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Week One

Week 2

Questions for week 2

What are your specific goals for the upcoming Fitness appraisal? (12-minutes run, pushups, sit-ups, wall-squat, side-hops, plank)

My goals for the upcoming fitness appraisal is to push myself to the best of my capabilities. More specifically, on the 12-minute run I would like to achieve 10 laps around the gym, 10 pushups, 1 mintue for wall-squat,35 side-hops and a 2 minute plank.
• What’s the point of doing a warm up?

A warm up is important to do before your workout because it increases your body temperature, it mentally prepares you for your rigorous workout and loosens your joints/muscles. This is essential to prevent injury

• What constitutes a successful warm up?

Most often, a work out tends to be a 5 minute low-intensity exercise with a series of motions to work your muscles and joints to get them ready for movement.

• What’s the point of doing a cool down?

Cool downs are great to get your elevated heart rate and heavy breathing back down to a normal rhythmic rate.

• When is the best time to stretch and why?

The best time to stretch is when your muscles are warm, so generally it would be after a workout or even a yoga, Zumba or karate class.

• Why is stretching important?

Stretching is important because it not only helps prevent stiff muscles the next day, but it also helps with flexibility and balance.

Questions for week 3

 • On a scale of 1-10, what effort did you give the workout this week?  

I would say I give 8/10 for effort on the workout this week. 

•List three specific examples of what would motivate you to participate in and stick to a regular exercise routine? 

In order to keep me motivated enough to be able to stick to a regular exercise routine, I think I would need to find an equally motivated workout partner. I would need a person who would push me to go workout even when I don’t want to. The second way I would do to get me motivated would be to set my alarm early in the morning before getting ready for school so that I am forced to get up and do my workout plan. I feel like by having an alarm will give me the extra push to get me up and moving. The third way I would attempt to get me motivated would be giving myself rewards after the workout. For example, every hour I workout equals an hour of Netflix at night.

• List three specific barriers or excuses which would prevent you from doing so?

I often fall victim to the saying “I have no time” or “I’m too busy”. Also, I don’t like to workout at home when the family is home, so I use the excuse that they are always home to avoid working out. And lastly, when my family points out that I have a gym membership “wasting away” I say that the gym is too far to walk.

 • What type of workouts and physical activities do you like?

I love to swim laps and go for runs in the summer. I also enjoy working out my legs and butt at the gym with the various machines like the stair master or leg press.

 • Do you prefer going to the studio/gym or working out at home?

I prefer going to the gym. I like to use the different machines and the gym provides more space than I do at home. I also like to see others working out and use their ideas.

 • What could you see yourself doing as exercise for the remainder of your life? 

I could see myself swimming laps for the rest of my life. It’s been a big part of my life and I would love to continue it.

• How was your nutrition over the course of this week? 

My nutrition was fairly healthy. Every morning for breakfast I eat an egg along with some fruits. At lunch, I find myself eating mostly items like snadwiches or crakers and hummus. At supper it’s usually a protein source along with vegetables for example, pork with potatoes and peas. I do go out for the occasional “treat” but I try to limit it to once a week.

• What would you like to change in your nutrition for the following week?

I would really like to change the way I eat at lunch time. Instead of having a sandwich I would like to swap that out for a salad. A nice salad that is full of vegetables and legumes would be a good addition to my eating habits.  Also, I would like to trim down the number of times I treat myself to once a week.

Questions for week 4

• How does your exercise program fit into your weekly schedule?

I have been able to incorporate my exercise program easily into my weekly schedule. Every week I make a plan for each day so that I can visually see my available times I have to work out. I schedule enough homework time at school so that when I get home I can go to the gym. I am able to work out 4-5 times a week.

• Comment on how easy or hard it is to find the time to exercise.

Like I said, I find it pretty easy to find time to work out. My school schedule helps me find time. I always start in the morning and have afternoons off so it gives me plenty of time to do homework and also set aside enough time for an hour workout.

• What are your stress levels before and after exercise?

I have noticed that I feel quite uptight and stressed during the day before a workout but after my workout I feel good and relaxed. I also feel good about myself and proud that I worked out.

• What was your nutritional habit change that you chose last week to do for this week?

Last week I commented that I wanted to eat more salads and I am happy to say that I did! For most of my lunches I packed a leafy green salad and cut down on the amount of carbs I ate.

• Did you follow it consistently?

Like I mentioned for most of my lunches consisted of eating salads. On days where I work like the weekend sometimes I am pressed for time and pack a sandwich but that is an exception. I am really trying to follow my goal.

• What will be your next nutritional goal for the following 2 weeks?

My next nutritional goal will be to cut down the number of snacks I eat in one day. I find that when I come home from school or work I always end up munching on various food items without really any consciousness. I will limit myself to three snacks a day which will consist of two fruits and a “carb typed food” like crackers or granola bar.

Questions for week 5

How many servings of vegetables should you eat each day?

You should eat half a plate of vegetables for every meal.

Are you getting enough vegetables?

I would that I am. I eat a good amount of vegetables throughout the day like carrots as snacks or peas and corn along side my supper. Also with me eating salads for lunch every day, this increasing my intake of vegetables.

If not, how could you ensure that you do?
What are your three favorite vegetables?

My favorite vegetables are carrots, red peppers and cucumber.

Find a recipe that includes your favorite vegetables and post on your blog.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220840/cucumber-carrot-salad

Questions for week 6

What have been some major barriers so far in your activity plan?

Finding the willpower to go to the gym and work out for an hour. After a long day at school, sometimes I really don’t feel like going to the gym and rather watch Netflix.

How have you adapted your plan to overcome these barriers?

I’ve planned my day around my workouts to include time to relax, workout and homework.

What solutions have you found?

I find that for me when I organize my every day to day and map out what I need to do helps me find the willpower to go to the gym. I like to visually see how my day will progress and once I write down that I’ll be going to the gym after supper on paper I have more motivation.

Have you noticed any energy level changes now that you exercise every week for the past 6 weeks?

Yes, I feel more energized and refreshed. It feels great after a work out to feel a renewed sense of energy.

Have you started working out more than once a week? If so, when and what?

Yes I try to workout three times a week. I like to workout at the end of the week like Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I’ll go to the gym and work out my legs, arms and abdominals.

Questions for week 7

Do you need to revise your original goal(s)?

I don’t think so. I think I’m doing a pretty good job at keeping up with my academic life that I am able to maintain my goal of working out three times a week. Even the weeks where a lot of assignments are due, I try my best to squeeze in a workout either apart of my morning routine or at the end of my day.
• Are/is your goal(s) still realistic? Why or why not?

Yes because like I mentioned, I do my work outs according to my homework schedule. Homework is very important to me which is why I try to think of my workouts like rewards. I’ll usually do my workouts later in the evening when my responsibilities are done and this makes it realistic for me to maintain my goals.

• State your new goals if they’ve changed.

I feel like I don’t have to change my goals. I made them realistic and attainable so that when we near the end of the activity plan I can feel accomplished. I’ staying on track of reaching my goals and am working hard.

• What is working in your program?

My cardio is improving. After going for runs and using the stairmaster I can feel myself being able to run for longer. I am building up an endurance and tolerance which I expected after using these two machines for half an hour.

• What do you need to change?

I would say that I need to change my balance exercises. I need to increase the intensity of them because this is the area where I see the smallest imporvement. Either I need to find more challening excersises or push myself even farther.

• Do you feel different this week… more energy, better sleep, better mood, or increased
self-confidence?

I do feel differently. I feel more confident in my physical abilities and overall I feel better about myself. Working out is a good way to get away from the stresses of the day and by doing so I feel a whole lot better after the workout.

• What effect is the activity plan having on you?

I have way more energy the day of and after my workout. I can feel that not only my body benefiting from this physical activity but also my mental state. I feel more awake and focused in class. The activity plan itself helps me stay on track of what I should be doing on the various workout days. I enjoy the structure and organization.

Questions for week 8

How much sleep should you be getting every night?

You should be getting 8-9 hours of sleep every night.

• Are you getting that much?

During the school week I don’t get 8-9 hours of sleep like I should. I get roughly 7 hours.

• If not, what could you do to ensure that you do get enough sleep?

To ensure that I get the most amount of sleep I can, I could put my phone away earlier during the evening. Things like alerts and notifications distract me from going to bed.

What are the serious health effects related to insufficient sleep?

Sleep deprivation causes problems with concentration, anxiety and depression.

• Give two examples of healthy snacks that you can munch on while studying.

Celery sticks are great to munch on as well as apple slices with peanut butter.

Week 9

Tricep Dip Goal: 15

I completed: 15 tricep dips

Balenening on the Right leg Goal: 15 seconds

I completed: 10 seconds

Balening on the Left leg Goal: 10 seconds

I completed: 7 seconds

1km run around neighboorhood goal: 5mins10secs

I completed: 5mins44 seconds

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Questions for week 13

• What will motivate you to continue to be active in the future?

I think what will motivate myself the most in the future is the challenge of bettering myself. With the whole covid-19 situation I’ve had more time to focus on working out and I would like to pursue the challenge in the future of getting stronger while lifting weights and faster while running.

• How do you see yourself living an active lifestyle?

I see myself living active lifestyle by going for runs after supper and doing workouts in my room with my workout apps. Once the gyms open back up I hope to make going to the gym a regular part of my week, at least 4 times.

• What was the most important thing you learned about yourself?

The most important thing I learned abut me is that I love being in competition with myself. During these 13 weeks of working out I like to “one up myself” and get better. I like to push myself while running to get a better time or a longer distance.

• Describe any physical and psychological changes that have happened over the course
of this semester.

I’ve noticed that I’ve been a lot more self confident. Working out every week has improved my mental health by giving me a confidence boost and it makes feel good. I’ve also noticed that my muscles are being to look more toned and overall I feel great.

• What did you learn in this course?

I learned that yoga can actually be quite challenging. I came into this class expecting and easy time but I learned that it is actually tough and requires your whole body to be engaged.

• What did you enjoy the most?

I quite liked doing savasana. It was really peaceful and was nice to do after a long day of being in classes. It would calm my body and relax my mind, getting myself away from all the daily stresses.