So here she is ladies and gents, KYLIE!!!!!!
(aahhhh and the crowd roars) 😉

---

Hi, Colors of Life readers! I’m Kylie and I blog over at the very creatively titled blog…Kylie McGraw. I love to ramble about my dogs, what’s currently cooking in my kitchen, and my adventures around D.C., but I especially love to write about working out!

As a kid, I think most of us probably tried our fair share of sports. I was pretty eclectic in my choices…I was in a bumper bowling league, I played softball, and while all of that was going on, I was always really involved in some kind of gymnastics or dance class! It wasn’t until high school that I started to see working out was something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do. Have you ever felt like that?! Working out should be fun…not something we dread!

For my whole life, I have watched my aunt hit the park or the track almost every day of the week to run. I used to tag along with her on occasion, but it wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I fell in love with running myself! I joined the cross country team (mostly because I just wanted to be on a team…ha!) and I found that running was actually so difficult, but it is so powerful too! I feel strong and accomplished and energized whenever I finish a run…have you heard of runner’s high? Those endorphins are powerful things! Molly talked a little bit about this before too. Now I just run for fun, and I sign up for races when I can because having a goal is so motivating!

I call running my soul mate workout. It is just the best! Even though it is MY favorite, I know that’s not everyone’s jam, and hey! On some days I want to completely quit too. Last year, I even HAD to quit because I was injured. Luckily, when I was a sophomore in college, I discovered another workout that I love: indoor cycling! Sometimes I cheat on my soul mate, running, just to go get on a bike. 🙂

I loved taking classes at my university so much that I decided to become an instructor! In November 2011, I went to a 10-hour certification and learned all about the history and “how-to’s” of teaching classes. Maybe you know indoor cycling as Spinning…that’s what I call it. But guess what?! Spinning is actually a certified trademark and only those who are certified to teach classes are actually allowed to say they “teach Spin”. Some gyms also buy the trademark so they can write “Spinning” on their schedules. The Spinning certification is really well known and preferred by many gyms, which is why I chose it, but there are also other certs out there from Schwinn Cycling and Reebok. I’ve been doing continuing education for my certification and I have now been certified for almost FIVE years! That is crazy to me!

Anyways, back to you. Today I want to share with you four reasons why YOU should get yourself to a cycling class sometime soon!

– ONE –

Cycling classes are for everyone.

I’ve been to classes in college where everyone is about the same age, I’ve been to classes at my local YMCA where there are teenagers, moms, dads, and grandparents, and I’ve taught classes where there are people who have been in class for years and people who are just starting their fitness journey. If you aren’t sure what to do when you walk into the gym, go to a cycling class! Your instructor has carefully planned the class to be challenging for every person in the room. But, the best part is, you are the one that is in control of your bike! If your instructor tells you to turn up the resistance and make it harder, you should do that…but you might not be working as hard as the person next to you. That’s okay. No one can see what you are doing. As long as it’s a challenge for you, that’s a good thing!

– TWO –

Team motivation!

No, indoor cycling is not a team sport…but working hard in a room with a bunch of other people gives you so much energy! When you are starting to lose focus…or you just feel like quitting…look around at all the other faces working just as hard as you! Your instructor will probably be encouraging you as you ride, and depending on the class, people might even encourage each other.

– THREE –

Cardio + strength training all in one!

When you are pedaling along with lower resistance OR you are pedaling really quickly with high resistance, your heart is pumping. You are burning calories and getting an amazing cardio workout. But, when you start to add resistance and you stand up to “climb” on the bike, your legs are getting stronger and leaner! Notice I didn’t say bulky. Cycling doesn’t make you build muscle because it’s interval training. You are constantly changing speed and resistance, so your heart rate is up and you are toning your muscles! Also, when you are standing up on your bike, you have to engage your core to keep good posture. Six pack, here you come. 😉

Depending on where you live, you might have access to some of the more “famous” cycling studios. I have taught and taken classes at my local YMCA, LA Fitness, and university, but at studios that are just known for cycling, it is becoming more and more popular to do some light strength training on the bike. Places like FlyWheel and SoulCycle have weighted bars or light weights underneath the seat of your bike that you grab part way through the class to tone your arms. I have even heard of regular gyms adding a short strength session at the end of cycling class where you get off the bike and do more traditional strength work with your body weight like squats, lunges, or ab exercises.

– FOUR –

Upbeat music!

You know how you feel when your favorite song comes on in the car and you are just jamming out?! That’s how it feels to be in a cycling class. Your heart is pumping, your legs are burning, you are sweating…but you’re singing along to that awesome music so you hardly even notice. 😉

As a Spinning instructor, I pay attention to how many beats per minute (BPM) a song has. That way, when we are climbing a steep hill and pedaling a little slower, you can find the beat of the music and pedal along. I might choose something like this:

But, if we are sprinting and we want the music to move us, I’ll probably pick a song that’s a little faster paced or picks up on the chorus like this:

Usually when I hear a new song on the radio, I think, HEY! I can use that in class! And when I’m feeling uninspired, I like to check out Spotify…especially Chris Spins! She is awesome.

So what are you thinking? Are you going to take a cycling class anytime soon?! I hope so! If you are nervous about going for the first time, don’t worry! The instructor will be so happy to see you and will help you figure out how to set up your bike so that it is most comfortable for you. I also recommend inviting a friend! Working out with friends is one of my favorite ways to spend time with them…besides going out to eat. 😉 If your friend comes with you, you’ll have someone to laugh with when you’re feeling silly and someone to motivate you when you’re feeling tired.

The gym is waiting for you. 🙂 Make it a good Thursday!

My Spring Work-Out Routine

I get bored very easily. I’ll go ahead and put that out right now.

Last Friday I was looking through my blog to see what kind of work-outs i’ve done in the past because I wanted to find something new to do. This was after I started my exercise video and within 5 minutes turned it off because I felt like I could guess everything that was coming next. Then I got to thinking….”I want to do a post about my work out routine”. So here she is!

I like to switch things up in my work-out routine. It’s good for your muscles. If you do the same thing over and over again your muscles form the memory and it’s not really a work out anymore. Some days you feel like doing something different.

Working out is 99.9% mental, if not all mental. I learned that at a very young age when I was competing in sports. Your body can physically do just about anything you want it to, it’s your mind you got to get to the same place.

Running

I don’t want to go into too much detail about running, because that’s what I did in my “Why I like running, and you can too” post. But i’ll tell you if you asked me to run when I was younger – well, actually like two years ago – I would have probably rolled my eyes. Or heavy sighed. Now, I love running. I didn’t have the right relationship with running. I like how it pushes you mentally (A LOT), as weird as it sounds I like how it physically makes me tired and sweaty, and I like I actually go somewhere in the process.

Walking

Similar to running, i’m a huge fan of walking. Sometimes I don’t feel physically like running, but I still want to be outside and moving. Walking actually burns a lot of fat per calorie because this simple exercise allows a lot of oxygen into your body.

I like studying when I walk.

I love the fresh air when I walk. But i’ve got to have my headphones to listen to my tunes.

And I love the views when I walk, especially this little trail in my neighborhood.

Yoga

You knew it was coming right. It could be the fact that I go every Sunday morning? The Lululemon closest to me offers free yoga classes on Sunday mornings. When i’m not volunteering before service I usually go up there, do my yoga class, and head straight to Church. There are so many positive things to say about yoga. If you want to read more in depth about what I feel about yoga, click here for that post.

Kayla Itsines’ Work-outs

My oh my. One day I was looking at the people you follow tab on Instagram. I saw a picture of this girl that was super toned and cute. I didn’t open the picture or anything, but just made the mental note about how that would be awesome. Then another day I was looking and saw the same girl again. I clicked on her profile this time and read up on her Bikini Body Guides and #kaylasarmy and all of these things. That girl is TONNNEEEDDD. I started to really like the results I was seeing in her client’s before and after pictures so I went to her site to read up on it. She offers a free week of work-outs so I printed it out and I do that as much as I can. It works you. You sweat. And you got to push through. But you really do start to see results.

Sports.

My whole life i’ve been involved with sports. I know many people say that. From the time I could start throwing the ball, I did. I love sports. Take me to any sporting event and you’ll know how to make me happy. I go to pretty much all of my sibling’s sporting events. I was devastesd when I knew I wasn’t going to be playing volleyball anymore. And multiple times i’ve tried to get involved with a recreational team, just because. Really anything I can do in order to be involved with sports – i do. So when I have the chance to partipate in sports?!?! I’m ALL SORTS OF IN ON IT. Sometimes my brothers will need someone to throw the baseball with them – i’m in. Sometimes we play kickball at grandpa’s during the summer – i’m in. It doesn’t matter to me if i’m hopping, skipping, jumping, etc I just like to be moving!

    

My goal is to work out 5-6 days a week and I can pretty much always get that done. My work-out routine normally looks like:

Monday – Work out between 5:00-6:00 when I get home from work.
Tuesday – This is usually my off day because i’m at school for 10 hours and when I get home it’s always late.
Wednesday – Work out between 5:00-6:00 when I get home from work.
Thursday – Work out when I get home from school between 6:00-7:00 before dinner. (This will start being golf days with my pops and brother when i’m done with school and my brother is out of baseball season!)
Friday – Work out between 5:00-6:00 when I get home from work.
Saturday – Depending upon what I have planned for that day, i’ll work out when I have free time. Noramlly that’s around 2:00/3:00 in the afternoon.
Sunday – Yoga in the mornings if i’m not volunteering, long walk in the evening if I did volunteer at Church.

As for what work out I do, it depends on how i’m feeling that day and I usually just pick from the options I named above. Maybe one day i’ll work out in the morning, but right now that’s not an option due to the fact that I leave for work at 6:45 every morning. I still have to get a sufficient amount of sleep. Some days I don’t feel like working out after school or work, but I know that i’ve got to do it. Especially because I go crazy sitting in my office all day or sitting in classes all day. I know it’s good for me. So, there’s that. Maybe i’ll find some new things to do this summer? Do you have any ideas?

Happy Work Out Wednesday!

Friday Favorites: I’m baaaaaaaacckkkkk Edition

Link up with Erika, Narci, and Andrea this morning! But first…

SUMMER COUNTDOWN: 2 WEEKS! SWEET JESUS, TODAY IS ALREADY FABULOUS!

I’m not going to lie, it was weird not blogging this week. Part of me was missing. I wasn’t going to post today, buttttt I didn’t really stick to that game plan as you are finding out. I logged in a couple times this week to look at my posts and realized there wasn’t one. I still had to read my favorite blogs, I couldn’t go TOO far into the no blog world thing. Ha! I said I was going to focus on school and i’m glad I did this week because it kicked my butt. And next week and the week after probably will too. It’s fine. I’m fine. Just think: 3 group presentations, 4 finals, 1 paper. Wanna be me yet????

Let’s catch you up on how life has been being MIA…

I walked into my office last Friday to this big ol’ stack of papers that I needed to go through and get situated. Needless to say, I did not finish that day.

This is pretty much my favorite go-to outfit. A chambray shirt, colored jeans, and jewelry to match. I love me some casual Fridays.

Friday night took me to the baseball fields or Heaven, whichever name you prefer. Sunflower seeds, sunshine, and baseball. Ohhhhhhhhhh my favorite kind of Friday night.

This one played crappy, so he refused to talk the entire way home. And this is the best selfie i’ve ever gotten with him. How fabulous do I look? Tan, right? Gosh I knew I missed you guys.

Saturday morning MP‘s high school soccer team played in the regional finals game (ONE GAME AWAY FROM STATE!) They were ahead the entire game until the end. They lost in overtime. And I was so sad for her, I looked over at mom and said “I want to cry for her.” I remember that feeling all too well, but hey! She’s got four more years of her sport left.

We couldn’t be sad for too long because later that night was MP’s prom. And good gosh she was BEAUTIFUL! Seriously?! Little sisters aren’t supposed to be the prettier ones 😉

I somehow learned that I memorize things/study better when i’m up moving around than sitting down. It’s weird. I’m weird. I know. So for about an hour on Sunday and Monday I went walking around my neighborhood with my entrepreneurship review and studied. And guess what? Not even half of it was on the exam! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 I LOVE LIFE!

Is school over yet…?

Then to top off the middle of my week, Wednesday I spilled coffee on my favorite white shirt. Mom, grab the bleach!

And I was not in the mood to work out on Wednesday, but it had been a while and I knew I need to get out and about. I did a little ab work out and ran. I like to move it move it. I like to MOVE IT! No? Okay.

This has been in my life very day this week. Hot, cold, frozen I don’t have a favorite, just give me all the coffee!

My name is Molly and i’m officially addicted to coffee.

And that’s one of my group members in his military stuff. We always make fun of him because Thursday is flight suit day so he comes wearing a big ol’ green jumper. Except not yesterday, so now I feel like this is pointless.

Last night Morgan and I went shopping for a dress for her to wear to her soccer banquet.

And we failed!!!!

But at least I had a cute shirt on, am I right? Dad and I are going to Boston the first weekend of May to see my favorite match-up: Sox vs. Yanks, which is my birthday present from him. I’M SO PUMPED!

Okay, enough about me. How have YOU been?!

Why I love Yoga, and you can too!

Why work out you ask? Because it’s something to do, it’s good for you, and best of all it’s FUN! At least when you make it fun.

Being active has always been part of my lifestyle. From starting sports at the age of 5 I went from t-ball to soccer to gymnastics to volleyball to tennis to golf to track to more soccer to swim team to softball and to a little more volleyball. I’m sure if I could have done football and baseball, I would have. I tried out dance and decided it was definitely not for me. I didn’t even put basketball on my radar…5’2 shortie can’t make that happen. Now that I am out of high school and done with sports (sad day) I have to find other ways to be active and work out, so I picked up a love for yoga…

I only get to go to yoga every other week because I switch off between that and volunteering at Sunday school, but I went this past Sunday and. I. hurt.

 

Yoga really isn’t what you think. I sat in one class at the YMCA a couple years back because I thought it was going to be the whole “ooohhhhmmmmmm” meditating. I was all, oh yeah, an exercise that I sit around like buddha for an hour. Bring it on! But i’m here to tell you…yoga is hard! It’s balance, focus, and holding positions that you never knew were possible before class.

I love yoga because….

1. It’s a core work out, a leg work out, and an arm work out all in one.
2. It’s different than running, it’s different muscles.
3. Being in running shape and yoga shape are completely different things.
4. You can get a work out without having to run and drip sweat (although some do sweat in yoga).
5. I get to wear CUTE clothes while doing it!
6. It’s something other people can do with you. My mom and sister would never run with me, but they’ve gone to yoga with me.
    
7. I love getting to go to LuluLemon for my classes.
8. Yoga is like an hour long stretch!
9. Yoga is good to mix in with other work outs. My sister goes to stretch her out for soccer.
10. It makes your more flexible…how could that ever be a bad thing?
11. Fun, right?
    

My tips for yoga are….

1. Don’t think it’s just a walk in the park. Yoga can be tough.
2. Go to Lululemon because they offer free classes (that’s what I do!).
3. I get to look at cute clothes while i’m there. And possibly make a wish list for an upcoming holiday 🙂
   
4. Don’t take yourself too seriously at the same time. First timers always look ridiculous (heck i’m not a first timer and sometimes I still look ridiculous!).
5. Breathe when they say to breathe, it really does help during the class.
6. Guys CAN go to yoga! There’s probably about 4 guys in my class every time I go. It’s normal!
7. Make sure you have a good, padded yoga mat that your feet will stick to. Don’t get some cheap thing.
8. Be in the right frame of mind when you’re there, or you won’t get anything out of it.
9. Make fun of yourself and laugh!!!! Yoga is about relaxing and having a good time while still getting some exercise in.

Meditate for me today!

And check out “Why I love running, and you can too!“

Show and Tell: Organization Tips and Tricks!

Today’s Show and Tell is all about our personal organization and tips. And if you know me you know this is SO up my alley. In fact, everything that I wanted to include was in my photo gallery already because i’ve posted about organization. I love. being. organized.

Organizing just makes me feel so much more put together when I feel like i’m going all sorts of directions. This is probably my guilty pleasure. I’ve been known to spend a couple $100 on organization stuff. I don’t know, maybe that’s just gossip. Maybe that’s true. Sooooooo today i’ve listed organizational tips from different parts of my life.

Home Office

 

I have my work office and my home office. In my home office ( a credenza turned desk), I usually keep all my personal paperwork (paystubs, medical records, receipts, etc). I usually put all my papers into these folders right away because I hate when there are random papers laying around on my desk. I labeled these folders with different colors; usually I can remember the colors associated with each: To do-green, to file-pink, to read-yellow and there are more of these, don’t you worry!. If you were a teacher you could put: To grade. Another good idea for bills is: To pay. You know, that type of thing.

Closet

Before:

I recently re-organized my closet. Check it out right here and see what I did. I love this jewelry box, my Uncle made it for me, however I couldn’t see all of my pieces of jewelry. One day I went to The Container Store and got this bracelet three-tier organizer and I really like it. I can see everything I have. The only difficulty is if I want something from the middle, but those are usually the pieces I don’t wear as often.

After:

Before:

When I was using our guest room closet and when I was in my dorm room I used this bucket to hold all my shoes. Again, I couldn’t see anything and it was irritating when I was in a hurry or couldn’t find the match to a shoe I was looking for. So at Bed Bath and Beyond one day I snatched this shoe organizer and it’s awesome. I can see everything and it’s all organized!

After:

Attic

 

We are right now in the process of re-organizing our attic and getting rid of things we don’t need. It’s crazy right now, but usually we have everything in sections (Dad’s stuff, Christmas, Kids’ stuff, Mom’s fabric, etc) We label all of our boxes, so we know what’s in everything instead of it being a guessing game. The picture above right is what we put all of our wrapping paper in to keep it together. Wrapping paper thrown everywhere = unwrapped disaster.

Spiritual Life

 

Organization in your spiritual life is super important. These three things above left usually go everywhere together when they are with me, i’m thinking they should probably be glued together. Except, at Church I usually leave my Jesus Calling at home. I think setting aside specific time in your spiritual life is key. I love to highlight all over my Bible, I use those sticky tabs to mark certain sections or verses I want to memorize. And now i’m going to begin using this Daily Devotional printable from Emily Ley’s sight during my Quiet Times. Maybe this will help you too?

Pantry

 

We organized our pantry this past fall. All of our extras went on the top shelf of our pantry and everything is now organized into labeled buckets within the pantry. Yes!!!! It’s an organized girl’s heaven.

Physical Life

 

I’ve probably said it once before and I’m sure i’ll say it again, but working out is the. best. thing. you can do for yourself. It really is. Check out my running post here to see what I mean. I stay organized in my physical life and keep healthy by that LuLuLemon bag in the picture right above here. I keep a spare everything in that bag and all I have to do is pick it up and go work out. It’s a lifesaver!

I hope you got some ideas today. I’m sure there will be way more where this came from 😉 Stay organized, people! It really does change things!

PS. If you’re having a bad day, just think…you could be me sitting in classes for 12 hours. Hmmm, suddenly that traffic isn’t so bad, huh?

Why I love running, and you can too!

I realize I might be preaching to the choir here. A small choir. A small choir that will probably fall asleep on me. But hang with me, i’ve got some good stuff!

My hobby of running has come about recently and running and I have come a long way through the years. I used to strongly dislike it. Scratch that, I loathed running. I’m serious, in middle school Tuesdays were deemed “mile days” and if I was “sick” on any day of the week it was Tuesday. Then, I ran track in 7th grade because all my friends were (go figure) and I didn’t like the competitiveness of running (having people counting on me in relays and coaches/runners/spectators yelling at me to move faster during the sprints.) To the yelling people: my short little legs can only carry me so fast!!!! So track and I were done after that. I was okay in soccer with the running thing, because I loved soccer so I didn’t really care about running if I was playing. Same with volleyball, we had to run sprints inside the gym, and on occasion we ran on the track. But it was something I loved to do, so I did. After volleyball season senior year was over, I said a big fat SEE-YA to running and we parted ways.

Then, good ol’ college came along. And yeah, freshman 15. Whatever. We don’t talk about it. I knew I had to start doing some sort of exercise. We had a rec center, but the group exercise classes cost extra so I said no…i’m not a money tree. Trying to get broke college students to pay extra for an exercise class?? Did they get anyone to go?? So I had to start running on the treadmill, ’cause it was free. I like free. BUT I DISLIKED TREADMILL RUNNING SO MUCH! I hated that I stayed in the same place and didn’t feel like I got anywhere and people were next to me and they smelled and I could hear them breathing and it just stunk. Literally and metaphorically. Plus I didn’t lose weight like I was thinking I should have, so I said sayonara treadmill. I tried the elliptical and the stair stepper but it hurt my knees (I have osgood-schlatter for all you docs out there).

I then tried doing some work-outs that I found on Pinterest and I got way too bored with them so I stopped. As for a gym membership, like I said…broke college student…it’s not gonna happen. My dad ran marathons, triathlons, etc. but had to stop a couple years ago. I always saw him running so I began to run, but I only ran one mile at a time. That’s all they taught us in school with our “mile tuesdays” so I thought that’s what I had to do. And I disliked that too. I was exhausted and it was unpleasant and I didn’t look forward to it, so I decided it was on to something else. Thus, my interval running was born.

I love running because….

1. It’s a different kind of “in-shape”. I’ve heard it before and now i’ll repeat it but there is a complete difference in being in shape and being in running shape.
2. It’s refreshing after a lousy day. They say exercise release endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. (Legally Blonde reference…I really hope you caught on)
3. I feel great when i’m exhausted and sweaty. This is totally weird, I know. But it gets your pores to open up, and releases those toxins out of your body. Plus at night you fall asleep so fast cause you’re tired.
4. It’s helped my intestinal health. We’ve already talked about my issue with constipation on my health post. But i’ve noticed that running, well working out for that matter, has increased my gastrointestinal function.
5. It’s free. I don’t have to buy the sidewalk I run on or the air I can breathe? I like that.
6. I love fresh air, it’s good for the lungs. It’s good for the heart. It’s good.
7. You get effects even when you’re not doing it. Running revs your metabolism, so even when you’re at rest your metabolism has still increased from your normal.
8. It tones your entire body. After you do it for a while, you start seeing results. The more often you run, the faster the results.
9. If nothing else, it gets me to drink tonnnnnns of water, and that’s awesome. We need water.
10. It’s AMAZING for you mentally. Running is such a mental thing. If you can push through that last 30 seconds of your interval, you can push yourself to just about most things. And it just gets your mind off whatever is bothering you. See below.

I don’t know, this just gets me pumped up for some reason!!!
ps. this applies to you males too.

My running tips for you:

1. Listen to your body, most importantly. Some days you’ll feel strong like you could run twelve marathons (I haven’t hit that yet), and some days it will feel tough to even get your feet going. On those days don’t push yourself too hard.
2. Change things up. Some days I run intervals of “walk5-run5-walk5-run5-walk5, etc”. Some days walk5-run6-5-6-5-6,etc. “. Sometimes “walk2-run5-walk2-run4-2-3-2-2-1, etc.”. It’s good for the body to change it up so your muscles don’t get in too much of a routine. Plus, I like getting a little “rest” time in between my running time.
3. Get some sort of a watch that will keep time. I keep my iPhone or iPod in that running band (THIS is mine for $6!!) so I don’t want to be looking over at it while i’m trying to run. I use my dad’s super old watch because he can’t use it anymore. I know plenty of people that use the Garmin and love it.
4. Get good shoes. Y’all, I wore Nike Frees allll of high school and the beginning of college for running because they were cool. Ow, did my feet ever hurt. Even at the Nike store the salesperson said those shoes aren’t for working out, they’re for looks. Now, I’m an Asics girl, so you’ll always see me in my favorite shoes. The pair I have is the ASICS Women’s GEL-Noosa Tri 9 Running Shoe and I promise, promise, promise they are worth the money and you will not regret buying them. (Sorry for the sweaty pics, just trying to keep it real haha)
5. Find a playlist. If nothing else it will help distract your mind from the “oh my gosh, I hate this” thoughts. I usually pick either really upbeat songs or songs that take me back to a memory and then i’ll start thinking about that, and what I was wearing, and who I was with, and oh yeah….I just went .5 of a mile.
6. Find a running buddy if you want. I usually go alone because I don’t like people listening to be breathe really heavily haha, but I have before. It gives you some social time, and you’re exercising. Win, win!
7. And lastly…stretch, stretch, stretch!

And when you do ;), take some weird sweaty selfies like mine, and tag me so I can cheer you on!!
Can’t wait to share more fitness posts with you.