...iT dOesN't hAvE tO bE fUn tO bE fUn...

"It doesn't have to be fun to be fun." ~Mark Twight

Some of my most favorite workouts are the ones I do outside. Today was no exception. I went up to the gym and flipped a big tire and jumped in and out of it and did ring rows and lunged and swung a sledgehammer and did sit-ups...almost all of it was outside in BEAUTIFUL, sunny, 70 something degree Texas weather! I don't know what it is, but I feel so free and so alive when I am doing this stuff outside with the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair.

I am ALWAYS very tired by the end, because doing this kind of stuff is basically good, old fashioned HARD WORK! Some people may say, "Why would you want to flip a big tire or swing a heavy sledgehammer if you don't HAVE to?". Well, I do it because I get to switch up my workouts and enjoy the outdoors while I'm working out. Also, I LIKE to work hard physically. To ME...it really IS fun...and I always feel like I've gotten a good workout and used some muscles that are hard to isolate with traditional exercises.

The next time you want to do something different...give this sort of workout a try. Find an old tire you can attach a rope to and drag it or hit it with a sledgehammer. Go to the park and do pull-ups on the monkey bars or try going across like a monkey...the way you did as a child. Find things in your garage or outside that you can use as weights. Drive to a hill and run up and down. Learn to be able to adapt and work hard without gym equipment. Gym equipment is nice and it IS important, but you don't ALWAYS need it. If you don't like this sort of stuff...LEARN TO LIKE IT! Grab a friend and make it fun! Get outside and don't be afraid of getting dirty. Try new things and be happy working hard!

Remember what my workout hero Mark Twight says..."It doesn't have to be fun to be fun!"

P.S. Ladies...and guys too...I have so many inspirational quotes that I have collected for YEARS! Recently, I started adding some of them to pictures that I find and using them here on my blog AND on the "STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY" FB page, so I had a thought today. Why not highlight some of my FB and Blogging friends?!?!

If you would like to, email me a pic of yourself that includes your name and ONE short paragraph about you, or what motivates you, or whatever. I will sort through and find pics that I like to go along with some quotes and "edit" them! I will TRY to email or message you here when I am going to use YOUR pic so you can be sure to tell all your friends!

There's just a few "rules":
1. No nudity or anything that a child should not see. I know MY own teen is on the FB page and reads my blog posts, so I try as a Mom to be respectful of that.
2. If it takes a while or you don't see your pic, please don't get mad, offended, hurt feelings, or email me. I can say without even seeing the pics that there is no pic that anyone could send me that I would think is not good enough! But...as you mighta noticed...there's a lot of us and I'm one girl.
3. You have to be okay with me using your pic on the page and my blog. I assume that's the case if you are sending in a pic, but I thought I'd say it anyways. :)

I'm super excited! I LOVE giving all of y'all a chance to show the hard work and dedication that you have! You all deserve to be praised and noticed so PLEASE send me pics!!! They do NOT need to be professional. Many times action shots or everyday pics work better! Just think YOU can become someone else's inspiration with a lil help from ME!

My email is: marshachristensen@mac.com