IMPORTANT- Challenge Date Change- Learning COURAGE!!

Tomorrow was to start the Power of YOU Fall Fitness Challenge, but the date is to be postponed until next week.  That is not my norm when it comes to classes and my business, but my little girl, Makenzie Christina Shirey, is about to teach all of us a lesson.  The lesson of being strong, courageous and using your body because you can.


Monday, September 20th, my family and I were at the pool playing and laughing.  We were swimming and diving, enjoying the nice warm night and being active.  The week quickly turned on us.  On Thursday, September 23rd, we rushed Makenzie to the ER at Children's Hospital because she had been very sick with the stomach flu for 36 hours.  She is a vibrant, active, dynamic and energetic 6 year old who lost her energy and the flu took over. Sadly, Makenzie is now in ICU and about to teach us a big lesson- the lesson of COURAGE.  Makenzie has been diagnosed with Acute Pancreatitis, in addition to many other things. She is in a lot of pain, but barely complaining. She has been the biggest trooper and hugging her stuffed puppy with little winces as they perform test after test.  She has been sweetly holding our hand and staying so strong, while scared and nervous of what is going on around her.  What Makenzie has is very, very rare in children and terminal in any 60 year old with a minor heart condition. But she keeps going on and is fighting like no other.  Thus, she is using her body with fierce determination as it is fighting against her. 


Which makes me think, while Makenzie is using her strong little body as best as she can, what are YOU using your body for?  Are you challenging it daily to make sure your muscles are moving, your blood is flowing and you are a fighting machine?  Are you taking advantage of the beautiful days outside and going on adventures, hiking the hills, walking the beach, running around the island?  Are you planning out your time to make sure you use it wisely? If not, do so because YOU CAN.  If not, do so because YOU HAVE ONE BODY TO WORK FOR YOU.  If not, use your BODY to the best ways possible and don't complain about what it can't do, but CELEBRATE WHAT IT CAN DO! I am making a list(will be uploaded to the blog) of everything YOU DO in class and celebrating what YOU HAVE DONE!  I ask YOU to make a list of what your body CAN DO, and how vibrant YOU FEEL after.  Keep it posted in your house and look at it this week, so you can move when Makenzie is not able to and I am making means to. Do stairs at the park, and know I am doing stairs at the hospital. Do lunges in the kitchen and know I am doing lunges down the hallways of the ICU. Do push ups and dips on a park bench and know I am doing them beside Makenzie's bed.  USE your body because YOU CAN!

With Makenzie in ICU, the Power of YOU Fall Fitness Challenge is being adjusted to a start date of October 4th. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, but family, love and wellness are  the most integral cornerstones to our lives.  I will use this week to adjust to our new reality of life at Children's Hospital for the next month and be ready to CHALLENGE YOU like no other on Monday, October 4th.  There are NO EXCUSES, all you have to do is lace your shoes and make it to Power Fitness PDX classes, Power of YOU Fall Fitness Challenge workshops, and check ins.  I will lead you through the rest.  I promise to because we all have been given the gift of one body to make as strong, vibrant and as healthy possible. I will do my best to help you reach your health and fitness goals like never before.

Let's work together to Challenge the POWER of YOU!

-Erin Kreitz Shirey, CEO Power Fitness PDX, Master Trainer & Coach
p- 503.703.1269
e- powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com
w- www.powerfitnesspdx.com
t- http://twitter.com/powerfitness

Quick Afternoon Slump Blast Workout

15 minutes is all you need to do this:
Run up and down the stairs for 3 minutes (or marching high knees to low knees)
Do walking caterpillars back and forth  20x
Around the World Jumps- Both Directions 10x
Spiderman Climbing Push Ups across your floor (or yard) 10 push ups and repeat opposite direction
Side Plank Push Ups- Slow Counts of 3- Both Sides- 10x
Wide Sumo Squat Jumps- 20x
Run Up and down the stairs for 3 minutes FAST
Bicycles on Back- 20x
Reverse Crunch - 20x
Long stretch laying on the ground- extending arms and legs as far as they can go
Ahhhhh.....you are now complete and I am off to get my eldest at school....

Power of YOU Fall Fitness CHALLENGE - One Week Away!!!

Having done an annual fitness challenge in Winter-Spring, I decided it was good to do one in the Fall and help women get their routines set before the hustle and craziness of the holidays. By the time it is Holiday Season, Challenge Participants will have changed habits, lost inches, and become their healthiest selves yet!!  Join them on this incredible journey, or share with a friend who has been asking for the motivator to kick start her into gear.  It will be a Challenge like no other!

Power Fitness PDX Power of YOU Fall Fitness Challenge
            … A Bit of POWER for all uber women!
                       Monday, Sept. 27th- Friday, Dec. 3rd 2010

KIDS are back in school and it’s time to take care of YOU! Fall Fitness Challenge matches you up with a fitness buddy and puts you through an intense fitness/health/ wellness challenge.  

YOU WILL: 
CHANGE your life
BECOME your strongest and healthiest self YET
LOSE weight, inches, and unhealthy habits          
LEARN HOW to WORKOUT EFFECTIVELY
GAIN CONFIDENCE, SUPPORT, GUIDANCE

Incorporates $1475 in Services for only $700!! -  
Special through September 24th to save $75- $625 for ENTIRE CHALLENGE!!!! 
                      
10 weeks of Power Fitness PDX 3x/week , 4 bonus classes for, 3 nutrition/fitness/ wellness/time WORKSHOPS, 4 Hours to PASS –personal assistant to life , 2x 30 minute 1:1 Personal Training Session, Pre & Post Challenge Measurements  & MUCH MORE!!!

THE WOMAN WHO LOSES MOST & REACHES GOALS  WIN….GEAR AND GOODIES FROM BORN FIT, ROADRUNNER SPORTS, POWER ADE ZERO, FLEX POWER, SHAY’S CAFÉ, SALON ONE, DAISY'S, IGNITION ARCHITECTURE, POWER FITNESS PDX, PASS, PAPPO

LIMITED TO ONLY 20 WOMEN- REGISTER ASAP!!! www.powerfitnesspdx.com

One lucky Mom can WIN THE ENTIRE CHALLENGE! Share why YOU deserve the Challenge and be honored with a scholarship!!
Send all letters by September 24TH to: powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com  or  PO Box 1077, Alameda CA 94501

About Erin Kreitz Shirey-                                   
Power Fitness PDX CEO/Lead Trainer & Coach
A born and raised Alamedian, Erin’s focus is to help develop a client’s self esteem through athletics and truly look at exercise as a WAY of life. She inspires others to challenge AND reach their goals. When not teaching or chasing her 2 kidlets, Erin writes about health/fitness/ family and has been a contributing Editor for Better TV. She has BS in Kinesiology, ACE, NASM, Stott Pilates Mat, Fit to Deliver and Sports Nutrition Certified.    www.powerfitnesspdx.com

Fun part of being a girl

Hello-

You have done an incredible job in the Blast Classes, the beginning of Session 8, and those who 
haven't made it we miss you! We have been running stairs, jumping, 
pushing ourselves and going nonstop for 65 minutes! But one thing that 
some of you have asked me, as well as other PFPDX'ers before, is how 
to strengthen your pelvic floor and help lighten the Piddle Party.

I know, it is not fun to talk about for some, but it needs to be 
talked about in order to make exercise FUN and COMFORTABLE! If you
ever have a question, concern or wish on how to help strengthen your
pelvic floor, please do not hesitate to ask me.  Some tips you can do daily:

- When working, do 10 Kegals every hour on the hour
- 4x/week, do inverted toe squats and hold the lower position for a 5-count
- Do balance work: stand on a disk, rolled towel, BOSU ball

Think of your pelvic floor like any other muscle group and do the exercises 4x/week.
I am thinking about doing a 45-60 minute workshop on the pelvic floor and how to
strengthen it on a Saturday morning. Please email me with interest.

I look forward to seeing you in the morning, and remember, practice your
Special K's!

Cheers-


Erin Kreitz Shirey
Power Fitness PDX- Owner, Master Trainer & Coach
Powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com
Www.powerfitnesspdx.com

Cleaning break

Did you realize that part of the "overwhelm" feeling you have with not getting things done is because you have to first sit down and CLEAN things out? Everyone should take time to truly analyze their lives to see what works and doesn't work for them.  What is it that is holding you back and if it is, clean it out and purge whatever is hindering you from reaching your goals?  As harsh as this sounds, it goes for some tough friendships too.

I have a client who is doing INCREDIBLE and losing weight, looking stronger, and most importantly feeling better about herself and her place in the world.  It has taken a lot of time to get to this point, and she worked very hard to get there. After working on her diet to make it cleaner, her home to feel more organized so she felt less stressed and her routines to feel clean as well and not full of wasted time...she still had something holding her back.

We realized that it was a co-worker who started becoming unkind as my client was getting more successful in reaching her health and fitness goals. The co-worker was putting her own negativity and energy onto my client, and my client was taking it in.  This is when we decided she had to CLEAN out her time spent with people who don't make her feel good. There is no sense of obligation to be around an acquaintance or friend who doesn't make you feel good about yourself and may offset your nerves to overeat, not exercise or take good care of yourself.  You owe it to yourself to share with the person why their words hurt and how they make you feel. That is the difficult piece since it is a hard thing to do.  But you need to treat yourself with the same respect you treat others, and own your own time. 

I ask you to take a few minutes. Write down where you are with reaching your health, fitness and life goals. Write down where you feel you need help and what is holding you back.  Write down HOW you visualize yourself mentally and physically once you have reached your goals. Look at the goals you have in the different columns, and map out a game plan to make the changes with specific dates attached to the changes.  Now take the time to CLEAN out your life and make those goals happen. 

** The next Power Fitness PDX Workshop is  on Tuesday, September 14th, 7-8:30 pm, at Shay's Cafe.  Titled " Balancing Work, Motherhood and Your Running Shoes". Register for your space at www.powerfitnesspdx.com