Saturday morning, amid all the excitement about that record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot, a few of us on our way to running the North Florida Warrior Dash started talking about how we'd spend - or not spend - our theoretical winnings.
My 'spending plan': 1. Open an awesome gym. 2. Establish a fitness foundation that combats childhood obesity by promoting fitness and nutrition among children - no matter their socioeconomic situation. Life is hard enough without having to deal with the emotional and physical toil of being "that kid." It breaks my heart more than anything to see that. Not to mention the fact that our nation's soaring childhood obesity rates will lead to an adult health care epidemic that makes the current deficit look nominal.
The reasons behind childhood obesity are not rocket science. Fast food is a fifth and frequently eaten food group. Video games and TV have replaced playing hide and seek. Soda and sugar water pose as "juice." Kids too often live on processed Franken-foods filled with corn syrup and trans fats.
Yet children inherently like to run around. At Sunday's Easter Egg Hunt 'Bad Donkey' Bootcamp, the youngest bootcampers ran all over The Powermill Sports Facility looking for eggs - then didn't hesitate when I put on my drill sergeant hat and said, "OK! Run around the volleyball court 5 times!" When we did planks, one student's son did them right alongside her.
In some bootcamps, they lunge with us. They do jumping jacks. They do decline pushups and regular pushups. And they have a blast. One client's almost-2-year-old joined her last week in the living room as she did an Insanity workout, planking (there he is at left) and taking milk bottle breaks in between. Sunday, even a 5-month-old squealed with delight as he watched us all running around with his Badass Mama.
Today's workout is designed for sharing with the kids, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren in your lives. Not only does it eliminate your "no childcare" hurdle; it will put all their youthful energy to good use, in the healthiest way possible.
So find your pint-sized workout partner and have fun with this quick session!
Bad Donkey Energy Burner Workout
Warmup:
- Pogo hops, 15 seconds
- Jumping jacks, 15 seconds
- Jumping beans (aka jump squats), 15 seconds
- Reach for the moon (aka jump up with arms overhead), 15 seconds
Round 1:
- Jog up and down a space (ideally 25 yards) 4 times
- Leap frog up one length, then do 10 jumping jacks. Repeat 3 more times, or as much as their attention span allows.
- 20 pushups for you, 10 for the Bad Donkeys
Round 2: Tabata Drill (download and let them use the free timer App on your phone. They'll love it)
- Jumping beans (aka jump squats)x2
- Jumping jacks x2
- Running in place x2
- Skaters x2
Round 3
- Jog up and down a space (ideally 25 yards) 4 times
- Leap frog up one length, then do 10 jumping jacks. Repeat 3 more times.
- 20 pushups for you, 10 for the Bad Donkeys
Round 4: Tabata Drill
- Jumping Jacks x2
- Tag x2 (run around just like you used to, tagging each other, for each 20-second interval)
- Skaters x2
- Pogo hops x2
Round 5
- 25 crunches
- 15-second plank for them, 30-second for you (If EJ, not even 2, can do it...)
- 25 pull-ins
- Stretch!!!
Coming up: Five ideas for building a Badass Easter Basket...