Squadron, halt! Stop what you are doing and think for a minute. Think about ways you can fit fitness into your everyday routine!

We all live such busy lifes that making time for a separate exercise routine can be a major challenge. But what about if, instead of just going through the motions in our daily lives, we pay attention to the motions and make them count?

I can think of numerous ways we can take an ordinary chore or task and turn it into an opportunity to move our bodies and make them stronger!

First, some we have probably all heard of:

Walk as far away from the store as possible.
Take things upstairs right away instead of letting them pile up.
Skip the elevator, take the stairs.

What about these?

When sorting laundry, put the baskets on either side of you several feet away. As you take each piece of dirty laundry out of the hamper, tighten your abs, turn to the appropriate side and toss it!

Squat down to empty the dishwasher, stretch to put things away in the upper cabinets...one dish at a time!

Sweep and mop...with a twist! Pay attention to your movements as you rake, sweep, or mop. Take long, steady strokes...make sure you change sides once in a while!

Go up on your tip toes then down on your heels while chopping veggies for dinner! Roll your shoulders as you peel those cukes!

By paying attention to what muscles you use while doing a chore will help you figure out how to MAXIMIZE THE MOTION!

What ways can YOU think of to incorporate some more movement into our daily lives? I challenge each and every one of you to come up with at least one idea! It can be something big or something small...they all count!

Group Activity for week of 9/14: 1412 minutes!

We still have 3 days to go and we are SOOO close to our goal of 1500 already! I know we are probably over 1500 because a couple of folks planned on working out but hadn't posted it yet!

Ole' Sarge's heart is swelling with pride For raw recruits you guys aren't too bad!

Hey, Franny, darling. Rush rush rush... back later...

Shopping this morning so I'll strap on the pedometer. We may have a lot of rain so there may not be any walkies for the Girls. I wonder if I can train them to do WATP with me?

Good Morning, Sarge Franny!

I'm sitting here as I compute, focusing on tightening my abs and gluts!!! Does that count ????I'll try doing this until I'm finished with the message!

Today, the weather is changing quite a bit for us. We have a cold front moving in, and it's cloudy and dreary. I know Fall is coming! Very dry, so we are certainly due for rain. Hope we get a little...but not so much as Ruth is expecting!!

I think I'll do my hour today outside for a brisk walk. Fresh air will make me feel better. I have a meeting at 12:00, so I'd better get hopping!

Have a great day, everyone.
Talk later.....
~Sharon

Can I just jump in this thread? I don't want to mess y'all up...

Sure, Sharon, you can join us.

Frannymae, I exercised 17 minutes this morning! It was fun, I feel more limber, YAY!

Tricia

Oh my gosh! I just did grocery shopping... I've already almost got my 10 000 steps for the day, and it's only 11:30! Woof!

Jump right in, Harmony.

You're all doing great, girls! Keep it up!

Cool! Well, I'm going out to my mom's tonight to work out, I'm pretty sure I'll be doing 20 minutes on the treadmill and 20 on the bow flex, but I'll post afterward to confirm. :-D

Pvt. Lizzie reporting:

I finished a 45 minute walk this a.m. and then after going to the farmers market scrubbed my kitchen floor on my knees for a change, to get all those nasty dirty little corners. Plan to line dance tonight and that is usually 1 hr. so I will add to our exercise goal. Oh and yesterday I rode my bike 40 minutes(6 miles) So maybe that will count on the total.

Harmony: jump right in. The more the merrier.

Ruth: did Isabel get to you? My dd and sil were hit quite badly in Williamsburg Va. She just called and they had trees come down on their house. also two trees fell across their car and truck, but were held up by other trees, so the vehicles were not damaged. Her whole neighborhood is like a war zone. She called on her cell phone as they have no power and no land phone and it was only this a.m. that they could even used their cell phone.

Back later. Lizzie

Lizzie, we were really lucky. It's raining and very windy right now but we still have power and no big trees are down. I think we are on the eastern edge and have escaped the worst. PTL.

What does PTL stand for? Praise to the Lord?

Well sure thing! Tammy Faye Baker and her eyelashes.

Aw-w, Ellis!!
I love your interpretation of PTL! Does it really mean that?

What the heck does it mean?

Ruth...I'm so glad you didn't get hit so hard. It sounds like it could have been much worse with Isabel.

Franny...I completed my 45 minute walk this morning, came back, and did 15 minutes of abs......not at the computer this time!!

Talk later,
~Sharon

Just a quick post to get my exercise time in ... 45 minutes treadmill, 15 minutes abs ...

Have a good night!!!

I know, this is terrible, but I didn't exercise today. I'll definitely have to make up for it tomorrow... I got to my mom's house, and nobody was home. I would've just jumped on the treadmill anyway, but I had the baby with me, and nobody was there to watch her. I hate missing a day, it throws me all off my schedule and I feel funny until I get back in the groove. Pooh. :-(