By Diana Giraldo | GFC Editor
@dianaiinspired
The new year came and in a blink of an eye we are in March.
What have you accomplished during the first few months of the year?
Have you spent time strengthening relationships with your loved ones? Have you began taking more time for yourself? What are your goals for this year?
Time passes quickly, especially with today’s busy lifestyle – don’t leave yourself behind.
In February we heard much talk on the topic of love; during the month of March declare yourself your own sweetheart and begin actively taking time for yourself. Even if all you have is 30 minutes one time a week – take those 30 minutes and invest them in yourself, doing something you enjoy. Take a walk outside. Watch your favorite YouTube video or tv show. Take a bath. Give yourself a facial. Grab a bite with a friend.
Health isn’t just what we see outwardly or what we eat – it is about being in tune with yourself and having a tranquil mind.
Anna Moore, from Fulton Yoga Collective, said it best: “Lift yourself above the busy water of everyday life and give yourself the opportunity to breathe.”
Your mental health, your heart and your emotional health with thank you in the long run.
One way to do this is by setting aside a specific time each week for yourself. For example, at Get Fit Clovis (GFC) we meet each week on Saturday morning and go through a workout with a local trainer. This hour is time that is only dedicated to you and your personal goals.
At GFC we strive to bring the community information that they can use in all areas of their well being. Throughout the progression of our campaign, we have heard many of the participants express that they appreciate the weekly workouts because it provides them with a sense of accountability. It is something they put on their schedule and they know that every week they will be learning something new.
Through the course of the “No Excuses” 90-day challenge, GFC introduced two new trainers to the weekly meetups, Maira Enriquez and Lee Sharpe. The trainers, both who are based in Doc’s Gym, have a distinct training style.
Enriquez’s go-to exercise gear, during the sessions, were resistance bands and weighted sleds. With her, the workouts were very interactive. She showed the participants how to do the exercises, then they would all do them as a group. Her main focus was cardio with a lot of lower body work – exercises included bridges with resistance bands, which targeted the glutes; pushing the sled from one side of the gym to the other; medicine ball squats; and other back workouts with the bands. She also has an extensive knowledge of nutrition which can be helpful to her clients.
Sharpe, who is the co-owner of the gym and gives performance based training, held a very structured session that pushed the participants to their limits. During the workout, he placed each individual in their own station: cardio on a bike, sled runs, battle rope waves, jump squats using a TRX suspension trainer, and farmer squats using a barbell. As each participant worked on their station, Sharpe helped them with form, gave further instructions on how to better perform the exercise and provided much-needed motivation. One of the participants expressed she liked Sharpe’s training style because it kept her on track, even though she thought she was too tired to keep going.
We also had the opportunity to partner up with Clovis Community College for the last meet up in February. The meet up began with Janna Mowrer, owner of Everyday HealthWins, speaking about how to stay on track with nutrition goals, touching on subjects such as making smoothies instead of juicing to preserve the fruits and vegetables fiber and how to add protein shakes correctly in your diet.
After, Becky Allen, a health and physical education instructor, took the GFC participants on a 25 minute cycling exercise, where she taught them different movements on the bikes. After the sweaty participants were done with their cardio routine Orlando Ramirez, the head women’s soccer coach, instructed them through eight exercises, which included jumping jacks, high knees, lunges, mountain climbers, and planks. Finally finishing with a mindfulness meditation period lead by Allen.
It is GFC’s mission, through featuring a variety of trainers, for participants to find an exercise style they are comfortable with and keeps them motivated. From yoga to weight training and functional exercises, there is a fitness routine for everyone.
The community is welcome to join GFC at any point during the 90-day challenge. To participate individuals are encouraged to sign up online to begin receiving campaign updates which includes meetup emails, motivational encouragement and other information to help participants continue their get fit journey.
The “No Excuses” challenge will conclude at the end of March. The next GFC challenge will begin in April with a full swing of new activities. Follow the Get Fit Clovis social media accounts on FaceBook, Twitter and Instagram, to see daily updates of what we are working on throughout the month.
