Welcome to Friday!

And along with this lovely Friday is Day 6: Challenge Yourself.  So in honor to that, I want you to challenge yourself/your body in at least one way today.

Let’s Start by Talking Comfort Zones

The above quote is one that I have posted on my inspiration board:

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go”

So first, I want you to get to know yourself by thinking about your comfort zones for various areas of your life.  I believe that comfort zones can be beneficial in some areas of our lives.  They can provide us with security, safety and a guidepost.

However, I also believe that there are areas of life where we can challenge our comfort zones.  So when you are thinking, consider which areas of your life can accommodate a challenge.

Some suggestions are:

• Exercise/health:
  • Challenge yourself in exercise by using a slightly heavier weight than you normally do.  Or by adding one more rep or set of an exercise.  Add 5 more minutes to your run/walk.  You can do the same thing with food.  Challenge yourself to enjoy treats in moderation rather than indulgence.  And eat your vegetables.
• Learning
  • Take time to read more.  This can be a challenge because it may require a stronger commitment to yourself or others.  Find a type of book that allows you to learn about something that interests you.  Is that history? Science? For me, personal development books are my jam!
• Work/Business
  • Do something that you have been wanting to take initiative to do at work, but haven’t yet.  Maybe this is asking for a raise or time off.  Maybe it is asking for more (or less) responsibility in general or on a specific project.
• Parenting (pet parenting counts)/relationships
  • Maybe for you this means giving extra time and energy to your kids or pets.  Maybe it means advocating for less time with your kids or pets for the sake of self-care and being a better parent.  Either way, challenge yourself to advocate for something that will allow you to be a better version of you in this realm.
• Personal development
  • Have you been wanting to start a hobby? A side hustle? Maybe related to the learning topic, you want to read more. Do you want to practice more yoga or meditation? Use today or sometime in the next week to set aside time to take initiative towards acting on one of these.

Now Go Challenge Yourself!

If it all seems scary, pick just one way (big or small) and go from there.  Once you get momentum, the snowball effect can take over!

Time for a workout!

Today, I want to focus on upper body strength.  You can do your own workout or follow the no-equipment upper body routine below.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 of the following:

And remember to challenge yourself!

1. Pushups (click here for modifications if you struggle with a full push-up)
2. High plank hold (30-60 seconds)
3. Stagger grip pushups (have one hand places by shoulder and one lower by your chest; make sure to get both sides!)
4. Side plank hold (30-60 seconds each side)
5. High to low plank (tutorial here)
6. Side pushups (tutorial here)
7. Low plank hold (30-60 seconds)
8. Downward dog to plank (tutorial here)
9. Shoulder taps (tutorial here)
10. Finish with this 5 minute arm workout

Thanks for doing Day 6: Challenge Yourself!