Dancing is a great way to get moving and get fit! Get a group of friends or go solo and make your own workout video.

 Then go to www.empowerme2b.org to upload the video for a chance to win autographed copies of Sabrina Bryan’s newest BYOU DVD. 

All the members of the Youth Advisory Board are taking on Service Projects to implement in their communities to promote healthy living.

The three projects to choose from are:

(1) Community Garden   (2) Healthy Food Drive at Local Food Bank   (3) empowerME @school or empowerME @ life tool education to youth

Personally, I have chosen to go with the Community Garden project. The benefits of community gardens is that it can provide healthy, accessible food for many in a community; help in the movement to “go green” and conserve the environment; make people more self-sufficient; strenghten community bonds; and are an opportunity to promote awareness of environmental and health issues through education.

Currently, I am trying to implement a program through the El Dorado Elementary garden where volunteers can help plant more variety of crops, expand out the garden, provide educational lessons about environmental sustainability and healthy living, and also to teach the students how to prepare healthy and nutritious meals from the crops that they have grown.

How much junk food is marketed to youth? Is there a tendency of fast food places to be located near school campuses?

Are there a lot of options or places to eat out for someone looking for healthier options?

I have been used to working out regularly throughout highschool due to my involvement in the water polo and swimming teams at my school. In 3 years, I whipped my weak 8th grade body into a water-pounding machine. However, I have been pretty bogged down lately due to IB exams and all of he other Senior year related business, so I’ve digressed phyisically.

I miss that hot bod.

SO. I have now adhered to the following workout regime, taken from my waterpolo practiced:

• 3 x 75 crunches
• 2 x 60 supermans
• 2 x 50 obliques (ea. side)
• 3 x 25 push-ups
• 50 elbow-know crunches
• 1 or2 minutes of bridges
• 2 x 25 chair dips

This may not be the most effecient workout schedule, but it is effective for me. I don’t have a workout ball nor any weights nor pull-up bars, so this is the best plan for me.

I plan to do this workout 3 times a week. If things get easier, I have some 3lb and 5lb weights I can grab onto to increase the difficulty.

Yet, this workout is not the entire story. It is merely in addition to my true goal.

Recently, I was talking to my dad about his experiences in high school. It surprised me to find out that he was an avid bicyclist, riding several hundred miles each month. He said to me that he was in such good shape that he could ride all the way from his hometown (Stockton) to Sacramento and back with ease. That is roughly 50 miles of mind-numbing nonethingness at a crusing speed of 16 miles an hour.

He then proceeded to call me weak. I would not take that.

I swore to him that by the end of this Summer, I will be able to do as he did and conquer the pathway to the home of the Gonvernator.

This summer, I will train at least thrice a week. I plan to ride 20 miles continuously at 16 miles an hour. In addition to riding, I will be maintaining a balanced meal to ensure that I have enough protein (to build muscle) and carbs (to suply energy).

Wish me luck! Hot bod here I come!