Let's Get Physical

As a part of this program we get a free membership to the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center.

This is the main entrance, they sell SOS treats at the front desk.

A small lounge area and the Kitchen Demo area.  This is where we get SOS meal demos from the Chef of Bistro Elaia, a healthy eatery at the center.












The main gym area, there is also a track upstairs that goes around the perimeter of the room and other more specialized equipment.







Steam room and Sauna
Have not used these much, not one for the heat yet. 

The showers are super nice, spacious and comes with shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

The pool, there is also a Jacuzzi in there that I have used quite a bit.  
Feels great at the end of the day.

This place is awesome, very modern, all the bells and whistles and super friendly staff.  Everyone is very excited about the SOS program and all of us in the group.  They are committed to helping us be successful.  And I mean Committed, they are not taking it easy one us and expect everything we've got, and then some.  

Honestly, that is exactly what I needed, and I think some of the others may feel that way as well.  For me it's the fact that I don't know what I am doing in the gym, how to use all the different equipment, what exercise to do and for how long.  They are here to help guide us through and teach us key fitness tools that can be applied to our routine.

I have tried things I have never done before and I really like it.  I am doing weights and using the rowing machine, pulling huge ropes on a track, planking, yoga, you name it...we have done it.

This is just the beginning of a process of incorporating fitness into my routine.  Right now I know I am highly motivated to go to the gym everyday and being committed to the program, but the idea is to do this forever and that takes major work.  I am trying to be realistic on what I can do right now and what I want to work my way up to.  I am setting goals for myself that I know I can achieve with the understanding that I will just keep setting these goals and doing more and more and more.

This was one of the first nights we had our group fitness class.  We meet once a week with Carradine and Casey and the group to learn ways to warm-up before working out, to learn new exercises, how to use the machines in the gym, ways to stretch after we are done.

It is actually a lot of fun.

Here we are doing rotations of steps, push-ups, kettle balls, bag slamming and planking.

Workin the weights

The cool part is you have a key that you can program a work out and plug it into each machine and it will know what your weight should be and how many reps to do, how long to rest between reps and what your next machine or activity should be.  

I LOVE THIS

It really makes it easy for me to know what I am doing when the trainers are not around.  

I know this does not happen over night and I have to work hard to make these changes permanent, this is more about emotional and mental obstacles that sometime get in our way.  

When we let ourselves get in the way. 

I know I do. 

 Now it is about being more positive and not letting it get the better of me.  When things get hard, you have to look for a way to push through and make it work.  If things don't work out the way you wanted, which will happen, don't beat yourself up for stumbling.  That will happen along the way, no one is perfect and you just get up and keep going.  You have the rest of your life to perfect parts of your routine, but you will always have to adjust to the ups and downs of life.  What I think is important is that this program is giving me the tools I can use to manage my life and make better choices.  It does not mean that I cant enjoy myself and do fun things, it just means learning to appreciate a new way of doing that.  

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator....that is 5 flights people.

Just one of the ways that I am trying to make small changes in the way I do things.  The more things I do or add, the easier it is to keep doing it.  

I am also trying new ways at the house to incorporate fitness into my routine.  

I set up a bands station and I have several types and weights.  These are just really versatile and easy to use at home for a simple workout.

 I have my sponge ball that I use to do exercises that help my lower back and my core.

Being more physically fit is important to me to really live the life we want in Colorado.  I want to be able to get out there and be a little ski bunny and kill it on the slopes with my husband.  I want to be able to find a trail and just take off and see where it goes, I want to have a garden and grow my own veggies and herbs, I even want to be able to get out and chop some fire wood.  Who knows where we will end up out here and I want to be ready.

Adam and I love to be out in the mountains and I am trying to push my self a little farther each time.  There are so many beautiful places to discover and we have only just begun to explore.

This is me with my candy baby out on one of our adventures.  For one of our homework assignments we had to carry a bag of some of our favorite candies everywhere we went.  

Baby Mei went to lots of really cool places while we were out hiking with our friends from Dallas, Brandon and Kristina.  We went to Berthoud Pass, Hoosier Pass and Kenosha Pass.  

I love being out there and it is so awesome that this is such a fun way of getting active.

Especially when you have awesome friends to go with you!

If you are interested in more about our Colorado Adventures you can check out Adam's blog at 

Coloradoadam.blogspot.com