I can proudly say that I’ve survived the first week of my ToughNBuff challenge!

As I said last week, I chose to do the planking challenge, and so far I’ve spent 215 seconds in the infamous plank position – over 3 and a half minutes – and I’m definitely feeling it! So here’s what I’ve done so far:

Day 1: 20 seconds – this one was pretty easy; its over before you even notice you’re doing it!

Day 2: 25 seconds – this was also fairly short and sweet, although there was a slight ache coming on in the last few seconds..

Day 3: 30 seconds – this was the first time I really felt like I was having to dig in to keep my bum up!

Day 4: Rest Day!

Day 5: 35 seconds – the ache was slightly more apparent, but knowing there’s only a few more seconds to go is enough to push to the finish!

Day 6: 45 seconds – ok, this one got tricky! I found that having the timer turned over so I couldn’t see it made it a lot easier though.

Day 7: 60 seconds – a whole minute of achy abs!

So who am I doing this for?

The challenge is to raise money and awareness for The Children’s Society, a UK charity that does vital work for children living in poverty, or with the scars of abuse – physical, mental and sexual.

The charity was founded in 1881 by Sunday school teacher Edward Rudolf, and last year alone worked with 23,000 children living at risk, but that’s still not enough. It is estimated 3.7 million children in the UK are living in poverty, and because of this, the charity is working to change government policies, so that no child has to live in poverty again.

If you do nothing else today, spend some time reading about their work at www.childrenssociety.org.uk, you’ll honestly be amazed how bad the current UK situation is!

Today is another rest day, yay, but tomorrow I’m back into planking madness! Don’t forget you can sponsor me by going to my Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/tcsfitLottie-Martin/

🙂

Summer is coming and its that last minute bikini body panic rush to hit the gym and tighten that tummy ready for the beach!

But if you don’t have a fancy, or not so fancy, gym membership, there are loads of ways to get your exercise fix at home without the need for special equipment or a personal trainer, and one way you can do this, and do your bit for a fantastic charity is by taking part in the ToughNBuff Challenge, hosted by The Children’s Society

Firstly, who is The Children’s Society?

The Children’s Society are working for the futures of children in the UK; children on the streets, children who are suffering abuse, refugee children, the list goes on..

For some of these children, happy endings only seem to exist in fairytales. They have seen things that no child should ever have to see, and done things no child should ever have to do, and even when its all over for them, they live with the memories that can haunt them forever.

The Children’s Society does believe in happy endings. They believe in fighting child poverty, nurturing and supporting destitute families, and tackling neglect by providing counselling and support to the victims of abuse.

They are changing the lives of these children, and they need help to do it.

ToughNBuff Challenge

I will be taking part in the 30 day ToughNBuff Challenge throughout June, and you can too! Its super easy:

1. Sign up at toughnbuff.com – they do all the hard work, setting you up a Just Giving page and everything!

2. Pick your challenge – you can choose between burpees, press-ups, squats and plank challenges!

3. Get exercising, and get fundraising – complete your daily challenge, and nag everyone you know to donate, its a great cause!

So I chose 30 days of planking. I start today with 20 seconds, and by the end of the month I’ll (with any luck!) be holding a 5 minute plank! You can keep up with my daily progress on my Instagram and Twitter accounts, and I’ll be posting updates here every 5-7 days. If you’re feeling generous, pop across to my Just Giving page to donate, and on top of that warm, fuzzy feeling, I’ll love you forever!

Let’s do this!