Fitness
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To most people the termination of the Pronghorn hockey programs didn't mean anything. But to those who were a part of the program (players, trainers, coaches, media personnel, etc) this was devastating news. I played goal for the Pronghorns Women's hockey team for 5 years and to be honest if you knew me in my first year you might not have thought I would have lasted. I was extremely home sick as I had never been that far away from my family before. It was being on this team that got me through my home sick, helped me get over it, and helped push me to be the best student athlete I could be.
You see, when you are on a hockey team you are with your hockey family. I was so lucky to join when I did as we had a great group of Seniors who helped everyone feel welcome and a part of the team. They helped me overcome my home sickness and really become a part of the team and a true Pronghorn. They took me under their wing and showed my what great leadership can look like.
At the University of Lethbridge I also found my love of fitness and I believe it came from playing hockey with the great groups of Ladies that I had the privileged of playing with. As a varsity athlete you are required to participate in not only practices for your sport but also various workouts to ensure you are in the best shape for competing. Being on a team and a larger team for that, it means that you have a lot of workout partners and a lot of people to help push and motivate you in your fitness endeavors. My husband and I were just talking about how lucky I was to have so many workout partners and people to push me, especially when running the hills of the coulees (he had just finished running hills with 1 friend and was talking about the mental game of hill running... hill running not coulee running! And how once he got to a certain point he would feel that sense of success as he was almost at the top) During the summer months when you are on your own to keep in shape and on track for your fitness goals it became challenging as there weren't your teammates with you to help push and motivate you. But it was also during these summers that I found ways to keep me motivated and on track and have posted them in 5 Keys to Staying Active.
With the announcement of the termination of the men's and women's hockey programs I felt sad. I felt sad for all the alumni that worked so hard to get the programs started. That did all the hard work so I could go and play on a university hockey team and have the experiences that I did. I felt sad for all the other alumni like myself who worked so hard for the 4-5 years that we did while playing for the Pronghorns. But most of all I feel sorry for the current players, who have committed to playing for the University of Lethbridge. Some have already started their degrees and have been living their for a year or two. Some might have just graduated high school and committed to the team. These players now all have to make a decision... Do they stay since they are already enrolled in school there? Do they stay since they only have a year or two left and have their hockey careers cut short? (because lets face it, as a female hockey player there aren't a lot of competitive options once you're out of University) or Do they look for other hockey options and potentially have to start over with school requirements? If they choose to switch schools, Do they still have to sit out a year since they are moving to play for another school? So many uncertainties and I really feel for these players. They had their hockey family, a bond that is almost as close as a family as you are with each other a lot over the course of the school year.
I know that a lot of alumni who live within the Lethbrige area are working with the University to try and find a way to keep the programs and I hope they are successful as this was a great organization to play for and a great city to call home for 5 years.
1. Exercise - Exercise is very important for keeping the body energized and healthy! Getting outside and going for a walk (if permitted) can be a great way to eliminate stress and get you feeling good about what the day has brought. If your cannot get outside, then completing an indoor workout can also be just as rewarding. If you are lucky like we are and have exercise equipment then hopping on the treadmill or elliptical are great alternatives to going outside. If you do not have any equipment then there are still a ton of ideas and resources to help you stay active indoors. Lokah Sangha Yoga is a local yoga studio that is offering online classes a few times throughout the week, Nike Training Club offers various workouts from yoga, HIIT, etc. Nike Training Club also allows you to choose if you need to use equipment, your fitness level and what level of intensity it is. Lululemon has also opened an online hub. There are now a lot of different exercise resources for people to use to help get endorphins up and people feeling good. The other good note is that the weather is starting to get nicer out and that also means we can take a break from work and our kids to not only get some exercise but also get the fresh air we are needing.
Let's face it, life is challenging and finding time to workout can be exhausting in itself. Add children into the mix and you've just added on an entire new level of exhaustion. When you're not juggling cooking dinner and breaking up brotherly battles, you're helping with homework and loving sick children. There is no rest! So when do you have time to take care of yourself?
I have found these 5 key things to success to keeping active and sticking with as a mom and before I had become a mom.
1. Planning having a plan is the most important thing. It is easy to talk yourself out of a spur of the moment workout. However, if you have planned it out or even better if you have a weekly or monthly plan it helps to keep your workouts on track. Personally I try to make a weekly plan to help keep myself on track. I look at what my hockey schedule looks like for the week and then plan other activities around there. If I have a late hockey game then the next day I will have an evening workout. If i don't have a late game that week then I also try to throw in some morning workouts. I also like to have a Monday night workout during the Bachelor as I am going to sit and watch it so I might as well exercise while I do. Planning a variety of activities also helps as it keeps things fresh throughout the week.
2. Find a workout partner sometimes having a workout partner is extremely helpful as it keeps you accountable to your workouts. Right now I have a work buddy who walks with me every lunch hour. Sometimes we walk for 10 minutes and other times we walk for an hour. It all depends on the day and what other activities we have going on. We do make a point to try and walk for a little bit every day as it is important to not just stay active 1 time a day but throughout the day.
3. Motivation finding what motivates you to get up and exercise is key. Is it music? a certain TV show? a specific outfit? I know when I was on Maternity leave and trying to lose those last 20 lbs I made sure I had a Netflix TV show as well as lots of motivating music to keep me going. It is important to find what works for you and what motivates you and to use that to keep you going. Now that I have lost the weight I have found that I don't need music or a specific show but that wearing good active wear helps to keep me motivated. I do still like to have a good show on the TV if I am in the workout room or a good playlist if I am outside. But a good pair of lululemon pants (personally I like the Fast and Free Crop - they have a great side pocket to hold any personal items or your phone) and a good lululemon workout top (I love the tank that has the pocked in the back of the racer back for your phone, but they don't make it anymore :( so now its just any sweat wicking shirt from there) help to keep my feeling good while working out.
4. Track your activity This is so important if you are a competitive person like I am. I used to have an activity tracker that would track my steps and let me compete with others with like trackers and this was a good motivator to get up and move. I now have the Apple Watch and it has personally up'd my activity level. It has you track your active calories, standing hours, and exercise minutes as well as keeping track of your steps. You can also compete with others and share your activities to help keep you motivated and competitive. I don't like how they limit the number of points that you can earn in a day as it makes it difficult to have a winner as everyone could max out their points. But to me this is a minor factor and I would still highly recommend the watch.
5. Have fun! If you're not having fun then you wont keep it up. Make sure you love what you're doing and having fun while doing it. This is extremely important to staying on track and fit!
Following these 5 tips will help you stay active and as we all know having tips as a mom is key because our tiny humans don't come with any lol!
**None of the links are ADs and just links to things that I like and have found helpful in keeping my fitness on track**
The End of the Pronghorn Hockey Programs
To most people the termination of the Pronghorn hockey programs didn't mean anything. But to those who were a part of the program (players, trainers, coaches, media personnel, etc) this was devastating news. I played goal for the Pronghorns Women's hockey team for 5 years and to be honest if you knew me in my first year you might not have thought I would have lasted. I was extremely home sick as I had never been that far away from my family before. It was being on this team that got me through my home sick, helped me get over it, and helped push me to be the best student athlete I could be.
You see, when you are on a hockey team you are with your hockey family. I was so lucky to join when I did as we had a great group of Seniors who helped everyone feel welcome and a part of the team. They helped me overcome my home sickness and really become a part of the team and a true Pronghorn. They took me under their wing and showed my what great leadership can look like.
At the University of Lethbridge I also found my love of fitness and I believe it came from playing hockey with the great groups of Ladies that I had the privileged of playing with. As a varsity athlete you are required to participate in not only practices for your sport but also various workouts to ensure you are in the best shape for competing. Being on a team and a larger team for that, it means that you have a lot of workout partners and a lot of people to help push and motivate you in your fitness endeavors. My husband and I were just talking about how lucky I was to have so many workout partners and people to push me, especially when running the hills of the coulees (he had just finished running hills with 1 friend and was talking about the mental game of hill running... hill running not coulee running! And how once he got to a certain point he would feel that sense of success as he was almost at the top) During the summer months when you are on your own to keep in shape and on track for your fitness goals it became challenging as there weren't your teammates with you to help push and motivate you. But it was also during these summers that I found ways to keep me motivated and on track and have posted them in 5 Keys to Staying Active.
With the announcement of the termination of the men's and women's hockey programs I felt sad. I felt sad for all the alumni that worked so hard to get the programs started. That did all the hard work so I could go and play on a university hockey team and have the experiences that I did. I felt sad for all the other alumni like myself who worked so hard for the 4-5 years that we did while playing for the Pronghorns. But most of all I feel sorry for the current players, who have committed to playing for the University of Lethbridge. Some have already started their degrees and have been living their for a year or two. Some might have just graduated high school and committed to the team. These players now all have to make a decision... Do they stay since they are already enrolled in school there? Do they stay since they only have a year or two left and have their hockey careers cut short? (because lets face it, as a female hockey player there aren't a lot of competitive options once you're out of University) or Do they look for other hockey options and potentially have to start over with school requirements? If they choose to switch schools, Do they still have to sit out a year since they are moving to play for another school? So many uncertainties and I really feel for these players. They had their hockey family, a bond that is almost as close as a family as you are with each other a lot over the course of the school year.
I know that a lot of alumni who live within the Lethbrige area are working with the University to try and find a way to keep the programs and I hope they are successful as this was a great organization to play for and a great city to call home for 5 years.
5 ways to Stay Entertained when Social Distancing
Lets face it, most of us have been at home now for at least 3 weeks social distancing and we are starting to feel like we are running out of things to do. We are doing the same thing week after week, balancing home life, work life, and your child's school life all under 1 roof. Life could be getting a little stressful and you could feel like you're in a bit of a rut. Here are a few suggestions of things that we have been doing to help make social distancing a little more entertaining for myself and my family.
1. "Travel" - I don't me literally travel, but you can choose different countries and cook different dishes from. We have recently "traveled" to Italy, Mexico and Greece! My family has really enjoyed these themed meals as they are foods that are different than what we would normally have. When I choose where we are going to "travel" to, I look up different recipes for that country and then choose what I think will go together. I then look at the recipes and play around with it to make it have the taste that I think the boys will like. I also have chosen meals that we wouldn't normally have and that might take a little longer to make. With working from home and home schooling we are spending a lot more time as a family and in the kitchen. Why not add in cooking class as well as literacy and numeracy.
2. Play Games - Even if you are social distancing alone you can still play games and interact with other people. FaceTime is a great way to stay connected with one another and you can definitely play games over FaceTime. There are also other apps like Houseparty that allow you to play games and interact with friends. A great way to pass time while social distancing. And lets face it, you can only watch so much TV, and play candy crush until you start to feel like you are going to loose it. The most important part of playing games is the human interaction that you are having as it helps to keep your mind sharp. Also in case anyone was wondering about the Monopoly picture below, it is pond hockey Monopoly and I whipped my husbands butt!
3. Take on some Home projects - You know those home projects that you have been putting off because you don't have time for them... well guess what? Now you have all the time! I'm not saying to go out and spend a lot of money on a new home renovation but taking on some of those little tasks that you've been putting off could really be a good way to help keep your mind at ease. It can also help to give you a sense of accomplishment as well. I have started planting the seeds for my garden. A task that I have always wanted to try but just wasn't sure if I could handle the care that they need while also working and taking care of my family. Mornings are a little more relaxed now that we aren't rushing out the door to get to work on time and I can now make sure the little seeds are watered and taken care of before the day starts. I am also wanting to add a "counter" to my laundry room. We have a front load washer and dryer and I have found some Pinterest ideas about using plywood to create a counter. I'm still trying to convince my husband that this would be a fun task to take on. I have also been working on organizing the boxes of my old memories that my parents dropped off (like over a year ago) as well as all of the rooms in the house. When this is all over I will have to have a massive yard sale as I am purging and it feels good!
4. Exercise - I know I mentioned exercise in 5 Self - Care tips when Social Distancing at Home with Your Children but it really is important as it helps you to take your mind off all of the stress and anxiety you might be feeling during this time of unknown. I have made sure to pick a certain time of the day that fits into my work schedule, my husbands work schedule, and our home schooling schedule to get my workouts in. The past two weeks have been really nice out so I have made my workouts outside running and walking the dog. I have really enjoyed this time as it allows me to clear my head from the morning work/homeschooling balance and get ready for the afternoon work and mothering schedule. As a teacher, I am also still trying to settle into what "online" learning is going to look like, and what my role as an educator will be. This has been a thought of a lot of my runs lately, and although I am thinking about a potential stressor as I am running, I still find that once I am done I have relieved some of the days stressors.
5. Movie Nights - having family movie nights where you rent a movie or pick one out on one of the many service providers and get some good snacks can be a great way to relax. Even if you are alone during this social distancing you can have a FaceTime family movie and really just spend some time with someone who will help to make you feel at ease. You can have someone who will have a good conversation or just sit there and enjoy the movie with you. Either way it will be a good way for everyone to take some time and enjoy themselves.
2. Play Games - Even if you are social distancing alone you can still play games and interact with other people. FaceTime is a great way to stay connected with one another and you can definitely play games over FaceTime. There are also other apps like Houseparty that allow you to play games and interact with friends. A great way to pass time while social distancing. And lets face it, you can only watch so much TV, and play candy crush until you start to feel like you are going to loose it. The most important part of playing games is the human interaction that you are having as it helps to keep your mind sharp. Also in case anyone was wondering about the Monopoly picture below, it is pond hockey Monopoly and I whipped my husbands butt!
4. Exercise - I know I mentioned exercise in 5 Self - Care tips when Social Distancing at Home with Your Children but it really is important as it helps you to take your mind off all of the stress and anxiety you might be feeling during this time of unknown. I have made sure to pick a certain time of the day that fits into my work schedule, my husbands work schedule, and our home schooling schedule to get my workouts in. The past two weeks have been really nice out so I have made my workouts outside running and walking the dog. I have really enjoyed this time as it allows me to clear my head from the morning work/homeschooling balance and get ready for the afternoon work and mothering schedule. As a teacher, I am also still trying to settle into what "online" learning is going to look like, and what my role as an educator will be. This has been a thought of a lot of my runs lately, and although I am thinking about a potential stressor as I am running, I still find that once I am done I have relieved some of the days stressors.
5. Movie Nights - having family movie nights where you rent a movie or pick one out on one of the many service providers and get some good snacks can be a great way to relax. Even if you are alone during this social distancing you can have a FaceTime family movie and really just spend some time with someone who will help to make you feel at ease. You can have someone who will have a good conversation or just sit there and enjoy the movie with you. Either way it will be a good way for everyone to take some time and enjoy themselves.
5 Self - Care tips when Social Distancing at Home with Your Children
Let's face it, we LOVE our children! But when you are feeling isolated with them everyone's emotions can start to boil (especially during stressful times like now). Check out my posts Things to do with Kids over the COVID - 19 Break, Keeping kids busy over the COVID - 19 Break March 23 - 27 and 10 Things to do With Kids Over the March Break for ideas of how to keep your kids busy and entertained. Also keep you eyes peeled for more posts about things do to with kids and weekly schedules while schools are closed. Some of the ideas from the March break post are not applicable right now due to social distancing but others can be adjusted and done at home. I will also be making another post soon about more ideas of how to keep kids busy and learning during this time as more resources come available.
But this post is for you! How can you take care of yourself during this stressful time. A stressful time that might even seem a little more stressful as you are now not only the caregiver, but also the educator of your child. In some cases this may be difficult because children may not want to learn schooling from their parents, they might do it differently than their teacher and this can all add onto the stress. I recently saw a post from a school principal stating "You are not their teacher!" This is correct. You need to make the learning environment fun or it will become even more stressful for everyone. You also need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself so you can be the best you during your times with your children.
I honestly link this social distancing to maternity leave. During maternity leave you spend way more time at home, sometimes not wanting to go out because you're worried about what colds are going around and you don't want your baby to catch it (at least I did it this way). This is similar, you're leaving your house less, talking to other adults less, spending more time with your family. The only difference is that you're not getting up multiple times a night to feed a baby.
Here are 5 ways to help eliminate stress and take care of you during this time of extra stress.
But this post is for you! How can you take care of yourself during this stressful time. A stressful time that might even seem a little more stressful as you are now not only the caregiver, but also the educator of your child. In some cases this may be difficult because children may not want to learn schooling from their parents, they might do it differently than their teacher and this can all add onto the stress. I recently saw a post from a school principal stating "You are not their teacher!" This is correct. You need to make the learning environment fun or it will become even more stressful for everyone. You also need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself so you can be the best you during your times with your children.
I honestly link this social distancing to maternity leave. During maternity leave you spend way more time at home, sometimes not wanting to go out because you're worried about what colds are going around and you don't want your baby to catch it (at least I did it this way). This is similar, you're leaving your house less, talking to other adults less, spending more time with your family. The only difference is that you're not getting up multiple times a night to feed a baby.
Here are 5 ways to help eliminate stress and take care of you during this time of extra stress.
2. Down time - Whether you're reading, completing an adult coloring, or having a bath, you are taking some time to unwind and get rid of some of the stress that the day has brought you. This could be stress from the news, your kids, your spouse or possibly a combination of everything. Lets face it, we are all spending much more time together and taking a little bit of you time is going to become very important for keeping everyone happy and healthy! Recently I've planted some seeds for our garden. I started this as a science experiment with my sons but in all honesty, I now get some down time to myself and go and water all our little seedlings down in the basement. This is relaxing for me as I get 10 minutes to myself every morning before we start "school" and every afternoon after "school". You need to find something that will work for you. It doesn't have to be a long time but even a couple of 10 minute blocks throughout the day can really go a long way.
3. Adult conversations - Whether it's over Face time or with a neighbour that you're checking in on (while keeping your distance) these adult conversations can be very important to helping you feel like there is some kind of normal in your everyday life. Obviously life right now is not normal but it will help your mind feel at ease if you can give it a moment when it might feel like it is. Once again even if these conversations don't last long they will hopefully help boost you up and give you a feeling that everything will be alright and life will be normal again. Time with your spouse or someone special - This is obviously someone that is living with you, or someone that you can spend time with over Face time or other video apps where you can play a game, watch a good TV show or Movie. My husband and I just finished Narcos Mexico and are going to be in need of a good new show to watch.
4. On-line shopping - During these next couple of weeks to months money can get tight and shopping may not be an option. But even shopping for food and essentials can be therapeutic if you let it be. In times of stress I will sometimes even go online and look at different websites and fill my cart to get the rush of shopping without actually following through with the final payment. I also am a huge fan of finding the best deal (when shopping from the big brand shops). I usually do this through Rakuten so I can even get a little cash back at the same time. I do also love to support local shops and vendors. Some of my favourite locals to support are Poplar + Birch, Northwest Goods, Wabigoon Chain of Lakes, Camp Brand Goods, and Portage and Main to name a few.
5. Get Fresh Air - This is so important! Especially when you are feeling cooped up and isolated in your own home. Go out into your yard, on your balcony, where ever you can and just take in the fresh air. Sit and read your book out there, play with your kids outside for recess, whatever it is make sure you get outside in the fresh air a couple of times in the day to help the feeling of isolation diminish.
Getting Active After a Baby
Let's face it getting active after a baby is hard! Actually getting active after taking time off or never being active is hard, now lets add in major changes to your body and lack of sleep. Getting active is hard, but not impossible! The main thing to do it to listen to your body. Your body will tell you when you are ready to be active again. Your doctor will also tell you when you can be active again as how the baby was born will also determine when you can start to get active and what active will look like at the beginning.
I was lucky enough to have two natural births. I remember after my first son I just wanted to look and feel "normal" again. The doctor suggested I wait a month until getting back into running and sports but walking was fine. I remember convincing my Husband that I was ok to go for a walk the day after my son was born as we went home 12 hours after he was born. My mom and I were just going to walk to the pharmacy (about a 30 min trip there and back) to pick up some medication and then we would be home. But it felt great to be out there! I convinced my mom that we should add a little extra onto the walk back. We were probably gone just over an hour and I was getting texts to find out where we were and if we were ok. But getting moving was important to me as I am an active person and I don't like the feeling of not being able to do something. I started playing soccer about 3 weeks after he was born as I had been walking a lot and really was starting to feel better. I also played in a hockey tournament 4 weeks after he was born as getting back into exercise was really important to me. I think I felt the need to be active so quickly after having him as the Dr. I was seeing really told me to limit my activity while I was pregnant. We also had an extremely cold winter so I didn't even get out walking very much.
With my second son, I did a lot of walking at the beginning but definitely didn't rush back into sports or running for about a month and a half. Maybe it was because it was my second kid and my body needed more time to heal or maybe it was because I felt more exhausted from having two kids, who knows? I also did a lot more walking and played hockey further into my second pregnancy. I play in a pretty non competitive league and people are generally just out there for exercise. I also would walk 5 km everyday after school as I would drive home, pick up the dog and then walk to my sons daycare and meet my husband there. It was great as I would get out and get some exercise as well as get the dog out of the house.
Once my body was ready for more exercise I would slowly start to introduce different activities and intensities. I definitely had to listen to it as muscle are loose and weaker so switching intensities was very important. If if went for a run one day, I would follow it up with a walk or some yoga for the next two. Once my muscles started to gain back strength I could add in workouts with higher intensity more times throughout the week. I was on a training schedule though as my mother, sister - in - law and myself had all signed up to run the Lost Dutchman 1/2 marathon in February and I had my second son in August! I finished the 1/2 marathon but it definitely wasn't easy as I did not train enough for it. It also wasn't the most entertaining run as there weren't a lot of people out cheering or watching and I run for the atmosphere! My next 1/2 marathon will be more entertaining like a Disney or a Rock N Roll run. Below you will find an example of different workout schedules that I followed when trying to get active and back into running shape. I also would add in weight training on some days. On the days I incorporated weight training I would cut my runs to 5 km or 30 minutes and then do about 30 minutes of upper and lower body weights.
Starting back up Schedule:
Sunday - 5-10 km run
Monday - 30 minutes Yoga
Tuesday - 5 - 10 km walk
Wednesday - REST
Thursday - 5-10 km run
Friday - 30 minutes Yoga
Saturday -5-10 km walk
Middle Transition Schedule:
Sunday - 5-10 km run and/or weight training
Monday 5 - 10 km walk and/or Yoga
Tuesday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Wednesday REST
Thursday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Friday 5 - 10 km walk and/or Yoga
Saturday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Full Training Schedule:
Sunday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Monday 10 - 15 km run and/or weight training
Tuesday 5 - 10 km walk and/or Yoga
Wednesday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Thursday 10 - 15 km run and/or weight training
Friday 5 - 10 km walk and/or Yoga
Saturday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
For other tips on staying active follow the link to my blog post: 5 Keys to Staying Active and watch for upcoming posts on different weight training programs.
I was lucky enough to have two natural births. I remember after my first son I just wanted to look and feel "normal" again. The doctor suggested I wait a month until getting back into running and sports but walking was fine. I remember convincing my Husband that I was ok to go for a walk the day after my son was born as we went home 12 hours after he was born. My mom and I were just going to walk to the pharmacy (about a 30 min trip there and back) to pick up some medication and then we would be home. But it felt great to be out there! I convinced my mom that we should add a little extra onto the walk back. We were probably gone just over an hour and I was getting texts to find out where we were and if we were ok. But getting moving was important to me as I am an active person and I don't like the feeling of not being able to do something. I started playing soccer about 3 weeks after he was born as I had been walking a lot and really was starting to feel better. I also played in a hockey tournament 4 weeks after he was born as getting back into exercise was really important to me. I think I felt the need to be active so quickly after having him as the Dr. I was seeing really told me to limit my activity while I was pregnant. We also had an extremely cold winter so I didn't even get out walking very much.
With my second son, I did a lot of walking at the beginning but definitely didn't rush back into sports or running for about a month and a half. Maybe it was because it was my second kid and my body needed more time to heal or maybe it was because I felt more exhausted from having two kids, who knows? I also did a lot more walking and played hockey further into my second pregnancy. I play in a pretty non competitive league and people are generally just out there for exercise. I also would walk 5 km everyday after school as I would drive home, pick up the dog and then walk to my sons daycare and meet my husband there. It was great as I would get out and get some exercise as well as get the dog out of the house.
Once my body was ready for more exercise I would slowly start to introduce different activities and intensities. I definitely had to listen to it as muscle are loose and weaker so switching intensities was very important. If if went for a run one day, I would follow it up with a walk or some yoga for the next two. Once my muscles started to gain back strength I could add in workouts with higher intensity more times throughout the week. I was on a training schedule though as my mother, sister - in - law and myself had all signed up to run the Lost Dutchman 1/2 marathon in February and I had my second son in August! I finished the 1/2 marathon but it definitely wasn't easy as I did not train enough for it. It also wasn't the most entertaining run as there weren't a lot of people out cheering or watching and I run for the atmosphere! My next 1/2 marathon will be more entertaining like a Disney or a Rock N Roll run. Below you will find an example of different workout schedules that I followed when trying to get active and back into running shape. I also would add in weight training on some days. On the days I incorporated weight training I would cut my runs to 5 km or 30 minutes and then do about 30 minutes of upper and lower body weights.
Starting back up Schedule:
Sunday - 5-10 km run
Monday - 30 minutes Yoga
Tuesday - 5 - 10 km walk
Wednesday - REST
Thursday - 5-10 km run
Friday - 30 minutes Yoga
Saturday -5-10 km walk
Middle Transition Schedule:
Sunday - 5-10 km run and/or weight training
Monday 5 - 10 km walk and/or Yoga
Tuesday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Wednesday REST
Thursday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Friday 5 - 10 km walk and/or Yoga
Saturday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Full Training Schedule:
Sunday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Monday 10 - 15 km run and/or weight training
Tuesday 5 - 10 km walk and/or Yoga
Wednesday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
Thursday 10 - 15 km run and/or weight training
Friday 5 - 10 km walk and/or Yoga
Saturday 5 - 10 km run and/or weight training
For other tips on staying active follow the link to my blog post: 5 Keys to Staying Active and watch for upcoming posts on different weight training programs.
5 Keys to Staying Active
Let's face it, life is challenging and finding time to workout can be exhausting in itself. Add children into the mix and you've just added on an entire new level of exhaustion. When you're not juggling cooking dinner and breaking up brotherly battles, you're helping with homework and loving sick children. There is no rest! So when do you have time to take care of yourself?
I have found these 5 key things to success to keeping active and sticking with as a mom and before I had become a mom.
1. Planning having a plan is the most important thing. It is easy to talk yourself out of a spur of the moment workout. However, if you have planned it out or even better if you have a weekly or monthly plan it helps to keep your workouts on track. Personally I try to make a weekly plan to help keep myself on track. I look at what my hockey schedule looks like for the week and then plan other activities around there. If I have a late hockey game then the next day I will have an evening workout. If i don't have a late game that week then I also try to throw in some morning workouts. I also like to have a Monday night workout during the Bachelor as I am going to sit and watch it so I might as well exercise while I do. Planning a variety of activities also helps as it keeps things fresh throughout the week.
2. Find a workout partner sometimes having a workout partner is extremely helpful as it keeps you accountable to your workouts. Right now I have a work buddy who walks with me every lunch hour. Sometimes we walk for 10 minutes and other times we walk for an hour. It all depends on the day and what other activities we have going on. We do make a point to try and walk for a little bit every day as it is important to not just stay active 1 time a day but throughout the day.
3. Motivation finding what motivates you to get up and exercise is key. Is it music? a certain TV show? a specific outfit? I know when I was on Maternity leave and trying to lose those last 20 lbs I made sure I had a Netflix TV show as well as lots of motivating music to keep me going. It is important to find what works for you and what motivates you and to use that to keep you going. Now that I have lost the weight I have found that I don't need music or a specific show but that wearing good active wear helps to keep me motivated. I do still like to have a good show on the TV if I am in the workout room or a good playlist if I am outside. But a good pair of lululemon pants (personally I like the Fast and Free Crop - they have a great side pocket to hold any personal items or your phone) and a good lululemon workout top (I love the tank that has the pocked in the back of the racer back for your phone, but they don't make it anymore :( so now its just any sweat wicking shirt from there) help to keep my feeling good while working out.
4. Track your activity This is so important if you are a competitive person like I am. I used to have an activity tracker that would track my steps and let me compete with others with like trackers and this was a good motivator to get up and move. I now have the Apple Watch and it has personally up'd my activity level. It has you track your active calories, standing hours, and exercise minutes as well as keeping track of your steps. You can also compete with others and share your activities to help keep you motivated and competitive. I don't like how they limit the number of points that you can earn in a day as it makes it difficult to have a winner as everyone could max out their points. But to me this is a minor factor and I would still highly recommend the watch.
5. Have fun! If you're not having fun then you wont keep it up. Make sure you love what you're doing and having fun while doing it. This is extremely important to staying on track and fit!
Following these 5 tips will help you stay active and as we all know having tips as a mom is key because our tiny humans don't come with any lol!
**None of the links are ADs and just links to things that I like and have found helpful in keeping my fitness on track**
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