Welcome to the latest edition of 52 Healthy habits. Each week I work to conquer a new healthy habit. A healthy lifestyle is all about sustainable habits, so I look for ways that I can make small improvements in my life so I can continue to progress forward. 

I try to adopt new healthy habits but I am not always perfect or successful. I know I will fall down some weeks and then get back up. This series gives me some accountability to try new things and then report back with how it went. What new healthy habits are you trying to conquer? 

We are on week 7 and I have already had some successes and failures. I am working on getting up early, reading instead of social media, journaling, macro cycling and studying for my nutrition certification. All are going well with varying levels of success and commitment. 

I was struggling since November to get back on track with studying for my Precision Nutrition certification and last week I found an online accountability buddy. We talked on the phone and I made the commitment to get through two more chapters in the text and made arrangements for a follow up chat this week.

I did so well that I am mad at myself for waiting so long to get going again. I spent an hour or two every night and flew through the material at a faster rate than expected. The accountability buddy got me going, but honestly, I don't even feel like I need one anymore. I just needed the kick in the butt to get started. Now that I am on a roll, I am good.

It always to harder to start something than to keep going. It's so much easier once the momentum gets rolling. Keep this in mind with whatever you are want to start. Don't wait, just start. It gets easier as you go.

WEEK 7: STRENGTH TRAINING 15 MINUTES A DAY

Confession time: You might be surprised if I tell you that I haven't worked out much in 2017. My husband and I walk once or twice a day and I always get 10k steps a day, but as far as traditional workouts go? Zip. Nada.

Yes. Me. The Personal Trainer. Even trainers can fall off the wagon. We're human. It's life. I blinked and it's mid March. 

I have a reason (aka excuse). I hurt my shoulder last year and my doctor told me not to lift weights and take it easy with the running (because the swinging arm motion can irritate my injured shoulder). I am a big fan of listening to my body and especially, my doctor, but there is no reason why I can't do bodyweight leg exercises, core exercises and most mobility work. No reason except it wasn't my usual routine and I was frustrated with my shoulder situation. Instead of doing what I could do, I did much less than usual. I've done occasional workouts, but haven't been consistent at all. I was focusing on just moving, now it's time to bring the strength component back. (I am also starting to see a physical therapist for my shoulder.)

I am committing to at least 15 minutes a day of some type of strength training workout on top of my daily walks and steps. At least 15 minutes. Just like my studying, once I get on the roll again with my 15 minutes a day, it will snowball into longer, more consistent workouts. I need to baby my shoulder, but I see a lot of leg and core work in my future. 

You don't have to jump into one hour workouts six days a week. Start small. Establish a habit. Build slowly. It only takes a small time commitment to get started. 

What are your goals for the upcoming week? Won't you join me in adopting a new healthy habit? 

52 Healthy Habits Series

week 1: Early to Rise
week 2: Track calories
week 3: Macro cycling
week 4: Morning pages (journaling)
week 5: Stop the scrolling (reading instead of social media)
week 6: Be a good student (take time for learning)

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Coach Lea