Happy April!

Where has time gone? It is already April and these months have sure flown by. For the month of April I have joined a challenge for the American Cancer Society. The challenge is, to do 25 push-ups, every day for the month and record your progress. The challenge is to spread awareness and bring everyone together. You can also check out their Facebook page to see everyone’s progress and future news. I am doing this for my Auntie who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and for everyone who has been affected by Cancer. 💓 Stay strong, stay safe.

https://www.cancer.org/

“Cancer is a word, not a sentence.” – John Diamond

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Happy Saturday!

I hope everyone has had a great first week of February. My week started off how it usually does, work early in the morning. After work I normally would just relax and do a little bit here and there, but I have been changing that habit. After work I try to get a one mile walk in with Rex, which will benefit both me and him. Then after dinner and little odds and ends I can finally settle down into the new routine I’ve started for myself. I set my uniform and lunch up for the next day, get comfy in bed, turn on my calming music playlist talk with Chris and then start my journaling. After I journaled my thoughts of the day and my habit tracker I either play on my Switch or read my current book which is: American Gods. I’ve been doing this for a few weeks and so far I like the change. I hope that I can keep it up.

What my Saturday looked like today:

Started off with an early grocery shopping trip. The earlier the better. After that, I cleaned up the house, had my breakfast which was just a bowl of oatmeal. Took Rex for his walk and we were lucky to have enjoyed the nice weather. Made a nice cup of coffee and then sat down to take care of some work. Planned out homework that is due for next week, wrote a quick “quote of the day,” finished up some paperwork then sat back and started working more on my blog. Also couldn’t forget, that I had to fill up my vitamins for the next week. While working on my blog Chris thought it would be a good time to catch up on a few movies that I’ve been missing out on. We decided on Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain Marvel, then decided on a snack and more coffee. After watching the movies and writing my blog I will be doing a self care Saturday night with a nice face mask.

I hope everyone had a lovely week and a relaxing Saturday. Let’s try and do great things in the upcoming week. Here is to positivity, fun, relaxing and amazing thoughts. 💚 Kat

“You never know. You hope for the best and make do with what you get.”

– Nick Fury Avengers: Age of Ultron

July 24th 2020

After a busy morning of bringing my cat Solo to the vet, I decided to workout. I started off with my HIIT workout, then walked my pup Rex, did weights with my mom and then finished with Yoga.

I was debating whether or not I wanted to workout because I was feeling less than motivated. To be honest, whenever I feel like this, I try to find any excuse not to work out. Today, I pushed through that. I pushed through the stress and the feeling of not wanting to do anything.I’m glad I did. Doing the workouts, then winding down with the walk and Yoga, I had more energy and felt happier. My mind feels clear and I feel more productive.

If you start to feel that kind of negative energy, do something to occupy your mind. Try working out, reading a book or basking in the some. Do something to fill your body with more positive energy.

What are some of the things you do to clear your mind and bring positive energy into your day?

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I have done thirteen days out of fourteen. It’s low impact, quick and effective.

For me, this is a nice Yoga practice after a workout or simply just because. Stretch those muscles and relax.

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“The body achieves what the mind believes.”

– Anonymous

Hiking in a Pandemic

Being able to enjoy the outdoors almost feels forgotten. With the impact of COVID-19, we should make sure we do our part in keeping ourselves and others safe. In California, it has been an up and down battle on getting things under control. Sunday, my family and I decided that it was possible for us to get back into hiking and do our weekly walks. Of course we took precautions and followed the suggested guidelines. We had our hand sanitizers, keeping six feet apart and wearing our masks.

The Trail

We decided to go to a less strenuous trail and hopefully wasn’t too crowded. We took Rex this time, so we only managed to make it about 2 miles.There’s a variety of starting points for a nice walk. It can start from Fernandez Park in Pinole and end all the way at Pinole Shores. Or you can start at Fernandez Park and find yourself in Hercules next to Leila by the Bay Restaurant. I have only done this hike once before when it first opened up and it was beautiful. Now, almost two years later, it still is a beautiful trail and kind of maintained in this Pandemic. The trail we decided to take had the starting point of Bayfront Park. Since the tide was out, we could walk out into the bay quite a ways. It’s can be very slick, so be careful. After we walked out into the bay, we made our way over the bridge which gives you a beautiful overlook of both the bay and Mount Tamalpais. We hit our 1 mile mark on my Fitbit and turned around. We couldn’t go much further because Rex was with us and it was hot! By the time we got back to the truck it was a little over 2 miles. The trail wasn’t very crowded at all. When we did see and pass people, we all had our masks on and practiced the 6 feet social distancing rule. It was nice to be outdoors again, and even nicer that people were polite and courteous of the situation.

The new bridge on the Bay Trail.

Some Things to Bring

• Good walking or hiking shoes.
• Water. Always a good idea to hydrate.
• Sunblock to protect your skin.
• If you bring your dog, they are required to be on a leash.
• A walking stick if you would like.
• Masks
• Hand Sanitizer.

Additional Info

Parking is free and doesn’t get too crowded. Because of COVID-19 the trail upkeep is a little less. Be careful of wild animals, snakes and spiders. The area is relatively safe, but make sure to lock your vehicle and keep valuables out of sight. Bring a snack and water with you. Most of all, stay safe, have fun and enjoy the outdoors. 💚

East Bay Parks Trail

Bay Front Trail Directions

San Francisco Bay Trail

“Hiking and happiness go hand in hand or foot in boot.”

– Diane Spicer

July 12th 2020

“The only journey is the one within.”

― Rainer Maria Rilke

July 11th 2020

Savasana

The word means “corpse pose.” I feel like this is one of the more important poses in Yoga. It calms the body down commonly after the practice but, it can also be done in the beginning. Whenever it is time to go into Savasana I clear my mind and focus on the now. How my body feels, how my breathing is and how my mind is. Down below is a more in depth definition and a little “how to” do the pose. Relax your minds and your soul. 💚

Savasana definition

Savasana Pose

 “The nature of yoga is to shine the light of awareness into the darkest corners of the body.” — Jason Crandell

June 10th 2020

I enjoyed today’s practice because I felt like it focused on your back. My back has been hurting a little bit the past few days. This video allowed my back to stretch and decompress and savor the stretching. When working out, stretching is so important to your muscles and your body. It keeps it safe and your body will enjoy it.

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“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” 

— T.S. Eliot

June 7th 2020

Keep striving for your goals. Everything counts, that extra second, that extra push-up. I constantly remind myself that if I don’t finish a workout video 100% that, it’s alright. I’m a work in progress and so is the way I think. Today I was proud of myself because during the HIIT video I follow. I managed to do tricep dips and a few jump lunges. I haven’t been able to do that yet, and I thought it was awesome. Then during my Yoga video I realized that I’m on day 15. Half way to the 30 day challenge…It may be taking me more than 30 consecutive days but, again that’s okay. I felt more flexible and able to do more.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is. If you feel stuck, if you feel like you’re not making progress, keep going! Be positive, strive for your goal, strive to do a little more each time. Be safe and have a great start to the week lovelies! 💚

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“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”

– Buddha

June 4th 2020

My Morning in the Heat

Summer is really starting to feel like it’s here. Taking Rex on his walk, he tuckered out faster than I thought he would. That was okay with me though, I forgot to put sunscreen on and I felt my shoulders burning. After I got him some cool water and some air I decided to do another HIIT workout from Monday. I wanted to do it before the heat became unbearable.

Grabbed my water, and my Ipad and headed to the backyard. Its the only space where I have enough room and don’t feel like I’ll bring the house down with all the exercises. By now it’s a little after eleven o’clock and the heat is making itself known. I’m doing my thing, sweating, keeping up and then it was time for burpees. I have a love hate relationship with them. I did them to the best of my ability but then, I felt it. After a while you start to really know your body and when you push your limits I was doing just that. I heard the slight ringing in my ears, followed by everything becoming muffled. I felt myself getting a little dizzy and tunnel visioned. You guessed it, the heat was getting to me.

Thankfully, I’m able to recognize when my body has had enough. I stopped, let my heart rate slow down, drank my water and got inside to the cool air. After a few minutes, my body began to cool down and get back to where it needed to be. Did I finish the workout? No. That’s okay though. I was a little bummed out, but I would rather be safe than not.

Things to Watch for:

• Heat Cramps. Heat cramps will feel like more intensified cramps.
• Heat Exhaustion. The skin will be pale, clammy with excessive sweating. Stop the activity and cool down immediately.
• Heat Stroke. Skin will be hot and dry, seek immediate medical help. This is very dangerous.

Be careful and stay safe working out in extreme temperatures. Make sure to have a source of hydration accessible. Wear comfortable clothing for you and your environment. Most of all, have fun! I hope my little excursion of the day helps with becoming aware of your body and in a hot environment 🙂 Have fun working out lovelies! 💚

“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.”

– Marcel Proust

June 1st 2020

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After taking my pup Rex for his walk, I decided I wanted to do a HIIT workout before my Yoga. So I scrolled through YouTube trying to find something with enough intensity but still kind of low impact. I can’t jump into high intensity extreme yet because I still have to watch out for my stress-fracture in my tibia. Her video had low impact exercises to go with every exercise she showed. I absolutely loved that! It allowed me to do the full workout at my pace. Here’s to June and putting my best fitness foot forward!

What are some of your goals, wants and plans for June? Have fun and stay safe out there my lovelies! ❤️

“Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits.”

-Jerry Dunn