Now that March is upon us, there is no doubt that runners and non-runners alike are lacing on their shoes because it’s the time of year for chasing leprechauns!  If you’re lucky enough to catch one, you might find his pot of gold or he may just grant you 3 wishes to set him free.  However, during the chase, you run the risk of being turned into a frog as he tries to escape being captured.  Well, there are easier ways of getting lucky this March that don’t run any risks of turning into a reptile.

Here are 7 ways to get lucky this March by improving your well being, while making you feel and look great.  Try each of them and give yourself a little green luck!

Recycle Your Athletic Shoes

Athletic shoes are now being recycled to create new playgrounds, courts, and tracks.  So, your old runners, dance shoes, basketball shoes and more can be used to create new surfaces to get your game on.  Nike has created a program called Reuse A Shoe that collects shoes that are worn out to make new fitness flooring, and they donate a number of surfaces to charity.  If you have worn-out shoes, take them to your local Reuse A Shoe drop off location, and help keep those shoes out of the landfill and on a future court!  Lucky runners and lucky community!

Workout for free

Lululemon stores are located all across the country, and offer free fitness classes, yoga classes, and run clubs.  Fitness and yoga classes are held by popular instructors from the community, and are held in the Lulumeon stores.  Lululemon Run Clubs meet once or twice per week and are designed for all levels.  Training is provided to help you reach your run goals, or train for upcoming races and marathons.  It’s a great way to train for free, and meet new, fitness-minded people in your community.  Lucky local! 

Go bananas for soft serve

Make “soft serve” out of a frozen banana and peanuts.  Enjoy a rich, sweet, light-as-air desert by freezing a banana for about an hour, and then puree in a food processor or blender with a palm full of peanuts and a dash of honey.  You’ll have a desert that tastes like soft serve ice cream, but is actually a snack full of protein, iron, vitamin B6 and triptophane. But the luck doesn’t stop there!  Banana peels make an excellent fertilizer, especially for roses.  Bury your peels close to the plant’s roots, and your bounty will be HUGE!  Lucky garden!

Plant your own food

Use the spring showers to your advantage!  Plant your garden with organic fruits and vegetables. Eating with the seasons and enjoying what the earth provides is an experience everyone should enjoy.  If you have a yard, patio, or deck, you have the opportunity to grow your own food. Web sites like www.verdent.com have all the resources and directions you need to get started, and in as short as a weekend, you can be the farmer of your own home.  Once you’ve grown a few plants, share your new knowledge with friends and family, and gift them with a few starter roots from your own garden.  You’ll be passing on the love that Mother Nature gave you!  Lucky foodie!

Strengthen your inner thighs

Where is the luck in this?  Well, muscle groups in your body are only as strong as the weakest muscle.  For most people, the weakest muscles in the lower body are the inner thighs.  By strengthening your inner thighs, you’ll have more agility in your favorite sport (running, yoga, tennis, etc.).  You’ll notice new luck in your performance!

To get into the inner thighs at home, stand on a hard floor such as wood or cement.  Go barefoot on one leg, and put a sock on the other foot.  Start with your feet hip distance apart, and press the sock foot out about 12 – 14 inches.  Squeeze your inner thighs and return the foot to hips distance.  Keep the arch out of your spine by tucking your pelvis and staying activated in your abs.  Try a few reps with your toes turned out to 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock.  Switch the sock and repeat.  Do this for about 2 minutes on each side in addition to your regular workout.

Stronger inner thighs will mean a stronger lower body overall.  Get ready to enjoy your regular workout even more.  Lucky athlete!

Join a Deal-a-Day website

Websites like Groupon, Living Social, and Plum District offer daily deals on fitness classes, restaurants, excursions and more.  Visit their websites and add your email address to receive an email of fabulous one-day offers.  Go boating, take a Segway tour, stay in a hotel, try a Pilates class and much more, for around 50% off original prices.  Lucky adventurer!

 Enjoy your favorite tunes for free

Listen and save music by creating your own playlists using Spotify.  Search for songs by name or by artist, listen to complete albums, or set Spotify to a genre channel to discover new great tunes.  Search for melodies for free using your computer, or pay a fee for streaming.  You can even see what your friends are listening to, and share playlists!

Pandora is a free music site that plays songs based on a song or artist that you determine. Enter any song or artist you like, and voila!  You’ve just created the mood you want for working out, dining, or entertaining.  Check out www.spotify.com and www.pandora.com.  Lucky ears!

Now that we’ve provided you with some ideas on how to create more luck in your life, you can exhale and relax, knowing that the leprechaun chase has ceased.  However, that doesn’t mean you won’t be seeing him, because everyone knows that leprechauns like fruit, and you’ll be growing some soon.  To avoid mischief, leave the leprechaun a small snack from your garden at night.  If you win him over, he might even help finish up some chores around the house while you sleep.  Luck you!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Written by Katrina Goldberg, Rockit Body Pilates

RockIt Body Fitness Experts