Archive for the 'workouts' Category


Your Shape review

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Have you been active for at least 30 minutes today gang? If not, what are you still doing that couch? Get up and move it!

Once you do that, please check over at Workout Mommy Reviews for my review of the new game Your Shape by Ubisoft.  It features Jenny McCarthy and is very innovative, but unfortunately not for me right now.

Have you tried it?  Please share your thoughts!

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Multitasking while running

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010


Here are a few of the things I did during my running workout on my treadmill:

  • changed 2 diapersManon
  • broke up 5 fights over the same ridiculous toys
  • changed the channel 2 times and then put in a movie.  (that no one watched)
  • got two different drinks (not for me)
  • went back for two different snacks. (again, not for me)
  • nursed a cranky baby
  • helped a preschooler “clean up” after using the bathroom

So much for a stress free workout, huh?  No matter how many interruptions, I still felt better after my workout than before.

Never underestimate the power of a workout gang!

Creative Commons License photo credit: Spigoo

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Lunge and squat with your kids for added fitness. No excuses!

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

It won’t get me in marathon shape, but every little bit counts gang!
Here is a clip of me lunging with my boys, thanks to my ERGO baby carrier.

How do you workout WITH your kids?

Never underestimate the power of a workout!

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Good luck to the Disney runners!

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Good luck to all my friends, family, and readers who are taking part in the Disney races this weekend!

Run fast and ENJOY your race!

and for those of us NOT running a 5k, 10k, half, full marathon, or Goofy challenge this weekend—let’s just GET UP AND BE ACTIVE gang!

What’s on your workout plate?

Never underestimate the power of a workout!

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A blizzard workout (thanks to my ERGO baby carrier!)

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

I’m not able to do full workouts yet, but thanks to my ERGO baby carrier and Heart2Heart Infant Insert I am able to squeeze in some exercise!

The ERGO baby carrier is honestly the best carrier out there—-there is no pressure on your back and it is super easy to put on by yourself.  I used the Baby Bjorn with my first son and it gave me a constant backache.  It also was useless after about 4 months because he got so big and could no longer fit in it. The ERGO on the other hand can be used for 3-4 years, so if you are looking for a baby carrier, invest your money in an ERGO.

Now, for your entertainment,  here is a video of me and the kids working out during the East Coast blizzard.    (23 inches of snow, can you believe it!?) So when you are stranded inside and have three kids underfoot, the stairs will always provide a great workout!

Edited to add that even though I say two kids in the video, I really have 3!  Sleep deprivation does crazy things to your mind! :)

Disclosure:  I received an Ergo Heart2Heart Infant Insert for review purposes by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. I was not paid for this post, this is my honest opinion.  I love my Ergo carrier!

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Get a free workout from Gold’s gym and help raise awareness for Diabetes

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

**November is National Diabetes Month**

Did you know that in the next 24 hours, 4,320 new cases of diabetes will be diagnosed?

Did you know that diabetes doubles your risk for heart attack and stroke?

59143I was not very familiar with Diabetes, either Type 1 or Type 2, but recently had a scare with Gestational Diabetes.   Now, I’m trying to become more aware and have been checking out the Stop Diabetes website.

It has tons of great information, including some of the popular myths of Diabetes.   Here are a few that caught my eye:

Myth: If you are overweight or obese, you will eventually develop type 2 diabetes.

Fact:  Being overweight is a risk factor for developing this disease, but other risk factors such as family history, ethnicity and age also play a role. Unfortunately, too many people disregard the other risk factors for diabetes and think that weight is the only risk factor for type 2 diabetes.  Most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight.

Myth: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

Fact: No, it does not.  Type 1 diabetes is caused by genetics and unknown factors that trigger the onset of the disease; type 2 diabetes is caused by genetics and lifestyle factors.  Being overweight does increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and a diet high in calories, whether from sugar or from fat, can contribute to weight gain.  If you have a history of diabetes in your family, eating a healthy meal plan and regular exercise are recommended to manage your weight.

Myth: If you have diabetes, you should only eat small amounts of starchy foods, such as bread, potatoes and pasta.

Fact: Starchy foods are part of a healthy meal plan.  What is important is the portion size.  Whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, peas and corn can be included in your meals and snacks.  The key is portions.  For most people with diabetes, having 3-4 servings of carbohydrate-containing foods is about right.  Whole grain starchy foods are also a good source of fiber, which helps keep your gut healthy.

Myth: People with diabetes can’t eat sweets or chocolate.

Fact: If eaten as part of a healthy meal plan, or combined with exercise, sweets and desserts can be eaten by people with diabetes.  They are no more “off limits” to people with diabetes than they are to people without diabetes.

On Saturday, November 7th, Gold’s Gym locations around the world will open their doors to the public, inviting people to take place in an event to help raise awareness for diabetes research.

Gold’s Gym is hosting a calorie “Burn-a-thon” to promote diabetes awareness.  This is a FREE and ACTIVE way for you to help the effort to stop Diabetes!

Gold’s Gym will  “donate” the calories you burn that day to the cause. Whether it’s 5 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, an hour long group exercise class or 30 minutes of lifting weights, all calories burned by exercising will count as a donation to the cause. Gold’s Gym has even created a special calorie guide that shows how many calories are burned with each activity performed at the gym.  All of the calories burned will be added to the 180,000,000 calorie goal, which will be a world record.

All you have to do is show up at Gold’s Gym on Saturday and be ready to sweat!  Find out more information here.

No excuses gang! You get exercise and the American Diabetes Association gets some much needed exposure!
Never underestimate the power of a workout!

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Playing tag with your kids is definitely a workout!

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Remember when you were a kid and loved to play tag with your friends?  The smiles, screams, and out of breath experience as you raced to be “safe”?   You were exercising and having a blast!

Just because we have “grown up”, does not mean we cannot recapture that same feeling!  Get your kids outside and play tag with them.  Run until you sweat and then run some more.   Can your kids out-run you?  I hope not!

Subway has launched a new program called “Random Acts of Fitness for Kids” and they are sending out these awesome kits for educators or community leaders, etc.   The kits  provide free nutrition and fitness curriculum to teachers that sign up and the content comes from American Heart Association & National Institutes of Health.   For more information on this program, click here or go to www.subwaykids.com/grownups/classroom.

Here are some new twists to the traditional game of tag, courtesy of Subway’s website.

Which one are you going to play today?  :)

Freeze Tag
When a child is tagged, they freeze in place. If another player touches them they can be unfrozen. The game ends when everyone has been frozen, and the last person frozen starts the next round of the game as “it.”

Squat Tag
In this version, if a child squats down quickly when they are close to being caught, they can be kept “safe” and avoid being tagged “it.” All the players need to agree at the start of the game on how many times they can squat to avoid being tagged.

Wood Tag
This version makes a good indoor tag option. Wood Tag is played like the basic game, but if the player touches something made of wood, they’re “safe” from getting tagged by “it.”

Vegetable Tag
This version can be a lot of fun and your kids may learn the names of some new foods! When a child is close to being caught, they can be kept “safe” by squatting in place and saying the name of a vegetable. If you can’t think of one and get tagged, you’re “it.”

Blob Tag
When you’re tagged “it,” you join hands with your tagger and become a tagging pair. You chase others moving together as a “blob.” Every time the “blob” tags another child, that child becomes part of the blob. This version requires a bit of teamwork — the “blob” needs to move together to tag others.

Subway also has launched a new School Rewards program.  Please visit Workout Mommy Reviews for more information and your chance to WIN a $25 Subway Gift Card! (YUM!)

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Crunched for Time? Try a Crossfit Workout!

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Today’s guest post is courtesy of Meredith, also known as Hiit Mama.

Some mornings I wake up feeling overwhelmed and rushed. The three year old wants breakfast – now. I have a prenatal appointment, then a playdate, then storytime at the library, all within ten minutes of each other. Not a great way to start to the day, especially if I want to fit in a workout.

When I am feeling this way I think the best thing to do is to exercise anyway, no matter how little time I have. It helps purge all that frantic energy and makes me feel great for the rest of a busy day.

If I don’t have an hour, or even thirty minutes to devote to a cardio or circuit training routine, I just call up one of the many Crossfit websites and do a Workout of the Day.

pregnantshoulderpressMy husband, who is in law enforcement, first introduced me to Crossfit. I was a little skepitcal, (okay, scared) of trying Crossfit. Popular with police agencies and hardcore exercise junkies, Crossfit can be a fun way to compete with yourself, your workout buddy, or your husband. Talk about motivation to workout!

Crossfit will challenge your endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, accuracy and coordination. These workouts include heavy weights, sprints, pull-ups, high jumps and calisthenics. Some routines are for the very advanced, but there are adaptations for everyone including children and pregnant women.

Crossfit workouts are fabulous for moms like me who sometimes have difficulty making time for exercise. The workouts I look for at these times are the ones that call for doing as many rounds as possible in a given time period.

For example, this morning I did the “Cindy” which takes only 20 minutes. Here’s the routine:

  • 5 Pull Ups
  • 10 Push Ups
  • 15 Squats

Again, do as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. Rest when you need to and make modifications when necessary. For instance, I cannot do a Pull Up – yet. So I modify by either having my husband hold my feet, or, now that I am 28 weeks pregnant, by keeping my toes on the floor.

See how many rounds you can do in 20 minutes.

When you are crunched for workout time, do this workout again and see if you can beat your last score.

You can find great Crossfit workouts for pregnancy at http://www.crossfitmom.com/.

Photo source:  Crossfit Mom

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Monday Motivation

Monday, September 7th, 2009
A dog swimming

Image via Wikipedia

Note to self: get up and get moving today for AT LEAST 45 minutes.

It does not matter if it is biking, walking, swimming, or kettlebell swinging.

Just get up and get moving, NO EXCUSES!  Never underestimate the power of a workout!

Anyone care to join me?

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Think again before buying an Ab Circle Pro!

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

abcirclepro

I have decided that the secret to my future fortune is to invent some abstract piece of equipment and give it a marketable name like “Cellulite blaster” because apparently that is what sells!  It doesn’t matter if it works or not, people are willing to shell out good money for the promise of a machine that will make them skinny or give them abs of steel in less than two weeks!

After watching the online video for the Ab Circle Pro I can see how easy it is to get roped into buying this.  Doesn’t everyone want to look like Jennifer Nicole Lee?

Here are some of it’s claims:

“the fastest, easiest way to get the stomach muscles that you have always wanted!”
“Burn fat in just 3 minutes per day!”
“We guarantee it will take weeks–not months, just weeks!”
“You have nothing to lose but inches!”

Well, not really.  You stand to lose $235.00 because it is a total waste of money!  I’m not saying the exercises are not worthy, but you do NOT need some crazy contraption to get them done.

Get yourself two paper plates, get down on the floor  (carpeted or not, it does not matter) and put the plates under your knees.  Then,  use your ab mucles to pull your knees toward your chest while sliding them on the paper plates.  Twist them side to side. For an added challenge, put the plates under your toes and draw your toes toward your chest.

“I guarantee you will feel that just as well.”
“I cannot guarantee you will lose inches or pounds in a few weeks because that all depends on so many other variables in your life that cannot be controlled by simple ab exercises!”
“I can guarantee those paper plates are 100x cheaper than the Ab Circle Pro!”
“I guarantee I will not charge you for that information!”

Please don’t get sucked in gang.  These contraptions you see on TV and the internet are such as waste of money.  I am not even sure how some of the fitness celebrities can endorse them with a straight face.

Now it’s time for me to head back to my basement to create my “Cellulite Blaster”.   Because that, of course, will be guaranteed!  :)

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    About Me

      In my life before kids, I was a personal fitness trainer and self proclaimed fitness junkie. I loved the 5am workouts and evening strength training sessions. Now that I'm a mom, my life is filled with 5am feedings and piles of laundry. I've let my fitness slip and this blog will hopefully provide motivation to help myself (and YOU!) get back in shape. I want to be fit, be healthy, and be happy! No more excuses....it's time to workout mommy!

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