Precede With Caution, A Workout

Hi guys!  Yesterday I did a workout that I wanted to share with you.  I made a video that's pretty short showing the exercises and some easier variations if you wanted to try it.  I was very nervous if you could tell (and out of breath since I was exercising) but I'm going to share this video with you anyway.  Enjoy:

Precede With Caution Workout:

Breakdown:

• 15 Squat Jumps
• 10 Burpees
• 12 Hold It Knee Tucks
• 20 Sit Ups
• 25 Parachuters
• Plank
• 25 Parachuters
• 20 Sit Ups
• 12 Hold It Knee Tucks
• 10 Burpees
• 15 Squat Jumps

I timed myself and I did this workout in 12:33, then stretch for a couple of minutes.  It's a perfect workout if you don't have a lot of time or you just want to feel better. 

School Update:

I don't usually talk about school, but I just wanted to share how it is going now that I've been going to Paideia for 4 months now.  I think I've had enough time to try out the clubs and get used to my classes, peers, and teachers, and see what I think about them.

I love Paideia.  I love my classes, peers, and teachers.  When I'm not there, I find myself saying, "I love Paideia," or "I love my friends," or "I can't wait to go back to Paideia."  I'm dreading the summer.  I'm learning more in every class- and I have more variety in what I'm learning.  My classes include:

Math:  This is definitely a very challenging subject for me right now.  We're moving into problems I've never dealt with before, and we quickly go from one section to the next.  In my math class, we're doing 'flip teaching', where we watch a video on the lesson at home and do (most of) our homework in class.  I love this system, but I think it would only work for math and science.

Science:  I love this science and my science teacher.  Last year my science teacher was a coach, and while he was a quality science teacher as well, this class challenges me much more intellectually and is much more interesting (hello, Bill Nye the Science Guy).  We play games such as 'trashketball', which combines shooting a paper ball into a trash can if you answer a trivia question correctly.  We also do brainteasers relating to the sections we learn, and tons of labs.  I've never been a real science-fanatic until this.

Creative Expression:  This is a writing class.  I've never tried harder to make my writing good nor have I ever edited my pieces so many times before turning them in to be re-edited.  I'm learning things about writing as well as things about my own ability, so this is a great class for me and I love our assignments (writing poems, stories... well that's as far as we've gotten) and that there is a variety of writing for us to do (to come).

Current Events:  I've never been assigned to read the newspaper before Paideia, so this is new for me.  But I really enjoy it.  I'm surprised how interested I am in Current Events, and it makes SNL much more enjoyable.  That's probably my main take-away.

Literature:  Also a new challenge.  My lit teachers pick books that are not only interesting, but also full of room for interpretation.  Right now I'm reading The Catcher in the Rye.  Before that, we read Bless Me, Ultima (very good book of a boy's religious journey under the guidance of a curandera- how's that for a brief summary, eh?) and before that, Of Mice and Man (the only reference I had heard of that book was from Lost, so I had no idea what was going to happen in the end.  Shocking!  Also, John Malkovich was amazing as Lennie).  We read the books outside of class, which helps me focus much more.  We read the sections twice, once for the story and once for points and vocab, which I also like.  My favorite thing to do is to buy my own copy and write in the book (that way I don't have to waste paper by making points outside of the paper and if anyone else reads it, they can have a second perspective).

Human Rights:  BEST HISTORY I'VE EVER HAD.  I've always hated history, so this is a great change.  I usually get glassy-eyed whenever people tell of the past, but this year it's somehow interesting.  There's also a little more wiggle room of what we study (we don't just learn about one subject from a textbook).  We just finished our Women's Rights section, and that obviously made an impact on me since I've started to bake and sell regularly to raise money for Half The Sky Movement.  That's interest, people.

Chorus:  I <3 chorus.  I'm not an opera singer or anything (cough cough, MOM, cough cough), but it does wonders for my breathing and lungs.  I can hold a 16 count breath now (16 counts in, 16 counts out).  This extra help in the respiratory area is really noticeable when I run (I can BREATHE instead of wheeze).  It is also a great way to get to know girls who aren't in my class.  I love my chorus friends.  I've even joined a Capella!  Oh, and chorus also improves my posture, believe it or not (and that never hurts, especially for Miss Slouchy Hunchback over here :)

Art:  Another thing that I've never been super interested in, but I love it here.  My teacher is laid back, but we get so much done in the 45 minute period we have.  Again, I'm learning more about my creative ability.  I'm also discovering that I'm kind of good at art.  No Picasso (or Mira), but I've finally graduated from my previous second-grade level.

Community Values:  Right now in this class, we're doing debates, which I think is a good skill for life.  If I want to become a lawyer (like I was planning to from ages 4-10), this would be some good practice.  Also, I would love to have a strategy to argue with people.  This stuff comes in handy when the question, "Why don't you eat steak?" comes up (as it often does).

I think that's all my classes, but if I missed one, please let me know!

Have you ever made your own workout?

Have a nice night!