Simple 7 Rule -Get Active. Be App Active

Apps to help you achieve

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.  30 minutes a day, 5 times a week! That can be a challenge for a lot of women- either she doesn't feel like she has enough time, or she doesn't have enough energy.  And if a lady hasn't been getting any activity, reaching that amount can seem impossible.  

I have a few suggestions, from personal experience and from other busy creative type friends, that can help even you get moving!

The St. Patrick's Day Run through downtown St. Louis- good training goal!

Couch to 5K- 

My friend Melissa LOVES the "5K Runner" app.  Can you jog for 1 minute?  You will jog 3 miles!  Over 8 weeks, you alternate jogging and walking, from 1 minute at a time up to the whole 5K.  Melissa listens to music on her iPhone, and the app quiets the music to instruct you to start running or to walk.  It helps you take the baby steps to toward that 5K that seem impossible. It allows you to jog at your own pace, and enjoy your music without checking your watch.  

For those less smartphoned, this blog post by the Scarlet Words has a printable schedule and real-life tips to make it easier.  You may just be amazed by what you can do!  

I started jogging again at the beginning of February.  Although I have jogged regularly before, it is still soooo hard to get back on the wagon, even after a small break.  Carving out the time in the morning may mean getting to the store later or having less time to get cute.  But I have been gradually getting up earlier so I can work in a 35 minute run and then a quick shower.  I talk myself out of bed by saying, "This is the only time all week that is just my time.  I have to do it!" I like jogging in the morning. It doesn't give me a chance to get distracted by other things, or think I need to keep working on business stuff rather than taking a break to run. 

The Freaky Alarm App- You'll want to throw your phone across the room, but at least you're up on time!

Making more time in your day- 

How do I wake up so early?  This alarm clock app!  The Freaky Alarm forces you to wake up, rather than silencing your phone and drifting back indefinitely into a sleepy abyss (because I never do that…not).  You have to answer mental math questions and do touch screen tasks, so your brain is awakened and you start thinking about your exciting day, which will hopefully include 30 minutes of physical activity!  Honestly, the alarm app is insanely annoying, but it works to get you out of snoozeville and into your new day, no matter what time of day.

Thank you for reading! ----Katie

The two designers of Scarlett Garnet Jewelry are writing a short series on how they incorporate American Heart Association's "Life's Simple 7" steps into their own lives.  Scarlett Garnet designed The Heart Nouveau Necklace to benefit the AHA, with 15% of each sale going to women's heart health education and prevention.  Explore what led Scarlett Garnet to Go Red for Women on an earlier blog post at ScarlettGarnetJewelry.Blogspot.com and follow them on Facebook.com/scarlettgarnet