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Merry & Happy Everything!
I’m having a hard time believing there are only nine days left in 2021. (And this is the second-to-last Workout Wednesday of the year!) However, just like this time last December, I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in being ready to rip this year off the calendar, too.
I didn’t want 2021 to end without expressing my gratitude to all of you who’ve continued to stop by here despite the limited number of posts. Just like this blog’s first holiday season back in 2011, I am beyond thankful for all the supportive comments on the increasingly random musings shared here – from my personal reflections on the ongoing COVID situation to the unbelievable lifechanging ear surgery I had in October. I feel beyond blessed to wrap up another year in good health and being able to share another Christmas with my aging parents. Of course, I also think of those we lost this year, especially my dear Uncle Lou. My heart goes out to all those missing loved ones during the holidays.
None of us knows what 2022 will bring on so many levels. James and I will start ours in a new home in a new town with new adventures ahead. (For me, that includes getting back in fighting form at the TITLE Boxing Club in Huntington!) I’m honestly not sure what the future of this site will look like, but if I’ve learned anything since the world changed nearly two years ago, it’s to let go of the small stuff and just do the best with each day you’re lucky enough to open your eyes and start anew.
I close out the year with another heartfelt thank you for the ongoing support here at LauraLovesFitness and on my social media channels. Wishing all those celebrating a very Merry Christmas, and cheers to a happy and healthy 2022 filled with countless opportunities to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Merry & Happy Everything to All!
It seems only fitting to use this Throwback Thursday to share what’s become my annual holiday gift to my wonderful LauraLovesFitness followers. Like many of you, I find myself a bit overwhelmed this season thanks to Thanksgiving being as late as it could be, cutting back on the prep time for Christmas and Hanukkah.
Between the holiday hustle and bustle and my continued efforts at physical therapy to fix the damage I did to my arm during my bikini competition prep, I’ve decided to make this my last post of 2019. Since the hardest part of my recovery is a six-week hiatus from my favorite workout, I thought I’d offer a kickboxing addict’s version of…
The 12 Days of Fitness
On the first day of fitness, my workout gave to me…my favorite kind of therapy.
On the second day of fitness, my workout gave to me…two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the third day of fitness, my workout gave to me…three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the fourth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the fifth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the sixth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the seventh day of fitness, my workout gave to me…seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the eighth day of fitness, my workout gave to me….eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the ninth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…nine jab-cross combinations, eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the tenth day of fitness, my workout gave to me….ten burpee push-ups, nine jab-cross combinations, eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the eleventh day of fitness, my workout gave to me…eleven side planks, ten burpee push-ups, nine jab-cross combinations, eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the twelfth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…twelve reps of lunges, eleven side planks, ten burpee push-ups, nine jab-cross combinations, eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
Whatever you and your family are celebrating as another year winds down, I wish you a very happy and healthy season ahead. I close with a huge thank you for all the support throughout a big year filled with unprecedented events amidst the usual highs and lows. Here’s to ringing in 2020 with a bang (and a punch!) and welcoming all the new chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
A Christmas Tradition Continues….
This marks the first Motivation Monday to fall on Christmas Eve since 2012. I can’t think of a better day to share a seven-year-old signature gift from LauraLovesFitness. Keeping up with tradition, this fitness-inspired twist on a holiday classic will also be my last post of 2018. Today I give you a kickboxing addict’s version of…
The 12 Days of Fitness
On the first day of fitness, my workout gave to me…my favorite kind of therapy.
On the second day of fitness, my workout gave to me…two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the third day of fitness, my workout gave to me…three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the fourth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the fifth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the sixth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the seventh day of fitness, my workout gave to me…seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the eighth day of fitness, my workout gave to me….eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the ninth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…nine jab-cross combinations, eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the tenth day of fitness, my workout gave to me….ten burpee push-ups, nine jab-cross combinations, eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the eleventh day of fitness, my workout gave to me…eleven side planks, ten burpee push-ups, nine jab-cross combinations, eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
On the twelfth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…twelve reps of lunges, eleven side planks, ten burpee push-ups, nine jab-cross combinations, eight back-fist punches, seven side kicks, six speed bag intervals, five roundhouse kicks! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two boxing gloves and my favorite kind of therapy.
Whatever you and your family are celebrating as another year winds down, I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday week ahead. I close with a huge thank you for all the support throughout another year filled with highs and lows. Here’s to ringing in 2019 with a bang (and a punch!) and ushering in all the new chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Holiday Survival Tips for the Mind & Spirit
It’s hard to believe this Motivation Monday brings us to T minus 29 days until Christmas and less than one week away from the beginning of Hanukkah. As crunch time commences, the growing number of items on our to-do lists can get a bit overwhelming. In addition to the daily work grind and family responsibilities, many of us wish there was even just one more hour in the day to get all the holiday “stuff” done including decking the halls; cooking and writing cards. Add online shopping and searching for recipes to the daily frenetic stimuli of emails, texts, and status updates…and it’s no wonder our hustled-and-bustled minds are in overdrive.
While I implore you to fit that quick-hit workout into your daily routine, I also remind everyone to remember it’s equally important to steal another few precious moments to re-boot. Here a few tips to make it happen:
- Focus on one thing at a time: If you set aside one hour to write holiday cards or wrap gifts, make sure that’s all you do during those 60 minutes. No texts. No emails. No multiple posts on Instagram. Worried about withdrawal? Use social media to alert your network you’ll be offline and in elf mode for a bit.
- Step away from the computer: I understand the need to check email once before bedtime to make sure you didn’t miss any late-day developments on the work front. However, try to shut down at least 30 minutes before bedtime to get your brain in mellow mode. The same goes for social media. The Facebook world will continue to spin if you don’t wish it good night.
- Turn off the TV: Try to establish one night where you set the DVR and turn a show’s normal viewing time into down time with family or friends. Play cards or a board game and forget about the holiday craziness for awhile. It may turn into a night of getting the Christmas chaos under control, but it’ll be time to tackle the holiday to-do list with fewer distractions.
- Make Me-Time a Must: If you’ve committed to finding 10 minutes (or more) in your schedule to exercise, add just five minutes more minutes to stretch. Then go ahead and add another five minutes to your post-workout shower. At this time of year, I keep lavender-scented body wash or moisturizer in my arsenal to help me decompress. (I’m a big fan of Aveeno.) Also, don’t underestimate the soothing power of caffeine-free, herbal teas. My two favorites are Yogi Kava Stress Relief® Tea and Twinings Nightly Calm® tea.
It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. However, if you find yourself wanting to throw your hands up and scream “Bah Humbug,” rest assured you’re not alone. While I applaud any effort to make time to exercise even when you’re jingling all the way, I also want to stress the importance of standing still for a few moments when you can. Never underestimate the power of your mind on the journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
A LauraLovesFitness Holiday Tradition Returns!
On this Motivation Monday, another Hanukkah has come and gone and we’re just three days away from the Christmas of 2014. I’ll be spending the week with my family, and before I leave the Big Apple, I wanted to leave all of you with what’s become a holiday tradition here at Laura Loves Fitness.
Before I re-launch my fitness-minded twist on a holiday classic, I want to wish all those who celebrate a very Merry Christmas! Thank you to all who’ve offered your ongoing support in 2014. I’ll be taking a little holiday hiatus, but can’t wait to hit the ground running in January with a whole New Year filled with infinite possibilities to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Now without further ado, I give you…
“The 12 Days of Fitness”
On the first day of fitness, my workout gave to me…a huge rush of endorphins.
On the second day of fitness, my workout gave to me…two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the third day of fitness, my workout gave to me…three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the fourth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…a four-minute Tabata, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the fifth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…five fitness apps! A four-minute Tabata, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the sixth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…six static stretches, five fitness apps! A four-minute Tabata, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the seventh day of fitness, my workout gave to me…seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! A four-minute Tabata, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the eighth day of fitness, my workout gave to me….eight endurance boosts, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! A four-minute Tabata, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the ninth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…nine neuromuscular benefits, eight endurance boosts, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! A four-minute Tabata, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the tenth day of fitness, my workout gave to me….ten minutes rowing, nine neuromuscular benefits, eight endurance boosts, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! A four-minute Tabata, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the eleventh day of fitness, my workout gave to me…eleven eccentric muscle actions, ten minutes rowing, nine neuromuscular benefits, eight endurance boosts, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! A four-minute Tabata , three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
On the twelfth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…twelve reps of lunges, eleven eccentric muscle actions, ten minutes rowing, nine neuromuscular benefits, eight endurance boosts, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! A four-minute Tabata, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a huge rush of endorphins.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
lauralovesfitness 