52-Week Challenge: Week Twenty-Five

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!  I hope you're getting spoiled by your wives and children today.

I'll make this post short and sweet so you all can back to celebrating your dads/stepdads/husbands/grandfathers, etc.  This week's challlenge is "Get Strong."  Yep, it's another physical challenge.  Do 20-30 minutes of strength training two to three days a week.

Yuck.  I hate strength training.  I really do.  I would rather run 10 miles than do 10 sit-ups.  I know that might sound extreme, but it's true.  Before I had MJ, I was really good at doing some strength training at least twice a week, incorporating some crunches, lunges, and push-ups into my yoga routine.  But, since I gave birth, I've gotten a little lazy.  To put it bluntly, being a mom makes you tired.  I feel like I do a good job keeping up with my cardio, running 4 times a week so, on the other 3 days, I just want a break.  The thought of getting down and working my muscles makes me want to just. . . well, sleep, honestly.  I've been trying to incorporate it back into my week, but I've been failing more than I've been succeeding.  This week, I'm going to try harder.

The good thing about this challenge is that it doesn't necessarily involve lifting weights, unless that's your thing, as comes to most people's minds when they hear "strength training."  You can things such as body weight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, squats), resistance training (using bands or water), or things like pilates or yoga, which force you to hold certain poses for a long period of time, strengthening your muscles.  The book offers a lot of examples of exercises you can use.

So why do it?  It's not just cardio that burns fat; the more muscle you have, the less fat you will have.  Easy as that.  Doing strengthening muscles also increases your metabolism, making your body more efficient at burning calories even when resting.  It also helps ward off diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis.

So okay, who's going to try harder to work this into your routine this week with me?  Good luck!