Day 33 - 500 Bodyweight Challenge.

It was a day for Camino Dark Hot Chocolate and Reddit.

I'm pleased to say that I am starting to feel better already. I woke up still quite foggy and congested, but things seem to be clearing up ever so slightly today, and I imagine that I'll be feeling a lot better by tomorrow.

I briefly entertained the idea of going to the gym today, but the burning sensation in my nose deterred me from going outside and breathing in all that cold air on my walk over, and I decided to do a short workout at home instead. Anyone have a solution? I constantly feel like I'm about to sneeze.

Not me, but a reasonable facsimile of what I have felt like nearly every minute of the past few days.

For my activity today, I downloaded an app called 500 Bodyweight Challenge, which is a no-equipment-required home workout. 

I like bodyweight exercise because it's portable - you generally don't need any specialised equipment, and you usually don't need much space, either, so you can work out just about anywhere.

Perfect for those days when you don't want to leave the house and brave the snow and wind.

Of course, you only get out what you put in when it comes to bodyweight exercises. It's easy to coast through a routine with loose muscles and poor form, but if you pay attention to form and keep the appropriate muscle groups engaged, you can really get a great sweat going.

The app initially takes you through a video tutorial that teaches you how to complete a bunch of bodyweight exercises, including Cossacks, Y squats, and Squat Thrusts, among others. Then you get the chance to complete a challenge - 50 reps of each exercise. It's timed, which allows you to compete against other users and your own prior attempts. You get a chance to review a short video of each movement as you're doing it, which is helpful, as there are several activities in the set to remember.

Unfortunately, I did not make it through the entire challenge.

Nope, not that kind of dirty dog.

The penultimate exercise in the set, Dirty Dogs, was just too challenging, probably because I'm still not quite (read: not at all) recovered from whatever I've got. The attempt precipitated quite a coughing fit, and - feeling quite lightheaded - I had to concede defeat before completing the final exercise, Burpees. 

I think this would be a great little at-home workout under different circumstances, and I was impressed that I felt I was doing some cardiovascular work, not just strength training. I'll likely give it a try in the upcoming weeks and see if I have more success when I'm not feeling so yucky. 

If you've used this app, I'd love to know what you think of it.