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.

Have you met N.E.D? 
I met NED when i was five years old, and i've been telling myself this mantra ever since. When you feel like you're about to fall, say this to yourself.

Read on to learn about the benefits of NED and how it can help you progress you through your journey, like it's helped me.

Let me break it down further, 

Never give up (focus and persistence) 
Encourage others (Kindness and shared learning) 
Do your best (Diligence and Excellence) 

N
I'm all for positive affirmations and cheesy quotes, and actually believe that some of them can get you through. Especially when its during times like these when we're stuck in iso and we feel defeated. We have to remember to take it easy on ourselves. When we feel like giving up, think back to when you hung in there and pushed through, but also remember it's okay to take breaks when you need, or that there's nothing wrong about taking three steps forward, two steps back. Through personal experience, My Fitness journey has gone through a lot of that - giving up, trying again, feeling defeated, slowly trying again.., and i always acknowledge it, even if i never write or post about it, the simple common affirmation of "never give up" has  transformed the way i see myself. When i fell off (my fitness journey) 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years.. i knew i would one day have the courage to get back. I just had to re-adjust my life and find what was holding me back. There were times when i actually found it, but did nothing and ignored it..  but i still kept telling myself "Don't give up, tomorrow try again." - it was all a mental game!!  It's like when you remember how good something tastes or feels, you're determined to buy/taste that meal again. Until February this year again, "Never give up" finally struck the chord i was looking to get back on track!. I can't remember when that exact moment was, but i kept telling myself "never give up" over and over.. until it got me somewhere again. I know i'll  have moments again, but for now, i'm glad i've found motivation for my health again. 

E
It is important to encourage others while you're on your own fitness journey. It can honestly make you feel good knowing that you've found a common ground with someone going through a similar journey as you. If they've achieved a goal you're looking to get to, then the fact that others have achieved it and got there, shows that it's attainable and possible for you too. :) I think that when you encourage others, you're also encouraging yourself to stay kind and positive. We are our own inner critic, (I'm guilty) so if you struggle with this, maybe encouraging others may help. The great thing about social media is that there are so many communities you can be a part of and friends you can make online which can help encourage you to stay motivated as others share their journeys. 

D
Something that i apply to pretty much all aspects in my life. When you do your best, that's one step closer to your goals. Remember your best doesn't always have to be 100% either, On some days you may find your best for that day is 50%. Don't be too hard on yourself if you didn't get through everything on your to-do list or complete a full half hour workout like you planned. Acknowledge, that you've done your best and that tomorrow is a new day! 

In that being said, when you're in the zone and know you're capable and have it in you to achieve 100% but if something is trying to bring you down then take a break if you can't push through. To achieve my best, i usually focus on what i can do, rather than what i can't do and then i try to go back to the "cant's" later. For example, i used to be able to do 10+ push ups in a row.. i stopped exercising for months, so when i tried to do 10 pushups in a row as a minimum attempt, i could only reach 5. every day i went back to do push ups and for awhile my max was still 5. I was getting frustrated and remembered that before, i was doing exercises to help reach that goal of at least 10 push ups. I remembered practicing planks and further strengthening  my arms and core helped. a few more weeks later i was back to being able to do 10 pushups again like i used to. i just had to keep at it and have plenty of patience with myself. 

Everyone's personal best is not the same. Be patient with yourself and keep with progress until you see the results you want in all aspects in this journey: physically and mentally. 

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.

 Have you ever come across an old childhood toy? One that you always knew was there but you would ignore it anyway because you had a better toy?

Well, over the weekend i was reunited with my long lost ankle weights which i bought years ago but don't remember using much. I'm pretty sure i bought them from when i was doing physio exercises when i was younger, but instead of nurturing those ankle weights i was interested in adding more to my beanie baby collection. My dad probably urged me to wear the ankle weights around the house (with obvious and good intentions) but knowing me back then, I would have refused to. However, last weekend i was eager to go and look for them again, and they have been found! Still in good condition :)

I've always had small legs as i was born with short, weak limbs/calves. It's difficult at times to remain stable and build leg muscle (especially on my right leg). However, ever since exercising i've noticed improvement. Whilst my legs still appear small and skinny, when i feel my calf muscles and Achilles,  I can definitely  feel more than just soft wobbly tissue.. and that to me is progress, even if the muscles are small, it's still muscle, right ? I remember after my correctional surgery my calf muscles and Achilles all just felt soft, like there was nothing there. I would jokingly say to my friends "Hey, feel the back of my leg it's all jelly, Haha!"

Even though these ankle weights aren't too heavy they add a new element to my workouts as i can easily incorporate them into my routines. The ankle weights are sand filled and only 2kg but they still add some resistance to my exercises. However, i will most likely progress to heavier ones when i'm able to get my hands on some, but these will do for now :) . What i like about using ankle weights is that i find they help me improve in my form for some exercises assisting with stability, and flexibility yet allow me to challenge my range of motion and muscle control in other exercises.

I've filmed a couple of my favourite exercises incorporating my ankle weights. Some of which were easy, some of which were challenging.  I've listed those exercises again below with some side notes and self critiques when needed.

Exercises in video: 

1) Donkey Kicks

2) Side Leg kicks: Also train the hip muscles. Using the ankle weights for this adds resistance especially when lowering the leg back down. Have to make sure i always have a soft, slow landing rather than just slamming it back down.

3) Leg Raises: My all time favourite exercise! Leg raises have started getting easier for me and adding a dumb bell weight (between my feet) in addition to these ankle weights give me more of a challenge and definitely more resistance. I can only do about 3 sets of 10 reps for these but i love to practice them. Hopefully i'll progress and i'll be able to raise those legs higher! :) It's a challenge making sure my feet don't touch/slam into the mat on the way down. That mind muscle- connection is strong in this one.

4) Hamstring curls: I have trouble gripping the dumb bell weight between my feet this way, so for now i'm just using the ankle weights. I'm trying very hard to control my hips, making sure they don't lift too much.

Music:
Title:Kaleidoscope Dreams
Artist: Miguel

Ankle weights used: 'Guy Leetch Fitness' 2kg

Whilst i am following Kayla Itsines' BBTG (am currently on my second round of BBG 1.0 - on week 10 at the moment) and still love it and have been doing it religiously for months now!..  sometimes when i'm doing her guides i like to mix it up and incorporate other workouts while i am doing her guides... not because i don't feel like i'm progressing or bored for that matter, but because i feel it's good to change it up every now and again, experiment and push myself further. If you're familiar with Kayla's guides, some of the exercises here (below) are similar to what's in her guides already... But oddly enough.. maybe because they are laid out differently, I still feel challenged when i do them. I'm not  bashing or neglecting Kayla's guides as i have been doing them since the start of 2015 and still am doing them! If anything, her guides have taught me about discipline, structure, routine and names/terminologies of exercises. I feel like i'm able to discipline myself to explore other options of  how else i can challenge myself because of what i've gained from the BBG guides! Sometimes i'll even do an extra workout day by either repeating a day from her guide from that week OR i'll randomly just look at other workouts from online/youtube or instagram and do them in addition to the BBG.





Below i've  listed the ones that were MOST challenging for me in each workout circuit and i review & critique how i am at attempting them:

Total Body:

- The Pile Squat: Whilst i love squats they also require so much thinking as i struggle to even do standard squats most times. Putting my hands on my hips made it more difficult for me to maintain my posture as i would lean too forward. So it's better if i just to push my arms outwards in front of me instead. While doing these  i also had to make sure my feet would do its best to point in the right direction. Of course i could only do my best and go as low as i could... which still isn't very low.

-Donkey Kicks ( kicking out with my left leg:) I am right side hemiplegic meaning the right side of my body has weaker control and balance. When i donkey kick with my right leg i seem to  have more control and  better balance in comparison to when i donkey kick with my left leg. The reason being is because as you kick out with which ever leg, the other side that is stable is there to support you and help you balance, so when i kick out with my right leg, my left side which is stable (stronger side) is able to support me. However, when i kick out my left leg i tend to shift towards to the right side (unintentionally) because my right side has trouble balancing & supporting.

-Heel Touches: I feel the most uncoordinated (second to squats haha) with this one. Reaching down to my left side is easier than my right. I feel as though my right foot becomes stubborn and turns in and starts to stretch out. I have to physically bring my leg back up and reposition myself. Though, when i first starting to exercise i couldn't even do one! so hoorah for getting somewhere and being able to somehow do these..

Muffin Top Blaster:

-Mountain climbers/Alternative Knee-ins: I've never done alternative Knee-ins before until this but i know how to do them (at a slow pace). Interestingly, It was easier for me to co-ordinate my right leg to my opposite elbow rather than my left which fell short. I'm guessing its to do with my weak right side again.

-Bird Dogs/Alternating reach & Kick Back: I replaced these with donkey kicks. I feel like i get more out of the donkey kicks. It's even harder for me to remain upright doing the bird dogs (if donkey kicks are challenging for me).With Bird dogs, I would just flop and shake to the ground. I will hopefully one day be able to do them though.

-Side Plank:  Always a challenge for me. The max i can hold these is for 30 seconds. Sometimes i wobble forward. I do my best to have my form correct though.

3 circuits in 1: I'm just going to write an overall review for this one

One day i decided to create my own 3 in 1 circuit from what i've found on instagram just for fun! Each time i've done this i've been in pain the next day but i love it! I feel all my muscles working. I am actually proud of myself for putting this together as they were all individual workouts.
In The following order i  would do: 
1) Bottom left picture x3 times .. or 4 if i feel like
2) the top picture x1 (because its basically doing each exercise x3 anyways..)
3) the bottom right15 reps x3.

By the end of this one i am dead! When doing "Russian twists" it's hard for me to keep balance and to try and stop myself from leaning or falling and sometimes when i do "crunches" or sit ups i use weights or a medicine ball to help me if i feel like i'm straining myself but then there are other times when i feel i just can use my arms to help bring me up. With "bicycle crunches" OR "AB bikes" i feel like i have trouble controlling my pace when doing them and struggle reaching my left elbow to my right knee. I feel uncoordinated  but i feel as though i am  getting better the more i do them. Haha :)

***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 :)