#8weeksofhealthyhabits week 2 overview

8 Weeks of Healthy Habits!

Welcome to week 2 of our #8weeksofhealthyhabits.  Each week, I will post an overview of the upcoming week's goals with some helpful links and info. The purpose of this challenge is not to be stressful, preachy, or overbearing, just a fun way to incorporate some new ideas.  If you like something that we do, please feel free to incorporate it into your daily/weekly schedule and really make it a new habit. If you're looking to really up your game, try the #DaisyDukeStrong challenge at the bottom of this email.

The fun part about these challenges is the sharing.  See if you can post a thought or a selfie each day to the facebook page about what you're doing.  If you're an Instagram user, you can also post there, using the hashtags #PIG and #8weeksofhealthyhabits  and/or #DaisyDukeStrong

My favorite shares from this last week came from some emails that said things like "My crunches were more like squishes." And "My push-ups were more like lie-downs." Remember, this isn't a competition, everyone should just aim to do their best! If 40-60 in the #DaisyDukeStrong challenge is too much, just see what you can do each day!

I'm really looking forward to the family reunion in July! Week #2 means we are getting closer!

Week 2:

Sunday: Take some time to reflect on your day & the last week. Write in a journal, or share to your blog.  Journaling on a regular basis can help you gain insight to your own humanity.  According to a recent report on NPR, students who took notes on paper, as opposed to on an electronic device scored significantly higher on tests.  The researchers called this "Desirable difficulty," which they defined as a small roadblock that improves comprehension and understanding of the situation. Hmm. Don't know where to start? Here are 10 journaling tips that may spark your writing!

Monday: Listen to music that makes you happy! Have a dance party! This can be a solo dance party in your kitchen, or you can make it a family affair! Share a video of your "Happy" song(s) to the facebook page.  Dancing not only effects your body, but also your mood.  According to Kathy Patalsky, "Music and movement is all it takes to get a boost in your attitude."

Tuesday: Choose something healthy for a snack! I know when 3pm hits, it's time for a snack. But instead of heading to the vending machine, or unwrapping some pre-packaged snack food, think about having something healthy.  Drink a glass of water first, that will give your body time to decide.  I like to buy fruit and chop it up and put it in a big bowl in my fridge for the week.  That way, it's ready for me to dive into when those afternoon munchies come around.

Wednesday: Try a PM yoga routine before bed. Yoga can be quite relaxing.  Try a short yoga routine before bed and see how your body likes it! Here's a short (13 minute) video that you might enjoy, I like Kino McGregor. 

Or, if you just want some yoga pose ideas, these are all quite relaxing after a long day. I especially like "legs up the wall."

Thursday: Drink water! How much water should you be drinking? Most people don't drink enough. As a guideline, take your body weight, and multiply it by 2/3. That's how many ounces I want you to aim for today!

Friday: Free Fitness! Post a selfie of you doing your favorite activity to the facebook page! Each Friday will be Free Fitness Friday. You get to choose the activity- just get up and do something and share it with the rest of us! If you post to Instagram, don't forget your hashtags, #PIG and #8weeksofhealthyhabits

Saturday: No electronics for one hour before bedtime. Yep, you heard me. Turn the phone, tv, computer, tablet OFF one hour before you go to bed. This is going to be tough for me, too, but a study by the National Sleep Foundation found that looking at the lights of your electronic device before going to sleep suppresses the body's natural release of melatonin- which makes us sleep better.  Try reading a book instead! I'm currently reading "All the light we cannot see," a novel about two children growing up different lives in WWII's Europe.

Daisy Duke Strong Challenge

Now, if you want that extra challenge, here's the week overview of #DaisyDukeStrong!

Sunday: 40 crunches, 40 squats
Monday: 45 crunches, 45 squats, 5 sets of 4-7 push-ups each
Tuesday: 50 crunches, 50 squats
Wednesday: 5 sets of 4-7 push-ups each
Thursday: 50 crunches, 50 squats
Friday: 55 crunches, 55 squats, 5 sets of 4-7 push-ups each
Saturday: 60 crunches, 60 squats