Midmonth Check-in: April Goals

I’m checking in with y’all this month to report on how my fitness goals are going so far. I can’t believe it’s the 15th already!

I have been working on my speed to get ready for the Makeshift 5k I will run on Saturday, April 25. I haven’t run this month as often as I would like, however, as I started going to a new-to-me boot camp class! It is INTENSE — but I’ve left each class feeling strong and invigorated.

I like to imagine I’m The Rock while at boot camp — ha!

My plan is to continue that class twice a week, and get my workout schedule more down pat so I can also run a couple of times a week, too. I also still want to get to yoga on Wednesdays and spinning on Tuesdays as much as I can. I went to spinning last night and realized it had been too long!

When I switch up my workouts like this, it really does help keep me excited about exercising. Sometimes I get too bogged down in a routine, so a fresh class, a new challenge, really does go a long way with me.

I recently reposted on Instagram a photo and message from Lena Duhnam, of Girls on HBO. She wrote that working out has helped her anxiety, OCD and depression. I am blessed that I don’t deal with those issues, but I do have some stressful factors in my life that, without regular exercise, I’m sure would cause me to worry (sometimes needlessly) even more.

Whether you like to walk, run, dance, lift weights … it doesn’t matter! I just think finding a physical activity, no matter what it is, is so important. I know it helps me tremendously!

Another thing that helps me? An accountability partner! As Sherri and I were going through our Scale Back Alabama program, I was so pleased to find someone who didn’t mind if I texted her when I was tempted to eat something not so healthy … or after I had already done so! She’s a great, natural-born cheerleader who supports the goals of everyone around her. We both lost some weight during the challenge, which was great! But we gained something, too — a great friend! Although we had been friends before this challenge, coaching each other toward a goal brought us closer, and I’m so grateful for that!

We celebrated at a Birmingham Barons baseball game with our husbands this past weekend!

How is your month going? What would you like to accomplish during the rest of April?

Healthy Reads & Inspiration

I’m back for another Sunday of chillin’ and readin’. Hope you like this week’s picks!

HellaWella.com: Think before watching: Action movies can make you stuff your face
I totally get the theory behind this! Makes total sense.

Women’s Health: 3 Nutrients That Fight Cravings
After reading this, I immediately thought that I need to add some of these foods to my grocery list!

Women’s Health: 7 Weight-Loss Tips That Are Actually Totally False
I was surprised by some of these because I have definitely tried to follow some of these tips!

Roni’s Weigh: I’ll Never Be Thin Enough For Her
I sent the author of this blog a Tweet after reading this post because I felt everything she said here was just so true and so powerful. It’s a shame we allow ourselves to feel this way, even after achieving such great success with weight loss.

HuffingtonPost.com: 4 Signs You Need To Take A Mental Health Day
I think we underestimate the need for a mental break, sometimes. This article had some great points!

Bustle.com: 6 Easy Tricks To Become A Faster Runner
I especially liked the tip about focusing on your posture. I definitely need to work on this!

New Yorker: Why Walking Helps Us Think
My favorite article of the week — I love that walking helps spur creativity! This passage is my favorite:

When we choose a path through a city or forest, our brain must survey the surrounding environment, construct a mental map of the world, settle on a way forward, and translate that plan into a series of footsteps. Likewise, writing forces the brain to review its own landscape, plot a course through that mental terrain, and transcribe the resulting trail of thoughts by guiding the hands. Walking organizes the world around us; writing organizes our thoughts.

Did you read any great articles about health this week? Any words of inspiration you’d like to share?

Embracing Ways To De-stress

There’s an article some people are passing around from The Huffington Post called “7 Things Calm People Do Differently.” I kind of like these articles because I like to see if I do any of these things, and I like to see if what they prescribe makes sense or if it’s just a bunch of hooey.

In the case of this article, I think it makes a lot of really valid points. Thankfully, there are a few things calmer people do that I do, such as getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep (I try!), socializing and using their vacation days. Another thing I’ve been trying to do more of lately — unplug. I usually succeed at this on weekends when I rarely pick up my computer. But I do always seem to have my iPhone in my hand — so I guess that doesn’t really count!

One thing I found interesting is they left exercising off this list. They mention it in the section about gratitude — another key component for feeling peace in your life, expressing what you’re thankful for. But for me, exercise is the best stress reliever I have ever found. It allows me to get out any pent-up aggression, or while I’m running or walking I can think through issues that are bothering me, and I can usually come up with solutions to problems with a clearer head.

There are two things in this article that I don’t do very often that I need to do better at: realizing I don’t have to keep it all together all the time, and meditating.

Meditating is something I’m new to and something I’ve tried a few times in the past few months and I’m a firm believer now that it has value. I am one of those people who is constantly thinking about one issue or another: my to-do list at work, what I need to clean at the house, what’s next on my wedding to-do list, how am I doing budgeting my money? My mind is constantly whirling. So meditating doesn’t come easy to me. But one important thing I learned at the yoga workshop I went to at Inspire Fitness not too long ago is it’s not necessary to have a “perfect” meditation practice. In fact, there is no such thing. It’s trying to clear your mind, trying to focus on your inner peace and giving yourself that time just to be. 

But in addition to finding peace, I also need to know it’s OK to lose it sometimes. Not to go off on other people, but it’s OK to express anger at a situation, or cry if I am upset. I don’t have to always put a smile on my face and pretend everything is great. Because sometimes it’s not, and that’s life. It’s acceptable to express frustration or disappointment, and then try to address the issues that are making me feel that way so I can move on in a healthy way.

I really like reading articles like these to get a handle on how I cope, day to day. Do you ever analyze yourself when reading health articles? Do they lead you to do more research and address things you’re dealing with personally?