Ok, so now for some seriousness:
This is really cool, because it shows how much the little things you do over the course of your day can add to your strength and overall level of fitness. Our friend with the amazing arms posts pictures of herself at the gym at 6 a.m. on Facebook, sharing her preparations for Tough Mudder in October. I think this is great, because it might inspire other people to hit their gyms, or get a conversation going about fitness.
It also sparked my idea for this infamous arm wrestling competition. “She looks amazing… she goes to the gym all the time, I wonder how long I could hold up against her in an arm wrestling competition?” Only one way to find out.
Luckily for me, she’s a great sport and was up for it. My sister also got involved because she’s on the same team as our Gym Enthusiast for Tough Mudder, and because she beat her arm wrestling in preparation for my show-down. “Awesome, I said, it’s a three person competition now!”
Did I expect to win? No. Was I excited to see how long I could hold them off for? Yes. Was I super thrilled to win? ABSOLUTELY.
This doesn’t negate any of the amazing things our friend is doing at the gym… I mean heck, look at her arms… I think we can see how much the gym is paying off for her!
What this does mean, is that every time I push those two kids in the double jogging stroller, I’m getting stronger. Every time I carry in five bags of groceries simultaneously, I’m getting stronger. Every time I hold a clingy toddler in my arms while I walk from a store to the car, I’m getting stronger.
Mothers of young children lift heavy weights, over and over again, all day. Our kids. Add a jogging stroller into the mix, and I’m not sure why I was so certain I would lose!
The takeaway for me is to remember that the little things, when done frequently, really do count. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator on a regular basis will make a difference over time. Hauling in extra groceries is making your arms stronger. Parking at the far end of the parking lot doesn’t burn many calories for one trip, but over the course of the year it could mean several pounds of weight loss.
Do I wish I had time, made time, to go to the gym and do more focused weight training? Yeah, I do. Does that fit into my schedule and balancing my life and responsibilities right now? No. But the reason my life is so crazy (two young kids) is also the reason it’s not such a big deal that I’m not hitting the gym right now.
Neat.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to my family and friends for the hilarious photo shoot, for being such great sports and having a friendly and fun competition, and for letting me run with this silly blog idea 🙂
great reminder!
I love all the pics. Great couple entries. And good reminder 😉
🙂
Those are such fun pictures. Good thing to remember!
Looks like a lot of fun! It confirms what my first outdoor group exercise instructor always said – consistency is key.
There’s something else we have in common! My husband is an Isshin Ryu and weapons instructor and is going for his black belt in December. He’s been doing martial arts for over 11 years and has a black belt in 2 styles.
Consistency is key, and not avoiding doing something because you only have a few minutes to do it is key! Where would I be now if I’d started a plank or twenty sit ups a day six months ago? Surely I would have time for that! Makes you think about little changes you can make that would add up!