28 Day Fitness Challenge - Day Twenty-Four #28DayFit

Day Twenty-Four
(aerobic/cardio)

Choose two exercises within your level:

Beginner Level

1. Run up and down one flight of stairs (in your home, at work or at the mall) 18 times (that's up AND down counted as one time). This is a great way to get your heart rate up. Just remember to be careful; the last thing you need at this point is to slip and fall down a flight of stairs. Make sure you wear appropriate shoes.

2. Walk for 28 minutes at a relaxed pace. Make sure you are wearing comfortable walking shoes. If the weather is not conducive to outdoor walking, go to your local mall or shopping center. You can also use a treadmill, if you have access to one. Take deep breaths as you walk, letting oxygen fill your lungs.

3. Jog for 18 minutes. You can do this either by jogging in place at home, on a treadmill if you have access to one or by jogging outside for 18 minutes. Make sure you wear appropriate shoes. Don't forget to stretch before and after you jog. 

4. Jump rope for 18 minutes. Make sure you are either wearing appropriate shoes or are on a padded surface (rug or mat) to prevent overly jarring your joints.

5. Do 18 star jumps/jumping jacks. You start with your legs together, then jump them apart. While this is happening, you are also bringing your arms up to clap above your head, keeping your arms straight at all times. Then bring your arms down as you jump your feet back together. In the USA, these are called "jumping jacks," and in the UK, these are called "star jumps." Do this eighteen times.

6. Do 18 minutes of running on an elliptical crosstrainer. You need to be at a level 3 or above for incline. Varying speed and rate of incline will give you the most effective workout. Don't forget to keep your arms working too. Elliptical crosstrainers give an overall body workout while keeping stress to your joints at a minimum.

7. Use the Wii Fit step exercise, the 5-minute session, five times, then do the 14-minute boxing session twice. This may seem like a very slow-moving work-out, but the key to these workouts is variation, so even though it seems slow, it should work-out a variety of different muscles.

8. Dance to fast music for 18 minutes. This works even better if you find a music video featuring dance moves that you can try and follow. Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" is one music video that, if you try and follow her dance moves, filling in your own movements for the few moments when dancing is not shown, will give you a good workout. That is only about 4 minutes long though, so you need to find some fast music that you can play continuously and move your body to it.

9. Take a 30-minute long intermediate-level class that involves aerobic training. This class can be ballroom dancing, belly dancing, stationary cycling, Zumba, aerobics, kickboxing, martial arts or any number of things. Choose something you think you might enjoy learning.

10. Jump side to side, starting by moving your right foot to the right and following it with your left foot until your left foot touches your right ankle and then doing the same towards your left. Do this for 6 minutes. Then jump, with your feet together, from side to side, for another 6 minutes. Go back to the first form of jumping for another 6 minutes and then do the side to side jumping with your feet together for another 6 minutes. This will work out your leg and hip muscles.

11. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and wiggle your hips very fast, not moving any other part of your body, keeping your stomach and back as straight as you can, for 7 minutes. Then move your body in a semi-circle from the waist up down to the right, moving fluidly down in front and then to your left. Do this seven times. Then do this in the opposite direction, starting on your left and moving to your right, seven times. Then hold your arms straight out to the side, shoulder-height, and make small circles with them, keeping the elbows straight, for seven minutes. This works out a wide variety of your muscles.

12. Hula hoop for 16 minutes. If you don't have a hula hoop, mimic the action you would do if you were trying to keep a hula hoop from falling. You can break the work out into two sessions of 8 1/2 minutes each if 17 minutes is too difficult for you.

13. Spend 18 minutes roller skating or in-line skating. This will work out your legs and increase your heart rate for better cardiovascular fitness.

14. Do 8 cartwheels and 8 forward somersaults. It's okay if you don't do these perfectly. Just have fun and try not to get too dizzy.

15. Spend 10 minutes doing yoga. If you cannot find a yoga class to attend, you can use a video or look up some yoga fitness routines on-line. Yoga is a great way to help with your breathing and relaxation as well as muscle flexibility.

Intermediate Level

1. Run up and down one flight of stairs (in your home, at work or at the mall) 28 times (that's up AND down counted as one time). This is a great way to get your heart rate up. Just remember to be careful; the last thing you need at this point is to slip and fall down a flight of stairs. Make sure you wear appropriate shoes.

2. Walk for 38 minutes at a reasonable pace. Make sure you are wearing comfortable walking shoes. If the weather is not conducive to outdoor walking, go to your local mall or shopping center. You can also use a treadmill, if you have access to one. Take deep breaths as you walk, letting oxygen fill your lungs.

3. Jog for 23 minutes. You can do this either by jogging in place at home, on a treadmill if you have access to one or by jogging outside for 23 minutes. Make sure you wear appropriate shoes. Don't forget to stretch before and after you jog. 

4. Jump rope for 23 minutes. Make sure you are either wearing appropriate shoes or are on a padded surface (rug or mat) to prevent overly jarring your joints.

5. Do 23 star jumps/jumping jacks. You start with your legs together, then jump them apart. While this is happening, you are also bringing your arms up to clap above your head, keeping your arms straight at all times. Then bring your arms down as you jump your feet back together. In the USA, these are called "jumping jacks," and in the UK, these are called "star jumps." Do this 23 times.

6. Do 28 minutes of running on an elliptical crosstrainer. You need to be at a level 3 or above for incline. Varying speed and rate of incline will give you the most effective workout. Don't forget to keep your arms working too. Elliptical crosstrainers give an overall body workout while keeping stress to your joints at a minimum. 

7. Use the Wii Fit step exercise, the 5-minute session, six times, then do the 14-minute boxing session twice. This may seem like a very slow-moving work-out for the intermediate level, but the key to these workouts is variation, so even though it seems slow, it should work-out a variety of different muscles.

8. Dance to fast music for 23 minutes. This works even better if you find a music video featuring dance moves that you can try and follow. Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" is one music video that, if you try and follow her dance moves, filling in your own movements for the few moments when dancing is not shown, will give you a good workout. That is only about 4 minutes long though, so you need to find some fast music that you can play continuously and move your body to it.

9. Take a 30-minute long advanced-level class that involves aerobic training. This class can be ballroom dancing, belly dancing, stationary cycling, Zumba, aerobics, kickboxing, martial arts or any number of things. Choose something you think you might enjoy learning.

10. Jump side to side, starting by moving your right foot to the right and following it with your left foot until your left foot touches your right ankle and then doing the same towards your left. Do this for 7 minutes. Then jump, with your feet together, from side to side, for another 7 minutes. Go back to the first form of jumping for another 7minutes and then do the side to side jumping with your feet together for another 7 minutes. This will work out your leg and hip muscles.

11. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and wiggle your hips very fast, not moving any other part of your body, keeping your stomach and back as straight as you can, for 8 minutes. Then move your body in a semi-circle from the waist up down to the right, moving fluidly down in front and then to your left. Do this eight times. Then do this in the opposite direction, starting on your left and moving to your right, eight times. Then hold your arms straight out to the side, shoulder-height, and make small circles with them, keeping the elbows straight, for 8 minutes. This works out a wide variety of your muscles.

12. Hula hoop for 20 minutes. If you don't have a hula hoop, mimic the action you would do if you were trying to keep a hula hoop from falling. You can break the work out into two sessions of 10 minutes each if 20 minutes is too difficult for you.

13. Spend 24 minutes roller skating or in-line skating. This will work out your legs and increase your heart rate for better cardiovascular fitness.

14. Do 12 cartwheels and 12 forward somersaults. It's okay if you don't do these perfectly. Just have fun and try not to get too dizzy.

15. Spend 15 minutes doing yoga. If you cannot find a yoga class to attend, you can use a video or look up some yoga fitness routines on-line. Yoga is a great way to help with your breathing and relaxation as well as muscle flexibility.

Advanced Level

1. Run up and down one flight of stairs (in your home, at work or at the mall) 38 times (that's up AND down counted as one time). This is a great way to get your heart rate up. Just remember to be careful; the last thing you need at this point is to slip and fall down a flight of stairs. And wear appropriate shoes.

2. Walk for 34 minutes at a fast pace and then jog for 11 minutes. Make sure you are wearing comfortable walking shoes. If the weather is not conducive to outdoor walking, go to your local mall or shopping center. You can also use a treadmill, if you have access to one. Take deep breaths as you walk, letting oxygen fill your lungs. 

3. Jog for 28 minutes. You can do this either by jogging in place at home, on a treadmill if you have access to one or by jogging outside for 28 minutes. Make sure you wear appropriate shoes. Don't forget to stretch before and after you jog.

4. Jump rope for 14 minutes, then do star jumps/jumping jacks for 14 minutes, then do another 14 minutes of jump rope and finish with 14 more minutes of star jumps/jumping jacks. Changing up the exercise helps to break the monotony of doing the same thing. The mind likes having the second-long breaks between doing one action and doing the next to look forward to. Make sure you are either wearing appropriate shoes or are on a padded surface (rug or mat) to prevent overly jarring your joints.

5. Use the elliptical crosstrainer for 28 minutes. You need to either vary your speed and incline or you need to stay at a mid-to-high range with both. Varying speed and rate of incline will give you the most effective workout. Don't forget to keep your arms working too. Elliptical crosstrainers give an overall body workout while keeping stress to your joints at a minimum.

6. Use the Wii Fit step exercise, the 5-minute session, eight times, then do the 14-minute boxing session twice. This may seem like a very slow-moving work-out for the advanced level, but the key to these workouts is variation, so even though it seems slow, it should work-out a variety of different muscles.

7. Dance to fast music for 28 minutes. This works even better if you find a music video featuring dance moves that you can try and follow. Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" is one music video that, if you try and follow her dance moves, filling in your own movements for the few moments when dancing is not shown, will give you a good workout. That is only about 4 minutes long though, so you need to find some fast music that you can play continuously and move your body to it.

8. Take a 60-minute long advanced-level class that involves aerobic training. This class can be ballroom dancing, belly dancing, stationary cycling, Zumba, aerobics, kickboxing, martial arts or any number of things. Choose something you think you might enjoy learning.

9. Jump side to side, starting by moving your right foot to the right and following it with your left foot until your left foot touches your right ankle and then doing the same towards your left. Do this for 9 minutes. Then jump, with your feet together, from side to side, for another 9 minutes. Go back to the first form of jumping for another 9 minutes and then do the side to side jumping with your feet together for another 9 minutes. This will work out your leg and hip muscles.

10. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and wiggle your hips very fast, not moving any other part of your body, keeping your stomach and back as straight as you can, for 10 minutes. Then move your body in a semi-circle from the waist up down to the right, moving fluidly down in front and then to your left. Do this ten times. Then do this in the opposite direction, starting on your left and moving to your right, ten times. Then hold your arms straight out to the side, shoulder-height, and make small circles with them, keeping the elbows straight, for 10 minutes. This works out a wide variety of your muscles.

11. Hula hoop for 23 minutes. If you don't have a hula hoop, mimic the action you would do if you were trying to keep a hula hoop from falling.

12. Spend 24 minutes roller skating or in-line skating. This works out various muscles in your legs, and, even works the abdominal muscles and arm muscles when done correctly. Be sure to wear appropriate safety gear.

13. Do 17 cartwheels and 17 forward somersaults. It's okay if you don't do these perfectly. Just have fun and try not to get too dizzy.

14. Spend 23 minutes doing yoga. If you cannot find a yoga class to attend, you can use a video or look up some yoga fitness routines on-line. Yoga is a great way to help with your breathing and relaxation as well as muscle flexibility.

15. Spend 15 minutes is meditation. This is time you spend breathing deeply. Take a deep breath in for a count of 8, then hold it for the count of 4, then breath out for a count of 8. Repeat this throughout the fifteen minutes and feel your body relax. Try and find a quiet space to do this in. There are other breathing exercises that can be found on-line to do instead of this one, but whichever breathing exercise you do, spend the full 15 minutes doing it. You will find this helps sharpen your mind and relax your body.

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