The Diary Game || 16th September, 2024 || Enjoying Monday football with stayfit and steemians.

Edited on Canva

Although Mondays are typically busy for workers, today was a public holiday, providing me with a wonderful opportunity to unwind, stay healthy and have some fun. I decided to make the most of it by joining the STAYFIT FITNESS CLUB, led by Coach @ngoenyi, for an exciting game of football. It was a great way to stay active, enjoy the beautiful day, and kick off the week on a high note!

Before kicking off the thrilling football match, we did some abdominal exercises of which I'd love to share with you in details, stay tuned🤩.

I woke up at 6 am, and began my daily routine by reviewing my schedule for the day. After sanitizing and getting dressed in my workout outfit, I felt energized and prepared to take on the day. As I jogged down to the training ground, I ran into @kidi40, who was about to depart. Realizing we were running late, we hastily hailed a taxi, and kindly, kidi40 covered the fare.

Doing the plank exercise	And having fun during the process

Upon arriving at the training ground, I found the team engaged in a challenging abdominal exercise called the 'plank'. Without hesitation, I quickly joined in and synchronized my movements with the rest of the team. We performed the plank exercise by positioning our forearms on a soft mat, extending our legs straight behind us, and holding our bodies up in a straight line, suspended in mid-air, until the Tabata timer completed its 8 rounds.

While it may have appeared effortless at first glance, I can assure you that the plank exercise was incredibly challenging. I felt intense discomfort in my abdominal region, and some of my teammates were unable to complete the full 8 rounds of Tabata, they were exhausted and fatigued. However, driven by the mantra 'no pain, no gain,' I pushed myself beyond my perceived limits, refusing to give up.

Some teammate got tired	during the leg stretch exercise

Observing that the women on the team were struggling with the plank exercise, Coach adapted the program to include an alternative exercise called 'legs stretch', which still targeted the abdominal muscles but was more accessible for them. They performed the legs stretch exercise by placing their forearms on the ground, tilt a little bit back and raise their two legs up until the Tabata timer completed its 8 rounds.

Doing the knee tuck exercise	with a teammate

Next in the abdominal programme was called 'knee tuck'. This was done by raising our knee to our forehead level, with the tabata timer for 8 intense repetitions. Despite my best efforts, the Knee Tuck exercise proved particularly challenging due to a pre-existing knee injury. Unfortunately, I couldn't fully extend my knee to forehead level, but I persevered and gave it my all, adapting the movement to accommodate my limitation.

Side stretch	Bend stretch

Following the intense abdominal exercises, Coach guided us through a series of stretching exercises, including side and bend stretches, which we executed with ease and fluidity. Concluding our session, we took five deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly, and were met with Coach's warm accolades for a productive and successful morning training.

Team Blue 💙	Team Yellow💛

The team had been eagerly anticipating this moment, and without delay, our teammate by name Ambassador, promptly shared the lineup, revealing the 11-player roster. We were divided into two squads, Team Blue💙 and Team yellow 💛. I was assigned to Team Blue, wearing the number 9 jersey.

As I assessed the opposing team, Team Yellow, I couldn't help but notice their impressive physique and athleticism, which seemed to give them a distinct advantage. In contrast, our team, Team Blue, appeared somewhat less polished. My initial instinct was that Team Yellow would emerge victorious, but the outcome surprisingly defied my expectations.