Have you set a summer goal? Today is the day I am officially kicking off mine. I want to get back to my love of yoga and strength training, decrease the mileage a bit, foam roll daily, and spend some time with professionals getting advice on my mechanics and running form. With Charm gone on her summer travels for a few weeks, Mommy has time to get into some of my favorite gyms and classes. Bikram Yoga. I am uber excited to finally getting around to trying Bikram Yoga. Almost two years ago, Charm gave me a gift card to try Bikram for one month, but I was way too intimidated to try hot yoga because of stories I’ve heard. I have finally built up the courage, and I like the benefits of Bikram that I have read about. According to shape.com, Bikram allows the body to “stretch, detoxify, relieve stress, tone, and heal chronic pain such as arthritis, joint aches, knee injuries, back problems, and more”. When I was doing yoga consistently, I felt not only stronger and more flexible, but my posture was better and muscles and joints felt amazing – especially after a run. Strength Training. Y’all, I am queen of googling and trying to do it myself. Instead of doing that, I’ll be hooking up with one of my favorite local fitness trainers over the next six weeks. Also, one of my closest friends is an athletic trainer. We run together often, and he has been amazing in so many ways, especially for understanding what my body needs to prepare and recover properly. My hopes are to get advice on ways to become a stronger runner, through cross-training, and to make sure I am not just out here self-training and hurting myself. Cross-Training. Something that I have had to learn is that strength training does not only mean going to the gym and lifting heavy! In fact, some of the best strength training incorporates your own body weight or light resistance. This summer, I would like to hit up some new ways to cross-train. In addition to yoga and sessions with a trainer, to switch things up, I have found a few classes that I would like to take over the summer: Drop-in classes of TRX & Cycling at HigherPower Drop-in classes at Body BFit: Lagree, Versa Climber, and Boxing I also want to find some time to go swimming and to the rock-wall gym! My main goal is to find some creative, fun, non-traditional workouts, instead of only spending time in the gym lifting weights and reaching muscle failure. Sanity. But most importantly, I want to make it through the summer without feeling stressed out about training, running, or trying to add too much to my already full plate. In addition to these summer plans, I still have to work full-time and I am taking a full-time summer school load. Fortunately, working out, running, and being active helps me balance life and feel brand new. I think I’ll throw in some meditation for my own head space though! Enjoy, Subscribe, & Share your goals Check out more about how to challenge yourself and family this summer: Summer Greatness Related Posts: Team NDSS and Beyond The Limits