FamilyInShape

Moms-to-be get a workout

Recently, I had an opportunity to work with 8 very pregnant women and one with an infant about 8 weeks old.  These ladies attend a regular exercise class but their teacher was out sick, so I got the call to substitute.  At first I was a little worried because I didn't know their level of fitness nor did I know what their instructor did with them, etc.  I got a few tips from the students, told them to listen to their body, watch their heart rate and not do anything that didn't feel right to them.  Otherwise, they all appeared to be a great health, some were only a few months into their pregnancy and at least two looked like they were ready to pop.  One young mom of now, three, joined the class as well.  She had her baby in the carrier looped around her shoulder.  Nothing was stopping her from exercising, and the baby, she was awake the entire time.

We went to work with a light aerobics routine, stretching, warming up, etc.  They seemed to be having fun with my Latin music.  I took that as cue to up the beat and do more of the same.  We spent 15 minutes doing the mambo, grapevine combinations, knee lifts and kicks, etc. then we stopped for a water break.  They were having a great time and loving the class too.  Next we spent about 15 minutes with light weights and a rubber tubing working shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest and back.  At the end of that session they said--"wow, that's what I came for today, to get a good workout!"  I was so proud and so happy to hear those words.  After another session of aerobics we went to work on legs with the body bar for balance and support.  We did squats, power squats, Sumo squats, calf raises and lunges.   Again, this was a hit!   We finished the class with a cool down, stretch and a few minutes of relaxation. 

I have been pregnant and exercised, four times to be exact.  But you never know how others feel or if they've exercised before pregnancy etc. which is why I was a little hesitant.  In the end, they all loved the class and felt like they got a really great workout.  The compliments do boost my confidence and little stroking of the ego, of course, but my real boost comes just from knowing that I made someone happy just by doing my job.  I was a part of their goal to continue to live a healthy lifestyle with their babies. 

They were motivated, energetic and fun.  What an inspiring class.  I think I'll have to rethink the words "I'm tired" next time I try to use that as an excuse to skip the gym.  The tiny baby girl--she was happy the entire time her mom was doing the grapevine and working her arms--strength she'll soon need to balance the baby in her arms.

Stay well,

(Photo by Dra sick Love)

Want to blog? Take a course and learn how

Many friends and family members have been asking me about my blogging adventures since I first introduced them my spinning world online.   

I always wanted to blog, I have a lot of things to talk about and things to share, but I had no idea how to get started.  I could see by reading other blogs that I had to have an about me page and my first post had to be one that would drive people to my blog, etc.  What I didn't know was that I also needed to pay attention to a million other little details to make my blog more successful. 

I admit, I am my worst critic.  Still today I question what I write about and whether or not anyone would be interested.  It is nice to see visitors stopping by and leaving comments.  However, I have to say that without taking a blog writing course and the help of the formerly known Black Belt Blogger I don't think I would be where I am today with my blog.  The Blog Writing Course is an excellent way to get started if you have never blogged or to improve your skills and your readership if you are a vet blogger.

The course is online, interactive, and fun with a lot of personal attention given to each student.  There are many courses out there, I'm sure, but I recommend the one that will put your name on the web map and make you feel proud of your accomplishments from day one.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Stay Well,

Fitness, Nutrition, Relaxation - Week 2

Week two of Fitness, Nutrition, and Relaxation.  I hope you had a chance to 'push up', undress your salad and most important, found time to relax.  This week we will add to what we did last week with a lower body exercise, breakfast idea, and another R&R tip. 

Fitness

Squats:  These are what you do when you want to sit but you don't; when you hover, so to speak.  So grab a chair or a stool or a swiss ball to use as your guide or shall we say, as the guide to your gluteus maximus because that's what you'll be working, along with with your quads (thigh muscles), hamstrings, and calve muscles. 

Place your feet about hip width apart, toes and knees pointed forward or slightly outward, keep your abdominals tucked in, back is straight, arms can be either at your side or just hold them out in front for balance. 

Now squat down or guide your buttocks down towards the chair or stability ball, as if you were going to sit, hold that position for a second, then come back up pushing through the heels.  While you're down you will feel that most of the weight is on your heels, you could almost feel your toes lifting a bit.

Things to remember: Control your abdominals by pushing your belly button back (suck it in!)  Exhale on the way down, inhale on the way up. Keep your knees from going over your toes.  If you can't see your toes you need to adjust your position so that your knees are always behind your toes. 

How many?  Well, start with 8, 2-count, squats--that means that you go down for two counts and come back up for two counts.  Take a break, shake out your legs a bit and repeat.  Try going down on four counts and up four counts.  The slower you do them the harder they are.  Don't over do it or you'll be so sore you'll never do them again.

Muscles involved:  glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves---tight! tight! tight! That's the way we like them right?

Nutrition

Photo by framboise

This week I'm focusing on the most important meal of the day; breakfast.  The name says it all--to break the fast.  So why are so many people skipping breakfast?  I know of at least two reasons, lack of time and to loose weight. 

For some odd reason we seem to find time to give to everyone else but ourselves.  Aside from a fire or medical emergency, what can possibly keep you from eating something before leaving your house in the morning?  If you're running late consider a portable breakfast such as a fruit, protein bar, etc. If time is an issue I recommend getting up a wee bit earlier and making time to eat. 

As for those of you who think that starving your body equals weight loss, think again.  You are starving your body which in turn slows your metabolism and in the end you gain weight, yes, you gain.  Your body will know when starvation mode kicks in and it will hold on to every ounce of water, fat and calories you put into it. It's called self preservation!

Tom at  Free Fitness Tips has a series on boosting metabolism in which he shares this: "Just as eating large meals can hurt your metabolism, eating too few meals can have the same effect. To keep your metabolism high you need to feed it."  I agree with Tom and all other fitness and nutrition experts out there.  Does your car run better with less fuel?  Do you think eventually it will stop running?  Your body needs fuel and the fuel comes from nutritious foods.

An article at Ripped Corner has 7 great tips for a better breakfast.  Simply stated, balance your breakfast so that your early morning fuel is the best it can be to take you through the rest of the morning without feeling like you could eat a horse or your babie's PB&J.

Relaxation

Photo by Olivander

Last week I talked about finding time to relax.  That can be difficult when there are kids running in and out of the house or kids that never leave the house, work, chores and other responsibilities. Most of us try to run our lives minute by minute trying to remember everything we need to do and even the things we don't need to do, but want to. 

Now that you've figured out a way to fit in a few minutes for yourself, my next tip is to write things down.  I know, writing while driving is not a great idea so you may have to just turn the radio up and sing out loud therefore avoiding the possibility to retreat into any stressful thoughts. 

But when you're not busy driving, have a small notepad or a planner with a monthly calendar and notes section.  Keep it in your purse, bag, diaper bag, gym bag, the kitchen counter, your night stand..etc., you get the idea, keep it handy.  This is your mini journal where you'll write things you need to remember throughout the day when you're not ready to do them.  If you have some thoughts on any event from your day, write it down, you never know it may turn into a great novel some day.  It's OK to dream a little :-)

I keep a notebook in my kitchen which I use to write my to-do list, grocery list, books I'd like to read, etc.  Sometimes I remember a recipe or see a recipe on TV, I write it in my notebook so I don't forget to go back and look it up. 

Your family calendar is another great tool to have handy, either on the wall or on a desk.  Keep it up to date then you'll never have to try to remember when you have an appointment.  Set some reminders using the computer calendar, your cell phone or home phone.  Many phones have that feature--so why not use it.

I find that keeping a schedule of sorts will help to set the standard for the whole family.  Marilyn Etzel from HubPages writes the following: 

"With a schedule, you and your kids can appreciate that there is a time for everything, a time for going to school and work, a time to do school assignments and chores. Best of all, you can also have a definite a time to relax."

The idea is to keep your mind clear of cluttered so that you CAN relax.  So what are you waiting for, get to work!!

Stay well,

Have you pushed up lately?

I just have to ask because it's been at least 2 days since I suggested we start doing push ups, have you pushed up lately?  Are you keeping track of your push up progress?  I have..yes I'm proud to say that I have been doing my morning push ups.  I am able to do 10 on my toes, but I can double that number on my knees...hmmmm. 

I think if I want to make some progress I will stick doing them on my toes for now.  My goal is to do 10 in the morning just before breakfast, shower and kids waking up..real quick it only takes a minute--join me?  Then throw in another ten or maybe more, who knows, midday.  The last 10 will come in the evening sometime.

Yesterday I was attempting to do a variety of push ups (Hindu, Wide, etc), you know, just to see if I could. Well I can't, not yet.  Lisa from LA Acupuncture mentioned in her comment that she likes to do chaturanga dandasana ((chaht-tour-ANG-ah don-DAHS-anna) ).  What in the world, that's a whole other language for me.  It is, really, its Yoga language and that's an area I have not touched yet.  I decided to look into this a bit and give it a try. But I can see from this article in the Yoga Journal that it could be a really great exercise.  By the way, the journal tells you how to modify for beginner as well as the benefits. As for me, let's just say that I'm not quite there yet.

As for getting the family to follow, I have to share because this is my goal, so far, both my daughters have decided they need to "tone" their bodies as well (ages 14, 6) and ask to do push ups usually after school.  So far the older can do about 8 on her knees and about 5 on her toes.  The little one only will do them on her toes; she can do about 5 as well.  Very impressive.  The conductor (17) did not wish to participate yet as he feels that his metabolism is so high he doesn't need to "overexert himself to stay in shape."  Sure, say that now.  I must continue to work on him, maybe a little bribery will work-- "you want to use my car, you must first GET DOWN AND GIVE ME 10!!" Mr. Toolman is an avid body builder so he has to show off that he can do plenty of push ups with the kids on his back--OK show off!!

I encourage everyone out there to start pushing up your own body weight and make it even more fun by getting the family involved.  I'm off to push the floor down!

Stay Well

Fitness, Nutrition, Relaxation - Week 1

This week marks the first in my weekly series of The Fitness, Nutrition, and Relaxation program.  These lifestyle changing ideas can be either the beginning of your own plan or added to an already fantastic routine.  I will provide one exercise, one recipe or meal idea, and one relaxation technique.  Together we will begin to add each of these ideas together.  Over the weeks, as we continue to perfect each exercise, change the way we eat, and incorporate some well deserved R&R, we will begin to form habits that are likely to change the way we feel and the way we look.  Who knows, maybe your family will clue into what you’re doing and follow in your healthy living footsteps.

Fitness

Photo by Fanboy30

Get down and give me 20!!

When babies reach a certain age (somewhere between 4 and 8 months- depends on the child) the first physical activity they do is a push up.  Have you ever noticed?  It is the sweetest thing to see them trying to balance that big ol’ head and push up with their tiny little arms.  But they persist and eventually they go from belly to knees. 

Well we, as adults, need to mimic this determination and persistence that babies intuitively show off right from the start.  This week’s exercise is the infamous Push Up.  The push up is one of the most effective exercises because you have to engage many muscles just to hold the proper form.  Push ups test your cardiovascular and muscular endurance as well as your level of fitness. 

In an article on the New York Times, writer Tara Parker-Pope says, “The push-up is the ultimate barometer of fitness. It tests the whole body, engaging muscle groups in the arms, chest, abdomen, hips and legs. It requires the body to be taut like a plank with toes and palms on the floor. The act of lifting and lowering one’s entire weight is taxing even for the very fit.” 

Having been in the US Marines I know all too well the meaning behind ‘get down and give me 20,’ it was never really 20 because we had to do 4 count push ups so we were doing 40 at a time.  If you really want to challenge yourself, give it a shot… count down 1- up 2- down 3- up 4 – that’s your first push up.  Ouch!!!

However, one must first start at the beginning to avoid injury and work your way up to a full push up.  Zandria from Keep Up With Me, writes about graduating from commonly known “girly push ups” to “real” push ups.  “I had established a goal: I wanted to graduate from doing girly pushups on my knees, to being able to do real pushups from my toes. I’m happy to report that I have now accomplished this goal.” So set a goal, start with the “girly push up” and work your way up to real push ups.

Check out Krista at Stumptuous.com, who gives us girls a variety of forms from beginner to advanced, to help us get started.  Men, young adults, yes, you too can adapt these to your body.  The form is the same for everyone and you can start wherever you want depending on your level of fitness. “Some of you might want to start right at stage 1, while others can jump to stage 2 or even 3. Before you move to the next stage, ensure that you can perform the easier exercise with rigid body and a good range of motion.” Who knows, if you keep up the training you may eventually graduate to doing a push up with a monkey on your back, or a 40 lb kid, whichever is easiest. 

The best part of doing push ups:  no equipment or location required!  So what are you waiting for, get down and give me 20!  OK maybe not, but start today with as many as you can, then work your way up from there.

Nutrition

My lunch:  Romaine lettuce, baby spinach, yellow pepper, granny smith apple, craisins, walnuts, egg whites, part-skim mozzarella cheese, olive oil and lemon juice.

Because I love dressing and undressing salads, I will have to start with that meal.  Salads can get a bad reputation from people who tend to ‘over dress’ their salads resulting in no weight loss and even some weight gain.  In an article called Undress Your Salad! posted in the Wellness Junction, and written by yours truly, I describe ways you can make your salad fun, nutritious and delicious without the excess fat. 

The idea is to dress your salad with nutrient rich foods, vegetables, lots of colors, fruits and nuts.  If you feel you must have some kind of dressing, go for something less damaging than the creamy fatties such as Olive Oil and lemon juice or Balsamic Vinaigrette.  Be creative, after all, this is your meal and only you have to like it.   

For this week you are tasked with either adding a salad to an already nutritious meal or replacing a meal with a salad an awesome salad.  Try my lunch above or come up with your own combination and share it with the rest of the world.

Relaxation

Photo by szlea

Ahhhhhhh! Finally, a chance to breathe and engage in some serious self talk.   When I attempt to get a full night’s sleep my mind wonders for hours, inevitably the baby will wake up for no known reason and my 6 hours of sleep suddenly become 3 or 4 if I’m lucky.  My goal is to make the time to rest, nap, or simply relax in an environment that gives me the opportunity to be alone with my own thoughts (not my children’s).   

You don’t have to tell me how busy you are, I know, I have four kids ranging from 18 months to 17 years old—believe me, I’m busy and running (physically or mentally) most of the time.  But I have made it a point, even if it means going to the “grocery store” by myself, to carve out at least ½ hour just for me.

Lately the weather has been splendid so I have been going to one of my favorite places, my garden.  It’s my current hobby and one that my kids usually run away from so that’s actually a good time to be alone.  Jeff Archer at Instant Feel Good writes, “Hobbies are what we all have as kids but only some of us have them when we grow up. It is so good for your health and mind to have something you enjoy in your life as a regular fixture and know that in times of stress, you could escape to do it knowing it will get you back on track.”

Notice the operative word here is ‘escape’.  That’s exactly what I do when I step out back and start pulling weeds or covering up mole holes. Sounds like a lot of work but this is my way to escape from the kids, electronics, and other noise pollution we experience every day.  Sometimes I just say I’m going to pull weeds and if they bug me they will pull weeds too.  They usually withdraw into their rooms like rabbits hiding from their prey.  Instead I go out back and just sit and enjoy the weather. 

Get up a little earlier than the family and if you are having trouble mustering up some energy during the AM hours, read Kavit Haria's 5 things you can do each morning to have more energy on the Wellness Junction.  Kavit writes that "Energy is a source within us that we can increase or decrease not only using the mind, but based on how we utilize our food and drink." If you are a night owl go to bed a little bit later or go for a walk—10 minutes in any direction away from your house will turn into a 20 minute walk since you have to come back at some point.  That’s 20 minutes you didn’t think you had.  The idea is to carve out time just for you to relax, regroup, and get control of your day.

Now, go take a look at your calendar, reorganize what you must, and write it down—I will take time to relax today! I look forward to your comments and updates on how you incorporate these ideas into your daily routine! Don’t forget to share your own ideas with us!

Stay Well,