Ack don't hurt your back!

I only became a regular gym goer about 2 years ago. Before that I taught a workout called StrollerFit and had more workouts than I could want surrounded by mamas and babies 5-8 classes a week.

After selling said business, opting for teaching less each week, I had to "resort" to gym attendance. If I must be honest, which is most often the case with a blog, and typically with me in general, I still do not love it. I'm a social creature and love being in a room with friends much more than a room of strangers. Still a gym where I may run into a friend or make a workout "date" is better for me than working out solo at home.

That brings me around to my biggest pet peaves and worries with many enourmous group fitness classes where the instructor can't possibly attend to each person.

perfect squat form: knees are behind the toes, chest is lifted

#1- form- it actually pains me, and takes all the gumption I have not to correct form of the people around me. This morning I met a friend at the gym and we did a class together. The instructor actually stood next to a woman doing squats leaning her whole body forward, knees past her toes, back forward, butt up, putting her back at tremendous risk and said "Great job" ACK!!!

#2- options - I love that there are many advanced class options at my gym, but often instructors don't give options for the 90% of participants that are not advanced. Jump squats for example, this is an advanced exercise that requires perfect form to protect joints, and isn't appropriate for those new to exercise. Substitute in a squat with a reach overhead.

#3 - stretch- After 100 squats, 100 lunges and a complete body workout, a 3 second quad stretch and tricep stretch is not sufficient. Taking a bit longer to stretch each muscle used and take even more time to focus on tight areas can make a world of difference. You'll feel better the next few days, your muscles will repair themselves for the next workout and you will be less likely to have an injury going forward.

My intent is not to reprimand, but rather to give you the idea to question whats best for your body during your workout. Pay attention to it and give yourself a little extra time to warm up and stretch.

If you'd like suggestions on stretches for a particular muscle or modifications for an exercise, comment below and I'd be thrilled to help.

Happy Friday!

Fabulous Friday Fitness Challenge

Happy Friday! Thanks for tuning in for a challenge. Today it's all about getting the heart rate up. Taking just a few minutes to get your heart pumping adds time to our lives. Really, one of my favorite fitness facts is that an hour of exercise today can add 2 hours to your life. And it can be an hour broken up into several chunks throughout your day. So let's get movin'!

This one is a do nearly anywhere exercise. March in place. Simple. Stand, march in place in 10 minutes. To mix it up we're going to add intervals. March for 2 minutes easy, then pick up your pace and march a little faster for 30 seconds. Alternate 4 times.


READY...SET...GO!!! 

comment when you are done.

I KNEW something was missing!

I've been feeling that something was missing in my blog but couldn't decide exactly what. Then it dawned on me as I found myself daydreaming about a turkey with cranberry sandwich for lunch. FOOD!

Any mom worth her salt thinks about food 80% of the day. I mean between feeding ourselves, having food on the table and figuring out when the heck to make said food between work, sleep, carpool, homework, softball practice and laundry it takes lots of planning. Not to mention the mommy guilt when it's not a "healthy choice."

So here we go, I'm tossing in some food fun. Some will be tips for surviving the food to table challenge, easy ways to include more whole foods in our diet, post workout fuel ideas and of course favorite desserts. Happy eating!

My first entry is on bananas. Between my son loving them, and a constant overflow of extras from moms in motion snack moms on Saturdays we always have bananas about to go brown on the counter. Over the years I have tried various ways to use them up. Here are a few of my favorites:

Banana dips- break them in bite sized chunks, freeze on a foil covered baking sheet. Then dip in melted dark chocolate. Yummo! Or mix in some peanut butter to the chocolate.

www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/05/skinny-chunky-monkey-cookies-recipe.html

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies- only 6 ingredients and these delights bake up fast!

Smoothies/ Faux milk shakes- break into chunks and freeze on a foil covered baking sheet. Once frozen, fold up the foil and pour into a freezer bag. You can use these in smoothies ( I LOVE Juice Plus complete with banana & almond milk) or even mix halfses with ice cream & nonfat milk in the blender to fool yourself into a low fat milkshake.

Banana bread oatmeal - I can't even recall the source...but I'm sure I pinned it on Pintrest. Mash half a banana and mix it into your oatmeal with some cinnamon. Yummo!

Have another idea? PLEASE share!

Fabulous Friday Fitness Challenge

My work day is certainly not typical. My hours are all over the place, in any given day I can run with my run/walk team, drive around town putting up fliers, meet a friend for coffee and to talk about Juice Plus, then sit in front of the computer for 3 hours, then after school pick up teach a core class to teachers. No too days are alike.

Whether your day is as unpredictable as mine, or you sit in an office for most of it, we both could benefit from throwing in a few stretches. Taking a few minutes to slow down, lengthen our tight muscles and just breath can really make a difference. Not only in our physical well being but also in our emotional well being.

Your Fabulous Friday Fitness Challenge is to take at least 5 minutes to stretch. Warm muscles stretch well, while cold ones tend to tear instead of lengthen. So hop up, take a bathroom break or walk briskly to another department, grab a load of laundry and hustle up the stairs. Sit down on a chair, now you're ready.

• Take your right ear to your right shoulder. Hold and breath. Reverse.
• Drop your chin to your chest. Hold and breath.
• Pull your right arm across your chest, hold with the other hand. Hold and breath. Reverse.

  

  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/WL00030

• Extend your right leg straight in front of you, toes up, lean forward at your hips. Hold and breath. Reverse.
• Place your right ankle on your left knee. Sitting up tall, lean forward at your hips. Reverse.
• Stand up. Hold your right leg behind you, foot toward your tooshy. Hold and breath. Reverse.

If you have a few more favorites, toss them in there too. Visual learner? Check out this great slide show!



READY...SET...GO!!! 

comment when you are done.

Fabulous Friday Fitness Challenge

Friday...happy or not, here we are at the end of another hair on fire week. Looking forward to my Saturday, the busiest day of my week with Moms In Motion, my sons football game, groceries, school projects and whatever else shows up on the calendar. Whoa this mom stuff is busy and I bet your days are similar to mine.

So take 5 and squeeze in a Fabulous Friday Fitness Challenge. This week we're doing planks with lots of variations. We'll start with the traditional and move on.

http://www.fitstudio.com/workouts/the-plank-party

On the floor gals! Place your elbows on the floor directly underneath your shoulders, feel your shoulder blades squeeze together behind you so that your chest is open. Belly button in, curl your toes under and lift your hips. You should have a straight line from top of your head down to your heels. Hold and breath for 60 seconds.

modify:
bend your knees and balance on them instead
do three 20 second holds in lew of the full 60 at once
use the wall or a bench or a chair- just walk your feet back and line up that body

challenge:
from the start position, alternate lifting your legs one at a time
try reaching your hands out one at a time
try twist at your middle so your right hip drops toward the ground, then return to start and do the left

Don't forget to breath, feel strong and happy you are able to do a plank.

READY...SET...GO!!! 

comment when you are done.

Fabulous Friday Fitness Challenge

It's Friday and word is getting out about the Fitness Challenges. I'm hearing mumblings of "did you do the squats last week?" around town. Let's squeeze in another one in today, challenge a friend to do them too.

This one's quick and easy. Jumping Jacks.

Close your office door, find a quiet hallway, get the kids to do them with you or just stand up where you are now and get 'er done.

25 jumping jacks

rest

repeat

***Feeling super duper? do all 50 in a row

*** Afraid of full jumping jacks? Do low impact ones with one foot out at a time, both arms go overhead. Then visit "the truth about the pelvic floor" post.

Comment when you're done.  

READY...SET...GO!!!

sharing

A client, and friend of mine just started a blog called motherhood faulosity. I read her first post feeling inspired and honored to be part of her journey to fitness. I fell behind and haven't checking in for a few weeks, so I jumped back online today to see what else she's been writing about. I'm blown away!

She's got a nack for writing in a way that makes you feel she's talking just to you, another mom struggling to justify "me-time." And I just can't get enough of a few of her lines...here are a few I'll be quoting:

"I have learned from my very wise uncle that muscle may weigh more than fat, but it takes up a lot less real estate!"

"So get going, re-name your workouts to Me Time. Me time isn't selfish, it is necessary. When you make it productive and worthwhile it is easier to make that step to take it."

"The women were awesome, and all in their own stages of their journey. There were women of every fitness level in that class, and we all sweated together, laughed together, and were inspired together."

Check it out and I bet ya feel inspired and ready to get movin' yourself!
Motherhood Fabulosity Link