The upcoming week is the final week of classes for the semester and we have been doing a lot of exercises that we learned earlier in the semester. I have really enjoyed doing a lot of the exercises which we haven't done in awhile because it is helping me to remember them so I can use them later after the class is over. Even as the semester is ending and finals are coming up I have found that I have started to incorporate core exercises into my workout without thinking about it and despite my stress.

Over the past semester I have definitely seen a big improvement in my core strength. I am able to do more reps of exercises then I was able to at the beginning of the semester and I also have worked on different areas of the core which I used to neglect. The class has been very helpful and I will definitely continue to use what I have learned this semester in order to continue to improve my core strength.

This week I have been writing my seven week exercise plan. While writing it I have tried to set some ambitious goals so that I am motivated to work hard because I know that I will work harder if I am constantly challenged. I included overall fitness foals and not just goals for my core training because I feel that it is important to incorporate many different exercises in order to become healthy overall. I will not be in class on Tuesday because I have to leave for Thanksgiving break early in the morning so I am going to try and do individual exercises since my workout plan begins that day.

This week we only had one class because of the hurricane but even though I didn't have class I made sure to do a lot of abs during my workouts on the days we got off. During class on Thursday we talked about the workout plan that we have to make so that we will have something to follow once class is over and that is what I have been working on today. I have tried to look back at my previous blogs and remember each exercises and decide which ones I will actually follow through with doing and which ones I liked the best. I want to try and find exercises for each part of the core and not just abs so that I can get a complete workout and continue to see the improvement in my fitness. I definitely want to continue to do push ups because this is the first time in my life I am actually able to do more then three in a row. I haven't decided any other exercises that I will definitely include but I really think that this workout plan will help me to make sure I am getting complete workouts and continue to improve my fitness.

While working out at the AFC this week I have realized that my ab workouts and other core training exercises that I use have become very normal and comfortable for me. I am in a routine now that I can easily remember and get into the rhythm of. I am really happy that I have become used to these exercises because I was worried that I would slip back into my old habit of not working out my core very much if I wasn't used to doing it before the semester ended.

For my presentation my partner Allie and I used the Insanity DVDs to find exercises to teach the class. I really enjoyed watching them and learning a lot of new exercises. The DVDs are a bit intense for my taste but I definitely feel like they are effective. I have P90X DVDs at home that I don't use very much but I think that I might start more because they are very motivational and might help me continue to do core exercises.

This weeks Thursday class was really interesting. I thought it was cool that different groups taught the class instead of Jenna. It made class a bit more unpredictable because each group chose very different activities but I felt that I definitely get a harder workout when Jenna is the instructor. I really did enjoy the mix of activities and definitely liked playing the ninja game which was very funny to watch. Since I had a midterm right after class on Thursday I was a little stressed out but I felt that playing that game was kind of relaxing and took my mind off of the studying and stress.

This week I made a really big effort to eat healthy and workout more. I think being healthier during the week is something I need to work on since on the weekends I tend to workout less and watch what I eat a little bit less. I also have been making my roommate do the exercises I have learned in class which I think will help me to remember and use them after the semester is over.

This week has been very hard for me to workout. Besides all of my school work I have been sick and trying to sleep more so that I can get better but unfortunately it has not been working. Since I haven't been feeling well I haven't gone to the AFC very much and when I did I was only able to workout for a short amount of time. Thankfully working out in class on Thursday made me feel like I had at least worked out well that day and didn't have to go to the AFC later. I really liked the pilates tape that we did last week so I have been trying to find a good one to order online so that I can start doing that instead of just cardio most days and focus a little more on toning my muscles instead. I have also been trying to eat healthy this week so that I am able to get over being sick. Exercising has always helped me to relax and when it stresses me out a little to not exercise and eat badly so I am happy that I have been able to at least eat well and stay somewhat healthy.

I really enjoyed pilates this week. I thought it was a nice change of pace and was also very relaxing. The MTV pilates DVD was very easy to follow and very fun to exercise to. I think I will start doing pilates at home along with the yoga I do because they seem to compliment each other very well. It was a nice break from doing so much intense core work like crunches and push ups but I still definitely felt a good core workout from the DVD. I think this class has really helped me develop my core and I used some of the exercises that we have done in the past weeks when I went to the gym this weekend. This class will definitely be very beneficial to me in the future because I will be able to use what I learned and apply it to everyday life when I go to the AFC.

I have really enjoyed working with the resistance bands this week. I used these a lot when I played sports and was in physical therapy for my shoulder in high school. The bands really make the exercises more challenging and I can also feel them more intensely. It is really interesting that by just adding a band to a lot of the exercises the results and effects of the exercises change. I felt that the exercises this week were very challenging and definitely toned me which is really good because I have not been able to get to the AFC very much this week since I have had a lot of work and papers due recently.

I felt a lot of the exercises that we did this week in my abs, shoulders, and back. We did crunches with the bands, laid back with upperback and legs in the air while holding the band, arm raises with the band under our knees, and walked with the band tied tightly around out ankles. I can't remember many of the other exercises but I really enjoyed using the resistance bands and now have some new ideas on how to use the one that I have in my apartment!

This week's classes were very physically challenging for me. The squats and lunges were expecially taxing on my body since I have not done that many of either since I played lacrosse in high school. Today is the first day that I am actually able to walk, sit, or move without a lot of soreness. My roommates got a lot of laughs out of watching try and move around the apartment and do simple things like sitting down. The part of this week's classes that I really enjoyed was getting to use the medicine balls. There was a huge difference between doing the exercises without the weights and then trying to do them with weights. It was definitely a challenge to try and keep using good form when I did the exercises with the ball. Even without the extra weight of the ball I felt like the exercises were very challenging and really made me work hard so I enjoyed doing them and it makes waking up for an 8:00 am class more worth it since I am actually able to be in an early class that won't put me back to sleep.

This week I overslept and missed Tuesday's class but on Thursday we did exercise stations in groups of 5. Each station focused on a specific part of the core. I really liked the stations because I felt like I was able to really focus on the specific area that the exercises were supposed to target. My shoulders feel expecially sore especially after I went to the AFC and worked out on my own and did some of the exercises that we have been doing in class as well as cardio.

• exercises with a ball including crunches on it
• should station- held shoes and did arm circles and raises
• planks- variety of different kinds
• abs- crunches with legs at 90 degrees, bicycle crunches, muffin tops,
• push ups

I think that all of the new exercises that I have been doing in class have really helped me to work out a part of the body which I probably ignore too much. I also have enjoyed the days we have class because I don't have to workout so long at the AFC at night since I already did part of my workout.

On Thursday we focused on working on our ab muscles. I can't remember all of the exercises we did but these are some of them

• sit ups
• push ups
• leg raises
• planks
• fish kicks
• leg circles while on back
• muffin tops

There are a lot more exercises that I am forgetting but since class I am definitely sore and feeling the results of all the ab work.

Today in class we worked a lot on our shoulders. I never really thought of this body part as part of the core but I now realize that it is. The following is a list of all the exercises that we did today that I remember.

• superman - every different kind which included alternating arms/legs and sides as well
• push ups
• crunches
• an exercise involving the crab walk
• holding arms straight out and lifting up and down with light weights
• holding arms forward and lifting up and down with light weights
• regular plank
• plank rocking forward
• push up with a kick out
• holding arms out with weights and doing circles and then making circles the other way
• doing a plank while doing circles with one leg and then making circles the other way

These are the exercises I remember and I can already feel my shoulders getting sore which is good because I have definitely been neglecting this body part.

After all my classes I went to the AFC and did 45 minutes cardio on an eliptical and the did a couple thigh exercises as well as a few weight lifting exercises for my arms. I definitely think that I had a complete workout today.

After going to two core training classes this week I can officially say that I have never done this much work on my core. I have really enjoyed both classes because I am learning new exercises which I hope to use later on my own when the class is over. My roommates have all been asking me to show them what exercises we do so they have also been getting a good core workout for the past week. Unfortunately all this core work has made me pretty sore but I think that that is a good sign and shows that the exercises are working and I am doing them correctly. Because of this soreness I have decided that when I workout at the AFC I will skip the ab workout that I normally do so that I don't overwork myself.

I think that having this physical education class will really help me to become healthier and learn more about exercise. Starting my Tuesdays and Thursdays with core training makes me want to go workout later and do some cardio, even after four classes. I am hoping this continues through the semester so that I continue to exercise and be healthier. I also am trying to eat better, which is very challenging for me, so that I can get and see the benefits of all the exercise I will be doing this semester. Hopefully, all of this will help me have a healthy and happy 4th year and I will be able to use what I learn in this class well into my future!