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#mindbodymat: day 4 + booty burn!
We’re 4 days in to the #mindbodymat challenge and going strong! We’ve been working our bodies from head to toe and focusing on a daily task to bring a sense of calm, balance and peace to our minds before embarking on the busy fall season ahead.
If you’re just joining us you can get caught up by starting on Day 1 and doubling up.
Self-Care Challenge…
Today’s self-care challenge will only take 5 minutes but has the power to change your life…
Stress is one of the biggest problems in our culture. Sometimes we think stress is harmless, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Our culture’s focus on productivity, accomplishment and success causes many of us to live in a constant state of low-level stress. Which is actually more detrimental to our health than having days of MAJOR stress, followed by days of calm.
If we are in a state of low-level stress (worrying/stressing all the time) the “fight or flight” receptors in the brain are turned on. This part of the brain is meant for emergencies and emergencies only, not for day-to-day life. Therefore, low-level stress wreaks havoc on our physical health and emotional well-being.
Creating a worry box is a practical way to remove stress from your life. When you find yourself worrying or stressing over a certain issue, write it down on paper and place it in a designated box. If you’re a praying person, you can use this as a prayer box as well. Place the thoughts aside, pray about them later.
The goal is to stop the cycle of worried thoughts and eliminate stress from your daily life. It’s a practical way to change the way you think.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Let’s workout…
If you know me, you know I love the booty burn! Today’s workout will lift, tighten and tone your backside. Have fun with it!
Today’s Check-In: Either show me your worry box or show me your workout space. I want to see that you’re still out there with me! 🙂
xo,
PS – Remember, every post counts as an entry for this week’s amazing giveaway! $150.00 to Athleta? I mean come on…click here for details.
Robin Long
Robin Long, founder and CEO of Lindywell, certified Pilates instructor, Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, and author of 'Well to the Core,' blends 15 years of expertise with a lifelong commitment to holistic health.
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46 thoughts on “#mindbodymat: day 4 + booty burn!”
I love these challenges, both physically and mentally! The worry box is brilliant, it would be good for my husband too.
Perhaps you two could create a joint box. 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying the challenge so far! xo
Victoria,
Please get your husband to join in. This is absolutely the best thing he can be doing for himself. He’ll feel better than ever if you can get him to commit. I committed to Pilates 3 years ago and never looked back. Robin is a wonderful trainer so he can’t go wrong. I need more men to join me. Keep up the great sessions Robin!!
Pat
Yeah I know! I don’t feel like I need to pressure him though as he does yoga and works with a personal trainer, so in total he works out 6 days a week. One of these days I’ll get him to my in-studio classes. 🙂
Thank you Pat! I couldn’t agree more! My husband does them as well!
I love working the “butthigh”!!!!! I always do my leg lifts/pulses/circles in side-lying or tabletop….I LOVED doing them in the “z” leg! Thanks for great ideas!!
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
It is so funny! You are always there to remind me to “suck in your gut” at the exact moment that I forgot and let it go 🙂
Thank you!!
I know! I love that about her!
My pleasure! If only I could follow you all around and remind you all day. 🙂
Favorite workout so far! Butt thigh… ahahah had me cracking up! So true!
We all know that spot right?? 🙂
Great workout today. I think this is my favorite of the week.
That’s good to know! More Booty Burn coming your way.. 🙂
Silly questions, but do you mind telling me how tall you are and how long your arms are or if you know is there an average length for women’s arms? Ever since those tricep dips and that other ” reformer” exercise yesterday, I have been thinking about other exercises that I find challenging and what part is contributed to body design and what part is contributed to just needing to build strength. Does that make any sense?
Thanks,
Debbie 🙂
Hi Debbie! I have no idea what an average arm length is. 🙂 But I suppose it would actually be a ratio of arm length to torso length. Along with a whole host of other factors (upper body strength, flexibility, abdominal strength). I am 5’7″ish and am not sure of my arm length. Sorry that’s not too helpful! Just keep building strength and then see if you get there. And keep me posted! xo
Thanks robin for trying to answer and I am sorry for the weird questions. Just had me thinking about my silly arms, 🙂 Anyway, I loved today’s workout and afterwards I went and did the Yoga for Flexibility video that you had posted with Sara Beth, from the Summer Series. That was awesome!!!! Can’t wait for tomorrow’s workout and my bonus 20 minute workout!!!!
Have an awesome evening.
xxoo
Debbie
Thanks for another great workout, Robin! My 3 year old is doing them with me this time, and she asks me when we are going to do pilates again all the time! She loves it (as do I)!
That is so precious. What a sweet thing for you two to do together. 🙂
awesome! Love the challenge!!!
So happy to hear that Andrea! xo
I totally agree with Susan, you always remind me of the correct form at the moment I start slacking!!! Thanks so much for your workouts and self care challenges. You are definitely one of my all time favourite health blogs/teachers!!
Thank you Janine! 🙂
loved today – my two girls got in on the action and we had so much fun doing the workout. Nothing like getting high fives from my 5 & 6 year old at the end 🙂
That is the best. They are lucky to have a mom like you setting such a positive example. Keep it up! xo
Thank you for this workouts!! Theyr’e challenging for me but as they’re short, I find motivation for doing them 🙂
Thanks for joining me Yasmine!
I love that I can fit these workouts in with my babes around or quickly if I can get them to both nap at the same time! Also, one of my goals was to take some days to do a handful of each of the challenges to work my entire body (when I can find a little more time). Thank you for the mind challenges too! They are thought provoking!
Hi Jennie! As a mom myself I can definitely relate! Short but effective is the way to go these days. 🙂 xo
Hi Robin,
I would LOVE to win the Athleta gift certificate. I have a Montessori 3-6 year old classroom and spend much of my days bent over or on the floor. As a 52 year my hips are getting tighter and the back more difficult to keep loose. I have spent the summer working with an orthopedic and chiropractor to get my back spasm free and strong enough for a new school year. Your summer program I stumbled upon as I was drooling over the Athletica website. What a blessing and a gift you have provided for me. I begin each morning stretching my back and doing your program. What a wonderful way to start the day. THANK YOU!
Love working my butt! I have a severe deficit in that area and love working it.
I am so glad you are running a mind AND body challenge right now. Last week was one of my most challenging weeks ever, work wise. The stretching, workouts, and time to reflect are really helping me let go of that stress and move forward, thank you!
Thank you Robin for the great workouts! I am loving them so far! I am also loving the intro from Adele which makes me feel good every time I put them on! 🙂 I just finished day 4 of the workout challenge, even though a bit late (it is 1:30 am here in Sweden) :). Proud of sticking to something for this long!…it rearly happens 😉
Yay! Good job! You will stick with it the whole time. I know it. Keep posting comments to keep yourself accountable. 🙂 xo
holy poop that hurt so good!
Haha, good to hear! 🙂
I can’t thank you enough for this challenge! I have been away from pilates for so long I forgot how much I love and missed it. Each day is a new reminder that it is okay to take time for me. Thank you again!
That was great! Very challenging. Thanks Robin. Hugs, Kat
Robin, I’ve noticed since having my daughter my hips are super tight, any suggestions onm how to losen them up mad get my mobility back?
Another excellent workout! Where are the pics taken that are outside on your website? It always looks so peaceful. Thank you for another great workout!
Your cues this week on how to keep our hips square, by leaning into the arm on the same side as the lifted leg, have been really, really helpful. I’ve always had trouble keeping my hips square and level while on all fours doing yoga or mat exercises. Your tip instantly corrected my alignment and I could sense how my back was trying to compensate for the exercise effort instead of the focus being my glutes and/or legs, as it should be. Thanks so much!
Hi Robin! Love this challenge so much! I’m one of the few people on this planet that isn’t on Facebook or Twitter but wanted to let you know I’m committed and LOVED today’s workout and self care challenge. I have two kiddos under three so anything to help relieve stress is definitely a plus in my book. Thanks for a great program!
I loved today’s workout, I totally felt the burn but I felt strong at the same time 🙂 Thanks Robin!
Boy! It sure was a booty burn, alright! Loved it. I missed my workout yesterday so I did both yesterday’s and today’s today and I combined the first two the other day too (but i did get to check in. Sorry) coz I really didn’t want to miss out on any of the workouts but sometimes I have no opportunity to fit it in that day. thanks for the great workouts! Love the booty ones esp.
Hey Robin- I am so glad I found your blog and challenge. Pilates has helped to decrease my back pain, improve my posture and improve my body awareness. I moved to a rural area 2 years ago and have struggled to find classes to attend because I have to drive 60 miles to get to the class. I have never thought to look online for support-until I found your blog. Now I am trying to get in the habit of a regular practice again (so far I have done 2 workouts per day every other day). What a blessing! THANK YOU!!
My first workout of the #mindbodymat challenge (chiropractors orders to take it easy last week)…plan to do one more this evening and double up tomorrow also to get me back on track for next week. Really thankful I’ve come across your site.