Who else finds the stretching more challenging than the actual workout sometimes?! 

I know it's not advisable to skip stretching and sometimes i pay for it, but for most of the time i skip stretching because i find them more of a struggle and sometimes even more painful (and time feels extra long) when doing so! My muscles are naturally tight, short and stiff, although they have loosened way more since i have been more active these last couple of years and sometimes when i attend yoga classes i actually am able to adapt 75% of the time! It's the pre stretch and post stretch (that aren't a part of the workout that my muscles hate, haha) it brings back memories of when i was really young and i had to fit stretching into my routine before and after school at the direction of all my physio's when i didn't like doing them (because no one else woke up half an hour early to stretch like i had to) unless it's yoga, if i have to stretch it's when i really feel my limitations, when i really feel my short hamstrings, calf muscles and uncoordinated limbs and t-rex arms that are telling my brain to do something else. 



I've been doing centr 6 and they have pre and post stretches and i've only done the pre workout stretches twice and post workout stretches 3 times, every other time/almost all the time i've skipped straight to the workout and then after i  just fall flat on my mat like a blob after while listening to Ashleys voice. 

I know it's better if i do stretch often though, because sometimes i do feel post-workout pain from not stretching when i should have, so one of my new fitness goals is to stretch more even when it it seems impossible for me.

I HAVE been exercising but, a lot has changed! Here's an update?

• I've been busy (yes, that excuse) 
• There's been a shift in my life/lifestyle and my hormones
• I've been focusing on advocating and promoting disability on other platforms instead (Sorry) 
• and the honest answer everyone's been waiting for... i haven't been sticking to my workout schedule as much as i used to, that's not to say over the past few years i've given up on it completely though! 
• and also ... yes... i've gained some weight back.

Yes, I know. So long over due for a post , especially one that  recaps this fantastic event/day. 

Let's start with that early 5am wake up that i  was surprisingly able to do with no hesitation and complaints along with 2 of my other girls, followed by my breakfast berry and banana smoothie with toast and egg to keep me energized through out the morning. The gloomy and cold weather didn't exactly compliment our ready-to go mood and bright active wear for the day though, but we didn't let that be a downer since the event was held under cover anyways.

When we got there we were greeted with pink balloons, tents, free goodies and music already pumping. 10 mins in after settling in our spot and looking around, I could already tell this would be one of those days that would be a memorable one.








The day started off with introduction and motivational talks from Nutritionist Specialist and Phd,  Dr. Libby Weaver followed by Lorna Jane herself. As they spoke, they touched on the current facts and statistics and  emphasised the importance of an active lifestyle and sharing their words of wisdom and encouragement to have confidence to achieve goals. I was in Awe and knew i was in the right place and wanted to be there. Personally, i can never get enough of positive and motivational talks/speeches, even though i may have heard something before countless times, it's always reassuring, especially when it relates to you at the moment it's being said by someone you admire.


The  workout session was run by personal trainers 'Base Body Babes.' After the warm up session, the workouts they had us do were  strength and cardio interval training circuit style . We did two circuits of 5 or so exercises in each, repeating each circuit 2-3 times All was fun until it got to the dreaded Burpees. I could only do 4 each round :(

Everyone was focused on what they were doing, it was a judgement free-zone where we were all just concentrating, but it was pretty cool seeing everyone in-sync with one another and following each other.

The space was pretty large but it was packed out just a few minutes before we started so when the workout session started we had to make room for everyone so there were instances where we would be so close to kicking or whacking the person next to, in front or behind us! Pretty sure my form was a tad off when doing some push ups because i was being wary of my arm space to the people next to me Haha!


 Celebrating Active Nation Day with two my girls also made this day even more incredible! I loved everything about this day and what it entailed, from positive advocacy, active living, encouragement and motivation, Down to  girl power and unleashing confidence! I'm so glad i got to share it with them. These girls,  not only woke up early with me on this day, but  have also been there for me since DAY ONE of my journey. Working out together bought us closer together and i wouldn't have it any other way :) I'm so proud of how we've come.


 The workout session was then followed by yoga, stretch and meditation with 'Activeyogi' AKA: Yoga expert Katie Kendall! I love meditation and i do it whenever i get the chance but i've never done Yoga before until this day and obviously my balance and flexibility skills aren't as up to scratch as most people, but that wasn't going to stop me from making attempts. I nailed the meditation and most of the warm down stretches, but when it got down to the Yoga.. let's just say i couldn't hold in my laughter for some parts because of how much fails i was succeeding at, Haha! I was there putting the wrong foot out in front, my form was all over the place, I couldn't maintain my balance the whole way that i even cheated and used my friend as a leaning post.However, with that being said, i would try again. After all, Practice makes perfect right ?

When that was all over i felt very relaxed especially after meditating, inhaling-exhaling and all the namaste'-ing ;)


 After watching a few testimonial video's and learning more about the establishment of the Lorna Jane brand, people were given the chance to share their active life story and their personal journey's. My girls were nudging me to raise my hand but i was hesitant and unsure, but after hearing the first 2-3 stories, I felt so much good vibes and positive energy radiate through out the room as i was observing the community of girls that have all come together on this day. I was just sitting there listening to all the other stories, taking in everything from the day, and then came that moment... I was suddenly eager and inspired to not only keep going on this journey, but to share my story with everyone else too. So i faced my nerves of public speaking volunteered and raised my hand and got the mic handed to me.  

Whilst talking i got tongue tied and i was super nervous. I just had so much i wanted to say that i started talking with my hands. My words come out better on paper compared to in person so it just felt liberating to say some of those out loud for once and share my journey so publicly like i did. I just felt so much energy. Getting into an active lifestyle has changed my outlook on everything and i've become passionate about it because of the benefits and opportunities it has opened up for me. For a very long time i neglected my health and body. As i was speaking i made mention of Cerebral Palsy but my nerves got to me and didn't really explain it as well as i could have. In a nutshell what i really wanted to say was, as long as you are moving, then you are moving forward and making a change for the better no matter how big or small. Every step counts! Cerebral Palsy will always be a part of who i am but it took me ages to find ways to truly embrace that. It may make me a turtle but it gives me a reason to emphasise the Ability in "Disability." Hearing the other stories from that day  made me realise the wonderful community of support  that came together and i was inspired to share my own story because i felt proud, really inspired and blessed to where i was in that moment on that day. I had my moment of clarity.

Afterwards Lorna Jane herself came up to me to greet me and give me a hug!!!  she pointed at my "make your own rules" shirt and said " I think i made that shirt especially for you."

(Watch Video BELOW - Recorded via: iphone: Blogspot has compressed the quality :( )



I wanted to meet Lorna Jane again afterwards but the line was long and my girls and i were starving so we ended the day looking at the market stalls, headed off to lunch, went shopping for awhile and then headed home. 
---
Just a week ago, ( November 1 2015) there was a segment aired on 60 minutes interviewing Lorna Jane and they were showing footage from this years Active Nation Day and i managed to spot myself @ 6 seconds of the clip below.  Seeing footage from this day just bought back all the emotions i felt that day: Excited, happy, zen and nervous.

Honestly, I think this has got to be ONE OF my highlights for 2015. It was incredible! I went in knowing i would be inspired by other girls and was keen as ever to workout but the positive vibe and energy was so contagious and strong, i was so moved by everything!

So, was my early wake up worth it  ? Yes!!!! :)


Mentions on this post: 


Active Nation Day: www.activenationday.com/

Lorna Jane: www.lornajane.com.au/

Dr. Libby Weaver:  www.drlibby.com/

Base Body Babes: www.basebodybabes.com/

Kate Kendall: http://katiekendall.com.au/

 As i reflect on how far i've come on this journey, I ask myself these questions quite often now:

1)If i wasn't born with Cerebral Palsy, would i even want or consider this goal ?
2) Would this even be a hobby of mine today?
3) Would i even care or be interested?
4)Would i even bother pushing this hard?
5) Would I be striving this hard just to be stronger?

I just know that I'm pushing as hard as ever now, mentally, physically  and emotionally, and not for "perfection" but for improvement and strength and so can everyone else :).

My first ever pair of Nike shoes! ❤️✨😍🎀💁#noshame haha! I used to never understand the fuss about these tbh. But as my collection of active wear is growing, I realised I've had the same pair of old white sneakers since high school so I decided maybe I should consider Nike as one of my options for new shoes.. But what really won me over was how the brand practiced user-centred/user engagement design. I found out Nike recently launched a new line of zip up shoes for people who have a disability and struggle to tie their shoe laces. Although my new purchase obviously aren't those shoes, I 100% support how innovative Nike have become as they now market their shoes to a wider audience and raise awareness about inclusion and supporting people with disabilities. A 16 yr old with #cerebralpalsy wrote to Nike requesting they design a shoe for people (in the same dilemma) who struggle tying shoe laces. His request was granted with Nike's new line of 'zoom soldier8's' :) I personally couldn't tie my shoes until the 1st grade and when I wore my leg brace, grasping grip on my shoe laces was sometimes difficult. Some of the effects of cerebral palsy is having difficulty or delay in fine motor skills/control... "when we say, if you have a body, you're an athlete, that means everybody."- Nike shoe designer Tobi Hatfield.👟 GOOD JOB NIKE 👊🙌❤️💚 @nike #cerebralpalsyawareness #cerebralpalsy #disabilityawareness #thankyounike #nike #positivevibes #usercentereddesign

A photo posted by ariane (@ariane418) on Aug 1, 2015 at 5:17am PDT

So a few months ago i tripped and face planted on to concrete and chipped my tooth. (Don't worry- I went to the dentist immediately) I didn't exactly lose my balance, but i was holding my laptop and a few other things in one hand and i thought that i probably could have held my balance if my hands were free and could have prevented that painful fall. So, ever since then i've thought about all the times  i've fallen and lost my balance and decided to include more balance exercises in my workout routines to practice and i wanted to show you some :) even though a lot of it is still far from perfect.

As stated in the video, (Sorry for my very pixelated face in the intro!! :( ) Whether you have Cerebral Palsy or not, I think it's important to improve and practice our balance .. even if  i hate practicing my balance (as it can be difficult and frustrating sometimes) it can generally improve our overall strength,stability and endurance especially when engaging in exercise or any sort of physical activity. I find that practicing balance can also help train that mind-muscle connection and help you focus.

Balance exercises in video
1. Kettle Bell lunges
2. Standing Figure 8's
3. Plank
4. Plank dips
5.Side Plank
6. Donkey Kicks
7. Russian Twist
8. Hold & Balance
9. Single leg step ups
10.Side single leg step ups

Music
Title: New Day 
Artist: Alicia Keys 

***THIS IS NOT A TUTORIAL***


First off, Very Sorry for the very poor quality. first time i've tried to put something together. The raw files aren't as compressed as they appear here.  However, i will do another one some time soon with better quality.   When i was filming, i wasn't planning on posting anything publicly or make a montage. I only decided after watching the clips over and over again... I initially just wanted to play these back for myself. 


The workouts in the video: 
+ additional Pink annotations in the video (they're abit hard to read SORRY) 

1) Alternative Burpee = 15 reps :  
I Should extend legs more when jumping out

2) Medicine Ball Crab walks = 20 reps : 
Need more control on right foot. It's pointing outwards

3) Medicine Ball Squat and Press = 15-20 reps : 
Oops! doing them too fast & Shifting to the left a bit

4) 180 Degree Jump Squats = 20-24 reps : 
Leaning/Bending too forward

5) Kettle Bell Swing & Squat =15-20 reps

6) X jumps = 30 reps

Music:
Album: Born Sinner Deluxe Edition
Artist: J.Cole


As a way to help myself improve with my exercise routines, I thought i would start recording and self critiquing myself. Although i am not a qualified professional, I have some idea of what i'm doing wrong when i watch these clips back. This is a huge step for me as whenever my workout routines have been recorded they have never been or felt this raw,  someone else would record, or i'd be with someone else in the video and if i was recording myself it would only be a short clip.  Most of the time i hate watching myself because i'm aware of how unco-ordinated i look when working out. However, after looking back at these, i realised again how important it is to  learn from yourself and how important that mind-muscle connection is.

In the past with physio and gait analysis sessions (the study of human motion), i would get recorded countless times walking up and down corridors and other doing physical tests so professionals were able to analyse and study my movements and how my muscles work. Though, as stated above, i really didn't like watching myself because i already knew that i couldn't walk straight and that my muscles were too tight/stiff. Nothing else would sink in for me when watching myself. I thought "studying me must be super boring, but okay.." and so i guess i would just rely on other people telling me what i should do. I''ve had people tell me... "make your mind control your muscles"... I always thought i did (obviously not hard enough)... But it felt different when i was recording myself this time. I felt my muscles were working harder.
 

I'm thankful that i actually decided to record myself even though that wasn't my initial plan (to be honest i took my laptop outside to listen to my J.Cole playlist haha) but then i wanted to see how i looked doing my version of modified Burpees. At first, all i could do was cringe but then i decided to try again and improve on what i just saw. I found myself working harder as i was mentally talking to myself "extend your legs more.. try to imagine yourself as you're moving down."

When i was self critiquing myself, I thought it was weird because i actually felt myself become more aware and i was actually enjoying it... I always knew that i don't move "normally or gracefully" when exercising, but to have a hard look and actually be able to give myself critical feedback(and getting past hating myself on video) rather than say "nah you can't do that exercise properly" just made me learn more about myself... I could actually SEE which muscles tighten when doing a particular exercise, when i'm leaning too much to one side and when my feet turn in or out and take note on how much i actually struggle to squat haha (it looks like im not doing much but when i'm trying to squat, it feels like i'm going lower than i actually am.) I've recorded myself many times and many others also do it too! But now,  i'm more appreciative when watching myself because i'm basically learning more about myself and what i should improve on :)