Week 1

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Week 2

Week #2 Questions

What are your specific goals for the upcoming Fitness appraisal? (12-minutes run, push-ups, sit-ups, wall-squat, side-hops, plank) In the upcoming fitness appraisal, my specific goals are to remain in a wall squat for more than 1 min, to hold a plank up to 1 min. 45 sec. and to do 10-11 laps in the 12 minute run.

What’s the point of doing a warm up? It is essential to do a warm up before any physical activity, because it helps prepare the muscles and joints for a following demanding activity and it reduces the risks of getting injured.

What constitutes a successful warm up? A warm up is successful when the blood flow as well as the temperature of the body increases. In order to achieve this, performing a low cardiovascular activity is recommended. In other words, a person should feel relaxed and prepared for the activity that follows.

What’s the point of doing a cool down? A cool down is done after a warm up or any other demanding physical activity. The point of this is to prevent blood pooling in the lower limbs, having sore muscles, nausea and dizziness. It also helps in releasing any tension in the muscles.

When is the best time to stretch and why? The best time to stretch is after a warm up, in other words, after an aerobic exercise. When the muscles are warm, they are more flexible and more capable of performing stretching exercises.

Why is stretching important? Stretching is important, because it helps maintain a good posture and it reduces the risks of injury and soreness after a demanding activity. This can be especially beneficial for arthritics since it will diminish the severity of their condition.

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYoNg2RgeBo&feature=youtu.be

Week 3

Week #3 Questions

On a scale of 1-10, what effort did you give the workout this week? In this week’s workout, for my effort, I give a 9, because, for the first 45 minutes, I really pushed myself and made sure that I was exercising as much as possible without taking any breaks. In the last 15 minutes, I was running on a treadmill. At first, I was able to keep a good momentum, but, after a few minutes, I realized my body was really exhausted. Therefore, in the end, I started to slow down. This is why I cannot give myself a 10, because, I was not able to maintain my rhythm for the complete duration of the workout.

List three specific examples of what would motivate you to participate in and stick to a regular exercise routine? The first thing is if I am working out with a friend. Indeed, I am a very self-conscious person and, by having someone with me, I feel more confident and relaxed when I am exercising. Also, if I am not motivated to work out, that person will push me and will give me the boost necessary to keep on going. The second thing is if I include it in my college schedule. Indeed, the best time for me to work out would be during my breaks, because they are usually long and I mostly spend my time hanging out with my friends. Instead, I could use one of my breaks to be more productive and exercise. The third thing is if I do it in the morning, because it is the time where I am most energetic. Indeed, most nights, I am not able to get 8 hours of sleep. Consequently, most of the time, after lunch, I become too sleepy and I am not as motivated to exercise. Thus, in the morning, it is ideal for me and will push me to maintain my routine.

List three specific barriers or excuses which would prevent you from doing so? The first thing is if I have a test or a quiz just after the break reserved for my work out, because I would prefer using that time to revise one last time. The second thing is if I have a lot of work for my classes due such as lab reports and essays, because these assignments mostly count for a lot and they happen all at once. Sometimes, I am not able to do everything at home thus, I have no choice, but to work during my breaks and not focus on exercising. The third thing is if I have friends coming to see me from other colleges. Indeed, I rarely see them and I would prefer hanging out with them than go work out.

What type of workouts and physical activities do you like? The workouts that I prefer the most are those that involve weights such as Russian twists, bicep curls and forward lunges, because I am able to work on many different parts of the body with them. I also like to run on the treadmill as well as biking.

Do you prefer going to the studio/gym or working out at home? I prefer going to the gym, because, at home, there are a lot of distractions and I know that it is very unlikely that I can get an hour to myself to work out whereas, in the gym, since everybody is exercising, it pushes me to do so too.

What could you see yourself doing as exercise for the remainder of your life? The exercise that I could see myself doing for the rest of my life is biking, because it is an activity that I can do inside as well as outside.

How was your nutrition over the course of this week? I ate less fruits and vegetables than usual, which I was slightly disappointed about. However, I made sure to drink water every day and to not consume a lot of meat. I did not eat any junk food throughout the week, which I am really proud of.

What would you like to change in your nutrition for the following week? I would like to eat more fruits and vegetables and I would like to eat fish more often.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5HiRY17L8Y&feature=youtu.be

Week 4

Week #4 Questions

For part 1, it took me 12.5 minutes to finish the workout.

For part 2, I was able to do 5 full sets of the workout in the allotted time.

How does your exercise program fit into your weekly schedule? Since I have to work out 3 times per week, I decided that I will be doing so on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Monday, I have a 2.5 hour break, thus I have enough time to go to gym. As for Wednesday and Friday, as my classes end, which is around 3:30 pm, I go work out. I prefer to leave my weekends free, because it is the only time where I can truly relax.  

Comment on how easy or hard it is to find the time to exercise. It is quite easy to find the time to exercise, since the schedule that I chose does not stress me out. Indeed, the break that I have on Monday is a reasonable amount of time to not only do the workout that goes with my smart goals, but, also, do the workout required by the teacher. As for the other two days, I have a lot of time left in the day to not only exercise, but to complete any homework for my classes. Thus, I do not feel rushed, since it does not impede on the time allotted for my other responsibilities.

What are your stress levels before and after exercise? Usually, I feel very stressed before I exercise, because I am afraid that I have not eaten enough or that I have eaten too much. I do not want to get sick or dizzy when working out. Thus, my nerves are usually very high before. However, afterwards, my stress is completely gone. As a matter of fact, I feel quite relaxed.

What was your nutritional habit change that you chose last week to do for this week? I wanted to increase the portions of fruits and vegetables that I was having daily as well as eat more fish this week.

Did you follow it consistently? Unfortunately, I ate fish only once this week, thus I was not able to follow through my goal as I would have liked to. However, I was able to eat a lot more fruits and vegetables. Indeed, I made sure that I had a variety of them every single day during lunch and, when I came home, I always made a vegetable salad for supper.

What will be your next nutritional goal for the following 2 weeks? I would like to eat more fish as well as have more beans in my meals in the following two weeks.

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaTleN4xGok&feature=youtu.be

Week 5

Week #5 Questions

For part 1, it took me 13.75 minutes to complete the workout.

How many servings of vegetables should you eat each day?  According to the Healthy Eating Plate, which is created by Harvard Chan School of Public Health, vegetables should take almost 1/3 of a plate in each meal. Thus, for three meals a day, we should eat, in total, a plate of vegetables.

 Are you getting enough vegetables?  Even though, I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, I still fall a little behind in the serving required. Indeed, I eat approximately 2/3 of a plate of vegetables every day.

 If not, how could you ensure that you do?  Since, I mostly do not eat vegetables during breakfast, I can have snacks throughout the day that can fulfill the serving that is missing.

What are your three favorite vegetables? My three favorite vegetables are carrots, cauliflower and okra.

Find a recipe that includes your favorite vegetables and post on your blog. The recipe that I posted shows how to make bhindi masala, which is okra.

https://www.cookwithmanali.com/bhindi-masala-okra-stir-fry/

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UROnWmASX9M

Week 6

Week #6 Questions

What have been some major barriers so far in your activity plan? I realized that by doing my 3 fitness goals just after the workout given by the teacher was too demanding for me. Indeed, the exercises that she has been proposing are helping me in my smart goals. Thus, it is not necessary that I do the muscle conditioning workouts that I designed for myself at the same time.

How have you adapted your plan to overcome these barriers?  I decided to change my schedule regarding my three fitness goals.

What solutions have you found? I decided to keep Monday as the day that I do the teacher’s workout as well as the time when I do cardio. As for the other two goals, regarding muscular conditioning, I decided to do it on Sunday. However, the time allotted on Wednesday and Friday does not change.

Have you noticed any energy level changes now that you exercise every week for the past 6 weeks? I have noticed a change in my energy levels. As a matter of fact, I feel much more awake and concentrated in class. Even if I finish college late, I still have enough energy to do the work required for my classes. Furthermore, my sleep has improved significantly, which explains why I feel more alive during the day.

Have you started working out more than once a week? If so, when and what? I am working out more than once a week. My fitness goals are pushing me to exercise 4 times per week: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Sunday, it takes me 20 min and I work on my 2 muscular conditioning goals. On Monday, it takes me 1 hour and I work on the exercises given by the teacher and cardio. On Wednesday and Friday, it takes me around 45 min and I work on my 3 fitness goals.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFs344gEIFA&feature=youtu.be

Week 7

Week #7 Questions

Do you need to revise your original goal(s)?  I do not think that I need to revise them, because I believe that they are challenging, but, in the end, they are still doable.  

Are/is your goal(s) still realistic? Why or why not My goals are realistic, because I am pushing myself, but not to a point where my body cannot handle it. The fact that I suffer from asthma is an aspect that makes it harder to attain my cardiovascular goal of increasing by 2 laps in the 12 minute run. However, I still think that, with my weekly training, I will get to my endpoint. As for the muscular conditioning goals, I still think that they are realistic, because I am seeing some improvement in my core and my legs, but it is at a slow pace. Still, I think that I will be able to reach my goals of increasing by 10 the number of curl-ups that I do as well as maintaining a wall squat for 105 seconds.

State your new goals if they’ve changed. No changes

What is working in your program?  What is working in my program is that it respects the time that I have chosen for the workouts. Indeed, managing work for 7 classes is a lot and the fact that I am still able to work out very week is due to my action plan being perfectly adjusted to my lifestyle. Indeed, I have to exercise twice a week for 40-45 min and the third day it is for 1 hour, which is very manageable for me.

What do you need to change?  I think I should change the day that I do the workout given by the teacher, because I realize that my body is very sore afterwards and I have a yoga class the next day, thus I am not able to perform as much as I would like to. I think that I should do it instead on Friday. Indeed, I will then have two days for my body to relax.

Do you feel different this week… more energy, better sleep, better mood, or increased self-confidence? I feel that I am in a better mood. I have a lot to do for my classes, yet I am still able to be optimistic about my day and put a lot of effort in everything that I am doing. It is the midterms: persevering is not an easy task right now. However, I am still pushing myself.

What effect is the activity plan having on you? I feel that I am able to manage better my time for the week. Also, I have never set a goal for myself and was actually working on it continuously and feeling that I will be able to achieve it in the end. It is showing me that anything is possible if you put the time and energy in it.

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gcHWvjP_1M&feature=youtu.be

Week 8

Week #8 Questions

How much sleep should you be getting every night?  According to the National Sleep Foundation, a young adult, in other words, a person that is between 18 and 25 years old, should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Are you getting that much?  I mostly do not getting that much sleep. The only times that I truly do is during the weekends.

If not, what could you do to ensure that you do get enough sleep?  In order to increase the amount of sleep I get, I should manage my time more efficiently. Indeed, during my breaks in college, I spend my time with my friends instead of focusing on the work that is due the next day. Furthermore, most days, I arrive home at 6pm and I do not feel like working right away. However, the problem is that I start quite late: at 8pm. Consequently, I sleep very late. If I were to do everything beforehand, I would be able to sleep earlier.  

What are the serious health effects related to insufficient sleep?  It can weaken the immune system, increase the risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, weight gain and heart disease. It can also cause memory issues, fatigue, bad moods and less concentration and focus.

Give two examples of healthy snacks that you can munch on while studying Almonds and fruit salad

Link: https://youtu.be/YiYLY7G66zE

Week 9

Week #9 Questions

My first goal is to do 12 laps of 160 m in 12 minutes, which means 1920 m. I did 8 laps of 215 m in 12 minutes, which means 1720 m. I was not able to achieve my goal, because I had 200 m left to run in order to reach the distance that I wanted to. Furthermore, I realized that I should have trained for more than 20 minutes, especially due to the fact that I suffer from asthma. I should have increased the intensity to make it up to 30 minutes.

My second goal is to do 45 curl-ups in 1 minute. I did 45 curl-ups in one minute. Thus, I was able to achieve my goal, because I reached the number that I desired. As for the exercises, they were effective in pushing me and I see that my core has improved over the last few weeks.

My third goal is to keep a wall squat for 105 seconds, in other words, 1 minutes 45 seconds. I did the wall squat for 105 seconds. I achieved my goal, because I was able to maintain this pose for the time that I wanted to. The exercises done throughout these 9 weeks showed a lot of improvement in my legs and I can feel it when I go up and down the stairs. It has become much easier for me. The intensity was adequate.

For the video, my mom filmed me running and it is only after I was done that I realized she missed a whole lap that I did, because she could no longer find me. In the end, her phone’s battery died, but I still had 90 seconds left and she missed 1 and 1/2 lap as well. Thus, you will see 5 1/2 laps, but it is actually 8 laps.

Link:https://youtu.be/dvhvM0VUg4k

Week 10

Link: https://youtu.be/NA69IOwcwQg

Week 11

Link:https://youtu.be/pRuWP_Fc4-A

Week 12

Link:https://youtu.be/D2Fx2kKscyk

Week 13

Week #13 Questions

What will motivate you to continue to be active in the future?  This is the first time in my life that I have been working out continuously on my own in order to achieve a personal goal. I think that what will mostly motivate me is my overall health. Indeed, I have noticed a lot of improvements not only in my physical, but mental health as well. I have realized that I should prioritize my needs first and focus on my body and mind. This is what will motivate me from now on: maintaining this balance in my life.

 How do you see yourself living an active lifestyle?  I have always been someone who has eaten healthy and I do not plan on changing my diet, because I respect most of the guidelines of the Healthy Eating Plate. Furthermore, I will keep on working out. As of now, I see that I am able to commit to an hour at least three times a week with this schedule so, there is nothing that is stopping me from maintaining these times in the future as well. In other words, for me, living an active lifestyle means eating healthy and exercising.

What was the most important thing you learned about yourself?  I have learned that putting yourself first is not a bad thing. I have always been someone that is very committed to their studies, but I realize how bad that is for my health. Indeed, working out allowed me to be in a head space in which I could be calm and forget about my courses and my future. My stress would disappear and, afterwards, I felt really well. It is important that I maintain this, because it is an asset to my life.

Describe any physical and psychological changes that have happened over the course of this semester. Last semester, I went to breakdowns, because I was extremely overwhelmed with college. I was in a place where I felt that I was struggling alone and I knew that, during the next semester, I did not want to feel this way. This is the reason why I chose yoga as one of my classes. As I expected, I have learned a lot about how to deal with stress. Indeed, I still apply the breathing techniques, meditation and yoga poses in my routine. Now, as I look back, I realize that I am in a better head space and I am in better control of my mind. I do not get overwhelmed easily with the course load. As for physical changes, my endurance has gotten better. I also see an improvement in my breathing, which is really a change considering that I suffer from asthma. My body feels much more in shape.

What did you learn in this course? No matter what you do as exercise, it is important to remember that we do not need to be perfect. In yoga, I thought that I had to be able to pull off all the poses in order to succeed, but I realized that it does not matter. If I even make the slightest improvement, it is enough. I always want to be really good in everything that I do, but, with yoga, I have learned that it is okay to be behind. Every single individual is different and it is all about trying.

What did you enjoy the most? I enjoyed the activities that we used to do in the beginning of each class. Indeed, the life lessons were always helpful and it gave me an opportunity to socialize with other people. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the breathing techniques that we got to learn throughout the semester.

Link:https://youtu.be/DeuzzTRfPsU