The alarm chimed at 5:30am and her crackled voice summoned the 9 extra minutes of snooze.  Plenty of time to rationalize that sleep was good for her and she should skip her morning ride for some extra shut eye, she stopped the thought process.  Her streak was nearing 100 consecutive days which made her motivated and proud.  

Summer has a long standing reputation for being the body season where “new year new me” resolutions are resurrected and the stopwatch for getting into shape before you brave your bikini is running out of time.  LEOLUNA reminds you to tell yourself that a healthy lifestyle includes consistent incorporation of movement that is enjoyable, safe, and challenging. 

Our bodies yearn to move, strengthen, and learn over time.  We learn to walk then run as a child and as an adult, we discover many more activities that fuel our need to incorporate movement into daily life. 

Your body and mind work together in direct connection for sustaining health. Your wellness is dependent on how you treat your health, mentally and physically.  Try out some or all of the listed workouts and see which styles of movement make you feel happy and strong in both.  

These workouts made LEOLUNA’s list because they are all full body movements that activate small and big muscles for balance.  They can be done at home, the gym, or outside and are appropriate for all ages and levels.  It’s your mind, body, and lifestyle, move at the pace that feels good.

1. incline walking

Always willing to join a hiking trail with a significant increase in incline, the benefits of incline walking include cardiovascular strength, lower cholesterol, improved oxygen levels, and stronger muscles.  

No matter what pace you are walking, if you are at an incline, you are reaching muscle improvement without the stressful impact of running.  

Whether you are on a neighborhood street, wildflower hill, or stairs, your joints will thank you and an engaged core while on incline will further improve the health of your body.  

2. stationary cycling

As wonderful as it is to feel the air rush against your face out in the elements of a free standing bicycle, the workout on a stationary bike offers a more versatile experience.  Stationary bikes offer flexibility in resistance, duration, mileage, and environment.   

Cycling is a leg focused movement with emphasis on the glutes, quads, and calves.  As a full body workout, cycling engages the core and arms for stability with your choice of a standing and seated position.  

3. pilates

A method of movement that works with body weight, stability, and coordination, Pilates is a style of workout for toning and balancing physical strength while building muscle in legs, core, and arms.  Pilates focuses on the whole body.

In contrast to past exercise trends of high intensity and heavy weight, Pilates practices from a soothing scope of incorporating flexibility, posture which benefits the body from a preventative point of view while decreasing stress from breathwork and planned rest.   

4. stability strength 

A revision of traditional strength training that isolates muscles with stationary equipment, stability strength includes free form movement with weight for full body engagement.  

Think of bicep curls while standing on one foot or squats on a BOSU ball.  The inclusion of balance with weight challenges the mind and body for benefits of improved focus, consistent breath, and slowed movements to align small and large muscle function. 

5. 12-3-30

Sometimes, getting outside and experiencing natural terrain is not an option, so you make the best of it and head to the gym for the treadmill.  Set your incline to 12 at a speed of 3 mph for 30 minutes, hence the 12-3-30 title.  

It takes the guesswork and questioning out of the workout and you can enjoy the 30 minutes with your body.  The movement is low impact and can lower risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.   

All of these workouts incorporate micro and macro muscle work with an emphasis on full body movement that is available for all ages and all levels.  LEOLUNA always wants you to be happy and healthy, so please take these workouts as suggestions and always consult with professionals when making your choices. 

The results of these workouts are mental and physical.  We engage in feeling good about ourselves based on what we see in the mirror, but it’s the freedom we feel when we can move with comfort, participate with strength, and have confidence in our health that attributes to true wellness in the life we seek.  

Follow up and comment on which workouts you liked best. 

Leoluna loves you~