3 tips to relieve soreness

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Ever felt like you couldn’t climb stairs or squat down on the potty because you’re SO SORE after a workout? Did you skip your next workout to “listen to your body and wait to feel better”? Well, guess what, that’s actually NOT what your body is telling you. If you stop moving, you’ll actually prolong the pain instead of healing it.

Here are a few quick tips to relieve the soreness faster!

  1. Use a foam roller! What the heck is a foam roller? Find out in this video I made to show exactly what it is and how to use it.
  2. STREEEEETCH! Spend 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening just stretching those sore muscles. Google “static stretches for XXX” where XXX is the muscle that is hurting you. You’ll find lots of different stretches you can do to loosen up those muscles and get them feeling better fast.
  3. Most importantly, do NOT skip your workout. Moving your body and specifically those muscles that are sore will actually increase the blood flow to those muscles as well as stretch them out and warm them up so that they can heal faster and get stronger, which is the whole point! It will hurt at first but once you get moving, you’ll notice the pain will begin to subside during the workout. Afterwards, you’ll continue to experience that relief for up to a few hours. Plus, the soreness will go away altogether faster than if you skipped the workout completely.

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Getting Sensory Kids to EAT

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My daughter has been diagnosed with a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). She’s mostly a sensory avoider but also has a few sensory seeker tendencies mixed in. For mom’s of kids like this, you know how challenging meal time can be. From her first solids all the way to now at 9 years old, finding food she will eat is an adventure.

Sensory kids often have issues with strong tastes and anything they deem as a weird texture. The biggest challenge I have with my daughter is with healthy protein and veggies.  I know all sensory kids will be different but I wanted to share a few of the healthier meals I’ve found that she’ll actually eat and that I actually feel good about giving her.

Breakfast: Whole grain mini bagels with cream cheese; Bacon or turkey sausage with protein pancakes/waffles; Granola (we make our own because she also has a peanut allergy – I like this recipe as a base but without the brown sugar: http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/kid-safe-nut-free-granola-465337); Fruit;

Snacks: Healthy smoothies – fruit and yogurt smoothies with some veggies hidden in it are great or even better, my daughter loves Daily Sunshine which is a pediatrician approved, kid formulated smoothie powder that comes in chocolate and strawberry banana. It’s packed with a serving of fruits and veggies, healthy fats, protein, and vitamins my kiddo needs but tastes like a chocolate shake so she actually thinks she’s getting a treat. It’s a win-win! Other snacks she enjoys are granola bars, carrots, sweet peppers dipped in a healthy ranch I make with 0% plain greek yogurt and a tiny bit of ranch soup mix, “ants on a log” – aka celery sticks with cream cheese and raisins, whole grain baked crackers like triscuits or gold fish, graham crackers with Sunbutter;

26172939_1976125785984489_6903273852973535921_oLunches: This is TOUGH because she would prefer to eat boxed mac & cheese and chicken nuggets with fries every day if she could. I’ve found she enjoys pinwheels – whole grain wraps with a layer of cream cheese (she loves cream cheese obvi) and deli meat like low sodium turkey. Homemade lunchables are usually a hit too. For those, I use deli meat, cheese slices, whole grain crackers, and a small treat like animal crackers or one cookie.

Dinners: Spaghetti is a big hit so we will healthify it by using whole wheat noodles and adding tiny cut veggies in the sauce. Tacos are a hit and she’ll actually eat them with lettuce wraps instead of taco shells so we often do that to increase her veggie intake. Sweet potatoes are popular and she loves regular potatoes with toppings but we make it healthier by using just a little sprinkle of cheese and plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

The biggest thing we have found is to request that she at least takes one bite of whatever we make for dinner (which can sometimes be a serious challenge) and if she hates it, she is allowed to have something different but no treats if no veggies are eaten. Overall, her diet could certainly be healthier but she is not malnourished or overweight. We feel that as long as that is the case, everything is ok and we will continue trying!

 

8 fun workouts you can do WITH your kids

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In my job as a health and fitness coach and personal trainer, I have worked with many women who have children ranging from infants to teens. The most common thing I hear is that it’s super hard to find time to exercise when you have to take care of your children. As a mom of 2 beautiful girls, I can TOTALLY relate!

Through my own process of trial and error, I’ve found some things that are really great for getting your kiddos involved with your workouts instead of trying to get your workouts done without the kids. I went from trying to get a workout done with a crying baby stuck in her bouncy chair a few feet from me (not very enjoyable for either of us to say the least) to fully involving my girls in my workouts whenever they want to join me.

Try these ideas with your kiddos so they’ll be your REASON instead of your EXCUSE:

FOR INFANTS

  1. Put your baby in a sling and find a low impact workout that involves no floorwork. For example, there are some fun country style and hip-hop style home workouts that work great for this in our virtual gym system.
  2. Check your local area for stroller strides type programs or meetups where you can exercise with other moms and push your infants in their strollers.

34818875_2052073928389674_4577471763486605312_oFOR CHILDREN AGED 3 – 12

3. Low impact partner workouts are really great for moms and kids to do together. Our virtual gym system has an entire program created just for this! It incorporates a ball to toss back and forth and lots of fun moves that keep the kids interested for the full 30 minutes. Both my girls love doing this program with me!

4. Dance workouts with easy to follow choreography are GREAT to do with kids. You’ll both work up a sweat and most likely get some great laughs together too as you work on shakin’ your groove things together! If you’re not ready to go to show your moves to the world in a public gym setting, contact me for info on our virtual gym to get access to lots of fun dance workouts you can do at home.

5. Go out in your backyard or to the park! There are so many fun ways to get exercise with your kiddos outside. For instance, kids LOVE to race! You can set up a space to race each other and keep track of who wins. If your kiddo is little, give them a headstart you meany! haha Another idea is to play tag. Its a GREAT workout and I’ve never met a kid who will turn down a good game of tag. Lastly, there’s always riding bikes, roller skating, and even just going for a nature hike or walk together too! Skip hide and seek though because too much time is spent staying in one place for the hiders.

FOR KIDS 13+

Teenagers are probably not interrupting your workout time as much as younger children but you may find that your time is limited due to running them around to their extracurriculars and friends’ houses, etc etc. Here are a few ideas for still getting your workout in, even though it may not be WITH your kids at this age!

6. Exercise in the morning before all the activity starts! (This is actually always my number one tip to create a consistent exercise routine no matter who you are.) Check out my tips on making those morning workouts easier!

7. Invite your teen to go to the gym, out for a jog/walk, or to do a home workout with you. Let them know it will help you with your motivation and accountability. You may find he/she will be honored to help and will even enjoy the chance to spend some time together. Plus, if your teen is not involved in any athletic activities already, establishing an exercise routine with you can really improve his/her health right along with yours.

8. While waiting for your child at the ball field, dance theater, swim practice or wherever they are after school, find a place you can get a walk or jog in. If you can do a drop off, head to the gym or back home for a workout while you wait to pick them up.  Invite some of the other “soccer moms” to join you to make it more fun and spread the health wealth!

22792274_1944205665843168_6455046436073072633_oIn the end, involving your kids with your health and fitness journey will be much more enjoyable than trying to fight with them to leave you alone. Don’t forget what a good role model you’ll be too! Kids are ALWAYS watching and learning from what we do. Show them the importance of healthy habits and teach them by letting them join you! You’ll also find that exercising together presents new opportunities for bonding and spending time together in a really fun way that’s good for the whole family.

If you’re doing any of these things or have come up with other ideas, I’d love to hear how you’re getting your kids involved! Tell me in the comments below!

Gym vs Home Workouts vs Private Training

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26841375_1982624858667915_3706689557479932164_oWant to start getting in shape but not sure how? The vast number of options to choose from can be both awesome and overwhelming. Often it can be hard to choose what will be best for you. Here are a few of my thoughts on gyms vs home workouts vs private training.

–> Gyms: Large buildings filled with equipment, sweaty people, aerobics class options, and even personal trainers is the most common picture to come to mind when thinking of gyms. Some people love this environment if they enjoy the social aspect of fitness and prefer to use equipment that they don’t have at home. Also, for some people, having to physically leave their home and go to a gym is more motivating and having a location away from the hustle and bustle of their families can be helpful to avoid workout interruptions. There are also boutique style gyms that cater to specific audiences such as women only or specific fitness styles such as Pilates studios or Barre studios. These tend to be smaller buildings and can be fun socially because you automatically have at least one thing in common, you’re all women or you’re all into pilates, etc etc. Financially speaking, gyms can range widely in price but often are in the middle of the three options.

20414094_10155455218600102_6514970187266003839_o–> Home Fitness: Working out in your living room can be a very convenient option and offers a different level of privacy. You’re able to workout whenever you choose without worrying about travel time and the only people who see you are those who live with you.  It’s great for people with really busy schedules and also those who prefer not to workout in a crowd. You can even get your kiddos in on it for extra fun! Often this is the less expensive option and there are more fitness style options available. It’s helpful to have support such as a workout buddy or group to cheer each other on. Otherwise, its only you that knows if you workout at home or not, which makes it easier to skip. Another advantage of home workouts though is that you always get the best spot in the class, you can pause it as needed, and the class schedule is completely up to you. You can choose your own music and shower in your own shower. There’s never anyone else’s sweat on your barbells either which is one of my personal favorite benefits! 😉

–> Private Personal Training: Hiring a personal trainer, whether in a gym or one who will come to your home or meet you somewhere such as a park, is a great option for those who want personalized attention and a routine specifically created to address their goals, health issues, and lifestyle. If you’re working out on your own in a gym or at home, you may have no idea you are doing certain moves incorrectly or that you have posture issues that should be addressed to prevent injury before even trying to exercise. A personal trainer can make sure you are exercising in the optimal zone and doing the optimal moves with correct form for your body. A personal trainer can also give nutrition guidance, although not individualized meal plans, to help improve your results. Simply exercising without changing your eating habits won’t get you to your goals. A personal trainer can also create long term as well as short term plans so you are prepared to make this new healthy lifestyle last! Pricing can vary widely though but is often not as expensive as you might expect.

Overall, the option that fits you best depends on your personal preferences, goals, and lifestyle. Regardless of which one you choose, it’s better to start somewhere than to not start at all. If you end up not enjoying your first choice, there’s nothing stopping you from trying something new!

**To schedule one free private personal training session with me or get information on my virtual fit groups with home workouts, contact me today!

Should Women Lift Weights?

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No doubt you’ve heard that lifting weights can make your muscles get too big and create a masculine appearance. Perhaps you’re even worried about that and try to avoid weights altogether. Well, I’m here to tell you that is a myth and weight training is GREAT for women!

Men get the larger muscles mostly due to the higher levels of testosterone in their bodies. Women can definitely get ripped and toned but regular weight training won’t turn you into a man, I promise!

27982561_1998029703794097_3742184840251879388_oIn fact, weight training is super important for women for many reasons, both aesthetic and overall health-wise.

Many of us want to prevent or get rid of those saggy upper arms, right? Weight training your triceps and biceps will help with that! Weight training is also helpful in getting those defined legs and a tight tush we all would love to have! Beyond that though, weight training improves day-to-day functional ability and also helps prevent osteoporosis, a weak bone condition that is more common in women than men as we age. Often we think of weight training as simply making our muscles stronger but it actually causes bones to grow stronger too. Cardio training alone won’t have the same effect.

I don’t know about you but when I’m a grandmother, I want to be able to run and play with my grandkids without fear of falling and breaking a bone. There are more factors in conditions such as osteoporosis such as genes and overall health of course, but starting a strength training routine can definitely help prevent or even improve it!

How to healthify your coffee

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29694369_2022298258033908_7513636351925813248_o“I want to get healthier but I don’t want to give up my coffee with cream and sugar.” Does that sound like you? It definitely was me a few years ago and I work with many clients who tell me the exact same thing. Good News: You don’t have to give up coffee to be healthier! Not as good news: Adding lots of cream and sugar is definitely going to slow down your progress.

Don’t worry though! Here are two easy steps to gradually healthify (yes I made up that word haha) a cup of coffee:

  1. Over the course of a few weeks, begin to cut down the amount of sugar – even if it’s fake sugar – little by little. First, cut it down by 1/4 and drink your coffee at that level for a few days. Then, cut the sugar by 1/4-1/2 again and so-on. Don’t stop until you have cut ALL the sugar out altogether. If you hit an amount that really makes you unable to drink the coffee, add a little honey. Then gradually decrease that.
  2. Once you have gotten the sugar out, begin to focus on the cream. Even skim milk is pretty high in sugar (lactose sugar) and calories. My biggest advice is to gradually switch from milk or a flavored creamer to an alternative milk product like unsweetened almond or coconut milk. These products are very low in calories and sugar and have more health benefits. Plus, you still get a creaminess in your coffee! Began by making your coffee with a mixture of half the amount of your regular creamer and replace the other half with the alternative creamer. Drink it that way for a few days to a week. Then, cut it to 1/4 your regular creamer and 3/4 the unsweetened almond or coconut milk. Continue until you’ve made the full switch.

There is an adjustment period but I can tell you that I no longer can stomach drinking really sweet coffee drinks like I used to enjoy. This method has helped many of my clients too! Give it a try and comment below to let me know how it worked for you

4 Recipes With No Gluten or Sugar

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Did you know sugar is as addicting as heroin? It activates the same pleasure areas of your brain. No wonder I can’t stop eating it… I could use a serious intervention, y’all! I also recently have been having issues with my hypothyroidism and research has shown that being gluten free can help with that.

So, I’ve compiled a few recipes that help in both of these areas – processed sugar and gluten free! That doesn’t necessarily make them low calorie but most are definitely better for you than their sugar-ful counterpart.

Banana Coconut Baked Oatmeal:

I don’t know if you’ve ever had baked oatmeal before but it’s delish! However, it usually has a cup of sugar in it. This recipe has none and is also gluten free! Get the Recipe

oatmeal

 

Mmmm Brownies: brownie

Enough said, right? An actual gooey, fudgy delightful brownie that is gluten and sugar free! Get the recipe

 

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Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Yep, you read that right! There’s bacon in these babies! You know you want to make them! haha And yes, they’re both gluten and processed sugar free!  Get the Recipe

 

 

Chocolate Energy Balls:

I make these ALL THE TIME!! They’re soooo good and really good for you. You can add extras to them also to change them up a little. Even my kiddos love them and it makes a great little snack for them too.

Ingredientsshakeoballs

  • 1/2 cup organic old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup all-natural creamy almond butter (or Sunbutter)
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Shakeology
  • 3 Tbsp. raw honey

Instructions

  1. Combine Shakeology, and oats in a medium bowl; mix well.

  2. Add almond butter and honey; mix well with a rubber spatula or clean hands.

  3. Roll in balls about the size of a ping pong ball.

    You can add extras like nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, etc to spice them up even more!

5 Save Your Sanity Tips for Multitasking Moms

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IMG_20180129_154727Hectic mornings herding children around rushing to get them ready for school and you ready for work.

Rushing to carline to pick them up from school on time.

Walking in the door and heading right into getting snacks, mitigating screaming matches, checking homework, making dinner, doing laundry, cleaning dishes, picking up socks EVERYWHERE, maybe even doing homework yourself…

Collapsing into bed utterly exhausted just to get up the next morning and start all over.

Sound familiar?

That’s how my life used to feel. Crazy, rushed, barely surviving. Definitely no time for myself and no exercise or anything like that. The whole family always felt a little on edge and my moods were all over the place.

One day, I had enough and decided to change some things. It didn’t happen overnight but I have implemented a few new practices around our house. Now, although not always perfect, most of my mornings are relaxed, my days are peaceful and more organized, and my family flow is much smoother.

Here are the top 5 things I learned along the way that made the most impact on our family flow and my sanity!

  1. Commit to a minimum of 30 minutes of daily “me-time” as a non-negotiable. I know you may be thinking “There’s NO WAY I can find time for that, you crazy lady” but you’re wrong. You CAN and you SHOULD. Its not just for your own peace of mind, it’s for the good of your family too. When you take time out to focus on yourself, it will help you approach the rest of the day with more calmness. You’ll be surprised at how much this can affect your mindset! Your day’s flow can go from stressed to relaxed just by giving yourself this one gift.
  2. Delegate. That’s right, if your kids are big enough to put away the dishes, give them that task. If your kids are capable of folding laundry, give them that task. If they can use a sponge, assign them a few of the house cleaning responsibilities. They may not doing it perfectly the way you would but as long as it gets done, just let yourself enjoy the break from having to do it yourself! If they’re not big enough to help, ask your spouse to help out with a couple more of the tasks than he’s currently doing. Often, our spouses are much more willing to help than we think but it comes down to communicating the need.
  3. IMG_20180129_154147Create Visual Charts for Children’s Behavior and Responsibilities. This has been a HUGE help in our house. Our children have a 3 tier chart system. The first is a daily behavior/responsibility chart. For my oldest, it includes everything from getting ready in the morning without me asking her to do things all the way to choosing a healthy after school snack without asking me for an unhealthy one. For my youngest, it’s simpler. It is broken down into morning, afternoon, and night. If she gets through each section of the day without throwing a fit, she gets a star. The second level is a daily responsibility list that includes the exact items they need to do in order to get ready in the morning – get dressed, eat breakfast, brush hair, get backpack ready, etc and the same for afternoon and bedtime. The third level is a calendar of the month that lists things happening for them during the upcoming month including big things like trips and little things like bath nights. They are able to look at these three charts and track what to do each day and what is coming up. They earn rewards based on how many stars they get for the level one chart such as 30 min of tv/computer time, park playdates, special time with me, etc. They mark their own stars down and they take it very seriously. It has worked wonders in lessening my youngest’s tantrums and even helped my oldest with anxiety issues.
  4. Commit to at least 30 minutes of daily exercise and fuel up with healthy nutrition (hint: this could be that 30 min of me time from #1). All too often, I stress eat and I know so many others who do that. However, we all know the BEST stress reliever is exercise. It releases endorphins, strengthens your body, and takes your mind off the rest of the world. Studies even show that people who exercise in the morning are more productive and report being happier and less stressed throughout their day. Yes, that means get your booty out of bed earlier, but if you’re like me, there’s no other time to make it happen. Sleep in your workout clothes if you have to! Do it for your own sanity, not as a punishment! If you combine that with healthy fuel for your body, you will feel so AMAZING that you won’t care what life throws at you! I know it sounds easier than it truly is, but that crazy, hectic life sure wasn’t so easy either. I much prefer this kind of hard ❤
  5. Wine. ‘Nuf said.

Exercise for not-so-sporty kids

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20160817_154900 (1)Not every kid is an athlete. Not every kid enjoys competition. Not every kid wants to play team sports. However, EVERY kid does need daily exercise. But what do you do when your kid would rather play video games and stay inside all day? In the case of my oldest daughter, I realized she was not going to naturally be drawn to exercise or sports pretty early on. So, we basically went for the “put her in everything and see what sticks” method and eventually discovered physical activities that she LOVES, from the swim team to regular recess, visits to the park, and family walks on the beach.

As early as two years old, we put her in dance, then gymnastics, and then soccer, and finally swim team. The theme here is that we kept trying. She didn’t fall in love with dance, wasn’t very interested in gymnastics, and would only go on the soccer field if she was holding hands with the coach. None of them worked, but we didn’t give up. We paid attention to the things she really enjoyed and finally, we realized that her love for the pool could mean she may enjoy the swim team. We asked if she was interested, she said yes, tried out and made the team the very next day! As a no-contact sport that involves doing something she loves already – being in the pool, it is a perfect match! Plus, swimming is one of the BEST forms of exercise! Whether or not she will be excited about the races remains to be seen, but all in all, as long as she participates in the weekly practices, I’m a happy momma!

Additionally, we found a school that values activities like daily recess, daily P.E., and even has a voluntary Morning Mile program that we can all do as a family! We also take family walks on the beach, go to the park, and swim in the community pool where we live. We limit electronics time to weekends only and make sure we spend at least 30 minutes a day doing something active, even if I have to rope the girls into doing a home workout with me in our living room. They love the dancing workouts like CIZE or Country Heat!

All children are different and their strengths should be appreciated. If the things they enjoy doing are tended, they will grow and flourish.

Top Tips for Morning Workouts

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Everyone who knows me has heard me say “morning workouts are where consistency is made!”
 
20160716_070540A lot of my challengers HATE the idea of morning workouts but see the value of it as they begin their fitness journeys. There is just too much that can go wrong during a day and end up causing you not to do it. I myself will come up with 24987 reasons not to do it by the end of the day if I wait. When you get it done first thing in the morning, you won’t have any excuses to knock you off track.
 
Plus, you’ll feel more awake, more energized, and more ready for your day after getting your blood flowing!
 
1. Plan ahead: Know what workout you’ll do, lay out your workout clothes or even wear them to bed the night before (that’s what I do!), have your workout space set up, have any equipment ready;
 
2. Go to bed earlier. Do I need to explain that one? Getting enough sleep is crucial not just to having energy to workout in the morning but also for having energy all day. If you’re getting up earlier, you’ll be losing sleep if you don’t counteract that by going to bed earlier. Simple math!
 
3. Have a friend or group for accountability, whether it’s in person or virtual. It’s no surprise that being accountable to other people is helpful in staying on track. Studies show better results in those who aren’t alone on their journey. I host monthly virtual accountability groups and you’re always welcome to join if you don’t have one of your own. Simply message me in the comments below if you’d like details!