Six Week Walking and Strength Building guide: week 2

Week Two!!! yay! Sorry for the late post on this! Christmas.

I am going to go ahead and leave my tips below for you!

1) always use the incline. Don't just walk or run on a flat surface.2) don't use the handles. This was hard for me. I started by keeping my hands over them, and used them when I felt wobbly, eventually I moved to the sides of the machine. And now I rarely use them.3) When I walk, cause I don't run, I am towards the back end of the machine. It's better for your stride that way.
4) when you start to feel like it's becoming easier at the speed or incline increase it. Try just the incline. The higher the incline the better the results! 4) when you start to feel like it's becoming easier at the speed or incline increase it. Try just the incline. The higher the incline the better the results



So this post is inspired by a follower on Instagram, who wanted to know how I walk for my cardio, and challenged me to prove this works. I love walking, it truly is my soul-mate of workouts. In the past tries of loosing weight walking and eating right helped me to lose 30 pounds. 

This is a Dowell Fitness guide to walking to gain a sustainable healthy lifestyle. With this and any workout please consult your doctor to see if it is right for you.

In this program we will also include strength training with weights or body weight.

When we use body weight we are incorporating the T25 non cardio DVD’s, other days will be at the gym.

So starting this week we are going to add intensity and some strength workouts in with this. So break the days down.

Days 1,3,5,7

Treadmill speed between 2.8 and 3.0, start warm-up at 2.5 then increase

Incline at 2, for two minutes of warm-up.

Increase incline to 4 after your warm-up. After eight minutes increase incline to 6.

After Twenty minutes increase the incline to 8

Stay at an 8 incline for ten minutes. Then slowly decrease until the cool down, by then you should have a 0 incline

Days 2,4,6

Walk should be done at a 2 incline and taken slow, for 30 minutes. If you don’t like at home workouts hit the weights at the gym and follow the body focus below.

Workout DVD (T25) or other program of your choice.

Day 2 should focus on the lower portion of the body (lower focus DVD)

Day 4 should focus on the core (Ab video T25)

Day 6 should focus on the total body (T25 Total Body Circuit)

ItTakes a Village to Have Success

It takes a village to become a success! I am so ready for 2015! And I want you to be too! Looking for friends to join my village! Lets make 2015 the year to kick the can't to the curb! If you are looking for support in your journey of health, message me and lets get started! If you are a part of the village but have been hesitant to start lets get you going. The physical transformation is only part of the journey, it is the person you become mentally that is life changing! All it takes is to reach out and trust in that leap of faith!

Finding your routine find your self-confidence

Everyday we get the chance to find out who we are. But what if you don't know what to look for? How do You become confidant?

Here is a break down of what I'm doing right now.

1) Finding My Passion

2) Positive Self Talk

3) Working Out

4) Giving Back

5) Finding My Routine

6) RED LIPSTICK

7) Learning Something New Everyday

8) Applying What I Learned To My life

9) Change My Perspective 

10) Spread The Wealth!

Last week we talked about giving back and the self confidence that brings about, Brian and I plan todo so much more in the giving back department, because it builds you up, when you help build up others!

I want to talk about routines and the positve influence it brings to my world, and show you how to do the same! In the world of mental health routine is very important, however what i discovered is that in a healthy lifestyle (fitness and Nutrition) that it plays an equaly important role.

So here is a look at a sample routine!

Everyday has a morning routine and an evening routine, and each day might have a different focus as well.

But we'll start with the basics, I'll use my routine as a base

3:50AM first alarm will go off

4:05 get up get dressed in workout clothes ( I know we hear it all the time in magazines and TV shows, but scheduling a workout really makes a difference)

4:15 coffee and some reading/personal development, this helps give me focus for the day.

4:45 workout (wether it is at the gym or a dvd that dosent matter just DO IT!)

6:00 shower get ready for work 

6:45 eat (or drink) you breakfast and go to work

Evening times depend on when you are home at the end of the day!

5:00 get home change clothes, I highly recommend this, for me it separates work me from at home me.

6:00 eat! Dinner should be the smallest meal of your day! 

7:00 I set a side a power hour. This can be, you time or if you have online businesses you can do that 

8:00 get ready for bed, yes I go to bed around 8:30-9:00. 

Wake up and repeat! Start slowly when creating a routine! Do two things in the morning and two at night each week add to it until you get your full schedule!

The more you do a routine the more satisfied or accomplished you can feel, and that can lead to self confidance. This post got me thinking I am going to do a series on routines, and really show you what goes in to my week to help me stay focused! If you would like to read the first part of the selfconfidence building list Here

Please like, comment or subscribe to my little love (my blog) also feel free to share on facebook!

Our daily sweaty selfie

Hi, my name is Erin, and I'm bipolar.

When I got home after work I learned what most of you had known for hours. I will never laugh the same Mr. Williams.

How many more people have to be gone, committed, or do unspeakable acts, for our government and people to say mental illness is real?

That's how this post was going to go.  

Until I realized it would get me no where. Trust me I can go on for hours about how the system ignores and fails mental illness. And then I thought, every person with a mental illness goes through it differently, and we all have different symptoms. And there is a difference between each illness. Don't group us all in to depression, that is not fair.

So let's examine my bipolar disorder.

Everyday is a struggle within my mind, yes I take my medication, but that is part of the bigger picture and struggle. 

Ever have one of those days where you can't find one of your shoes? Most people would give up and find something else. Not me. I will destroy every inch of my house to find that shoe, it will make me late, cause arguments and anxiety. To make my point a bit more visual go watch the beginning of Silverlingings Playbook, that moment when Bradley Coopers character cannot find the wedding video, that is me.

My body cycles constantly. My body also levels out on medication, meaning that once my body chemicals are stable, my system doesn't know how to react to that, so it shifts. I raise my medication with my doctor, then lower it when my body needs a change. I have a waisted medication list that is a mile long. 

Before medication I was really unstable, I mean horrible. Up and down with no known way to deal with it. My relationships with friends and family were becoming broken. The feeling that everyone walks on eggshells around you is a really low feeling. Which adds to a depressive cycle. You feel helpless. Sometimes I still do. Bipolar makes you reclusive in nature. 

During the medication test period I almost lost everything. One evening in particular, and this is the first time I've ever mentioned this, my then fiancé and I got into a "normal" argument, except this time it was worse. I threw things. And he said to me that unless I got the right help, we wouldn't get married. And that says a lot about my husband. This man always said he would never give up on me unless I give up on my self and life. And he was staring at me with tears in his eyes saying that he couldn't be this way anymore. But that night I said I would change. A few weeks later it was right back there. And I ended up hospitalized. It was very short, 24 hours to be honest. But I realized that I had what some people don't, a support system. Now I'm not saying everything has been coming up roses since then. But we did get married, and we will never give up on each other.

The medication I'm on now is the best combination for me, and I've only recently gotten there, 5 years is how long it took to find this place of normal. I credit my medication, myself and my doctors for helping me have the right tools.

What are those tools?

Everyday I take my medication. But what has really been helpful is at the request of my husband and my doctor I eat well, and workout. And when you combine all those things it makes it a bit better to deal with the moments that suck the life out of you.

Losing my mom taught me how strong I was. Don't get me wrong I still deal with the loss everyday, she was after all super woman. I just now realize how much shit someone can go through and still be an amazing person. And if she could do everything she did everyday, I could do this.

Fact most with bipolar disorder are overweight, and half of that group are on the verge of having or do have diabetes. And that's not where I want to be.

So what can you do? If you or someone you know has a mental health issue or you fear that they may take their own life please help them get help. We are all stronger than we know.

For more info please visit the Depression and Bipolar Suport Alliance at the link listed below

http://www.dbsalliance.org/