Snow Day

So it is cold….okay so it is not cold if you went to school in Potsdam with me, but it is cold for this area. Negative 5 wind chill and 10 degrees actual. Yesterday, it was so cold that I spilled coffee on my pants while I was outside and it was steaming off of my pants. Yes steam coming off of my pants. Weird site let me tell you!! Today, we get to work and all of a sudden we get this burning smell. Like when someone burned plastic in the microwave….or when you burn a whole bag of popcorn in the microwave….c’mon you have all done that!! I had black smoke once from my microwave because of black popcorn….and I had company over…yeah big oops! So anyways, one of the motors in our heater fried so it smelt like burnt popcorn for a while. At least it is Friday!!!

So I cannot wait to share my new recipe I made for lunch on Wednesday. It is my take on savory oatmeal and it is so easy peasy! Has anyone ventured into the Savory Oatmeal world? It is actually really good and I highly recommend it!!! I was hesitant but I actually enjoyed it. I will share it in the next few days after I photograph it. I didn’t expect it to share worthy good so I didn’t take pictures. I need to have more faith in myself!!

 

Snow Day Exercise

Okay so when you have a snow day, what is the easiest thing to do? Not do anything but cuddle up and watch movies right? We all are guilty of that and you know what? Part of the day could be devoted to just cuddling up with some hot cocoa and relaxing. But part of the day we should get moving. You’ll feel better and more energized if you get a workout in. Now some people do not want to work out if they cannot get outside or get to a gym, but there are so many things you can do! If you have access to a treadmill or bike, that is a great start! Even if you do not, you can find so many workouts that are deemed “Home workouts” that you can do anywhere. Since you have all of this time on your hands if you are snowed in, challenge yourself and try one out. Even if you cannot get through the whole thing, do what you can! You’ll feel great about yourself! I challenged myself to this workout called “The NFL Cheerleader Workout”

NFL Cheerleader Workout<------Check this out!

I started out my warmup with a quick run on the treadmill and there was one part where the exercise caused for resistance bands that I did not have, but I did some calf stretches instead which is part of my PT. This exercise was hardcore! Lots of pushups, planks and total body movements. The best part of the workout was the 10 minute full out dance party break. A dance party burns so many calories and it really just lets you let loose and is a great stress reducer. After I was done with that workout, I did my plank challenge from my FB friend YourFItness411 (everyone should follow her on Facebook for some amazing fitness and nutrition tips. She is excellent!!). I felt amazing and alert after that. I love switching up my workouts and giving myself a challenge. I almost quit because the exercise required jumping and I was worried about my ankle. I decided to go for it. The first couple of jumps were murky, but once it loosened up, it felt great. If you are going to do jumping in a workout, make sure that you land softly and bend your knees so that you don’t put all of the pressure on your ankles. If you land slowly, softly and thoughtfully, you will not hurt your joints! I am so glad I powered through the workout. Make sure after any workout though, you take the time to stretch. I am guilty of not always doing that, but it makes a huge difference!!

So after my workout, I studied and then got an extra calorie burn by shoveling as well (as I have mentioned, shoveling is a great way to burn calories as well. No not snow blowing, which is a great time saver, I mean old fashioned shoveling!!). Between the workout and the shoveling, my body was so sore by the end of the night, but a good sore!!

Now everyone should weigh in……If you had a snow day, did you get a workout in? What workout? Do you ever challenge yourself in your workouts?