Do you have a list of home projects to tackle, but keep avoiding?  My list of home improvement projects keep piling up.  As I’ve been redesigning how to balance work, family, health, and home, one of my goals has been to incorporate them into one as often as possible.   This week, with the wonderful promise of spring and warm weather, the kids, Grams and I ventured out to the yard to clean up, start a new shade garden, and roller skate/blade (well, the kids anyway).

What did we do for this workout?

1.  The night before I involved the children in picking a shade garden plan that would fit the space and we dug out their roller skates and roller blades.  I love Better Homes and Garden’s online plans.  When it comes to putting plants together and knowing which ones work in what conditions, I’m pretty hopeless.

2.  In the morning, we went to Home Depot and picked out everything we could find:  lawn seed, plant fertilizer, compost, mulch and plants that were part of the plan (we could only find 1).  Grabbing and lifting the bags are  a great functional training exercise, too!

3.  The Garden Preparation.  Here’s where the bulk of the workout resides.  The kids helped rack and bag up leaves.  My focus was on breaking the ground and mixing the fertilizer/compost.  After twenty minutes of solid garden preparation, I was working  up a great sweat.  The kids, in the meantime, were skating up and down our sidewalks (I love all the sidewalks in our back yard).

4.  The First Planting.  We planted our 3 little plants, washed down the side walk, watered, and ordered the rest of our plants online.  In a couple of weeks, we’ll get to complete this little corner with our arrivals, add a few outdoor pieces of furniture and be ready to enjoy the colors of spring!

Next week,  the plan is to tackle the garage which will be quite the project.

 What home improvement projects have you been putting off that can also serve as a great workout?

In the last week, I’ve been trying out the Insanity Workouts.  It’s always disheartening to start a full blown workout when all exercises up to this point had been sporadic and light.

I finished up the 4th workout today with a lot of stops and resting, but the victory is in making it through the whole workout.  I look forward to seeing progress over the next few week and not feeling as exhausted after each workout.

The nice thing about the Insanity workouts is that they don’t require any gear.  The intensity is dependent on your level of fitness, so it is a useful when out of shape or in prime condition.

Have you been stuck in a rut and not sure what to do to get out of it?  With the coming spring weather, what are your plans for trying something new for your body?

This has been a crazy week. We made it to the Y at least four times, but I really don’t feel like getting out of the house today. Have to share: As I’m typing this, the kiddo’s are running around the upstairs living room saying, “It’s exercise time. Keep running. Faster, faster. Way to go!” Hum, maybe I am rubbing off on them a bit!

Here’s my full body workout plan with an emphasis on only using body weight:

1. Warm Up with skip a step up the stairs for 10 sets.

2. Regular push ups (as many as I can do).

3. Regular squats (as many as I can do).

4. Side Kicks (20 each side).

5. Wide span incline push ups off the back of the couch (20).

6. 3 way lunges (forward, side, reverse-20 each leg).

7. Couch dips with legs straight out (20).

8. Doggie Style leg lifts (20 each leg).

9. Regular Plank (as long as I can hold it).

10. Side plank (as long as I can hold it).

11. Lying back extension (20).

12. 5 minutes of in place jump roping (no rope-imitate with hand movement).

Repeat until 30 minutes are up.

My goal is to have this complete by the end of Dollhouse tonight! Last episode. There’s no excuse not to get this workout in, so what are your workout plans for today? Don’t let staying indoors, no gym, and stuff get in the way of adding exercise into the day! WE DO HAVE TIME AND WILL POWER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

It’s that time of year when you’re thinking about how you’re gonna do everything differently. Let’s take it a few steps at a time and look at the first two to three months in front of you.

Realistically, frame your goals around your lifestyle and lessons learned from years past. What changes can you make today that will ring in the New Year with a more confident, smiling, stress free YOU? Now, is your time!

1. What’s is my physical fitness goal for the next eight weeks?

2. What is my main challenge to achieving this goal?

3. What steps will help me overcome these challenges?

4. How many workout sessions can I fit in my current schedule?

5. No time to workout, what can I do with my body for 10 minute, today?

6. Daily stretching will help relieve tension and slow me down to reflect on events and thoughts.

7. What workout equipment do I have readily available? Pull it out now and keep it in a visual spot. Every time you walk by it, think to yourself, “Do I have a few minutes to workout?” Go ahead and complete an impromptu workout. A little here and a little there will do wonders for your morale and body.

8. My motivational mantras:

I can do it!

I am healthy and strong!

I love moving!

I feel great!

WHAT IS YOUR MAIN GOAL FOR the first part of 2010???