WOWs

A Munchkin’s Birthday & A Workout

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We officially have a 2- year old in our house! Happy 2nd Birthday to my sweet, independent and often times bossy, Claire!  

Being a mom to a little girl has really change me and my views.  As a female, it is extremely important for me to take care of myself, to love myself, and to respect my body so that she does the same to hers- this is what has driven my increased passion for health & fitness over the past couple of years.  For me, it is more about the muscles I gain, the weight I am able to lose, and the pants I can fit into:  it is about the confidence and emotional peace I get from a sweaty workout and fueling my body with healthy fuel.  As a teenager and into my college years, I had extremely low self confidence- I don’t want her to ever feel like this.  It is part of my job as her mother to do whatever I can to make sure my daughter feels good about herself on the inside and out– not just today as she turns 2, but forever.

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In our house, I like to make birthdays extra special- so that is what we will do today!  Claire already had a “Splash Bash” at the neighborhood pool with her friends.  We did this early “just in case” her new brother or sister decided to make an early arrival. (Who was I fooling?)  So today, we will make the day “all about Claire”: pancakes, the apple orchard, the park and pizza for dinner.

My husband and I bought an old, handmade wooden play kitchen off of a virtual garage sale site for her birthday gift.  We spent a weekend refinishing it for her.  She will also get two special books.  The books come from a list of picture books that show strong, confident girls as characters and in the message.  I started this for her first birthday and is something I plan to continue each year.  We also bought her a new pair of “fast shoes” for her birthday.

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Happy Birthday to my favorite little 2 year old munchkin… you know how to bring a smile to your Mommy’s face! 

It may be all about birthdays this morning, but we can’t get away without a “Workout of the Week”.  This workout I dug out of my fitness journal from right after I had Claire.  I remember struggling through this workout just 15 days after I had her.  I had written in my journal that I couldn’t do a lot of the exercises for the given amount of time.  This just shows that with persistence and hard work, you can reach your fitness goals.  No matter where you are in your fitness journey- try to do as much as you can.

WOW #6

 What special things do you do for your munchkins on their birthdays?
 What did you think of the WOW?  How will you incorporate it into your week?

(Don’t forget: commenting on a blog post will enter you into the drawing for our very first giveaway at the end of the month!)

Workout of the Week #5

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Good morning!  It has been a busy morning for me already and I am sure glad I had this workout to go to first thing this morning.  Unfortunately, when my husband came in after his workout to wake me up at 6:15, I only had time to get in one round- one round was enough to get me sweating, increase my heart rate and get my blood flowing so I could take on the day.  I also completed this workout yesterday after 35 minute power walk.

My husband, who is training for a half marathon in November, completed a modified version of this as well.  He combined the push-ups and spiderman planks with four 800m repeats for some speed work and strength this morning.  To say the least, he came in after his workout this morning and his words were, “I have a bone to pick with you dear.  Those planks were no joke!”  A complete success in my book, as it has taken almost 7 years of “togetherness” for him to allow me to write his workouts.

This workout might also be a good time to give yourself a “fit test” and see how many push-ups you can do on your toes.  This morning I decided I want to see how many I could do at 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant.  I am happy to report that I was able to get 13 push-ups on my toes and then dropped to my knees for the last 7.

Give it a go and let us know what you think!  If you are new to fitness, that is okay- do you what you can!  Try doing 10 reps in each round instead of 20 or even spread out the rounds throughout the day.  Whatever you do, just MOVE today!

 

WOW #5

 

How will you incorporate this workout into your week?

Workout of the Week #4

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I tried a new workout format and wow, I like this!  My class members will be seeing this in some our classes soon.  Thanks to the cross fit world, I tried out an EMOM workout: Every Minute on the Minute.  You can read more information about this kind of workout here and here.

In the crossfit world, they are doing these exercises with weight and only 1-5 reps at a time and of course with heavy weight.  I can’t wait to get back to lifting more so I can do this format with some dead lifts, thrusters and pull-ups.  I think my hubby will also enjoy some EMOM workouts now that after all these years he allows me to “suggest” workouts for him.

So here is my quick at-home EMOM using body weight (and maybe a few more reps than the crossfit world).  I thought it would be tough and man I was right- give it a whirl yourself!

WOW #4

 We want to know: what did you think of this workout?

Workout of the Week #3

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At 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant, and an avid runner, I can’t explain to you how excited I was to lace up my running shoes and pound the pavement for this week’s WOW.   Of course I put my little munchkin in the BOB jogging stroller and she tagged along with me.

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At about 32 weeks I cut back on my running and have slowed it down to man walk/ run interval sessions.  Tonight was not the “go out and run 3 miles”, but I definitely picked up the running sessions in the WOW and it felt great.  I started my workout with a 1o minute fast-paced walk and then went right into the WOW.

Pound the Pavement Circuit

I completed all 5 rounds and man was I sweaty when I was finished.  It felt great!  I finished up the workout with a 15 minute run/ walk back to my house.  The WOW itself took me a little over 16 minutes.  I had to incorporate small walk sessions after each exercise.  For those of you that are looking for a more intense workout, completing this ten times would be a great workout as well.

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Do not be turned off by the “sprinting” in this workout.  If you are new to exercise, do what you can and JUST MOVE.  Walking or jogging works too… just increase that heart rate.

How will you fit this WOW into your fitness schedule?
Post your results below.

 

Workout Of the Week #2 (WOW)

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Most schools are back in session around here and that means a better routine, right?  Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t.  New schedules, new activities, and new excuses to not get that time in for yourself.  This week’s WOW (Workout of the Week)  is sure to be a sweaty one that you can do anywhere. You don’t have to do each round at once- split them up if it works for your schedule.

Waiting to pick your son or daughter up for practice?  Hop out of the car and bust out one of these rounds.  You might have some interesting looks, but YOU are getting it done!

Waiting for the bus? Let your child join in with you.  This is a great one to get his/ her blood flowing before school.  Fitness needs to be a family affair.

At almost 36 weeks pregnant, and some major soreness this week I have taken it easy (easier) than normal.  I made no excuses this morning, and busted out a round before I did anything else.  I modified the squat jumps to basic squats and increased my heart rate- you can do it too!

WOW 2

Click here for an example of a low jack.

How will you incorporate “The Sweaty 50″ into your day or week?
Comment below and tell us your plan OR share your results.