happy to say that at the end of my pfp, I have seen some improvement in my performance and although my goals were not met, I’m closer to them now than I was at the beginning of the course. out of my three goals, the goal I was most successful with was with completing 4 complete pull-ups. I’m capable of doing 3 good pull-ups right now but I shall continue working so I can arrive and even surpass my expectations. That with which I was least successful with was, doing a four mins plank. I just do not have the endurance required for it but I believe with more practice and effort, I will one day do it. I didn’t notice a great change in my diet except for the fact that I brought homemade lunches occasionally and thereby reducing my fast food consumption. An interesting fact  I learned about myself was that I enjoy working out, I just have to find the motivation to be consistent in it. One thing I would definitely change about the course will be planning,  I need to be more organized and stick to my schedule. After completing my set goals, I will strive to achieve others because you can always be better. Three things I will take back home from this course is; be consistent, be organized in your planning and lastly always challenge yourself. I enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment you get after a workout. I didn’t enjoy having to take pictures of me working (it’s difficult if  working out alone) although I understand its necessity. One thing I will change will be my approach and view towards the course

a workout buddy will definitely motivate me to more active and also just consistency in general. I love running so I definitely see myself living an active lifestyle by running at least bi-weekly and also doing CrossFit workouts. A healthy lifestyle isn’t only beneficial for your physical health but also for your mental and emotional health, it helps with stress, fatigue, sleep and could even add years to your life span. On the other hand, an inactive lifestyle can be detrimental to your health in many aspects; it could contribute to anxiety and depression, increase your risk of cancer and could be a risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. three sorts of healthy fats are avocados (i love those!), nuts and whole eggs!

1. cow-cat pose

set up: go down into a camel position and make sure your hands and knees are at 90 degrees with your shoulders and hips respectively. keep the natural extension of your spine by looking down and out.

focus/cues: For the cow-pose inhale. starting from the tailbone to the top of the spine, stick up your tailbone and dropdown your belly while tucking in your navel. Let your neck look up into the ceiling without arching your neck. For the cat pose exhale. This time also letting the movement go from the tailbone up to the spine, tuck in your tailbone and let your back naturally roundup while sucking in your navel. bend your head, gazing into your navel. Transition from the cow to cat position while inhaling and exhaling

2) supported squat

set up: start by finding a firm spot/handle which can support your weight. hold on to it while dropping to your knees.

focus/cues: let your tailbone fall naturally into the movement and help yourself up while pulling on the handle. focus on keeping a straight back and look forward while squatting and not letting it arch too much.

3) couch stretch

set up: kneel down on one foot and back the other bent knee, heel facing towards the wall. bring the bent knee as close to the wall as you can.

focus/cues: make sure your leg on the ground is at a 90-degree position and attempt to keep your back straight through our the movement. Keep your butt squeezed, your torso upright and your glutes and abdominal muscle engaged.

4) Hip opener a & b

set up a: get in a camel tail position,  push one leg back one and bring the other leg up, foot facing down at 90 degrees. use the elbow closer to the knee to push on it opening up your hip.

setup b: from setup a simply use your hand to push on your knee while using the other hand as support.

focus/cues: In both a and b, squeeze your butt while pressing and moving forward into the movement so as to get a better stretch out of it. make sure to keep your tailbone tucked in and your abdominals engaged. Lastly, keep your straight making sure your spine isn’t bending inside.

5) wall slides

setup: lean your back against the wall and place your hands against the wall while raising them up and down. put your heels a few inches away from the wall.

focus/ cues: Be certain that your butt, lower back and shoulders are pressing against the wall. Attempt to minimize the lower back arch. Keep your torso out. while raising your arms up and down, do so in a shoulder press movement while keeping your hands pressed to the wall.

Midterms are making it difficult to stick to our pfp  but im trying to keepup. hopefully i last

The pictures speak for themselves but I will chip in, my workout buddy was absent hence these awkward pictures of me in weird positions :’)

a warmup is meant to stimulate your muscles thereby increasing your temperature and blood flow to your muscle for the upcoming workout. A successful warmup consists of a gradual increase in intensity in exercise, joint mobility exercise and some stretching. A cooldown, on the other hand, aims to slow down your heart rate and pressure and gradually bring it to its regular level. Also, the best time to stretch will be after a workout because then, the muscles are warm and pliable Stretching keeps the muscles flexible and strong and we need these characteristics in our muscles to help us complete a range of motions in our joints and in all help facilitate our daily functions and lives. Some healthy snacks you could munch on while studying could be grapes (fruits are always the way to go!) and a   granola bar won’t do you no harm either:).