Sunspiration: A New Year to a new you

The New Year is about new beginning. We all migrate toward things we hope to change or accomplish each year. Right now, the general population is getting bombarded with all the usual resolutions – portion downsizing, stay in motion, reduce stress, cut sodium, turn loose of hostile feelings…. I agree with all of these points and as a whole we all should want these things for ourselves so that we can be the best that we can.

I am a perpetual dieter and exerciser. However, I sorta fell out of sync in October and haven’t found my way back. No sweat, but… I will be sweating soon as I get my mojo in swing to revamp myself physically.

My number one New Year’s resolution for 2014 is not only to exercise aerobically, but to turn up the burn with more weight-bearing exercises. Last spring/summer’s illness took a major toll on my body, as you know and while I have a renewed sense of engergy my muscles need to be overhauled.

The cool thing about strength training is, you don’t need fancy machines or equipment to see results in as little as 10-minutes a day. Exercises that incorporate the major muscle groups in your lower and upper body produce compound movements (working multiple muscles at once) with these simple moves can yield positive change in your body.

• Squats   works the glutes, hips, thighs and calves
• Pushups works the chest, shoulders, triceps, back, & abs
• Lunges   works the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves
• The Plank works the abs, back, arms and legs. The plank also targets your internal abdominal muscles

No fancy equipment needed. However, as you progress you may wish to include dumbbells or an aerobic ball or other inexpensive fitness paraphernalia to provide more of challenging burn.  For variations of these moves using basic equipment, click here for some suggestions.

Doing nothing is easy, but making a change takes commitment and determination. It’s a new year to a new you! Wanna get started with me?

A lovely idea I stumbled upon this week is a DIY project for a gratitude jar.  Be it is, we all have much to be grateful for. Often times, we forget the many blessings in our lives due the storms we face. This is an excellent idea to remind us of the best moments of our lives over a year’s span. I want to invite you to visit Heather Bestel (broken link removed) and allow her to explain how you can create your own gratitude jar.

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