McKinley Grapevine

Good Morning Everyone!!

For the month of December we are going to do 3 weekly challenges called the “Weekly Sprint”.  Each challenge will start on Monday and end on Sunday evening.  There will be one winner at the end of each week who will receive a $25 Amazon gift card.  Here are the challenges:

Weekly Sprint #1 – Cardio Challenge – Starts TODAY!!  12/01/2014 – 12/07/2014

Your cardio will be measured by minutes.  The participant who has the most cardio minutes for the week, WINS!

1. Choose your cardio: walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, ARC trainer, elliptical, boxing, zumba or cardio DVD…you choose, it just needs to be something you make time for each day.  A circuit training class will count for 20min of cardio and a HIIT class will count for 15min of cardio.
2. Email me TODAY to enter the Cardio Challenge 🙂
3. Keep track of your cardio minutes for the week and email me your results on Monday, December 8^th in the morning.  The winner will be announced before the end of the work day.

Weekly Sprint #2 – Plank Challenge – 12/08/2014 – 12/14/2014

Your planks will be measured by total planking minutes for the week.  For example, if you plank for 1min, 4x throughout the day, that will count as 4min towards your total planking minutes for the week.  The participant with the most amount of planking minutes at the end of the week, WINS!!

1. Your planks should be performed on your toes and either you elbows or hands for a straight arm plank.  If you are new to planking, you may start out on your knees for a modified plank until you become strong enough to plank on your toes.
2. Email me on Monday December, 8^th to enter the Plank Challenge.
3. Keep track of your planking minutes for the week and email me your results on Monday, December 15^th in the morning.  The winner will be announced before the end of the work day.

Weekly Sprint #3 – Push-up Challenge – 12/15/2014 – 12/21/2014

Your push-ups will be measured by total reps for the week.  For example, if you do 10 push-ups, 5x throughout the day, that will count as 50 push-ups towards your total push-up count for the week.  The participant with the most amount of push-ups at the end of the week, WINS!!!

1. Your push-ups should be performed on your toes and hands.  If you are new to push-ups, you may start out on your knees for a modified push-up until you become strong enough to complete your push-ups on your toes.
2. Email me on Monday December, 15^th to enter the Push-up Challenge.
3. Keep track of your push-up reps for the week and email me your results on Monday, December 22^nd in the morning.  The winner will be announced before the end of the work day.

For examples of push-ups and planks, please view the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVETJmRiR34

Please email me with any questions :).  Have a great Monday!!!

 

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

 

Are you ready for the Green Activity Challenge!?!  Great!!

To enter the challenge you must form teams of 4 – no more, no less.  Everyone has to work together to earn points :).

Points:

–          All 4 participants must do 30min of activity (strength training, cardio, yoga, pilates…) 5 days weekly to receive 1 point for the week.

–          All 4 participants must eat 2 servings of green veggies 6 days weekly to receive 1 point for the week.

–          All 4 participants must drink at least 64oz of water each day to receive 1 point for the week.

The max number of points you can earn for the week is 3.  For example, if one person on the team only completes 4 days of activity and the rest of the team has completed 5, your team DOES NOT earn a point for that category.

Team work, team work and team work!!  Encourage each other, motivate each other and keep each other accountable :).

The Green Activity Challenge will be a 6 week challenge starting on Monday, September 29^th and ending on Monday, November 10^th.  Please email me with your team name and the names of the 4 participants on your team by Monday, September 29^th.  The team with the most points at the end of the 6 weeks will win a $100 gift card to their choice of restaurant or grocery store!

Serving Sizes and Green Veggies:

–          1 serving of cooked or steamed veggies = ½ cup

–          1 serving of raw veggies = 1 cup

A few examples of green veggies:

–          Cucmber, spinach, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, swiss chard, green peppers, spinach, kale, green beans, asparagus, brussel sprouts, peas, celery, arugula and zucchini.

Email me with any questions 🙂

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

 

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Here are the details for the Push-up Challenge and the Activity Challenge!  Both Challenges will start on Monday June, 2^nd 2014 and end on Friday August, 1^st 2014.

Push-up Challenge

The challenge will be split up into two groups, men and women.  A $50 gift card will be awarded to the man who does the most push-ups without resting and the woman who does the most push-ups without resting.  There will also be a $20 gift card awarded to the Most Improved participant.  If you would like to participate in the challenge, email me by Monday June, 2^nd with the max number of push-ups you were able to complete without resting.  

How to do a Push-Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF0jbubK_jU

The video above shows the proper form of a push-up done on your toes.  If you are a beginner, you will follow the same instructions only you will be on your knees.  The other modification for a push-up if you have a hard time completing one on your knees is a wall push-up.  Watch the video below for instruction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6YHbXD2XlU

For the challenge day, your push-ups must be completed on your toes.  Now don’t count yourself out if you’re only capable of doing your push-ups on the wall.  Stay consistent with your push-ups and you WILL get stronger 🙂.

You will find 2 examples of push-up challenge charts below.  You can use them as a reference or follow them precisely.  I would recommend 2 things:

1.       1. Keep track of your progress on a chart with goals you have to reach by the end of each week so you stick with it

2.       2. Take a rest day every 3 days.  You can still walk, jog or do something with your lower body but give your arms and chest a break 🙂

Benefits of doing Push-Ups

Push-ups are one of the most effective exercises to build upper body strength and like planking, you can do them anywhere!  By doing a push-up you are strengthening the muscles in your chest, triceps, shoulders, upper back and your whole core (abdominal and lower back).  To learn more about the benefits of doing a push-up, click the link below:

http://www.access2knowledge.org/health/health-benefits-push-ups/

Activity Challenge

The activity challenge will be based on a point system.  How do you earn points?

1.       10,000 steps in one day = 1 point (The easiest way to track your steps is with some form of a pedometer.  We still have a few fitbits available if you would like one BUT you do not need one to participate.  You will still be able to earn points with strength training and drinking water)

2.       30min of strength training in one day= 1 point

3.       Drink 64oz of water in one day= 1 point

At the end of June and July there will be a drawing for 1 PTO day.  For every 10 points you earn, your name will be put in the drawing 1x.  For example, if you accumulated 40 points, your name would be put in the drawing 4x.  If you accumulated 35 points, you name would be put in the drawing 3x.  You will be responsible for keeping track of your own points and emailing them me at the end of the month 🙂.

Leaders – Please share this with your team members who do not have email and encourage your whole team to participate 🙂.  You can have fun with it and create some friendly competition.  For example, have those who choose to participate put $1-$5 in a pot at the beginning of the week and the first person who earns 20 points, wins the pot of $$!  Just an idea :).

Email me with any questions and have a great afternoon!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

Work Together As A Team!!

The Challenges start today!!  Please email me with the total number of push-ups you were able to complete without resting ASAP🙂.  For the Activity Challenge the drawing for 1 PTO day will take place at the end of June and July.  I’d also like to encourage everyone to work together as a team🙂.  By the end of this week, if I have 10 teams who commit to participating in the Activity Challenge, I will add a $100 gift card which will be awarded to the team with most points for June and July!! 

To enter your team in to the Activity Challenge, assign a team captain and email me with your team name and the names of the people on your team by Friday, June 6^th.  Everyone is responsible for keeping track of their own points.  At the end of July, report your total number of points to your captain so they can come up with a grand total that will be emailed to me🙂.

If you do not have a pedometer, you can still track your steps as long as you know how many miles you walked or ran.  However, the steps you take walking from place to place while working won’t count unless you know the exact mileage.

How to calculate the steps you have walked?

1 mile = 2000 steps

Cardio Challenge 2014 –

Team MI6 – Ann Arbor, Michigan: Ambassador Weiser, Albert M. Berriz, Ken Polsinelli, Trey Caswell, Mary Williams , David Peabody, Nina Szegda, Tom Gritter and Chris Daigneault

Biggest Loser Challenge 2014 –

VOT Titans – Taylor, Michigan: Lynne Smereka, John Turpin, Shanita Johnson, Tom Gillespie, Tonya Anderson, Monique West and Jessica Coleman

Plank Challenge 2014 –

The Positive Plankers – Ann Arbor, Michigan: Trey Caswell and Caroline Westmoreland

Most Improved Planker – Caroline Westmoreland

 

Good Morning Everyone!

Today is the last day of the cardio challenge!  Get your final minutes in today and then get ready to PLANK!!  The second 60 day challenge is a Plank Challenge and this is how it will work.  You will have the opportunity to team up with one other person.  You and your teammate will have 60 days to strengthen your body to hold the plank position for as long as you possibly can.  On May 5^th, 2014 when the challenge ends you and your teammate will be planking for a record time.  You will either be timed by me or a fellow McKinley team member.  If I am not the person timing you, the plank must be recorded and sent to me by the end of the day on May 5^th, 2014.  The team who holds their plank for the longest time will win a $100 gift card to their choice of grocery store or restaurant.  Just to clarify, if teammate #1 held their plank for 4min and teammate #2 held their plank for 5min, their team total would be 9min. 

Other than wanting to win the challenge, why should you join the plank challenge?  To become stronger!  It’s a full body strength exercise and you don’t need any equipment to do it!  Planking with strengthen the following:

•  Core (abdominals and lower back), shoulders, neck, biceps, chest, quads (thighs), glutes (bottom), calves and YOUR MIND:)

Below is an article that tells you what muscles are being used and how, along with a plank exercise app that you can use for the challenge. 

http://www.plankexerciseapp.com/guide/plank-exercise-benefits

You can also use Athleta’s 30 day Plank Challenge calendar (our challenge is 60 days).  On day 1 you start with a :20 plank and if you follow the calendar you will be strong enough to hold a 5:00 plank by day 30!!!  Many of you can already hold a 1min plank so you’re ahead of scheduleJ.

http://www.athleta.net/2013/12/27/30-day-plank-challenge/

If you are going to participate in the challenge, please email me this week with a team name and names of the 2 participants.

Email me with any questions.  Enjoy your day!!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

 

 

Hi Everyone!

This is the beginning of week 3 for the Challenges!!  There are 9 teams participating in the Biggest Loser Challenge and 8 teams participating in the Cardio Challenge. 

Team MI6 made me aware of their cardio minutes yesterday…2382 minutes!!!!  Who is team MI6?  Our very own Founder, Ambassador Weiser and our CEO, Albert M. Berriz along with Trey Caswell, Ken Polsinelli and Nina Szegda! They are committed to their cardio minutes J. So are you, right?!?!

I wanted to pass along two short motivational videos to you.  Watch them together with your team to help you stay on track or get back on track. 

The first video “The man who never gave up”, lost 175 lbs without surgery!  Hard work, dedication and the strong desire to be a healthy young man was what got him to the weight he is today.

Watch the second video and you will be immediately be amazed by what this young man can do because it seems physically impossible for most.   However, the most amazing part of the video is at the very end. 

When you’re going through these challenges or anything in life for that matter, remember this:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.”
― Henry Ford

I think you can, what do you think?

 “The man who never gave up”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrasQOojFyo

Not a word said and this kid will leave in in awe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oaH1jaNHNE

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith Mitchell