Miss Fit Movement

I awoke one day after some serious soul searching to figure out what could I do that genuinely makes me happy. How could I share kindly with others and truly give of myself without expectations in return. I have volunteered and enjoyed it, but never truly felt 110% passionate about it besides Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraisers I have participated and fundraised in. So I kept thinking, "How could I be me and inspire at the same time?"
Well it came to me. New Year always brings on half-assed (pardon the phrase) promises. People Join the gym, go on a diet etc. Seriously they set themselves up to fail and/or waste money. So I knew what I needed to do. Although I do love the gym it is my home away from home, I know that many women don't. Many are so self conscious and worried about how others may perceive them while they are there, that they do not go to begin with. Or if they do, they don't give it their all because they are so insecure that some one may be watching and making fun of their lack of knowledge or efforts. When it is exactly the opposite. MOST people go to get in get their FIT on and go home. It is like a job, do your work and move on to the next because we are all so busy in this modern world. MOST people could care less who is there and what they are doing. For instance when I am there I am in the ZONE. I do not want to be talked to or interrupted in my training. I get y heart rate where I want it I do my circuits and cant stand to be stalled. I wave and walk on by. So don't be offended if I don't acknowledge you, but the gym is MY time. Plus I usually don't wear my contacts to the gym, so I more than likely cannot make out who you are :)
But because of this fact and the fact that many women don't know what to do when they go to the gym, I started a movement. I saw a quote that said Stop hating your body and start a revolution. Author Unknown. It clicked. I was going to put a stop to resolutions and start a revolution for women. I proposed a group meeting to devote to fitness one hour per week on my usual SUNDAY RUNDAYS for six weeks. The concept is to get as many women that will commit to themselves, even if they think they are committing to me and my idea. But to get them out of the house and in the outdoors rain or shine for some Fit time. I want to show them that we have great local spots to train. That creativity and a determined attitude will help. So we meet and I show them a new workout each week. No Gyms. No Equipment. No Fees. No Hidden Agenda. and NO Excuses! In these workouts I want to show them that they need to believe in themselves and Push beyond their comfort zone. So I set it up on my facebook page http://facebook.com/MissFitCali  First event titled: The Miss Fit Mile, formerly known as the miserable Mile. But If I told them what it consisted of or that it used to have a negative name until I changed it, they would have not shown up. 50 women accepted the invite. 36 showed up and got their booties worked. Many of them waddling as we speak. They had to partner up and hold each other accountable for every squat and encourage each other the whole way. Each person had to alternate 50 deep squats then run a 1/4 mile as fast as they could. No racing just all about finishing. By the end they had accomplished 200 squats, one mile ran, sore glutes and legs and a sense of pride in themselves. It was great! It made me feel so good to see all these women of all different ages, cultures, sizes and shapes out there for one purpose. I smiled all day long!
Next up this Sunday, Miss Fit Mayhem. A beautiful Park to be taken over by Miss Fits to turn nature into our playground. Grass, dirt streams and more....If you want to know the workout, be at Woodward Park at 7am Sunday Morning at the Mountain View Shelter Parking Lot! The only way you will regret it, is if you don't get off Ur tush and get there.
xoxo, Miss Fit
http://www.facebook.com/missfitcali

Flexibilty Fridays!

I believe the 3 Fundamental Focuses of Fitness are:
1) Strength Training
2) Cardio Training/Endurance
3) Flexibility Training
When people think of flexibility, two things usually come to mind: gymnasts, and pain.  A focus on an improved flexibility is an often overlooked aspect of fitness. Flexibility is imperative to the body’s structure, posture, and should be a cornerstone of any decent exercise program.  Movement is only as possible as flexibility allows, and in many ways, strength is contingent upon the flexibility of any given joint and the structures surrounding it.  Research shows that the best way to train a muscle, is to work it through its full range of motion, however if that range is limited, then so is the potential training benefits.
Flexibility is defined as the range of motion about a joint.  For us, this means that a flexible joint moves painlessly and with ease to a given position within its plane of movement.
It’s best to think of flexibility in two ways:  Static flexibility and dynamic flexibility.  Static flexibility defines how far a joint can flex in a static or unmoving position, such as a gymnast holding a split or a person touching their toes.  Dynamic flexibility defines how far a joint can flex in motion, such as a kick boxer performing a head kick or somebody reaching to the top shelf in a supermarket.  Static flexibility underpins dynamic flexibility, meaning that the more flexible a joint is in stasis, the more range it will have in motion. Just makes sense doesn’t it?
A more flexible joint facilitates health and fitness by increasing the range through which exercises can be performed, as well as encouraging economy of movement.  Stretching prior to and after exercise is thought to reduce soreness and improve blood flow throughout exercising muscles.  Flexibility, when paired with proper exercise and muscular balance, has been shown to improve posture, reduce many types of chronic pain (e.g. back pain and sciatica), improve digestion, and enhance performance.
With all those benefits, who can say no to some flexibility training?
I call it flexibility Fridays, not because that is the only day I stretch. I stretch before and after working out daily. Instead of Calisthenetics, circuits or cardio, I choose to do a LONG flexibility training workout on Fridays. 60-90 minutes of yoga, Pilates and barre stretching exercises. I feel like stretching elongates the muscle and makes the muscles look longer, leaner and more feminine.
How do you incorporate flexibility into your fitness regime?
<3, Miss Fit