Amongst the biggest challenges for many working moms is making time for exercise. There are always too many reasons and excuses to fall back on, such as a hectic schedule of juggling work and kids that demands so much of your time and energy. And the less time you get for working out, the more guilty you feel. It’s a vicious cycle. Am I right? Yep, I’ve been there and I don’t like it one bit. So I came up with a simple solution that works well for me. Start small. I decided to take a piecemeal approach to exercise. While making time to have an hour long workout may seem daunting, a short “bite-sized" workout (as I like to call it) always seems so much more doable. Ask yourself, can I make time for 20 minutes of exercise in my busy day? The answer is yes! 

Aaptiv is an app that I’ve found super conducive to my “working mom workout” needs! It’s an audio fitness app which offers various types of workout programs. What I like about it is that it includes the voice of well-known, professional trainers directing your workout and motivating you against the backdrop of high-energy beats. So whether it’s a cardio workout, a deep stretch, yoga, marathon training, or strength training that you’re looking for, Aaptiv has it all. I got attracted to it for its prenatal and postnatal workouts led by pregnancy guru and founder of FitBump, Kira Kohrherr. Aaptiv has these stroller workouts which you can do anywhere – your home, outside, or in the gym. They are all about 20-30 minutes long. To ensure that I lose as little time as possible, I quickly change into my gym clothes, roll out my yoga mat, put my baby Arjun on the bouncy chair in front of me, and get started one of the stroller workouts in my own living room. Super easy set-up and no time lost in commuting to the gym. This is how I’ve been getting my bite-sized workouts with the voice of a trainer that keeps me going. I honestly find it so effective and easy to fit into my day. As moms, we all know how you can’t always plan everything out. So whenever I see an opportunity to squeeze in a short workout, I do it. Sometimes it’s in the morning before work, other times in the evening. I aim to do these short workouts 3-4 times a week and while I may not always succeed, I feel glad knowing that I’m incorporating at least some level of fitness activity in my life! Postpartum fitness is a long journey and we all have to start somewhere. 

So what are you waiting for? Give my “bite-sized workout” idea a try and see if it works for you! Start off, start small. If you’re keen to try Aaptiv, download the app on your phone and use code BURPEES for a free 30-day trial (the app already gives new users a 7-day free trial). Good luck, busy mamas!

*We all know that everyone's pregnancy and post-pregnancy conditions are different. So for the maternity workouts, please be sure to consult your doctor first! 

"Aaah! I wish I could make more time for exercise."

"I wish I could be more motivated to work out!"

"Dammit, it's so hard to stay consistent with my exercise routine. I'll never get back in shape!"

Are these thoughts that you've had at one point or another? Do they sound familiar to you? Well, just know that you're not alone. Most of us out there can't skip out of bed for a run on a regular, consistent basis. Staying in shape and exercising regularly takes commitment, discipline and motivation. But even to the best of us, life comes in the way. Fatigue or laziness creeps in. Heck, even raising kids is a great excuse to throw out there! But in my opinion, the only way to make regular exercise sustainable is to make it realistically fit into our everyday lives.

After having my second baby recently, my core has taken a beating and my body is out of shape. I am determined to whip myself back into shape. But I know that juggling two kids and going back to work will present me with quite a challenge in making time for exercise. This is why I'm starting out with short workouts which I can realistically squeeze into my day, for at least a few times a week. Here's how I plan to do it:

Step 1: Measure my waist and record my weight on day 1.

Step 2: Take on a 30-day squat-lunge-plank challenge! Every day, I will follow the schedule shown here. Please refer to my video below for doing a series of squat-lunge-plank exercises (rest days are included) and also this previous post on the appropriate technique for doing them. These exercises in themselves will not make me lose weight but they will certainly help to tone my abdominal area and lower body. I will be supplementing these exercises with 20-30 mins of running and ab crunches 2-4 times a week, depending on my time. If your fitness level allows you to do more than that, go ahead! (Diet will also play a key role in helping with the weight loss but that's a separate issue for another day!)

Step 3: Measure my waist and record my weight on day 30. At the end of the month-long challenge, my goal is to see whether or not these exercises made a difference.

Many of you saw my posting on Instastories about this challenge and asked about it. I'd like to share this with all of you and ask if anyone is interested to join. Follow me on Instagram (@urbanmantra1) and my Instastories to stay updated and to connect with me using the #SLPChallenge. We can do it together!

There are little tips you pick up along the way when you attend prenatal yoga classes and speak to other expecting mums. One neat little trick I learned from my prenatal yoga instructor was the idea of a tennis ball massage. It's something super simple but I hadn't considered it until it was mentioned to me. So in the spirit of sharing knowledge, let me tell you about the use of a tennis ball during pregnancy. There are certain aches and pains that you'll inevitably feel at times during the course of your pregnancy - whether it's neck or shoulder stiffness, upper or lower back pain, gluteal or pelvic soreness...you name it! Often these places are hard to reach by yourself and you can't always stroll into a prenatal yoga massage place (they're expensive and sometimes you just need a quick fix).

Here are some ways to effectively utilize the tennis ball for a quick massage during your pregnancy:

Option 1: Sit on it! Literally sit your body on a yoga mat and lean into the tennis ball under the area that is troubling you. In my case, it's been hip/gluteal soreness. So what do I do? As shown in the picture above, I sit sideways against the ball and sink into the ground. Breathe deeply and hold that posture for a few seconds. It will be painful because the firmness of the tennis ball digs into your trouble spot and gets into the muscle fascia. Then slowly and gently roll over the ball so it massages the area that is affecting you. The ball is effectively working like a mini-foam roller giving you a deep tissue massage. Switch sides and repeat. Do it a couple times and you'll feel a difference!

Option 2: Lean against the wall with the ball and roll your body against it. For example, if your upper back is feeling a bit stiff, position the ball between the wall and your upper back. Then move your body in circles against that area to feel the gentle massaging effects.

Option 3: Have Mr. Husband (or any willing family member or friend) rub the tennis ball against your back while you are sitting on a stability ball or in a cross-legged position. Have them roll the ball against their palm down your upper and lower back or use the motion of making concentric circles over the back using the ball. You can ask them to modify the pressure as you like it. Believe me, it feels yummy!

Lastly, you can't go wrong with gentle yoga stretches to keep your body in a happy condition. Check out the photo and my short videos below showing the downward dog, hip openers, pigeon pose, and side stretches that will benefit your back, hamstrings, hips and thighs!

Downward Dog-Pigeon Pose

Hamstring and Side Stretches

If anyone were to ask me what I've discovered during my second pregnancy which I didn't know about the first time around, I would say: the stability ball (or exercise ball, as some call it). Yes, I'm talking about that large, bouncy ball thingy that you may have seen lying in the corner at gyms. You may even have used one during your workouts, likely when forced to do so by a fitness trainer. Well, during this pregnancy, I've discovered the power of the stability ball! For me, it's been a super handy prop for my workouts as well as a source of relief for my back pain.

No doubt, there is a lot of information you can find online about how stability balls can be a helpful companion to your pregnancy-related workouts. Here, I'm going to talk about how I've been incorporating this innocuous exercise ball into my daily life and how it has worked well for me. (As a disclaimer, please do consult your doctor before doing something you're unsure of! You and your physician will know best your condition.)

Pick the right ball

First things first, stability balls come in different diametrical sizes so it is important to pick the right size. A good rule of thumb to follow is to pick one which allows a 90 degree angle or slightly higher between the hips and knees with feet firmly planted on the floor. For more details, you can refer to websites which outline optimal sizes based on one's height. 

Physical Relief Benefits

The stability ball has proved to be a fun and easy way for me to improve my posture and balance. Sitting on the ball notably relieves the pressure on my back and hips and instantly adjusts my body in a more comfortable and upright spinal position. Whenever I come from a long day of either sitting at work or standing for many hours, I come home and sit on the ball and gently bounce around on it (much to my son's amusement). It's now my go-to chair in the house and I'm even tempted to bring it to the workplace! Besides reducing back pain and pressure, the exercise ball is also said to encourage blood flow to the uterus and to prime your baby to settle into the downward anterior position. 

Fitness Benefits

The exercise ball is a great accompaniment to your prenatal workouts, especially during the later stages of your pregnancy where hardcore workouts, like jogging and heavy cardio, are tougher to pull off. I use the ball to do a variety of workouts such as:

- Sitting on the ball and doing different arm strengthening exercises using light weights

- Wall squat to target thighs and buttocks

- Side leg lifts supported by the ball

- Kegel exercises for strengthening your pelvic floor (many underestimate the importance of doing this exercise. This may be more than you want to know but if you want to avoid loose pelvic floor muscles and incontinence later on, this is crucial!)

There are several more exercises you can do as assisted by the exercise ball but check out my quick video below to get an idea of what I've been doing. Basically, I do 10-15 reps of each exercise (can adjust this number, depending on your comfort and fitness level) in a sequence followed by a break. Then I repeat until I have completed 3 sets. It's a good, light workout to get your heart pumping and to keep you strong and fit. Bottom line: low impact, high return.

Here are some additional links I found helpful when looking for guidance on prenatal fitness using a stability ball:
Bump2Mum Fitness
Fittamamma
Youtube videos:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHbASGHZEAQ
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbvQjrXB2BI

Travel to new destinations offers us a mental escape from the everyday routine we have in our lives. Why not break free and do something daring in the physical sense too?

With so many great places and unique locales to explore in the world, I have become a big fan of combining sight-seeing with fitness challenges. This, my friends, is my new hobby. It’s exciting, it’s adventurous, it’s fun!  I’ve been doing it for the past 3 years now and I love it.

It all started when I did the vertical race, climbing over 86 flights of stairs up the Empire State Building in New York (read here). I got such a high from taking part in a unique fitness challenge such as that. It was so atypical from the usual races one does. From them on, I was hooked! The next one I did was a run through an ancient archeological site steeped in history, the Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Soon after, it was a run through the Singapore Zoo where we got to whiz by wild animals. The most recent one I did was the Vietnam Mountain Run.

The Vietnam Mountain Run is no ordinary race. It takes place in Sapa, a small town that sits among mountains in northern Vietnam. You might imagine that a race in a mountainous region might include lots of rocky dirt roads, winding trails, and steep inclines. You’re not mistaken.

My 10K race started at central Sapa town with the rest of the race taking me past local minority villages, through scenic ricefields, jungles, and streams. I had trained on flat, pavement roads in urban Singapore. In rural Sapa, I was greeted with the rocky-studded dirt paths, dangerously narrow trails, slippery muddy paths, and steep slopes along the way. I had prepared for a tough race, this was even tougher than I expected. I realized early on that this race was going to be a test of endurance and agility. I had to keep going through a combination of running, climbing, and walking. It was no doubt the hardest race I’d done until now. The first 3 km were essentially downhill but the last 7km were entirely uphill to a height of 1500 meters. Talk about pushing yourself against gravity!

Despite all of that, I made sure to pause every now and then to taken in the incredible scenery in front of me. Yes, I had a race to complete but that didn’t stop me from taking my iPhone out multiple times during the run to take gratuitous selfies and panoramic shots of the gorgeous landscape. I also felt lucky to have gotten the chance to see the quieter, hidden corners of Sapa and access some of the more remote parts of this locality through this run. As I crossed the finish line, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. I had pushed myself to complete a very strenuous race but the journey had been incredible. Now, I’m already thinking about where my next destination and race will be. 

Only the beginning of the run. All easy downhill turns at this point. 

Quick photo to capture myself along this side cliff, and then getting on with the run!

"What's up with these foreigners wanting to run through our village? We do it every day,
it's no big deal."

In case you're wondering - yes, I stopped a fellow runner to ask if he could take a picture of me as I stood panting like a dog...against this backdrop.

Waving the Indian flag at the finish line! Oh, so victorious! Haha!

Thirty days of putting my body through a squat and plank challenge came to an end just a few days ago. On the last day of the challenge, as I completed the last of the 250 squats I was supposed to do, I couldn't help but let out a loud victory whoop!

In an earlier post, I had talked about taking on a 30-day squat and plank challenge as a way to get back in shape post-pregnancy (see post here). I saw it as a time-effective way for busy people to stay active and fit. The challenge was particularly appealing to me as a mother of a 5-month old who often struggles to make time for exercise. A workout that targets multiple muscle groups, such as quads, hamstrings, abs, and butt, in one shot? Count me in, I said! I can do this while the baby naps!

Did I make it through the month? Was the challenge worth doing? Yes to both. In terms of the level of difficulty, the workout challenge wasn't that tough. It simply required consistency and dedication in sticking with it. It would have been very easy to give up half way through, but I hate quitting. I was determined to complete the full 30 days and complete I did!

Were there any days I skipped or got lazy? Truth be told, there was one day I let myself down. On the third last day when I was supposed to do 230 squats, I only got to 120. Shhh, don't tell anyone :)

The deets? Most days, I incorporated the squats and planks into a larger workout of about 30-40 minutes that included running, weight-lifting, and ab exercises (e.g., crunches). Other days, I would only do the squats and hold the plank pose (but I would try to go for long walks with my baby in a stroller! Sometimes I did up to 2 hours of walking over the course of the day and it seriously helped as a fat-burning exercise). In both scenarios, the challenge worked to raise my heart rate and tone my legs. While there are no visible differences in how my legs look, I can honestly say that my legs feel firmer and stronger. An added bonus? I lost about 1.5 kilos (about 3-4 lbs) this past month with all the combined exercises. It may not sound like much but hey, every bit counts. :)

It’s no secret that this has been a long and intensely cold winter. I’ve never been a fan of the cold, but this winter has been especially tortuous. And while I usually appreciate a snow day off, I felt that this past Monday was the umpteenth time I was stuck in my little studio apartment in DC, suffering from cabin fever and frantically trying to get work emails out on a slow server.

With hot summer days a forgotten memory and the hope of spring showing no signs of being realized soon, what can you do to beat the winter blues? Here are a few tips that might work:

1. Plan a vacation or staycation (ideally somewhere warm): It goes without saying but getting away, preferably to a warm, beachy clime, can do wonders. But if you’re like me and need to save your vacation days for later or can’t afford to take time off now, planning a trip can also provide great respite. Studies show that the mere process of planning a trip increases happiness. And that makes sense – how times have you felt your mood brighten when you daydream about lying on the beach or read up on places you should visit during your next Europe trip? Right now, I’m excited about a trip I have planned for Tampa in April and Miami in July. Woohoo! Another idea is to do a staycation - book a room at a fancy hotel for a night or two in your own city and enjoy the room service and other amenities to make you feel like a king!

Krabi beach, Thailand (which Richa visited earlier this year)

2. Exercise: Whether it is running, dancing, biking, kickboxing, or any other means of working out, staying fit boosts your dopamine levels and definitely helps beat the blues. I also think it’s a great way to pass the time when there’s nothing else interesting going on outdoors anyways. I’m a big believer that summer bodies get made in the winter…put in the time now (rather than in May) to make sure you have that bangin’ beach body for that trip you’ve been planning!

Source

3. Get started on your resolutions/learn something new: With less of the social distractions that come with spring and summer, winter is a great time to start something new or to get moving on those New Year resolutions - read that book you’ve been wanting to, take a course of meditation, get back into painting, start exercising, or catch up on all the Oscar-nominated movies. I’ve been trying to redecorate my apartment in small ways and have used this time to scope out new rugs and paintings for my place.

4. Treat yourself: Use this time to pamper yourself with spa treatments, chocolate, shopping or whatever it takes to make you feel rejuvenated. Winter sucks, and self-indulgence is the way to get yourself through it! Personally, I’ve been indulging in one too many glasses of wine with my friends (and balancing that with working out - ha!). So go ahead, treat yo’self!

5. Plan a game night: Misery loves company so why not get all your friends together under one roof and turn it into a party? I love a good game night where friends get all competitive and riled up in a good way! Taboo, Cards Against Humanity, Apples to Apples, Scattegories - I love them all!

6. Movie marathon: What? You haven't seen the Ironman movies? Well, with the days shorter and the nights longer, a movie marathon with friends might just do the trick in helping you forget about the frigid temperatures outside. Order in some pizza, cozy up in your snuggie, and get your Netflix movie selections ready. And if you're watching Bollywood movies, prepare for an even longer night!

7. Be a snow bunny: Keeping warm in the winter is a given but it doesn't mean you have to look frumpy. Looking good is a superficial, albeit effective, way to feel good about the season. Be it a bright pink coat, sexy boots, or smart leather gloves, invest in some stylish winter gear so that you at least feel motivated to dress up and step out. It sounds crazy but it works! Just look at Carrie Bradshaw!

Source

8. Embrace the cold: Lastly, if you can't beat it, join it. No use fighting the cold when you know it's going to be around for a few months. So why not embrace it? Winter sports and activities, like skiing, ice skating, and snowboarding can be a lot of fun.

These are just a few things that make winter more tolerable for me. What have you found helpful in beating the winter blues?

Source

Image Source

In the past several months, I’ve had to replace lifting weights with lifting a baby, cleaning spit ups instead of clearing sit-ups, pushing a stroller instead of doing push-ups. As a fitness junkie, I was eager to get back to working out as soon as the doctor said it was okay to do so. But as a new mom, I soon discovered the challenge of fitting exercise into my daily routine. True, I have had the good fortune of spending my maternity leave back home in Asia, surrounded by family who can help me look after Baby K. Yet I still struggle sometimes to find time in the day for fitness. The problem is, I never really get a good chunk of time to do anything at length. I always heard about how babies need constant attention. I’m now experiencing that firsthand for myself. It’s always a spare 20 to 30 minutes here or there. Maybe if I’m lucky, I get a couple hours to myself when the baby is napping during the day.

But where there's a will, there's a way! I recently started setting aside 30 minutes in the morning for exercise and have managed to stick with reasonable success. On days when I’m feeling lazy or plans go astray, I still try to do some yoga stretches or go for a walk with the baby. Currently, I’m doing the 30 day squat and plank challenge, a great way to firm up the quads, hamstrings, abs, and butt and strengthen the back! The combination workout targets multiple muscle groups so it's a great postnatal workout for new moms who want to tone up. And the best part? It can be done anywhere - in the nursery while the baby naps, in your office cubicle, in the park, or in the bathroom if you so choose! I’m hoping I’ll see results by the end of the 30 days (I'm only on day 6 so far). Watch out for a post-challenge report on the blog!

Check out the 30 day squat and plank challenge schedule I put together below. 

A few additional tips:

• Please be sure to follow correct form and technique for these exercises (Youtube videos for squats and planks)
• Try to follow up this short exercise with lower body stretches so that you aren’t sore the next day. (Some yoga stretches that I found helpful were pigeon pose, lizard pose, and the kneeling hamstring stretch)
• Remember to breathe while doing squats and planks! For squats, breath in as you bend low, breathe out as you stand up
• For more intensive squats, sink low and try to get your thighs parallel to the floor
• You can do the squats and planks in whatever order you want - it's up to you!
• If the number of squats is getting too much for you, you can break them up throughout the day or build them into a longer workout. For example,  on the day you have to do 100 squats, you could do 25 squats at four different times in the day. Or you could do 25 squats after every 10-15 minutes of running on the treadmill
• Partner up with a friend for this fitness challenge - it’s more fun that way and you’re more likely to stick through the whole month!

The year 2013 has been quite a year of positive challenges and the fulfillment of personal goals for both Shruti and myself. Shruti signed up for a fitness challenge to get into shape…and won! Meanwhile, I decided to train for a unique race, one that required running up one of the tallest buildings in the city, the Empire State Building. I  successfully completed the race in 20 mins. At the same time, I joined fellow Indian Fashion Bloggers (InFB) on a shopping ban and managed to last 3 torturous months on this exercise on self control. Lastly, the most important challenge I experienced this year was my pregnancy. Nine months of baking a bun in the oven was no easy task but in the end, it led to a very special gift - my son Krishnav. :)

2013 was also a year of fun travels. Shruti went to exciting locales in Spain and both of us also made a visit to Norway. Amongst the highlights of the Norway trip was crossing the Arctic Circle and being just a few hundred miles from the North Pole. Between the two of us, we also visited Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans, Chicago, Fire Island, and San Francisco. Of course, let’s not forget our yearly trips home to Thailand! Currently, I’m enjoying an extended stay in Thailand during my maternity leave and will be here till early next year.

Overall, we feel truly blessed for such a wonderful year with family and friends. Also, thank you to all those who read and support our blog. I’m constantly amazed that there are people who actually even read it! Here’s wishing all of you a very happy 2014!

As many of you know, I recently completed the Doonya Challenge in DC, a 3-month fitness challenge where I took 3-4 Doonya classes every week. For those of you unfamiliar with Doonya, it is a 60-minute dance fitness class filled with nonstop cardio, aerobic, and strength training performed to upbeat, fast-paced Bollywood music. While many compare it to Zumba, I think of it more like a mid-week trip to the club for some hip-shaking action!

When I decided to start the challenge back in February, my goal was to lose weight and tone up in a manner more fun than the treadmill at my gym. To be completely honest, I didn’t think I would be able to last long, with the rules being that we had to attend 3-4 classes per week. As with so many other workouts I’ve done, I expected to last a couple weeks before losing interest.  BUT I actually ended up staying and pushing through the three months! Why, you ask? Is it because I’m a masochist? Is it because I was desperate to lose weight? Is it because I didn’t have much else going on during the evenings?

Err, while the answers to some of those questions might be yes, the real reason was because I just found the workouts so addictively fun and effective! When the challenge ended earlier this month, I could not feel better about my fitness level and overall well-being. Not only have I lost about 9 pounds, but my arms and leg muscles have also toned. My stamina has improved, as evidenced by my ability to push through high-energy Bhangra songs without water breaks (think about doing 5 minutes of constant jumps, squats, and taps to this song).

Pictures of me before and after the challenge

The icing on the cake (maybe I shouldn’t use dessert references when talking about fitness!) is that they just announced me as the winner of the challenge! The prize is unlimited Doonya classes for a year and a cash prize! I’m soo excited to win, but definitely have to give a shout out to the other DC finalists whose energy and dedication was so inspiring, and the Doonya instructors who kept us motivated throughout!

Even though the challenge is over, I am still attending classes because I feel gross when I haven’t worked out for a few days. It also helps when the instructor puts on my favorite song and I can just let loose! For those of you looking to lose weight, tone up, or just have fun, I definitely recommend the Doonya workout. If you’re like me, you’ll like the results you see and will come back for more!

Top right: Cold weather, brr! Clockwise: Delicious Greek yogurt from Pylos; Learning bharatnatyam (via); Getting ready for the Empire State Building Run-Up; Watching Cinderella on Broadway; Spicy and tangy papaya salad from SriPraPhai

Well folks…I can’t quite believe it but my 2-month shopping ban is over. Yes, 59 days of avoiding frivolous purchases, mostly staying away from my favorite stores, and willing myself to look the other way when I saw bloggers wearing cute outfits that made me want to run out and buy the same thing! (I know, I know…#FirstWorldProblems)

So how did it go? Surprisingly, it wasn’t hard. I stuck to the shopping ban tips that I created for myself (as shared here), and I did all sorts of other shenanigans. So much so that I barely had time to think about this shopping ban. Here’s a quick recap of the past 2 months and how I’ve been saving money and doing better things with my time!

When one sister’s challenge ends, the other one’s takes off (read about Richa’s Empire State Building Run here)! As previously mentioned, I’m participating in the Doonya Challenge in DC, a 3-month challenge where I will take Doonya classes 3-4 times a week and cross train on the remaining days of the week. In the last few months, I found myself dreading going to the gym and had become lazy (especially around the holiday season) so I thought this would be a fun way to get back into shape! I enjoy doing group fitness activities and what better motivation to move then fast-paced Bollywood and Bhangra songs!

I’ve started the challenge with a bang by taking 4 classes this week and making sure I went to my regular gym on the remaining days. All the Doonya instructors are excellent and bring their personal flair to the dancing, which makes each class different. Although I’m exhausted after classes, I generally find myself having more energy during the day and able to think more clearly at work. Since I was taking a few Doonya classes before the challenge even started, I’ve already noticed an improvement in my stamina. I don’t have to stop as often for water breaks in class and I’m not as much of a breathless mess after dancing to the Bhangra songs (i.e. I’m still huffing and puffing but not about to die, hopefully I’ll improve more in days to come)!

The challenge also requires us to keep track of our food and nutrition intake. This is dangerous territory for me. I love my cupcakes and glasses of prosecco. I will often reach into a bag of chips without thinking twice. I will order fries instead of salad as my side. EEKS. But now that we have to food journal, I’m embarrassed to do all that and find myself trying to go for the healthier option. I even cooked in bulk this weekend so I have dinner prepared for the rest of the week!

So here’s to a strong start to the challenge (raising my glass of water, instead of prosecco, in the air)! I will keep updating you all on any changes I see in weight, energy, stamina, and general sense of well-being! Stay tuned in the weeks to come! 

Source

Ladies and gentlemen, I can now say that one of the most challenging things I have done is climb the Empire State Building, all 86 floors, in 20 minutes. Pretty cool, right?

Source

"Just breathe through it, breathe through it”, I tell myself over and over again as I walk up the seemingly endless flights of stairs. It seems to work, or at least it’s getting easier each time I do it. I just have a little over a week to go before my Empire State Building challenge takes places on February 6 (read about it here)! I’m pumped! So far, I’ve done a few “test runs” where I have taken the stairs up to 54, 64, and 76 floors on three separate occasions. I’ve managed to do these test runs by myself and/or with one particularly supportive friend (thank you, Sasha!). Usually, by the end of it, I’m panting like a manic race horse but I know that keeping a steady pace and working through the pain will be key factors to finishing this climb. In addition to the test runs, I’m happy to report that I’ve managed to stick to the workout routine I had laid out for myself (mentioned here). No matter how busy things get, I try very hard to make time for exercise 5 to 6 days a week. I definitely feel that my workouts have improved my level of stamina and strength. Next Wednesday, do keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I embark on the stairway to heaven…or more like hell…through the 86 flights of stairs of the Empire State Building!

On a somewhat related note, if you’re looking for durable and affordable workout gear, check out Joe Fresh. I love this store for the basic wardrobe essentials you can get as well as the bright pops of color in all the clothing. A few months ago, I also discovered their sportswear collection. I happened to purchase some active wear from the store (don't worry, it was before the shopping ban), including sports bras, running shorts, and a tank. Besides the fact that everything I bought was bright and neon (yay for looking like sunshine while exercising!), I was also impressed by the quality and comfort of Joe Fresh sportswear. Be sure to check them out!