Goals
Remember: Be realistic, make your goals attainable. Challenge yourself, but don’t set yourself up for failure by promising more than you know you can do.

Give some thought to how you’ll prevent injury during your workout.
Some of us will focus on increasing our activity each week, without a final fitness level in mind. However, if you have a set goal you want to reach by the end of this challenge, feel free to post it now, too.
If you like, include your start date weight and/or measurements.


Guest Contributor Series

Water exercise that feels like play! By Christine Crutcher
From beginner to conditioned athlete, from small to large, from young to old, we can all benefit from aquatic exercise - if we are just willing to get wet! Moving in the water offers a low-impact or even nonimpact workout that protects the hip, knee, and ankle joints. And you don't need to know how to swim to take classes, even in deep water.

Water enables you to develop strength and better muscle balance, because every movement in one direction meets with equal resistance in the opposite direction. On land, gravity is the downward vertical force that allows you to walk and move freely without floating into space. Every time you lift something, say, bend a knee toward your chest or bend an elbow holding a weighted bar, the force of gravity resists your efforts. You become stronger by resisting the gravitational pull.

In the water, buoyancy is the upward vertical force pushing you toward the surface. The horizontal resistance of water is very noticeable: water is twelve times more resistant than air. Moving through water in any direction is comparable to walking in a strong wind. A large person's greater frontal surface area and natural buoyancy allow her to experience an especially good workout using the resistance properties of water.

Exercising in water has many benefits. It can decrease swelling. During land exercise, there is a tendency for blood to pool in the lower extremities. In water, the gentle massaging effect of the water's pressure assists the veins with the return of blood to the heart, making for improved circulation. Even when you're working hard in the water, you feel refreshed. The body in water cools twelve to twenty-five times faster than it does on land. But you must remember to drink water during your workout. You don't realize you're perspiring when you work out in water.

Shallow-water exercise, a low-impact option, is popular at most pools offering water exercise programs. Shallow-water exercise is low impact, because you have contact with the bottom of the pool. For large people, it's best not to bounce or rebound off the floor of the pool, because that impact will still be fairly high. I'd suggest wearing cushioned water shoes for protection (even tennis shoes). If you're uncomfortable or unsure of your water skills, a well-taught shallow-water class is a great place to start. The water level should be between your waist and your chest. If the water is too shallow, you'll feel more impact on your lower body, and it will be hard to use your arms effectively under water.

If the water is deeper than midchest, you may find you're always on your tiptoes trying to reach the floor. Posture is very important. You want to use your abdominal muscles, not your lower back muscles, to move. Stand straight and keep your shoulders over your hips. Use your legs in an athletic stance (legs apart about eighteen to twenty-four inches, knees slightly bent) to give yourself a good base of support.

Shallow-water exercise provides great opportunities for toning and cardiovascular conditioning. And it's fun! Our bodies are so light and graceful in the water!

{For more, including information on deep water exercise, click on the link above to read the rest of the article.}


Oprah's Journaling Question
How does it feel to make a commitment to living a healthier, happier life? What will you do to guarantee you will stick with it?