May 15, 2014

Basketball

For my 30 minutes of physical activity, I played basketball with my older brother. He was waiting for his friend to come and pick him up and he told me to come outside so we could shoot around. His friend ended up coming late, so my brother and I stayed outside goofing around and trying to see who could make the most shots or who could play the best defense. My brother and I don't always get along or spend time together because he is so busy, so just goofing around and playing basketball with him was a lot of fun. (My feet hurt...I probably shouldn't have played with only socks on.)

May 14, 2014

A Different Challenge

On Monday, I wrote about a squat challenge I was trying, where you "sit" in a squat position for 30 minutes. I wanted to change it up and do a different challenge, so I'm still doing a squat challenge, just a different form. This is an everyday challenge, where you do a certain amount of squats per day. I started with day one, which is 50 squats. I started by doing stretches and basic exercises, and I cooled down the same way. I also took a few small breaks in between squats.

New Squat Challenge!

May 13, 2014

A 30 Minute Workout

Today, I took a day off from the squat challenge. I wanted to do something I was familiar with, so I chose to do a 30 minute workout. I have used this one before. It was nice to do the same one again, because I am familiar with it. I started with some stretches, and I cooled down with stretches as well. I am definitely sore, but I think that is still from the squat challenge yesterday. Of course, I played music while doing my workout today!

Today's workout!

May 12, 2014

Squat Challenge

I wanted to do something a little different this week, so I decided to do a squat challenge. This isn't your typical squat challenge, though. Every day for 30 days, you sit in a relaxed squat position for 30 minutes. I found it extremely difficult today. I am just doing this to challenge myself, and I want to see how far I can honestly get. My legs are so sore, and I know it's going to be worse when I wake up tomorrow. Before I started this, though, I did a few minutes of basic stretches and exercises.

Where I found this idea: http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/the-30-minute-squat-challenge/

May 9, 2014

Running Through an Alley

On Friday, a couple of other people and I went to Kylie's house. It was so much fun, and I don't remember the last time I ever laughed so hard! Anyway, on to the exercise. A little while after we ate, we decided to go outside. After I finally found my shoes and I went outside with a few other people, Kylie and Natalie started running away as soon as they saw us. We tried to sneak up on them, then we actually chased them. Then, we tried to trick them and we ran to the other side of the alley to jump out at them by the time they got there. Before I knew it, we had been running around Kylie's block and through the alley for a half hour!

May 8, 2014

Pump Up

I was going to do my daily exercise outside, but it was so hot! I decided not too because I didn't feel too well and I wasn't in the mood of working out in 90 degree weather. Anyway, I used the "Pump Up" app again. I've used this before, and I have talked about it in previous blog posts. The more you use it, the more advanced it gets. It also plays music off of your phone which is nice. I really like it, but I'm so sore!

May 7, 2014

Walking

Today, I went for a walk with my mom. It was so nice out again today. I took my dog with me again, like I did yesterday. There is a trail a few minutes from my house so I walked there and then walked the trail with my mom and dog. I honestly love that trail because even though it's right off a street, I feel like I'm so far away from everything, just surrounded by nature. Also, it's never too crowded because I don't think too many people know about it. 

May 6, 2014

Lazy Day

I took it a little bit easy today because I did not feel good at all. It was so nice outside, though. I took my dog for a nice long walk right after school. She loves long walks, so she was happy. It was also nice to just go for a walk. It was warm out and by going for a walk I got to procrastinate starting my other homework. Really though, I like just going for walks and I think I will more often, especially if the weather stays nice.

May 5, 2014

Music

When I got home from school today, I had a good idea for a new workout. I have done "music workouts" before, but this one is a little different. I picked a few songs on my phone and during one song I would do one exercise for that amount of time. Then I would take a minute break and go on to the next song with a new exercise. I did this for 30 minutes. Today I worked a lot on jumping jacks, sit ups, and squats. 

May 4, 2014

Weekend Workout

I wanted to challenge myself this weekend so I found a "weekend workout" online. It was extremely tiring! I actually did it on both Saturday and today. I am also really excited because I downloaded an app that I am going to start using during summer. The main idea is to go from "couch to 5k". I'm not actually training for a 5k, but it just seems like a good way to stay in shape and maybe lose a little weight. Until then, I am going to keep finding workouts I like online! 

May 1, 2014

Baseball

Before the last couple of days, I hadn't been using the Kinect for my Xbox that much. I really enjoy it because it's so much fun and it is a good way to be active, but it's nothing too intense. I wanted to start using it more, so today I played baseball. I figured since we were playing softball in class that I would play baseball today. I am happy to say that I won, and I also hit a home run! I also did skiing which is actually quite challenging, because you need to speed to win, and to speed up you need to crouch down low. It was a lot of fun though and I look forward to using the Kinect again!

Here are some people's thoughts on the Kinect: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/569213-is-kinect-on-xbox-a-good-idea-for-exercise?page=2 

April 30, 2014

Kinect

For my daily 30 minutes of physical activity, I played Kinect Sports, except this time I played by myself. Because my brother beat me in football yesterday when we played, I'm determined to have a rematch and win. Today, I played football the entire time. It honestly is super draining, but fun at the same time because it's a game. To be honest, I'm not always a big fan of workouts and everything, so that's why I love the Kinect because it really is exercise, but it doesn't feel like it (until afterward when you might be a little sore). I think I'll beat my brother when we face off, and I will definitely blog about it!

April 29, 2014

Gloomy Day

Since it was so windy and overcast today, I ruled out doing any outdoor exercises. Instead, I stayed in and played Kinect Sports with my brother. Both of us have been really bust lately, especially with school and my musical, so it was fun to be able to spend a half hour with him. We played football (he won) and a few other sports such as beach volleyball and boxing. The game truly does wear you out, and now I'm ready to shower and go to bed!

April 28, 2014

30 Minute at Home Workout

I wanted to try something new today, so I googled 30 minute workouts and tried to find a few different ones that I have not done all ready. I came across this one and I figured that I would give it a try. It wasn't too bad and it is nice because it does not require any equipment. I actually liked this one a lot. I might do this one again, but I think I am going to take it easy the next few days because I'm pretty sure I pulled a muscle in my leg and it really hurts. I also want to try a workout that you build upon to make it more challenging. 

~ The new workout I found and tried today ~

April 27, 2014

Tech Week

I forgot to post my gym blogs the week before Easter (oops!), but I was still getting my daily exercise. During spring break, I had tech week for "Legally Blonde: The Musical". I was at school everyday for 9 hours. The show turned out absolutely amazing and I could not be more proud. We all cried after and I have become so close with my cast that it hurts thinking about being apart from them. My exercise for starting off this new week is basically all of tech week and the shows. It is much more than a half hour, but I just feel like this post is a good way to start off fresh in the first week back after break. I am actually very sore right now from all of the dancing in the performances! 

April 15, 2014

Going Back to Working Out

To change things up a bit, I did a normal workout today. Nothing too special. I have actually done this workout before, and I have mentioned it in a previous blog post. I really liked this one, so I cranked up the music and began my exercise. I am sore and tired. It was a nice change of pace to do these exercises, though. I put my all into this to get my mind off of things, and it worked. Exercising is actually a great way to calm down and distract yourself. 

April 14, 2014

SNOW?!

Even though it was a bit cooler today, I was going to go outside to workout. Then, it started snowing! Instead of going outside, I thought that today would be a good day to do something a bit more fun. I played "Just Dance 4" on my Wii. I hadn't played in a while, so I was pretty bad at first. It was a lot of fun and it got me moving!

April 13, 2014

Practice

For my 30 minutes of exercise over the weekend, I went outside and jumped rope. It was beautiful out on Saturday. I figured it would be a good idea to practice building up my endurance, since I have a song and dance to perform onstage in the musical, while jump roping. I was very tired after, but at the same time, I felt energized. I know that jump roping is very good for you, so I think I will start to do that, and more outdoor things, as the weather gets nicer.

April 10, 2014

Practice

Today, I had practice for the musical. Because the stage was set up for the NHS induction tomorrow, we had to go practice upstairs in the choir room. We didn't have a lot of space, but we worked with what we had. We spent a lot of time practicing vocals, but we also reviewed dances. We went over "What You Want" quite a few times, and that is my exercise for today. It's hard to believe how far we have come. When I first learned that dance, I NEVER thought I would actually be able to do it, but here I am! Practice makes perfect, but there are still many other things that need work.

April 9, 2014

The Day is Coming!

For my daily 30 minutes of exercise, I danced! I had rehearsal, like I do every Wednesday and Thursday, for the spring musical. The show is very soon, and we only have a few practices left! The great thing about this show is that we are working hard, but having fun at the same time. We ran through almost all of Act 1, including songs and dances. We practiced just dancing, too. I am very worn out! I am also working on my dances at home so I can try to perfect them. There are so many numbers in this show, and it is exhausting to run them again and again. 

April 8, 2014

Stairs

Today, I ran up and down my stairs for 30 minutes. I would start at the base of my basement stairs, run up those, and then run up the stairs to get to the second floor of my house. I did 5 six minute intervals. I would take a small breath in between. I was playing my music while doing this. I am a little sore and really tired! I liked this because it was easy to do at home, and it really energized me!  

April 7, 2014

Exercising

For my daily physical activity, I chose to use my "Pump Up" app. I haven't used it in a while, and it's a really nice workout. It customizes workouts based on the age, gender, height, and weight of a person. It starts of slow with some warm-ups. Then, it gets a little more intense, but nothing too difficult. Finally, there are cool-down exercises and stretches. I'm a little sore, but I am happy that I used this app today. I feel good, and I won't have any trouble sleeping tonight!

April 6, 2014

Practicing "Whipped Into Shape"

For my 30 minutes of physical activity, I went outside and jumped rope. In the upcoming musical, I have a scene where I have to jump rope, dance, and sing. To help my breathing, I've been practicing jumping rope, so I can eventually sing while doing it, too. The weather has been so nice lately, and I love taking advantage of it. I still have a lot more practice to do, but for now, I'm doing okay. 

April 3, 2014

A Great Day

I had drama practice today. Again, I am very tired. It went pretty well today. We reviewed, practiced the dances we don't know as well, and we learned "Take it Like a Man". I am very excited! Everything seems to be coming together nicely, even though we still have a lot of work to do. So, that was my 30 minutes of exercise - dancing (and dancing and dancing until we got it right). 

April 2, 2014

A Tiring Day

I just realized that I only have 6 rehearsals left until the play! That isn't a lot of time, and there are still so many things to get done! We practiced and practiced today, and I can honestly say that I'm proud. Sure, it's not perfect, and there is more to learn, but we are doing great. We have the entire first half pretty much perfected. We ran through the entire show (or what we know) today, including all of the songs and dances. I am extremely tired and sore from all of the dancing, especially from Whipped Into Shape. That is the song with the jump ropes, and it is going to take a lot of practice, but it will look amazing once we get it down!

April 1, 2014

Enjoying the Weather

Today, like yesterday, I wanted to go outside and enjoy the nice weather. I took my dog for a walk again today. She was really happy, especially because we went for a long walk yesterday and another one today! It was a little windy, but that didn't bother me or my dog. It was so nice to just go for a walk. It's so simple, yet it is a great way to exercise. 

March 31, 2014

Beautiful Day

Today it was absolutely gorgeous out! It was finally warm, and it felt so nice! I wanted to embrace the warm weather before it leaves again (although I hope it doesn't). For my 30 minutes of physical activity, I took my dog for a walk. It was great to be outside and walking again, and my dog loved the extra long walk. 

March 30, 2014

Spring Dance

Friday, March 28, was Mount Assisi's final spring dance. It was so much fun, and everyone looked really pretty! I went and danced the night away with my friends. The dance is my 30 minutes of physical activity for Friday because I danced and jumped around non-stop for the entire thing. My feet were killing me the next day, and I was exhausted by the end of the night. It was worth it, though because I had a great time!

March 27, 2014

TV Break

For my daily exercise, I did workouts during commercial breaks. I went down to my basement and cleared the space so there was room for me to workout. I would do things like jumping jacks and push-ups during the commercials, and then when the show would come back on, I would do different kinds of stretches. I did this for a half hour. I really liked doing this because I feel good, I got to watch my show, and exercise all at once!

March 26, 2014

Whipped Into Shape

We learned a new dance for the musical today. In this dance, there are only 5 girls! It is called "Whipped Into Shape". It is very difficult! The scene takes place in a prison, and the actors are cell mates. We have to jump rope through the entire song. Not only do we have to jump rope, we have to sing while doing it, and we also have to do dance moves along with it. The jump ropes really hurt if you get hit with one (I'm expecting to see a bruise on my arm tomorrow). I really hope that this dance number gets easier with practice, because this is the hardest one I have learned so far. 

March 25, 2014

Kinect Sports

For my 30 minutes of physical activity, I played Kinect Sports. I wanted to do something fun, and because I'm still sore from yesterday, I didn't want to do a full-on workout. Kinect Sports is honestly so much fun and I love it! I played beach volleyball for most of the time, and I'm starting to get better at the track and field part of the game (it's cool because in the track and field, they have all kinds of different evens, such as the long jump, 200 m dash, etc.). I really worked up a sweat doing this. Just because it's a game, doesn't mean that it isn't a good workout! 

This is what the Kinect sensor looks like. It doesn't have any kind of controller -- your body is the controller.

March 24, 2014

A Tiresome Day

Today I did a Jillian Michael's workout on my Xbox. I have talked about this game before. I can honestly say that I am exhausted! In the game, it times you on how long it takes to complete the course. I kept playing it over and over, so I could try to improve my score. I am also very sore. I feel really good though. I blasted my music, and it felt good to do an actual workout, even though I am sore and tired.

March 23, 2014

Shopping

Last night my mom told me that she needed to stop at Kohl's to get one thing. I decided I would go with her so we could stop and get dinner too. Well, we ended up spending about an hour in Kohl's ... and that was my fault. As soon as we walked in, we were in the junior's department. I ended up walking around for a while, picking out some really cute things, and then I had to try on the clothes of course! After all that, I walked around the rest of the store with a ton of hangers so my mom could get the one thing we actually went there to get. So, my 30 minutes of physical activity was walking around Kohl's (those clothes and hangers get heavy after a while!). 

March 20, 2014

Rehearsal

There was rehearsal for the musical again today. It wasn't as fun as yesterday. Everyone seemed really tense and to be honest, I think it's because everyone is realizing that the show is in a month and we still have so much to do! I'm really worried. I'm just nervous about everything. I want to get a lot done and work hard, but I want to have fun at the same time. Anyway, today we didn't really do any dancing, we focused more on the singing and going through scenes. I got my physical activity by moving around a lot, jumping around (trying to stay upbeat), and by doing my performances on stage. This is my very first musical - I have never done any theater before. I really hope everything goes well! 

March 19, 2014

Legally Blonde...Coming Soon!

The day is coming! The show opens in about a month! Today at rehearsal, we worked a lot more "off the book". We didn't use the script, and we used the CD without the guide vocals. There is still so much to be done! We worked on going over the dances today. We didn't learn a new one yet. I am very tired from all of the dancing! We ran through "Omigod You Guys", "Serious", "What You Want", "Positive", and "Harvard Variations". Slowly, but surely, everything seems to be coming together, but we definitely need more practice. I hope the show turns out great! 

March 18, 2014

Yoga (Part 2)

I was feeling really overwhelmed and stressed today, so I figured that a little yoga would relax me. The deep breathing methods used in yoga truly relaxes the body and mind. I used the same routine as I did yesterday. I am going to continue with the beginner moves, and slowly advance. It took my mind off of things, so that was nice. Yoga just makes you feel good. 

I've been working on the "tree" pose.

March 17, 2014

Yoga

I wanted to try something new today. I had never really tried yoga, and I thought it could be relaxing and fun. For a while I did the yoga section on the Wii Fit game, and then I searched Google and YouTube for easy yoga poses. I started off very basic. Yoga is very interesting, and very peaceful. I'm not a flexible person, but I didn't feel like I was unable to do it. I feel very refreshed, and I'll definitely be doing yoga again! (Especially when I'm feeling stressed).

These are some of the yoga poses I tried. 

March 14, 2014

30 Minute Music Workout

I did another workout that I found online today. This time, though, I timed it by using music. I would keep track of how long each song was, and then after a certain amount of songs, I knew it had been 30 minutes. I like doing it this way, because it doesn't feel like 30 minutes. The time seems to go by faster when there is music playing. I took small breaks in between each exercise. I feel really good after doing this! 

March 14, 2014

Imagine Dragons Concert

Last night I was lucky enough to see my favorite band in concert! The concert was at 7, but as soon as I got home from school, I had to get ready to leave because I had to go pick my friends up, and then get to the show. It was so much fun and the concert was absolutely amazing! It counts as my 30 minutes of activity because I did a lot of walking, and since it was a concert I danced around a lot! I didn't get home until (about) one in the morning, and then I slept really late today. I know I didn't submit this in time to get credit for my 30 minutes of physical activity, but I still did it! 

March 12, 2014

Another Day in a Musical

Since it is Wednesday, I had rehearsal for "Legally Blonde". Like always, we practiced (and practiced and practiced) the dances we have previously learned. The musical is April 25 and 26, so it is coming up really fast! Like I said in a previous blog, our cast works great together! We have so much fun, we can laugh with each other, but we also help each other out. The dances we know are coming together nicely, but we still have more to learn! It is actually fun to rehearse when you know the dance! I can't wait to see how this all comes together! 

March 11, 2014

The Great Outdoors

It was actually nice out today, and it wasn't freezing! I wanted to take the opportunity to enjoy the weather, so I did my physical activity for today outside. I first took my dog for a walk. (She really enjoyed the weather, too!) Then, when I got home, I played basketball and just shot around for a while. It felt really good to be able to go outside. I hope the weather gets warmer and nicer soon, so I can go outdoors more! There are so many things that I can do for my exercise, especially outdoors!

March 10, 2014

Romeo and Juliet Diary

I have a project due tomorrow in English. We just finished reading Romeo and Juliet, and throughout the play, we wrote diary entries from our chosen character's perspective. My 30 minutes of physical activity ties in with this because while I was working on making the diary, I was up and moving around. I ran up and down the stairs a lot, so I could get the things I printed. I played music so I was dancing along too. Multitasking can really help get things done! I'm really proud of the final turnout of the project!

March 9, 2014

At Home Circuit Workout

While I was on Pinterest today, I found another workout that I could do. I read over it, and thought I would give it a try. It wasn't too bad and I felt really good after doing it. It was fun and easy, so I'll definitely be doing this one again!

March 6, 2014

Fitness Adventure

Today, I played Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure again. Like I said in a previous blog post, this is a great game and a great workout! I am actually really sore from it, because I played for a while. I also learned new stretches and exercises that I had never done until today. I would say that I accomplished a lot today, and I'm proud.

March 5, 2014

Review for the Show

Today, I had practice for "Legally Blonde: The Musical". We spent all of today reviewing and learning to perfect the dance numbers we have already learned. I think everyone is doing great, and we all work together and help each other out. Even though we are doing good, there is still a lot to be done! The musical is coming up; it is April 25 and 26. I'm really nervous, and I hope we have perfected everything by the then! But the important thing now is we are working hard, trying our best, and having fun! It is a musical after all!

March 4, 2014

Another 30 Minute Workout

I found another workout online, and I really like it. It worked so many parts of my body, and even though I'm just a little sore, it felt good. I did this for a half hour. I think I might use this workout again. I feel a lot stronger and more refreshed. And of course, I listened to music while working out!

March 3, 2014

Kinect Sports: Season 2

Today, I played Kinect Sports: Season 2 on the Xbox. There are many different things to do on there. Some of the sports I played were football, tennis, and golf. It has a calorie counter too, so after my 30 minutes, I was able to see how many calories I had burned! I really like playing this game because it's fun and it's a great source of physical activity. 

March 2, 2014

Swimming in Winter

Yesterday, March 1, was my friend Molly's 15th birthday! She invited me, Jasmine, and my friend Amanda to go with her to a hotel! I was so excited! As soon as we got there, we went swimming right away (In an indoor pool, of course!). It was so much fun! This winter has been so long, and it was nice to be in water and go swimming. We swam around for a long time, and after, my legs were kind of sore! It was a lot of fun, and I can't wait until summer when I can swim all of the time!

February 27, 2014

Jillian Michael's Fitness Adventure

In previous blogs, I have talked about how much I enjoy using the Kinect feature for the Xbox because your body is the controller. Today, I found a game for the Kinect that I forgot I had. It's called Jillian Michael's Fitness Adventure. It's a really good game and it's a great workout, too! You go into this course, with dangers and traps all around you, and to avoid them you have to do the exercise the screen shows. It shows you how to properly do the exercises and there are separate warm-up and cool-down routines. I'm really glad I found out I had this, because I will probably be playing this game often!

The Jillian Michael's game...It's such a great workout!

February 26, 2014

Homework Break 

So today, I had to take notes for biology for homework. Well, the section just happened to be like 12 pages long with a lot of information, so I would write a section, workout for 5 minutes, write a section, workout, and so on. I did this so I could take a break from biology and so I wouldn't get so overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to do. It actually helped me a lot, and soon enough, I had done my physical activity and my biology notes were complete! 

February 25, 2014

For Those Who Get Bored Easily...

For my 30 minutes of physical activity, I found a workout online. It's called "30 Minute Workout For Those Who Get Bored Easily". It was a great workout, but very tiring! The nice thing about this workout is it works different parts of your body. It was a body strength and cardio workout, but I feel like those are two areas where I probably needed to workout more anyway. I also liked that I got to choose doing an exercise that I was comfortable with for each section, although I usually just did the examples/suggested exercises listed. 

February 24, 2014

10 Minute Circuit

Today for my workout, I used a ten minute circuit I found online, and then I did the circuit 3 times, since I need 30 minutes of physical activity. It wasn't too difficult, and I played music while doing the workout.

February 23, 2014

Commercial Break

Because I didn't do a workout on Friday, I did one today instead. I like to relax on Sundays so what I did is while I was watching TV, every time the show went to a commercial break, I would get up and do some basic exercises. During the first commercial break I did squats the entire time, jumping jacks during the second commercial break, and so on. Before I knew it, I had my 30 minutes of physical activity and I got to watch TV!

February 20, 2014

More Dancing...

For my 30 minutes of physical activity, I practiced some of the dances from the musical. I didn't have rehearsal today, but I thought it would be a good idea to work on them at home. The dances are slowly, but surely, getting easier. I focused a lot on "What You Want", since it's such a long song, and parts of the dance are very fast-paced. I'm really proud of myself for getting involved in the musical in the first place, and I'm really enjoying it. And anyways, if I mess up, I can just laugh at myself and keep trying! 

February 19, 2014

Legally Blonde Rehearsal

Because today is Wednesday, I had dance rehearsal for the musical. I love drama club and I love doing this musical. I've really come out of my shell, and now I love going to rehearsal! It's a great group of girls, and we always have fun. We spent today's rehearsal just reviewing dances, and adding even more onto "What You Want". The dance is getting a little bit easier the more we practice and review it. Everything seems to slowly be coming together, but we still have a lot of dances to learn! 

February 18, 2014

Queen of Peace Open House

Today at 6:30, Queen of Peace high school hosted an open house just for Mount Assisi families. This counts towards my 30 minutes of physical activity because we went on a tour of the school for over a half hour. We walked around and got to see all of the different classrooms and everything. 

February 18, 2014

Gym Project

Yesterday, on Monday, February 17, my 30 minutes of physical activity was actually for gym class. I was working on the group project. I put on some music, got up, and got moving around. I attempted to practice some of the skills, and I would take a break from working by doing some sit-ups and jumping jacks.

February 16, 2014

Princess Ball

On Saturday, February 15, Mount Assisi hosted a Princess Ball. I got there at 10:40, and the ball started at 2. During that time, I was helping set up and decorating the gym. I was running around, blowing up balloons, hanging streamers, etc. The gym looked adorable, and all of the kids really seemed to enjoy themselves! It was actually a lot of fun setting up and working it.

February 13, 2014

Enjoying the Activity 

Today, I didn't really want to do a workout. I wanted to have fun with my physical activity, so I played with my dog. She loves the snow, so for a half hour, I went outside with her. I chased her around, played fetch, and just enjoyed playing with my dog. Luckily it wasn't too cold out today! 

February 12, 2014

Legally Blonde

Today I had dance rehearsal for the musical! Now that we've been working on the dances for a while, I'm finally starting to get the hang of it. Today, we just reviewed the dances we learned already, and we learned a few new parts to "What You Want". "What You Want" is a very long song, and probably one of the most complicated dances in the entire musical! It's really hard, but it's getting there. I was really energized today and I had a lot that I wanted to get off of my mind so I fully went into this, and it was fun. Just enjoy what you have. 

February 11, 2014

Track and Field

For my 30 minutes of physical activity, I played the Xbox. In previous blogs, I have talked about a game called Kinect Sports, and how much I enjoy using the Kinect to get my exercise because it's so fun and it doesn't feel like you're exercising. Anyway, today I spent the entire time playing track and field, and it was so fun! There were many "activities" in track and field. Some of these activities include, running, disc throw, javelin throw, jumping over hurdles, etc. It was a great workout, and I had fun today! 

February 10, 2014

Shooting Hoops

In gym class, we are going to be starting basketball. In honor of that, I thought that for my physical activity for today, I would play basketball. (Not outside...it's too cold!) Attached to the back of my door, I have one of those mini basketball hoops that comes with a little basketball. I just goofed around and played a game with my brother.

February 9, 2014

Homework Exercise

I took Friday off because when I got home from school, I wasn't feeling well again. Because I missed school on Thursday, I had a lot of work to make up -- that's where the blog comes in. I didn't want to get too overwhelmed with my make up work and my regular work, so every 10 or 15 minutes, I would exercise for 5 minutes. Before I knew it, I had my 30 minutes for the blog. 

February 6, 2014

Not an Exciting Day...

Today I was home sick with a 102 degree fever, so as you can probably imagine I wasn't feeling very good, so doing exercise for the blog was pretty difficult. I realize this might sound silly, but my exercise for today was walking up and down the stairs. I didn't do it all at once, but I do know I spent a half hour walking up and down the stairs. Sometimes I would get up and just walk up and down the stairs a few times so I could get the exercise for my blog. It wasn't a very exciting day today, but it's hard to do exercise when you don't feel good. 

February 5, 2014

Dance

I had dance rehearsal for "Legally Blonde: The Musical" today. We reviewed all of the dances we've learned so far. Dancing is a great workout, because you're up and moving around. Some of the dances are pretty hard, but maybe that's just because I have no dance experience. It's a lot of fun though, and the choreographer is great. 

February 4, 2014

Shoveling 

With all of the expected snow, I decided that I would help my brother shovel today. I wasn't out there more than 45 minutes, but it was cold with the wind! My brother is a lot stronger than I am, so I would shovel the snow out of the way and let him toss it to the side (Snow gets heavy!). Nothing too exciting today, but hey, physical activity is what it is. Hopefully there won't be too much more snow, because shoveling takes a lot out of you!

February 3, 2014

It's Cold Outside!

Today, there was a candle light vigil to save MAA, and I had the honor of speaking at it. It didn't last too long, but it was beautiful. It was super cold outside, and even though I was wearing gloves and everything, I couldn't feel my hands or my feet. When I got home, I started jogging in place and doing jumping jacks to warm up. After about 15 minutes, I decided I would just keep going with some other exercises and use that as my blog for today, so here it is! 

February 2, 2014

Workout 

Since I didn't post anything on Friday, I decided that I would do a workout today. In my last post, I talked about an app called "Pump Up". I used that for today's workout. A few of my warm-up exercises included upper body twists, standing hamstring stretches, and spiderman lunges. Some of the strength training exercises were prisoner squats, push ups, and glute bridges. I also did conditioning exercises, and then finally cool-down exercises. It's great because I created the workout based on my height, weight, where I was, and expertise level, so it was made for me. 

January 30, 2014

Pump Up

If crying would've counted as exercise, then I would have gotten plenty! I'm still so upset, as is everyone else, but I took Coach's advice and tried to take my mind off of things for a little while. I used the app "Pump Up". It's a really good fitness app. It demonstrates how to properly do the workout, and it chooses workouts based on you (height, weight, etc.). It also has warm-ups and cool-downs which is nice. I use this app often because it's very good and of course I play music while working out. (Today's playlist was a little sad, but can you blame me?)

(This is a picture of the app.)

January 29, 2014

What You Want

I had drama rehearsal again today from after school until 6. We learned the dance to "What You Want". This dance is a little difficult for me, but I know the important thing is to try my best and keep working at it, which I did. I just had fun with it. We also practiced what we learned already. It was a very productive day that I enjoyed.  

January 28, 2014

Another Day of Volleyball

Today my friend Kelli came over, and it was really nice because I haven't seen her in a while. After talking and catching up, we played Kinect Sports. (I know, another day of this, but it's fun and a great source of exercise!) We played beach volleyball for a while, and after facing each other, we decided to play on the same team, which was so much more fun! We made a good team and beat the computer every time we were on the same team.

 



January 27, 2014

Staying Warm

Today for my 30 minutes of fitness, I played Kinect Sports again. It was so cold outside...even too cold for shoveling! Anyway, by exercising I warmed up a bit. I played tennis and skiing. Today was just a nice and simple day...who knows what tomorrow will bring! 

January 26, 2014

Variety Show

On Friday, Mount Assisi's Drama Club hosted a variety show. It started at 7. I stayed after school and helped decorate and prepare. I helped set up chairs, make posters, and other things. I was originally dreading staying after school from 2:20 until 7, but it actually ended up being a lot of fun. We played music while we set up. We pulled it off, and the show went great! This could count as physical activity because I was running up and down the stairs to get things, setting up chairs, etc.

January 23, 2014

Football is Tiring!

You learn something new everyday. Today I learned how tiring football is, and I didn't even play the actual game! I talked about Kinect Sports in a previous blog. I also have Kinect Sports: Season 2, which is what I played today. It's a lot of fun, and it even has a "calorie counter" on it, so after you play you can see how many calories you've burned! In the football game, you have to run in place, dodge players trying to tackle you, throw and kick the ball, and catch the ball. Well, I decided I was going to set the computer level to pro instead of rookie. It made the game so much more fun, but also much more difficult. I won 26-21!

January 22, 2014

Omigod You Guys

Today started the first rehearsal for Mount Assisi's production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. I am part of the Delta Nu sorority girls who sing the song "Omigod You Guys". After school we rehearsed the music for a half hour, and then from 3 to 6 we learned and practiced the dance. The dance is pretty long and has a lot of steps. Dancing is a great source of exercise because you're up and moving around. So, that's what I did today, and it was actually a lot of fun. I just hope that I get the hang of it! 

January 21, 2014

Project

My physical activity for today was working on a poster. How could this be physical activity? Well, I had to run up and down the stairs a few times until I got all the supplies together. Then, I turned on music and was moving around while cutting, printing, writing, and taping things down. I was always standing and moving; I never sat while working on my poster. Now I have my daily 30 minutes of activity and a poster done! 

January 20, 2014

The Mall

Today, I went to the mall again. This time I went with my mom. It was just supposed to be a quick stop, but we ended up being there a little bit longer. While my mom was waiting in line at Kohls, I went and looked around. We then went inside the mall and made a few other quick stops, but we were there for a little over 30 minutes. 

January 19, 2014

Fun Day

Yesterday I went to the mall with some friends of mine. We were there for at least 3 hours, and I only bought 1 thing that entire trip. We spent most of the time just walking around; wandering from shop to shop. I knew we had done a lot of walking, but when I finally sat down, I realized how much my feet actually hurt. Besides my sore feet, it was a lot of fun and I had a good time. 

January 16, 2014

Boot Camp

The last two days, I have played Kinect Sports, so I wanted to do something a little different today. I really enjoy using Kinect for Xbox for my workout because it's good exercise and it's honestly a lot of fun and more interactive. Today I played a game called "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012" (I know it's an older version, but it serves it's purpose perfectly well!). In this game, there are so many different things you can do including: yoga, belly dancing, cardio workouts, upper and lower body workouts, etc. I wanted to challenge myself today, so I did boot camp. There is actually a 'person' on screen and they will encourage you, but if you slack, they'll yell too! I attached a picture of what the boot camp part of the game looks like. 

January 15, 2014

Boxing

I remember something that one of my basketball coaches told my team a year or two ago. He told us that good defense makes for good offense. Well today, I somewhat used that saying. I played Kinect Sports again, but today I just did boxing. After doing a couple of rounds, I knew that the key to staying on my feet was to block the opponents punches before I started swinging at them. This worked, and I won the rest of the rounds that I played tonight. 

January 14, 2014

Fitness Can Be Fun

Today, I wanted to have some fun with my workout. I played Kinect Sports. Kinect is part of the Xbox. It's a great way to get exercise because with Kinect, there are no controllers. Your body is the control. Kinect picks up all of your movement. So when I was playing sand volleyball, I actually had to get low and bump the ball and jump up to spike the ball. I found another blog that explains why Kinect Sports is good exercise: http://want-2-b-healthy.blogspot.com/2011/03/kinect-sports-as-exercise.html. Playing this really reminded me that fitness can be fun. (Although I'm much better at sport video games compared to actual sports.) 

January 13, 2014

First Day

To be honest, I was kind of nervous about this whole blogging thing. Then, after hearing Coach Smith talk about it, I realized that to stay fit, you don't need to necessarily work out. There are so many ways to get physical activity, even through things as simple as vacuuming or putting things away. It requires you to get up and move around. Anyway, I figured I would start the first day off good. Today, I started off by doing some chin-ups and other simple strength training with my older brother. We got into an argument (that's what happens when you have a brother who is 4 years older), so I finished my workout with some basic exercises, like leg swings and upper body twists.