Power Walking...The Fat Blaster!

Today I want to discuss my new found love for power walking. I sorta touched on it [here] on a previous blog post. Well, I did a little research on power walking and who knew it could be such a fat blaster?

I used to enjoy jogging, but my right knee has kindly let me know, it would no longer participate in that activity. And if I should ignore his words, it would not be a pleasant experience :)

I'd been doing pretty good with my workouts lately. Well, I should say, I've been consistent with them. In the past it's a hit or miss situation. I'd workout for a week, quit for a week, repeat.  I've been getting up every morning at 4:30am (Mon-Fri) and putting in some type of workout DVD. Three days of cardio and two days of weight training. It was going well and I've noticed a difference. 

However, it wasn't until I re-vamped my workout days, and added in power walking on the weekends that I've noticed a major difference. Okay, now lets's discuss power walking. It's not the normal stroll that you see people doing most of the time. For it to really be effective: 

• Bend your arms slightly (90 degree angle)
• As you're walking swing your arms front to back. Keep your elbows in.
• Keep your abs and butt tight.
• Take short quick steps.
• Focus on landing on your heels and pushing off your toes.

At first, it's an awkward movement and you will look funny doing it. But it works!  The key is to focus on building up your speed 3.5mph - 5.0mph. You're moving quickly, and if you follow the above bullet points, it's an all over workout. You will feel it especially in your legs, butt, and abdominal muscles. Your midsection will tighten and shrink.

Oh, and another helpful hint. My friend told me about listening to techno music (stop laughing), who knew?!?!  I now pull up the "Electronic/Techno" music channel on my phone and that fast beat is the perfect pacesetter for your stride.

Are you currently a power walker? Hate it or Love it?

It's also an Olympic Sport [Race Walk]  Hmm, maybe I'll be ready to compete in Rio 2016?

Who's with me?  LOL!

Scary Stuff...

It's no secret that I don't do scary stuff. Meaning, I don't watch scary movies, visit haunted houses, or read scary books. Heck, I don't even like scary music LOL! So, if a book or movie is about vampires, demons, or werewolves. I've not read the book or watched the movie.

They have a show on TV called Ghost Hunters or some variation of that. It's when modern day ghost hunters visit known haunted places or where paranormal activity has been found. I watched about 5 minutes of it, and of course they're using night view cameras so everything has that eerie green light. They hear something and start screaming, the camera starts shaking and I turn the channel. Yep, that's about all I needed. I think I turned it to the cartoon channel to clear my mind.

Do you believe in ghosts? I've never seen any dead people walking around my house or popping up in my mirrors.  Oh, I wouldn't like that at all, and it would most likely make me angry. I'd go find it and demand that it leaves, cause it has no right here. And if it wants to stay it'd better have a job! LOL!!

I did have one incident, though, I'm not sure you would call it paranormal. It happened during a time when I was experiencing severe insomnia. My doctor prescribed me a product called Lunesta. Whoa!! I'd heard that one of the side effects was hallucinating. Well, I woke up and saw the Stay Puff Marshmallow man, remember him from Ghost Busters. He came in right through my wall and smiled at me. He stayed for several minutes. I just stared at him and he just kept grinning at me!

If  I'm watching TV and a movie preview comes on and it's a scary movie. I will usually change the channel. However, sometimes they sneak them in on you. While watching TV, a movie commercial came on, and from what I remember it started out okay or maybe I wasn't paying attention to it. I think the name of the movie was Possession? or something weird like that. But there was a scene when a Dr was looking down the girl's throat and some fingers came out. ACCKKK! TURN THE CHANNEL!!! TURN THE CHANNEL!!!  Who could sit and watch a movie like that. 

Remember that old movie "The Exorcist" it was made back in the 70's. Well, I've never watched the movie, but once when I was younger (probably middle school) It came on TV. I decided that I was going to be brave and watch it. It was already on so I turned to the channel and just my luck, it was the scene when the girl's head spins around and she doing the whole projectile vomiting thing. Yuck! That image is still etched in my brain after all these years.  

Okay, I did watch Poltergeist, BUT even though they were not comedies, they made me laugh! Especially in #2 when Rev Henry Kane was introduced...He was creepy-funny!

Do you watch scary movies? read scary books? Have you ever seen a ghost or something unexplained in your house?

Woooosahhhhh!!!!!

I received some news the other day that left me a little stressed. Ever have one of those days when everything was going great and just one email, or phone call or visit just completely throws you into turmoil.

Well, that was me the other day. Has your brain ever been so overwhelmed, you didn't know where to start to sort it all out. You try to quiet your mind, but it refuses to cooperate with you. You even try to meditate or pray and the only thing yelling out is: What am I going to do? How am I going to fix this?  Not sure where to start, which way to go or what to think about first.

Well, I have the solution!  Here's what you do. Grab your ipod, lace up your sneakers and go for a nice, long, walk. I went out on a 5 mile trek around the neighborhood.

Mile 1: Mind still very much cluttered, hard to get moving.
Mile 2: Picked up the pace a little, not really in to the music.
Mile 3: Picked up pace a little more, listening to the inspiring lyrics from the songs.
Mile 4: Pep in my step, mind clearing, starting to sing along.
Mile 5: Speed walking, arms pumping, singing out loud & happy!


Was the problem solved by walking? No. But it helped to calm my mind, body & spirit.

When you're in  panic mode, the problem seems insolvable. You're reaction is frantic and fearful, you have a pity-party  and you tend to make bad decisions you will regret later.

When you're in a calmer state of mind, it's easier to 'hear' what is necessary to resolve the situation.


Give it a try! Not only will you feel better, but you may drop a few pounds while doing it :)

Blessings!

Visions boards & sunrises...

Do you have a vision board?

By definition a vision board is poster board or cork board with a collage of images that you've gathered from magazines, pictures, or newspaper clippings. It can also have motivational quotes or sayings. The purpose of it is to surround yourself with the images of what you want to have or become until your reality matches what is on the board.

I'm not sure when it became so popular, maybe back when that book "The Secret" was so popular? It was an interesting book. I did read it. However, something about it just didn't sit well with me. It's been debated that it's new age religion stuff.  For me as I read it, I couldn't help but think that most of this stuff was taken from the bible, but the scriptures were left out. So, it wasn't really a secret after all. LOL!

I do believe in writing down your goals, visions, dreams, and desires. I hear so many people saying the "Universe" was so good to me and provided me with such and such... But, these blessings are not coming from some unknown entity in the Universe. No, the blessings are from God.

Yes, I am a Christian. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. No, I'm not going to debate with anyone about  how the Universe is your god, your spirit guides or how in your previous life--you lived as a cat.

However, I would love to hear if you have a vision board? What sort of things do you put on it?

I have a cork board, with scriptures & faith statements on it and it's sharing space with index cards with plot lines written on them.  I have some pictures but I've not put them up yet. (the cork board is out of space LOL)


I also have a shiny new journal that I plan to write in, but I've not started that yet. I've kept a journal off and on over the years and it's always interesting when you go back and re-read what you've written years ago. One journal was filled with like 3 months of darkness. I'm not sure why everything was so depressing during that time.Nothing seemed to be coming together, everything going wrong in my life. And it seemed as though when I wrote it I didn't believe the sun was ever going to shine again. (but I guess that's how depression works on your mind)

But we know the sun will shine again, and whatever darkness you're experiencing is only for a season. Although I know it's hard to remember this when you're surrounded by darkness.

But, I'm telling you, it will get better!!! it will get better!! IT WILL GET BETTER!!


“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  
See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you." Isaiah 60:1,2"


Blessings!!