Hey Divas! Check out this new weekend challenge from womenshealthmag:
Weekend Challenge: WALL SITS
This week, we’re mixing it up. Remember doing Wall Sits in elementary school gym? They’re back. Get into position this weekend and see how long you can hold this challenging move. Seriously. Hold on until your muscles are screaming! Note your time—we’ll be asking for it on Monday morning. So…ARE YOU IN?
BREAKING: Joi Marie McKenzie, of The Fab Empire, Heads Divas, MPH 2012 Heart Health Campaign
Divas, MPH-DC is thrilled to announce our 2012 heart health campaign, Love Yourself with All Your H.E.A.R.T. (Health Education, Action, Resources, and Training). We are equally excited to introduce you to our 2012 H.E.A.R.T. campaign spokeswoman, Ms. Joi-Marie McKenzie, acclaimed writer, producer, and creator of the award-winning website The Fab Empire.
The 2012 H.E.A.R.T. campaign is built around a one year calendar of engaging, educational, and community centered outreach activities in the DC-metropolitan area. The campaign kicks off on National Wear Red Day with the first in a series of Heart Truth awareness initiatives, I <3 Her Heart: Wear Red for the Heart You Love. Women - and men - all over the country will wear the color red in honor of the heart of a woman they love. We will post, tweet, and blog their photos along with key facts and risk factors all day! In true Fab! Diva style, Joi-Marie (@DCFab on Twitter and Joi Marie on Facebook) - all decked out in red - is leading us in this initiative in honor of the heart of her mother, and fellow women’s wellness advocate, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie (@VashtiMcKenzie on Twitter).
We ask that you, too, share your picture in red with Divas, MPH on Twitter using the #hearttruth hashtag, via Facebook, or by email at heart@divasmph.org. Then take it a step further, get engaged, share facts, and learn the risk factors for yourself or for the heart of a woman YOU love. Stay connected to Divas, MPH (@DivasMPH on Twitter and Divas, MPH on Facebook) and our heart health ambassador, Joi-Marie McKenzie throughout the year for the latest in heart health news, and more initiatives and activities in the DC-metropolitan area including the 2012 Love, Mom Mother’s Day Brunch this May, the 10-week education & fitness summer series, and the community-wide day of service in November.
Be happy. Be HEART healthy. Be well.
Divas, MPH
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About Divas, MPH
Divas, MPH is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to educating, empowering, and mobilizing women to create healthier communities. Divas, MPH seeks to encourage and enable women to take an active interest in achieving and maintaining total health and wellness—mind, body, and soul—for themselves, their families, and their communities through innovative and socially savvy community activities and classes, media campaigns, and events series’. Current work is based in the Washington, DC, Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan areas and the Harlem section of New York City, but the organization continues to search for opportunities to expand its outreach. For more on Divas, MPH visit www.divasmph.org.
About Joi-Marie
Joi-Marie McKenzie is the creator of The Fab Empire, an award-winning Web site site that covers society, politics, celebrities and local events in Baltimore, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. McKenzie, with her team of contributors and photographers, has successfully created a brand that speaks to the needs of young urban professionals. McKenzie also serves as a producer of entertainment content for ABC News Radio. Previously, she has freelanced for publications including The Afro American Newspaper, Clutch Magazine, NBC New York and NBC Washington. For more on Joi-Marie McKenzie visit www.joimarie.com.
Our New Year’s Resoltuion — 365 Days of Health (You go peenutbutterjellie!)
Be bootylicious. (via womenshealthmag):
Your tiny two-piece may be hibernating, but that doesn’t mean your workout routine should take a long winter’s rest.
Get lean legs and a tight tush with this supercharged circuit inspired by the new Aspen Ascent class at Reebok Sports Club/NY. Each high-energy move strengthens and shapes your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves while also improving your cardiovascular endurance, core stability, balance, and agility. Which means it’s the perfect prep for ski bunnies: “You’ll be able to navigate the slopes with better balance, ski longer without fatiguing, and recover faster with less muscle soreness,” says group exercise instructor Stephanie Levinson, who created this fast-paced workout. Or just look hot while sipping cocoa in the chalet.
Three times a week, complete each exercise, moving from one to the next without rest. Repeat two or three times total. For an added challenge, hold light dumbbells to work your upper body.
NO MORE EXCUSES. You don’t need fancy equipment or an expensive membership to work out!
Stairs can be used for effective cardio AND lower body work. You can also use them for V-sits (ab work), more difficult planks & pushups (put your feet on them), tricep dips and a million other exercises. Be creative!
Other D.I.Y. workout tools?
Kitchen Counter: Great for ‘power’ pushups. Push yourself off in a plyometric fashion, and catch yourself before lowering. Great way to improve your pushups on the floor!
Chairs: The possibilities are endless! Step Ups, leg lifts, crunches, russian twists, elevated hip raises, mountain climbers (put your feet on the chair), box jumps etc.
Socks/Towels: SLIDE & GLIDE! One leg squats, lateral skaters (remember skating with your socks as a kid?), mountain gliders (glide your socks forward and back in plank), Star Planks (in plank position, widen and narrow your feet in a sliding motion). Place them under your hands to use for sliding pushups!
Your BED! The soft surface and bounce makes some moves more fun (and challenging). Try your normal floor routine on your bed, and use pillows for elevation, support and instability.
Mirrors: Check your form! And… check yourself out. Werk.
The Wall: A sneaky tool! Try climbing up with your feet (from plank position), squat holds (back on wall), pushups, or use it for balance for your one-legged booty work.
Laundry Detergent Bottles: Unless you’re an eco-freak, you may have a few lying around. If the handle is big enough, you can fill it with water for a DIY Kettlebell.
Sweat it out, Divas!
