We are going to be shaking it up and waking it up in this blog.
Sing it with me!
The Cars - Shake It Up
Dance all night, play all day
Don't let nothin' get in the way
Dance all night, keep the beat
Don't you worry 'bout two left feet
Shake it up
Shake it up, oo yeah
Shake it up
Shake it up
Get in the mood my friend because we are getting right down to business with your Challenge of the week. Yes, you heard me, we are not wasting any time, so get up wherever you are and try this move. It will get your entire body moving, hit upper body, lower body & core and ...it's SUPER FUN!!
Total Body Move: Cross Punch Lunge
- Stand tall, feet under hips and weights by your side.
- As you curl the arms forward, keeping the elbows next to your waist, step the right foot forward, about 2-2.5 feet in front of you.
- As you lower down, the legs should create two 90 degree angles and the forward knee should not go past the toes.
- As the body stays upright, hold the down lunge position and punch the left arm across the body.
- Retract the arm, still holding the down lunge.
- Go back to the start.
- Repeat; completing a set of 10-15.
- Repeat all on the other side.
First time doing this exercise or just getting back into your fitness routine?
- Modifications ideas: forget about the weights and/or do a reverse lunge instead of a forward lunge (this one in particular; if you have knee, ankle or hip injuries)
The Cross Punch Lunge is featured in the upcoming Balanced Body: Total Body workout video, on JBirdFitness.com, being released TOMORROW.
Wake up your body and start your week off bright and early as the video will be available on the member site starting at 5:30am EST.
Not a member yet? No worries. Take advantage of the FREE 3-Day Trial and get your workout in, with NO EXCUSES. Plus, it will make you FEEL GREAT!
Talking about feeling great. What kind of movement makes you feel awesome? Running, yoga, indoor cycling, kickboxing, pilates...oh geez, I could go on & on.
You know my answer is dance, dance, dance. But here's the thing... I have not been consistently dancing in my adult life. In fact, when fitness came into my world, dance fell by the waist side. I had always wanted to get back into it. And I did at times. Sprinkled here & there I had taught dance fitness classes and, when I was living in NYC, I'd jump into a Broadway Dance Center class every now & then. But there was always something pulling me away.
I asked the question above and I'm talking about my personal experience because I want to make sure you are moving and exercising from a happy place. Too many times we get distracted and then get into workout ruts because we feel like "we have to do it". The problem is, we're not enjoying ourselves.
For me, I'm lucky. Fitness and learning about body mechanics (yes, I can be a little geeky when it comes to this) happen to be another passion of mine. But now that I am dancing, I have promised myself I am going to do whatever it takes to keep dancing. Because it moves me more than just getting my body physical active. It makes me happy, pure & simple.
I want that for you. So, I ask again...
What kind of movement makes you feel awesome?
Now that you have said it in your mind, share it. Let's motivate each other to move happily. Email me your answer and also let us know HERE on JBirdFitness.com, in the comment section.
With enthusiasm to keep us all moving with a smile,
Janine :)
Coming up this week, beside the NEW Balanced Body release:
The Ultimate Dance Workout - Bucks County Peeps: Get your butt to class! Only 5 more weeks to go. To register and get more information click HERE.
The 21-Day Spring Fling Challenge starts May 1st. This event will be a great challenge before the Summer season to learn how to embrace & love your body. For more info & to pre-register click HERE. BONUS: if you sign-up now, you get FREE Access to JBirdFitness.com until the challenge begins.