When most people think "exercise," they picture themselves spending an hour hitting P90X® or taking a long run on the beach. Busy parents, with schedules crammed full of carpooling, cooking and, often, work outside the home, find they can't even think of exercise seriously, let alone do it. Sure, once the kids are a little older or maybe on the weekend, but now? Today?
Yes, today. Ideally, you'll make that time for yourself, but when it falls through the cracks, fitness and health experts agree that fitting fitness into parenting just takes a little creativity. "The hard part is parents really have to build the time in," said Eric Thompson, senior director of communications and marketing for the American Heart Association. "Being fit is all about habits—habits you form when you're younger that carry you through life."
However, experts agree, it's never too late to start those healthy habits. Here are ten ways busy parents can fit a little extra fitness into their lives:
Chores
You've gotta cook. You've gotta clean. There are ways to squeeze in some love for your body, while doing those things you love to hate.
Anybody can just push a vacuum around, but then that person's not getting the full benefits of this otherwise rueful activity. Instead, use deep knee bends while pushing the vacuum out, being sure to tighten and hold the abdominal muscles and buttocks, keeping your back straight. Be sure to switch the lunging leg every few pushes.
How many hours a day does a parent spend standing before a sink of dirty dishes? Make better use of that time by working out your legs with side leg lifts. Begin on two feet, then lift one leg slowly out to the side until it reaches about a 45-degree angle. Hold it there for 5 seconds, using the thigh muscle to keep it aloft. Switch to the other foot. Repeat each leg 10 times.
Young children means lots and lots of toys. Of course, we want them to clean up after themselves, but we know who really does most of the picking up. Carry a laundry basket or satchel around and bend both knees deep beside each toy to pick up. While squatting, keep your back straight and tighten your abs. Walking and squatting to each toy can quickly translate into dozens of toning squats.
Finding workout tools in the kitchen is just as easy as finding cooking gadgets. Next time you find yourself still before a boiling pot of macaroni and cheese, grab a couple of cans from the pantry and do bicep curls. Grasping the can, leave your elbows still and bent at your side. Keep tension in your upper arm as you curl the can up. Repeat 10 curls on each arm.
With the kids
What does any kid want more than their parents' attention? Here are some ways to stay involved with your kids, get some exercise, and have some fun!
There are some obvious things we can do with our children that are both healthy and fun; it's just we sometimes forget or, really, are just too lazy. Walking is often overlooked as an easy and convenient way to exercise, as we're all so quick to jump in our cars for every little errand. It may take more time to walk to the store, but the benefits are worth it. And what better way to burn some extra kid energy? Better yet, have your kids ride their bikes, scooters, or skateboards—and try to keep up!
Everyone encourages their kids to get involved in team sports like soccer or baseball . . . but who says they should be the only ones exercising? While your kids are at practice, bring your iPod® and take laps around the field (just be sure to keep an eye on them and offer encouragement!). Not all sports need to be organized. Next time your kids are vying for some parent time, take them outside for a vigorous game of tag or soccer yourself.
Don't use dreary weather as an excuse to keep you from moving about; there's plenty to do inside with your kid. Turn on the music and dance! Need some inspiration? Check out Shaun T's Fit Kids® Club or Get Real with Shaun T for families who like to groove. Also, Tony Horton's Tony & the Kids! DVD is a fun and wacky way for the whole family to get fit.
Downtime
The long day of trudging through the grind is over, and who wouldn't be tempted to sink into a comfy couch, remote in hand, and just laze away into the night? But remember that every few minutes of exercise counts, so, sure, take a load off here and there to regroup. Just be sure to take breaks and get moving.
Commercial breaks generally last about two minutes. Figuring there are five commercials in any given one-hour show, that's 10 minutes of movement you can sneak in right there. Crunches, push-ups, and jumping jacks are classic exercises you can do just about anywhere at any time. And if you're watching back-to-back shows, squeeze in a 10-Minute Trainer®session during the break. But to make sure you don't miss one thrilling minute of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, warm up during the first show's commercial break and cool down during the second show.
Yoga can be an excellent source of exercise, but it's also a great way to relax. And it just feels good to get those kinks out. If you don't know where to start, take a look at Yoga Booty Ballet's Pure & Simple Yoga workouts to awaken your mind and your body to the possibilities.
There is no bigger time waster than waiting for a kid to brush his teeth or put on her pajamas. Use that time wisely. Instead of hanging around the bathroom sink listlessly, grasp on with your hands for some slow, deep squats. Work your abdomen at the same time by keeping those muscles tight. Remember to keep your back straight. Repeat 10 times.
Power-packed Granola Bars - so easy, a caveman probably DID make them :)
Ingredients:
4.5 cups raw rolled oats (big ones)
1 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp almond extract
2/3 cup all-natural butter, softened (yep, the REAL stuff!)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup packed all-natural brown sugar
Add some or all of the following:
raw, unsalted almonds, walnuts, cashews (chopped)
unsweetened dried cherries, cranberries, apricots, apples (chopped)
all-natural shredded coconut
raw, unsalted, whole sunflower seeds
wheat germ or flax seed meal
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl...no order, throw it in! Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan and throw it in! Press it into pan. Preheat over to 325, and throw it in! Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown around edges. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Cut into bars.
Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 days or in fridge for up to 2 weeks. Freezes well up to 4 weeks.
DARN DELISH!!! Completely satisfies my craving for oatmeal cookies <3
We began P90X with the intention of changing how our family lived health-wise. And after that first 90 days, we acheived what we were seeking...and decided not to stop there! If getting on a strategic plan for our health worked so well, why not the rest of our life? Our marriag? Our children? Our friendships? Our finances?
The basic concept is: we have this amazing opportunity to live life. Why not have everything be in line with our greatest expectations and dreams?
So we began to do this. We started in August of 2009. Here's what we did:
Gain Health!
Without a healthy body and a thriving mind, we realize we'd be chasing our tails. So we both committed to exercise and good nutrition using the Beachbody programs. Fitness-wise we used P90X, P90X Plus, Insanity Asylum, Brazil Butt Lift, Turbo-Jam, Tony Horton 1-on-1, and the list grows as Beachbody adds new programs to their roster! Nutrition: we use Shakeology every single day without fail. We usually replace breakfast or lunch with it, depending on how the day is planned. We also eat "clean" which means following the P90X nutrition plan and WOWY eating plans. We dig our fresh, clean bodies! We also eat a balanced meal every 2-3 hours and drink half of our body weight in ounces of water.
Delete debt!
We took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University online course to get our finances in order. We used his template as a tool to become debt-free, credit-card free and LOVIN' IT!
Build our Marriage
Just like a good business needs a plan, so does a marriage. We rise every morning at 5:30 AM and part of our morning routine includes a 30 minute meeting over coffee. We talk about whatever is on our minds and share ourselves emotionally. It's become something we look forward to every morning! We also read husband-wife books and connect ourselves with mentors who guide us by being great examples in their marriages. This thing called marriage rocks :)
Build our relationship with Christ
Our motto is: a life without Jesus is like an unsharpened pencil. It has no point. We know God has placed us in every moment on purpose and with a plan. If we don't daily grow in our relationship with Christ by reading his word and seeking his wisdom, we would not be diligent with the opportunities He presents us with every moment.
Be present in our children's lives
We are sooooooo amazingly blessed to have Livy and Liam! It is a decision to put them first, especially with both of us running our Beachbody Coaching business from home! Livy (3 years) is continually running up to us during the day to ask for help, encouragment, or just time. Liam (4 months) is (obviously) always in one of our laps! We decide to be "present" at every interaction with our children and allow for interruptions because they are our joy and our love. They are why we do it. Opportunities for them to thrive, learn, exercise and grow are TOP on our list.
Build our business
What is completely amazing about the opportunity that Beachbody preseted to us was for us to have it all. Cheesey as this sounds, I'm serious. We wanted to stay home with our children, be significant in people's lives, and create a business where we would not have ANY limitations. No limitations on income potential, significance, service, time, travel, finances, etc. This is what we have been honored to create by simply being diligent with the tool that is Beachbody. We spend our time in our business wisely. Everything is a system based on how we can best utilize our time, and the time of others. Every coach on our team, customer in our client base, and potential business partner is valuable to us. We know that by investing ourselves to their success rewards us back with storing up "treasures" that don't just include finances. Our treasures include smiles, hugs, tears (joy), friendship, and just building relationships. We couldn't ask for a better "career" than one that is not just worth the money, but worth our LIVES. Our ministry.
Build our significance
Finally, we believe that everyone who sees us, reads about us, or communicates with us is placed in this very moment for a reason. We cherish this. Let us be significant to you by helping you with whatever we can. How can we become significant by adding value to your life? If you are reading this and want to create or change some things in your own life or the life of your family, we would love to walk the journey with you by being your friend in fitness or business, or both :)
Andy and I need your help. We are looking for people in the following categories:
1. Raving Fans! We are seeking people who have weight to lose. Be it 10 or 200 pounds, we’re 100% confident you CAN reach your goals. We offer a 30 day "unlimited access" coaching program for free! Virtual via phone, text, email and Facebook. The only cost is for your individual tools. We coach only 20 new clients per month. Through this “foundation phase" program you’ll lose between 10-20 pounds the first month.
PS - If you'd like to "audit" our current group, we'll grant you a day's pass to the private Facebook group where our July clients are thriving(and loosing!!) right now.
2. Team Members! We're looking for husband-wife teams who want to start a home-based business as Beachbody Coaches. Having a passion for fitness and a heart for people are the only requirements. We spend our time training and mentoring couples through this business because when couples work together, magic happens :) we know, we're living it and we love it! Helping people transform their lives is our business. Make it your business :)
PS - if you'd like to "audit" being a coach on our team, you may do so for 30 days.
Serving: If either of these opportunities fits you, HURRAY! Andy and I are blessed to serve you in the capacity that fits your lifestyle and goals.
Sharing: What we offer might benefit someone you know and care about, and we'd be honored to help them too. Please forward this email to them so they can research, reach out, and choose. This may be the very thing that they've been looking for.
Thank you for your time. As a busy young married couple (Andy 30, Katy 26) with two small children (Livy 3, Liam 3 months) we know how important it is to maximize time and resources. We care very much about ensuring every moment you spend with us adds value to your life.
What is better for fat loss – Weight Training or Cardio?
After looking over the evidence, I say: BOTH.
Even though you burn more fat going slowly, you still burn some fat at much faster speeds or intensity. It all boils down to how much energy you expend in totality. For example, if you compare exercising at a slow rate that burns 60 percent fat and 40 percent glucose and a higher intensity or duration that burns only 30 percent fat and 70 percent glucose, you will still burn and may even burn more fat at the higher intensity for the SAME AMOUNT OF TIME.
A typical example. Exercise (1) is the slower 60/40 mix and exercise (2) is the faster, 30/70 mix of fat and glucose fuel.
1.Walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes -- 180 calories used -- 108 calories of fat burned
2.Running on a treadmill for 30 minutes -- 400 calories used -- 120 calories of fat burned
You can see from this example that the bottom line really is how much energy you expend -- and that is the ultimate fat burning measure. But you can also see that on days you’d like to go slower, you’ll still be burning that fat!
The Best Strategy for Fat Loss
So where are we at with our fat burning project? Here is a summary.
Increase muscle with weight training. Extra muscle helps to burn more energy at rest, even if only a little. This is called the resting metabolic rate of muscle or RMR. Extra muscle will also burn more fat in active phase, the active metabolic rate if you like, or the AMR, so having more muscle will definitely help burn more energy and fat.
Do aerobic exercise. Considering how much energy you would use in an hour of either type of exercise, weights or cardio, you must do some consistent aerobic or cardio work to burn fat.
Try high-intensity cardio. High-intensity exercise, even if only in short bursts, may rev up the metabolism and get that fat mobilized in the post-exercise period. Do some high intensity as well, but don’t overdo it, because burning the fat is a long-term project and you don’t want to get ‘burned out’. A group exercise program such as a solid cycle spin class might match this requirement. In fact, I highly recommend group cycle spin classes where you are encouraged to go fast, yet with the option to slow down if you need to.
SO THE SOLUTION IS:
Weights and Cardio together in aCircuit Training Program
Combining weights and cardio in a circuit interval session is an excellent approach to fat burning. The weights circuits are based on the idea of mixing high and low-intensity weights and cardio in a circuit. All of the Beachbody fitness programs incorporate this system, and it works!
References –
Paul Rogers, certified personal trainer
Owen O. Resting metabolic requirements of men and women. Mayo Clin Proc 1988;63:503-510.
LaForgia J, Withers RT, Gore CJ. Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. J. Sports Sci. 2006 Dec;24(12):1247-64.
You've gotta cook. You've gotta clean. There are ways to squeeze in some love for your body, while doing those things you love to hate.
There are some obvious things we can do with our children that are both healthy and fun; it's just we sometimes forget or, really, are just too lazy. Walking is often overlooked as an easy and convenient way to exercise, as we're all so quick to jump in our cars for every little errand. It may take more time to walk to the store, but the benefits are worth it. And what better way to burn some extra kid energy? Better yet, have your kids ride their bikes, scooters, or skateboards—and try to keep up!
Commercial breaks generally last about two minutes. Figuring there are five commercials in any given one-hour show, that's 10 minutes of movement you can sneak in right there. Crunches, push-ups, and jumping jacks are classic exercises you can do just about anywhere at any time. And if you're watching back-to-back shows, squeeze in a 
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