Monday Motivation ... Keep being consistent!

How did you week go last week with the April challenge?  How are the push ups and plank?  It's not too late to start you know! 

This week it's time to up it a little bit.  Not a lot, just a little bit so that you are gradually building up your strength.

Here is this week's plan ...

Push ups     20
Skipping    100
Plank          45 seconds

Just so that you don't think you are going to get away with it being easy either ... If you find that doing 20 push ups on your knees is easy but just can't quite master them on your toes ... change the intensity when doing them on your knees. 

Here are some options ...
* Slow them down.  Count to 3 as you lower to the ground, count to 3 as you push up again.  Slower uses your muscles for longer ... it burns, oh yeah!
* Go low.  Provided that you are maintaining your form, go as low down to the ground as you can.  OK, so if you've got big boobies then you have an advantage, but get down low!

And, those of you who are pushing out 20 on your toes with no problems, up the intensity of yours too.  Same as above! 

Now all of this effort we are making in April is not going to be for nothing ... we are making changes, to both our mind and body!

Get out there and make the change!  And don't forget to let me know on FaceBook or instagram with an #activeapril hashtag!  I want to see pics!

Monday Motivation .. and April Challenge!

How was your Easter?  I hope that you managed some quality time relaxing with family and friends ... and didn't over indulge too much!

We had quite a lovely relaxing weekend and this morning we are heading off for a week away which should be even more relaxing!  I kept to my current running plan with a run on Good Friday and on Sunday morning before brunch with my family.

Whilst I kept my eating to healthy choices as much as possible, there were 2 hot cross buns and some chocolate in the mix!  That's OK ... it was the Easter weekend and that was really the only time I indulged. 
But that's all going to change this week!  Mini clean up starts today!  I'll be on holidays away from home and my kitchen but I'm not going to let that stop me.  I can still make healthy choices!  The plan ...

* no more hot cross buns .. they sit in your belly anyway and make you feel ick!
* no chocolate for the week ... I'll live ...
* no alcohol ... I'm good with that, I don't usually drink during the week anyway ...
* eat fresh fruit, veg and lean protein .. healthy choices for snacks too
* lots of water!

It's not going to be that hard really, I just need to get myself back in my usual routine.  I hope that you are going to join me too.  Come and visit me on face book and let me know how you are going.

Secondly, I've decided that I'm going to run a challenge for everyone ( including me! ) during April ...

the Active April challenge #activeapril ...

I  know I'm generally active on most days but a little goal of mine is to do something every day.  This challenge isn't designed to whip your arse everyday ... it's designed to build up slowly.  Something that is achievable for everyone. 

I've chosen 3 exercises that most people really want to be able to improve upon.  Yes, they are challenging but not so much that you won't be able to do them.  And we are going to build on these exercises each week.  Are you ready?  You don't even need any equipment!  Here we go ..

Week One ...

Push ups ... 10 push ups each day.  Do them on your knees, on your toes, against the wall, against the foot of the bed ... just 10 that's it

Skipping ... 50 skips each day ... should take you about 30 seconds ... you don't even have to use a skipping rope, just pretend if you don't have one

Plank ... 30 seconds each day ... on your knees, on your toes ... just use good form, relax your shoulders and lock your abs on!

That's not that hard is it .. the whole thing should take you 2 minutes MAX!!

Each subsequent week we are going to add to the exercise.  You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly!

Push ups ... add 10 more push ups each week.  By week 4 you will be doing 40 push ups each day ... NICE!  Think of how fabulous our arms and shoulders will be!

Skipping ... add 50 skips each week.  Week 2, 100 skips ... Week 3, 150 skips etc ... skipping is fabulous for a cardio workout and hot looking calves!  Oh and burning calories!

Plank ... add 15 seconds each week.  By week 4 you will be able to hold for over a minute.  Abs of steel and a super strong core!

See, it's not that much more to include in your usual workout and you will be staying active everyday in April!

I know you want to do this with me!  You can join in on Face book, Twitter or on Instagram ... come and find me on Instagram @fitmum ... show me your pics and use the hash tag #activeapril ... I love to see every one's workout pics!

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation ...

                              Source: fit-runner.tumblr.com via Vicki on Pinterest

I started, and I finished!

The International Women's Day Fun Run was on in Brisbane yesterday.  This was my first 'Fun Run' in nearly 2 years!  I know, it was only 5km but it gave me a bit of extra motivation to get back to more running.  At the moment I run maybe once a week, so nothing serious. 

There were people everywhere.  It was crowded.  Settling into your own rythym was pretty much a non event.  There were bottlenecks and we would run into the back of the person in front if they stopped to have a walk break.  And it was hot!

But in the end we finished and our time of 31 minutes was kind of respectable given our training or lack of training!  I wouldn't say it was the easiest 5km that I have ever run .. or the fastest, but it's given me something to work on.  I know where I am now and I know where I want to go. 

More importantly, I got out there amongst.

Have a great week everyone!  Get out there and get amongst it and see what you can achieve!

Stay active, stay healthy!

Review | Zumba Core Fitness ... and a giveaway

Have you done Zumba? Do you include it as part of your fitness routine?

It's not something that I normally do. I prefer running, strength training and yoga .. occasionally I'll step out of the box and do something different.

I have tried Zumba before .. two classes. When I did these 2 classes I made sure to steer clear of the mirrors ( really hard in a group fitness room! ) and planted myself at the back of the room behind several other participants. I have seen myself in the mirror doing Zumba. I look like a baby elephant. I'm afraid I just can't seem to get my hips to move the same way the instructors do.

A few weeks ago I received a copy of the new Zumba Core Fitness Wii game to have a crack at and tell you about it. So, what better way to do Zumba than in the privacy of your own lounge room?!

Please note that I don't think the game
will guarantee abs like the girl above ...

For the last month here in Brisbane it has been raining on and off .. more on than off. So much so that everyone has had enough and if it is at all possible to request someone to flick the switch we would!
When you have energetic children and it's been raining so much the back yard is like a quagmire and there is only so much fighting over table tennis one can listen to, what should you do? Fire up the Zumba Core Fitness Wii game!!

The kids love it! Miss 11, who has been doing some form of dance since she was 4 years old is already at legend status. I choose not to tell her my current level .. I am still a struggling beginner. The less said here the better.
Mr 7 also loves it and he gets his Zumba on in the mornings after he is ready for school. I love seeing him try to get his hips moving!

Me, I do it when no one else is watching, it really isn't that pretty! But I will say that it is fun ( only if you can laugh at yourself! ) and it will get you moving, get your heart rate up and get you sweaty.

It's not like doing an entire class, you can choose to do just one song or customise a few that you like. Or you can choose to do varying length preset classes all with different intensity levels .. low, medium or high intensity. The first time I tried it I chose a 20 minute class and was quite happy to sit when it was over!
You can even do a learn the steps track .. but what's the fun there! Just jump in and go hard I say!

Don't think that I'm the only one who will be getting to enjoy this new game ... I've got a copy to giveaway! So you too can Zumba away and shake your booty in the privacy of your own lounge room!!

Here's what you need to do to enter ...

Leave a comment here telling me why you would like to win a copy of Zumba Core Fitness. Make sure you leave me your details too so that I can get in touch with you if you win!
Please also head over to Fit Mum on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends.

I will be drawing a winner at random, not based on your comments, but I still want to hear from you!! 

 And the fine print ...
This competition is hosted by fitmumsblog.blogspot.com.au and the prize is one Zumba Fitness Core Wii game.  The competition opens 05/03/2013 and closes 12am 15/03/2013. The winner will be drawn 16/03/13 at random and will be notified by email as soon as possible after the draw. The prize will be posted to the winner within 21 days. The competition is open to entrants with an Australian address only. I was provided with a copy of the game for the purposes of the review. Should the winner not contact me within 48 hours the prize will be forfeited and re-drawn.

Monday Motivation ... Indoor workout today!

So last week just didn't go quite as I would have liked, but it's Monday and everything starts fresh on Monday .. doesn't it?

This morning's run got cancelled due to the wild weather we are experiencing here at the moment .. I'm ready for it to go away now, really I am! 
Instead I did a workout in the garage.  Here it is if you would like to give it a go one day ...

One circuit consists of 25 reps of each exercise

I managed this circuit 4 times round .. a total of 600 reps!  Yes, I was tired at the end.  You can time it if you like and make your goal to beat the time .. I didn't rush!  Tomorrow's schedule involves a yoga class.  I am really looking forward to this one as I haven't practised for a while and I'm in need of a good stretch!
Menu is already planned thanks to the 8 week challenge so I'm set and ready to go!  I will stick to it this week a bit closer than last week, I promise!

What has everyone got planned for the week? 

Whatever it is, go out there, get it done and feel great about it!

Stay healthy & active!

8 Week Challenge .. Week 1

I made it through Week 1! Each week I will share my thoughts about how I'm going ... and any other special treats that I might find out.

As I said in my first post I'm really excited about doing this challenge and I have really got my head into this .. no ifs, buts or excuses! Check it out here .. The Biggest Loser Club.
 
I was a bit concerned about how I was going to survive eating only 1200 calories each day and I will admit to feeling hungry a few times over the first 3 days. After that I think that maybe my body got used to the reduced calories, however even now I still feel a bit hungry every so often ... I hope that won't last.

Speaking of food, the menu is yummy! The meals are certainly different but so quick and easy to whip up. Each day there is a different breakfast, lunch and dinner. Which, I guess is to offer variety. I'd be quite happy to eat the same breakfast a few days in a row. I usually have the same thing every day, with something different thrown in every few days.

There have been a few meals that are different from the "usual" fare that I serve up and even though I have been a bit unsure of how they would go, I personally thought they were quite nice! Even the kids enjoyed the tofu skewers! 

Again, I'll mention that I loved someone else planning my menu!  The shopping list was provided so I just printed it out and crossed out what I had in the pantry already. It has also been great not having to visit the shops every 2 - 3 days to grab those forgotten ingredients!

On to the exercise. I did not follow the plan to the letter last week. OK so I didn't really follow it at all! I did my own thing ... I figure that I sort of know what I'm doing on that front! Exercise is not where I need a boost ... there's been far too much good food consumed lately!

I haven't been doing quite as much either .. the plan calls for 600 calorie exercise burn each day. That is like a 10km run each day!! I'm building up slowly when and where I can. No excuses but Mr Fit Mum was away last week and is away again for most of this week, so I need to fit in as much as I can during school hours and when Miss 11 has swimming training. Can I just mention here that it is HOT running at 9am in Brisbane!

The end result for last week .. I did actually lose weight. See, eating less and better choices really does work! I am hoping that this continues so that I can reach my goal!

And you will be pleased to know that in the end I did take my before photos and measurements. I'm afraid to say that I won't be sharing them here! I did send them to one of my girlfriends who will keep me honest and accountable!

Stay healthy and active!

Taking the workout outside again!

This week Mr Fit Mum is away so I couldn't head out on one of my usual early morning runs.  After school drop off I was being a bit social out and about so I reverted to one of my outdoor workouts that is based on body weight exercises and some cardio thrown in for fun! Miss 11 had swimming training for an hour so that was heaps of time for me to work up a sweat!
 
My workout does not require any equipment so it is a great one to do at the park while the kids are on the play equipment. You can do it at home too if you can't get out!
 
This is my gym for the workout ...

 

Hello sprints ...



Occupies Mr 6 & I use for dips ...

Warm up .. Do whatever exercise you want to get the blood starting to circulate to your muscles .. 5 minutes of brisk walking or jogging will get you there.  I did laps of the oval beside the playground .. about 1km.

There are three sets of exercises .. Do each set, then repeat. I usually aim for 3 rounds of each set then a warm down. By the third set I am really having to push myself to keep the intensity up!

SET 1 .. 10 reps of each exercise
Push ups .. Make sure you stay within your ability level and focus on technique. Do them against a bench if you need a little support.
Lunges .. Keep the heel of your front foot planted on the ground and push off with that heel making sure your front knee doesn't track in front of your toes. If you feel it in your knees bring that knee back behind your front toe.
Sprints .. Or stairs .. Just 4 sets of sprints here. Not at your max but step it out!! Use a skipping rope at home and crank out 100 skips.

SET 2 .. 10 reps of each exercise
Tricep dips .. Against a bench, or a chair at home. Keep your butt close to the bench .. No cheating!
Spider-Man .. Into push up position on your toes keeping a nice plank with your body. Alternate knees to elbow like you are climbing like Spidey! This canes your tummy!
Sprints again ...

SET 3 .. 10 reps of each exercise
Burpees .. You know the ones!
Squats .. Squatting down like you are about to sit on the couch .. Don't fall into the couch, use your muscles!
Sprints again!

Warm down and stretch!

What do you think of this workout? Are you going to give it a go?

Would you like me to post more workouts you can do at home?

Stay healthy and active Fit People!

The weekly stirfry and yoga ...

It seems that the last six weeks of school holidays have flown by and the kids have their bags packed with new school books ready to go back to school on Tuesday! 

I've been trying to get myself back into a routine this week and honestly I haven't had a huge amount of success.  Although, I don't know where the week went!  Surely I've accomplished something?

So far I've only managed 2 runs and a yoga class.  This morning's workout was rained out and where I normally workout in the garage has been cleaned out because Mr Fit Mum decided the floor needed painting!  As I type it has started pouring .. again ... maybe I'll manage some more yoga this afternoon.


My yoga class this week was with a friend of mine who is an instructor.  I've been trying to get to one of her classes for months now and it finally worked out!  And let me say, I worked out too!  It was a small class but that didn't really matter as we all worked at our own levels for the day.  I'm proud to say I managed really well.  I even held crow pose for a few seconds!  This is exciting for me as I've never been able to do this one!



I've also been trying to get back on track a little bit more with my eating.  I'm with everyone else whose eating has been less than fabulous over the last month or so!  When all else fails and my creative dinner powers are just not functioning I turn to an old favourite ... Stir Fry.  This gets a run in our house pretty regularly.  Everybody has a version of this dish in their repertoire and I thought I would share mine .. it's probably the same as yours!

Chopped veg ... I use whatever I have in the crisper.  Last night we had capsicum, carrot, snow peas and onion.
Protein ... We had chicken but you can use whatever takes your fancy!  Or whatever you have handy ..
Sauce ... Garlic, Ginger, Chilli.  How much of these depends on you and your taste.  Mix them together with about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, a squirt of hone and a tablespoon or so of water.


I'm not going to tell you how to cook a stir fry.  I'm not a chef but I think you know what you are doing! 








To finish my stir fry off I usually squeeze a fresh lime over and throw some fresh coriander if I have any and ... voila!  Dinner done and everybody eats it!
I usually serve my stir fry with some carbs, either rice or noodles as the kids and Mr Fit Mum like a little extra ... I don't always have the rice or noodles.  I just prefer to load up on the veg!

 
What's your favourite healthy, nutritious go to dinner?

Move it Monday ...

How was your weekend?  If it was anything like mine, things are starting to get a little busy with Christmas parties and general socialising!  Which means you may have had a few too many drinks or a few too many yummy nibbles.

After having dinner out 3 nights in a row I knew that I was going to need a super sweaty session to balance a few things out!  On Saturday morning when Miss 10 was at swimming training I used the opportunity to again use the school oval to do my own little workout. 

This workout did not require any equipment and could be done anywhere ...

Do 20 reps of each exercise.  Remember to do the exercise at your own ability level.
Sprints .. you don't have to knock yourself out, just run a bit faster than normal for about 20 metres.  A quick rest then turn around and come back.  Because there were stairs where I was, I alternated and ran stairs instead of sprints on my second round. 

Repeat 2 or 3 times depending on how much time you have!



If you have any questions, feel free to email me or check out Fit Mum's facebook page!

Stay healthy & active!

Moving it Monday ...

As a Personal Trainer I most certainly advocate including exercise as part of your regular health and fitness routine.  I'm even going to suggest that maybe you look at employing the services of a Personal Trainer! Well, duh!

So it should really come as no surprise when I tell my clients and my potential clients that I, myself have a personal trainer also.  But it does.  The most common response would be "Oh really? Why would YOU need a PT .. you can do it all yourself. "

Why, yes, yes I can plan my program and train myself.  But there are days when I just don't feel the urge to push myself as hard as I could ... or should.

Like today's training session for example.  Because of the "issue" I have with my arm at the moment I am limited in what I can do, so leg strength has been a focus in our last few sessions.  Today we thought we would shake it up and did a more cardio focused session.  And no, I probably would not have put myself through that session today by myself .. I was sucking in the big ones after the warm up! 
Now, I'm feeling pretty happy that I got out there and worked hard!  Maybe just to make up for some treats over the weekend a little bit ...

Rehydration required!!

The reasons I have a PT are just the same as why anyone else would benefit from having a PT ...

Someone to push me and challenge me ...
Someone I need to be accountable to and make sure I turn up to my appointment
Someone to think for me ... I just do what they tell me to do and I don't have to think about what is next
Someone to make sure my technique is spot on!

What do I love most about having a PT ... I know that I have worked hard, put in a decent effort and have definitely had a quality session!  Oh and I feel pretty darn good after a kick arse session!

Do you have a PT? 

What do you expect from your PT?

What do you love the most about training with a PT?

Training Tuesday ... Spot Reduction

Who wants to get rid of their muffin top?  What about trimming down those thighs?

Me! I do!  I'm the first to admit that I would like to make some "adjustments" to some of my "trouble spots".  Who doesn't?!  Well, admittedly there are some bodies out there that look mighty fine .. but we're not talking about those right!!

When my clients come to me and tell me that they would like lose their muffin top or get a nice butt, I would love to be able to tell them exactly what exercise to do to achieve this.  If I knew of a single exercise or trick that would work for me, I would definitely pass it on! 

It's usually called spot reduction ... in most workouts this consists of 100 crunches a day to get a flat tummy or a 6 pack.  Or tricep dips and bicep curls to get nice arms.  The idea behind it is that if you focus on a certain area of the body with isolation exercises you will reduce the amount of fat here and be able to see the muscles.  Yes, bicep curls will give you big guns but what is the point if you still have them insulated by a layer of fat?

This is what I tell my clients .. beware though, you may not like it ... 

You can not focus your attention on a particular part of your body, do copious amounts of exercises for it and magically the fat will remove itself from here only.  I haven't yet found any evidence that you can "request" your body to rid itself of fat from a particular area.  My understanding is that fat is usually lost proportionately over your entire body as you lose weight.  It doesn't seem like it to me sometimes as I have always tended to lose weight in my boobs chest area first.  It really is an individual thing, so genetics will play a part.

You can not designate where the fat goes to on your body.  I have made various requests that it go to my boobs chest area.  These requests have gone ignored.  Again, genetics will play a part in determining where it goes.  And yes, men and women differ here .. it may not be fair but deal with it.

If you want to see your muscles minimise the insulation.  Yes that means, lose body fat and you will see the muscles that you do actually have.  We have all heard the saying that abs are made in the kitchen.  Well, it's not only abs, losing excess body fat is all about what you eat.  Well, about 80% anyway.  You want to shape your body and see the muscles .. combine a healthy, nutritious balanced diet with weight training and you are on you way to seeing those muscles.

Do weight training and burn more calories.  Big moves like squats, lunges, push ups etc and no girly weights, they have to be a bit heavy!  There is nothing more empowering than knowing that you can crank out some heavy weights!  Have a look at this post for an at home workout that gets you sweaty.

Add some cardio .. it keeps you fit, healthy, burns calories and gives you energy! 

And lastly, be consistent!  Those people with the bodies that you admire, they have literally worked their butts off! 

It's hard work, but someone's got to do it!  Make sure it's you!

Vicki x

 

Today's Training Challenge ...

You've all heard the benefits of doing weight training and you'd love to add some to your workout but not sure what or how ...

I thought I would show you some of my favourites!

Squats

Some call them the king of exercises.  Meh, they're a leg exercise, they hurt, they get results, what else do we need to say? 
Why should you squat?  Well for one, you do it every day .. think sitting down, standing up, going to the loo.  Usually not done with the best form but you get the idea! 
Other than that squats are a great exercise because they use more than one muscle group, which in turn uses lots of energy ( think calorie burn ) .. this all means more bang for your buck! 
Do them .. think nice butt, nice legs, strong core!

Push ups

Did I just see you screw up your nose?  What do you mean you hate push ups? 
Push ups are another exercise that uses more than one muscle group ( think again, bang for buck ). 
You want nice arms and shoulders to show off in your summer frock?  Start doing push ups. 
Did I mention they are great for your core too?  What's not to love?

Do them right ... Here's some key points to think about when doing each exercise ...



* Keep feet hip / shoulder width apart
* Shoulders back and down, chest up and out
* Tummy braced
* Don't bend at the waist, bend from hips like sitting down, stick your butt out
* Keep your knees facing forward and heels on the ground
* Only do what you can while maintaining great form!








 * Hands on the floor underneath your shoulders
* Choose your level, knees or toes, keeping a strong plank by bracing your tummy
* Bend at your elbows lowering your chest to the floor
* Keep your hips strong and don't let your hips drop or your back sag down



 Make sure you do the exercise to your ability level.  You can build up to the next level as you build strength!


Now that you have mastered the squat and push up .. I thought you might like to do a little challenge this week!  Over the next week, you need to do 100 squats and 100 push ups!  Don't panic, you don't have to do them all in one day!  Each day, you need to do 10 squats and 10 push ups in the morning, then again in the afternoon / evening.  You will have done 100 in 5 days!

Let me know how you go!  Any questions let me know...

Also, you can contact me on my Facebook page too!

Vicki x

Today's Training ... Release your inner 7 year old!

When was the last time you grabbed a skipping rope and actually skipped for longer than 10 seconds?  It's hard right!  But, it is a GREAT exercise .. and one you can do anywhere so excuses can be hard to make up for this one!

There's a reason boxers use skipping as part of their training programs.  It's great for building strength and fitness which means it's great for you. 

Benefits of skipping ...

* Great for improving cardio fitness
* Great for endurance
* Builds muscle strength
* Improves co-ordination                         
* Great for strengthening bones
* Improves balance
* Inexpensive form of exercise
* Burns calories
* You can do in anywhere, anytime

As you know, skipping is not an easy exercise to maintain for a long period of time so it's important that you build up slowly.  Start out with say 30 seconds of skipping then take a rest for 30 seconds .. repeat for 5 minutes.  Or you could start out with 100 skips at a time and build up from there.

Depending on the individual, their fitness and exertion levels you can burn on average 10 calories per minute.  Skipping for 10 minutes can burn between 70 and 110 calories!  If you are pressed for time or space this is a great choice for burning a few extra calories!

Skipping is not a low impact activity however, so it's really important to take it easy.  Build up slowly as I suggested above.  I'm also going to say here that if you have pelvic floor concerns that you practice your PF exercises before you start a skipping routine.  Or better yet check with your medical professional.  And while I'm on the pelvic floor issue .. have you done your exercises yet today?  Oh, and make sure you are wearing a supportive bra!

Well, what are you waiting for?  This has got to be the quickest, easiest way to fit some form of exercise into your day.  Aim for 5 minutes 3 times per day and there's some easy calories burned and your fitness improved!

Go on .. Release your inner 7 year old!

 

Weekly workout update ...

I've been a bit slack with my updates of late .. busy, not enough sleep ... no excuses really ...

This week's training really was my usual.  I'm certainly no athlete training for an hour or more each day.  I'm just an everyday person who manages a workout between running after the kids, working .. and the cold dark mornings!  Good thing I don't train mornings much or it would never get done!

Monday is my day to run with my friend.  This is my cold, dark morning.  We head out at 5.45am so that we get back in time to beg the children to get ready for school in time, all while getting ready for work.  My fingers were frozen this morning, even after the run I could barely move them!

Tuesday I teach boxing class in the evening so I use this as my workout.  I get out there with the class and do the cardio and strength intervals during the class.  Between that and instructing it's not too bad!  I've been a bit slack lately and haven't been doing yoga in the mornings .. could be something to do with the warm bed ...

Wednesday mornings Mr FitMum and Miss 10 head out for their morning run so I force myself onto a treadmill after work.  This is tough somedays so I try to do something that's fun and I'll get a bit of a bang for my buck so to speak.  Intervals.  Run / walk intervals.  I do end up with a few 200m sprints at the end but by that stage I'm into it so it's all good!

Thursday is PT day.  I haven't trained for 2 weeks so this one was a bit ugly .. and tough.  Let me say that I'm still feeling it 2 days later ..

Friday .. Rest day!

Saturday morning I get out for a run with my friend again.  This morning we managed a 6.5km run through the bush.  We haven't done this one for a while and it was a great feeling!  The feeling in my fingers is gradually returning and my typing is getting a little better!

There you have it, my exercise week.  I'm now heading off to the usual Saturday sport with the kids!

How did your workouts for the week go?  Or have you still got your weekend workouts to fit in?

Have a great weekend whatever you are doing! 

Vicki x

Have you got 10 minutes?

OK .. everyone is busy.  And some people are just too busy to exercise! ( Yeah, right, whatever ... )

So, here is a little solution ...



Want to do more than 10 minutes ... do it twice a day ...

And then repeat!

Everyone can spare 10 minutes ...

Oh, and the kids would LOVE this one!

Let me know how you go!

Fit Mum x   

Monday Motivation

It's all about the effort ...

Are you making the effort to work harder and get better?

Fit Mum x   

Ripping that bandaid off ...

You know those days when you are not sure if you feel like doing any exercise?  You kind of do and you kind of don't. You know that you should ... It's in your plan for the week ...

I call these days my bandaid training days ...

 

You know when you have to rip the bandaid off .. You know it's going to hurt but it just has to be done. You know that you will feel better when it's over.


Today was one of those days for me.  Especially when I have to do my training after work. Mind you, I only work for a few hours a day but I'm usually pretty drained when I finish and all I really feel like doing is heading home for lunch and put my feet up for a little while.


So, on days like today, I just have to get on with it.  Rip that bandaid off ... 

Put my training clothes on and get out on the treadmill as fast as I can before my brain knows what is going on. Definitely have to make sure that there is some decent entertainment to keep my mind distracted from what I am doing.


And Voila! Training done! According to plan and yes, I feel much better.  I did what I had to do and didn't let myself get talked out of it.


Nike have the fabulous "Just Do It" .. well, sometimes it just doesn't do it for me.  And Michelle Bridges has added another motivating word to the phrase .. JFDI ( If you don't know this one, use your imagination ... )

But, I'm going to stick with my bandaid for the moment .. it's working for me!

When you have days like these how do you keep yourself on track?

Do you have a special phrase or word that gets you moving?

Fit Mum x

Who said I was old?

I'm getting older. Every day.


This last week I have had cause to think about getting older and the myriad of illnesses and conditions that can affect us as we get older. It's really kind of scary, particularly for a person who likes to be in control and I guess that's why I choose not to think about it.


In this case someone very close to me has had something happen that has literally stopped them in their tracks and they have no choice but to lie flat out for the next week or so. The doctors have advised that there is nothing that could have been done to prevent this .. It's age related.


On the positive side, it's got me thinking about what I can and can't control with relation to my own health .. clearly I can't control everything. But, there are heaps of things I can control and by doing so will help me be able to "live" with the aging process!  I know I'm not going to win the aging argument so I'm not going to beat myself up trying .. but I'm going to do my best to age in the best possible way ...

According to Coco Chanel "A woman has the age she deserves" .. I want to deserve to be as young as I can be!


We all "know" what we are supposed to do to look after our bodies .. But do we always practice them? I'm going to start making more of an effort to look after my body in the best way I can ...


Starting with the obvious ... Eating healthy, nutritious foods that fuel my body for optimum performance. Well maybe not optimum performance as I'm no elite athlete .. but I certainly need to keep up with the kids, day to day life, exercise and all the added extras that make life fun! I will be making sure that the fun foods are in moderation because we all know what it feels like to overindulge ...


Exercise also plays a huge part in staying healthy.  Make sure there is a balance of cardio, weight training, flexibility and relaxation.  I have found in the last month that doing different exercise to those that I usually do has made it much more enjoyable, especially in those times when motivation was lacking!


I'm going to start listening to my body a bit more often.  I am pretty conscious of what my body is doing and I do listen to what it's telling me, however there are times when I probably should listen a little more closely. When my body tells me it's time to take a rest, I'll take a rest. I'll challenge myself but I won't be pushing myself to the point of exhaustion where I'm unable to keep up with a regular routine. Yes, I have done this in the past ...


Finally, I'm going to do what makes me happy.  Do what I enjoy.  I'm going to spend time with family and friends and enjoy it .. not take it for granted.


I'm going to look after my health and not take it for granted.

I've worked hard to get what I have and I'm going to work just as hard to keep it!

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x