Happy Friday friends! When this post goes live, I’ll be in Norway, chasing down the Northern Lights. I can’t wait to share the details of this adventure with you. This is the beginning of my one week trip (Norway->Stockholm->Copenhagen), including a portion of which will be my first time solo-traveling. Wish me luck! And if you’d like to follow the adventures, make sure to follow me on Instagram, @shapinup.
The Inspiration Behind Today’s Mini Wake Up Workout
While on this very cold-weather journey, I’m making it a priority to move my body. Even if it’s just a little bit each day, some movement is better than no movement. While this Norway trip is extremely different than the African safari I went on last year, these two trips do have something in common: it’s easy not to move. While on safari I took the least amount of daily steps I’ve probably taken in my entire life. It’s not exactly a walking-friendly trip as you’re often on long game drives (around 4-5 hours each, 2 times a day), and you can’t really journey away from your tent/hut because wild animals could be a mere feet away.
On safari I didn’t bother myself with adding movement to my day (it was my honeymoon after all!). I was perfectly happy sitting through each game drive, walking the three feet from our room to our next meal, and calling it a day. In the end though, my body felt horrible. By the close of our safari adventure, I felt so stiff and craved movement so badly. Thirty-six hours of travel to get home didn’t help. By the time I landed in SF, I felt like a total disaster.
My goal for this Norway adventure is to ensure that I don’t fall into those same bad habits. Even if I can’t get to a gym or can’t go for a run (for example, one night we’re staying HERE, pretty sure there isn’t a gym included), I will be adding movement and stretching into my mornings and evenings.
If you have travel plans like mine, the kind that don’t lend themselves well to exercise, or you’re taking a day off from the gym but want some sort of movement, here’s a mini workout to try. This requires no equipment, not even a yoga mat. No warm up is required as the first two rounds are gentle movements and get progressively more challenging.
Allow this mini wake up workout to start your day in a positive light, feeling strong and ready.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
