fitmomsclub

Earlier I had discussed that working out in the morning was a personal preference of mine. There is much debate on when the best time to work out actually is, some citing that evening is better than morning or vice versa. But I found an article from Spark People that discusses five reason to start your day with exercise. I wanted you all to read it, share the wealth so to speak, so here you go!

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5 Reasons to Start Your Day with a Workout

Become a Morning (Workout) Person

– By Vicki Santillano of DivineCaroline.com

For the majority of my life, I’ve claimed not to be a “morning person.” I’ve also never worked out consistently, probably because, as San Francisco-based personal trainer Bianca Buresh says, “You have to be a very disciplined person if you’re going to leave it to the end of the day.” I can’t fathom how some people can get out of bed—voluntarily, no less—in the early morning hours to exercise. Exercise is hard enough without the added lure of a warm, cozy bed.

But I made a goal for myself a few months ago to give morning exercise a try after hearing glowing reviews from my friends—“I have so much more energy,” “I feel better about myself throughout the day.” Five months later, I wholeheartedly concur.

Exercising at any time of day is beneficial. But as a recent convert, I believe there are more positive outcomes of morning exercise compared to working out later at night. If you can make the commitment to get out of bed a little earlier than usual, you might find that it rewards other parts of your life besides cardiovascular health.

1. Better Performance at Work
It’s no secret that a hard workout can decrease our stress levels. When we begin our day by exercising, the reduction of stress, however slight, can make us more focused, more energized, and ready to tackle the day’s responsibilities. Working out increases blood flow to the brain and gives us a more alert mind—so morning exercise is great preparation for helping us successfully get through our day.

Similarly, a study at the Leeds Metropolitan University found that workers were significantly more productive and better able to communicate effectively with co-workers after exercising than on the days that they didn’t exercise. Imagine arriving at work more focused, in a better mood, and mentally equipped to tackle the day. You might even be able to skip that first cup of coffee.

Isabel Hartman, a financial analyst in San Francisco and a self-described morning exercise enthusiast, thinks the study’s findings are right on target (based on her experience) and says her morning workout energizes her. “It makes my day less stressful, and I feel more motivated all day long,” she says.

2. A Metabolism Boost Throughout the Day
Exercise causes our metabolic rate to increase—meaning our bodies burn calories more quickly and efficiently—for approximately four to eight hours after a workout. However, the boost could be more beneficial in the morning because the spike lasts throughout the day. If you exercise at night, you’ll still reap the benefits of the boost, but for a shorter period (because you’ll probably be sleeping relatively soon after). Not only that, but people who exercise in the morning also tend to make better food choices throughout the day. Hartman agrees: “It really sets the course for my day, as far as sticking to a healthy eating plan.”

3. A Better Night’s Sleep
There is a reason to exercise earlier in the day: better sleep. A study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that the participants who exercised in the mornings experienced a better quality of sleep than those who worked out later in the day. Early workouts can also help regulate your body’s internal clock. The morning surge of energy sends a signal to the brain that reinforces daytime hours as a time for activity, and nighttime as being a period of rest. Working out too close to bedtime (the National Sleep Foundation recommends no closer than two or three hours before) can disrupt that signal. By exercising in the morning, our evenings can become a time for decompression after working, which is good for our emotional health as well.

4. Increased Likelihood to Stick with It
The number one reason most people give for not exercising daily is “I don’t have time.” But waiting until later in the day to exercise increases the likelihood that something will come up and get in the way of your workout. For example, a plan for a lunchtime jog can be pushed back for an impromptu lunch meeting. And after working all day, the likelihood of wanting to spend an hour at the gym decreases for most of us. Buresh explains, “The more time you have to think, the more time you have to make excuses.” The best solution is to wake up a little earlier and get it over with at the beginning of the day, before any other distractions arise. “Once it’s a part of your routine,” Buresh says. “It becomes easy.” A study at the University of Texas confirms this—researchers found that morning exercisers were more consistent than afternoon or evening exercisers.

5. A Happier Outlook
One reason that exercise reduces stress is because it signals the release of endorphins, chemicals that elevate mood and decrease pain levels. It’s like a natural dose of morphine, our body’s way of compensating for the stress we put on it while exercising. Think of it as a reward—ever heard of runner’s high? Some consider the rush of endorphins to be a euphoric experience, while others feel a general calmness after working out. Starting out the day with an energy boost and higher spirits will have even more positive, lasting effects on the rest of the day. Researchers at Glasgow University concluded that people who exercised in the morning experienced more of a dramatic increase in feelings of well-being than those who exercised later in the day.

One thing is certain: whether we exercise in the morning, afternoon, or at night, we’re doing something wonderful for our minds and bodies. But we shouldn’t ignore the advantages of getting an early start on working out because we don’t think we can make it a routine. The extra benefits of joining the morning exercise club may be motivation enough to throw off the blankets and start our day on a healthy, active note.

Editor’s Note: This article is courtesy of www.DivineCaroline.com.

Sounds a little harsh I know, and I am so one that needs to hear this sometimes. But in reality how many of us really need to just get off our butts and do something for ourselves? Now I’m not talking about taking 2 hours out of your day to go to the gym, but I am talking about just not being so lazy anymore. Have you found yourself with a just a few moments of quiet during the day and just want to sit and relax and enjoy the peace? Have you been in such a hurry to get to the store, get your things and get home to do something else, so you just try to find the closest parking spot to run in from? Have you ever just been so exhausted from dealing with life that you take the escalator so you can save your energy for something else? Or maybe it’s just so commen in our culture to take the easy way out, to be lazy.

Well I’m here to tell you today that you need to stop being lazy. I need to stop being lazy and we need to just get off our butts and do something. When you go to the store, park at the end of the parking lot and walk in.  Walk or run up the steps instead of taking the escalator. When you have a moments peace during nap time or when the kids go to bed; clean the house, workout to a DVD or go for a walk outside.

There are ways in whatever we do throughout the day to actually make us move even more. I listed some above but I know that those are not the only ways we can be lazy in our lives. If you work full-time, take a quick walk on your 10 minute breaks. If you need to talk to someone, walk to their office instead of calling them or shooting them an email. Take the steps to your office instead of taking the elevator, ride your bike or walk to work, walk to lunch instead of getting into your car and driving.

If you are a stay at home mom, my goodness talk about ample opportunity to not be lazy! Get up and exercise while your child is still sleeping, walk your older kids to school and play at the playground with the younger ones when you’re done. After you get them off to school, take a walk with your child to the park. Do squats while you are making lunch, exercise or clean the house when they are napping, do calf raises when you are making dinner. There are tons of ways to incorporate exercise into your daily lives … we just have to think out of the box in order to come up with some!

So here is your challenge today, if you read this … which I hope you do, then comment on some other ways we can not be lazy anymore in this incredibly sedative culture of ours!

We have discussed multiple ways to just get moving in the last week or so and I want to take this time to expound on using play time with your child as a form of exercise. This “exercise” can grow with your child and you can accommodate your “routine” to what your child likes. Do you have an infant? How about a 15 year old? No problem, we can all think of some things to do with either of them and with all ages in between.

Those with younger children can get more hands on than a mother with a 15 year old, and that’s okay. If you have an infant or toddler, hold them in your arms and swing them up towards the sky (dont let go) and then when you swing them back down, squat down and swing them between your legs. If it is an infant, make real sure you are supporting their head and cradle them in your arms as you swing them. Another one, lay on the ground on your side with the infant laying in front of you, as you tickle and play with them lift your leg up into the air doing leg raises. Switch sides and repeat with the other leg. Do each leg a minimum of 15 times and try to do two to three sets. If your just starting out, do 1 set for the first week then increase a set each week until you are doing three sets.

If you have a toddler, run around the yard and play tag with them. Chase them around the yard and pick them up every so often and run a few feet with them in your arms. Spending time running around with your toddler will burn mega calories and you get to interact and spend some much needed quality time with them.

If you have an older child that can ride a bike, run beside them as they ride their bike around the neighborhood. Take a family bike ride after dinner or go to a park and play some basketball with them. Spending time with your child does not have to mean sitting in front of the TV watching a movie or some shows. Go out and enjoy the outdoors while you can.

If you would like more information on how to interact with your child through play while getting a great workout in at the same time, go ahead and email me and we can start your own consultation! So, go have fun with your child .. go out and play!

In my last post I mentioned three ways to help you get out of that rut
we all seem to be in; Getting up early, playing with the kiddos and
just plain ole not being lazy. Today I would like to share with you
some ideas on what to do in the 30 minutes you have to yourself in the
quiet of morning.

So waking up 30 minutes before the rest of your family is a wonderful
way to start your day. As well as being able to exercise in peace with
no interruptions, you will be able to take that time for yourself and
focus on what you need to focus on. There are many ways of doing your
exercise in the morning for 30 minutes; outside or inside, in your
home gym or in the living room.

If you choose to work out in the great outdoors, fantastic! Warm up by
walking at a moderate pace for 5 minutes. After your warm up pick up
the pace a little bit and walk steadily for another 3 minutes then jog
for as long as you can. If you can only job for 15 seconds, that is a
great start! If you can jog for a while minute, fantastic! After your
little bout of jogging, go back to walking for another three minutes
and continue until you have reached 25 minutes. Then slow your pace
down a little and walk moderately for another 5 minutes. At the end of
your 30 minutes try to stretch out those hamstrings and quads a bit so
you don’t get sore at the end of the day or the next morning.

If you are working out inside, there are so many options that you
could do. Have cable? Tune into the Fitness Channel for a world class
exercise show. They have many to choose from and they are all on at
different parts of the day. You may want to go out and buy a Workout
DVD that you are interested in and doing that. There are so many great
ones on the market today you could try the “Slim in Six”, “30 Minute
Shred” by Jillian Micheal’s or the Walking Serious by Leslie Sansone.
If you don’t want to purchase a DVD, try going to your local library,
they will have some DVDs there you can borrow.

Other than a work out DVD in your living room, how else can you work
out inside the home? Plenty of ways! Run/walk in place for a few
minutes and then do some squats, push-ups, lunges and sit-ups. Have
stairs? Run up and down the stairs a few times then do some strength
training in between (listed in the last sentence). Each “set” of stair
runs try to increase the difficulty; The first set, touch each step.
The second set, skip a step. The third set, go up sideways.

There are a few ways to get your workout in before your family wakes
up in the mornings. If the morning is just not acceptable. Try doing
it after the kids go to bed, but make sure its not right before you go
to bed. Exercising tends to wake us up and re-energize us so if we do
it too close to our bedtime, it will be a little hard to fall asleep.

If this was your challenge your accepted with the last email, I hope
these work out for you! And if you chose something else, stay tuned
for more hints on how to play with the kids to get a work out in and
also how not to be lazy! But I encourage you all to try some of these
things. I know all about not being able to go to the gym (because of
childcare situations) and having to do my work outs at home. If you
have any questions or concerns, please go ahead and email me or post a
comment! Love ya’ll … so go out and get to it!

Sometimes its really hard to accept the fact that we as mothers need
to focus on ourselves in order to be better women. Being bombarded
with everything we are responsible for, we get into a rut and lose
motivation to do the necessary things for ourselves. But the fact
remains that if we take care of ourselves first, we are able to
perform the jobs required of us later, in all different areas of our
lives. Working out and taking care of ourselves is hard to do with
children, even harder if you work a full time job. I am definately at
fault for thinking that other people and other things come before me.
And I know that personally I need to take action to make myself better
FOR my family.

Even though it is hard to find the time, energy or motivation to just
get out there and live an active lifestyle, we all need to do it. Here
are three ways to start taking care of ourselves.

1. Get up just 30 minutes earlier than the children and husbands.
Thirty minutes before we need to start getting ready for the day and
exercise. Even if its just walking in place for 30 minutes, doing a
work out DVD or stretching and doing some strength training. That 30
minutes will wake up your body and liven up your soul so you are all
ready to go for the day.

2. Get out there and PLAY! If you are a stay at home mom you can take
advantage of this all day long. If you are a working mom, when you
come home from work, take 15 minutes to play with your child and
reconnect with them after being away all day. Chase the kids around
the yard and play tag, or do squats while holding them and throwing
them up into the air when you come back to a standing position.
Playing with your child is great exercise and besides the benefit it
will give you, it is also beneficial for your child. They will get
worn out and get to sleep so much better for you if you tire them out!

3. Don’t be lazy! So easy to say, not so easy to do sometimes. Don’t
take the elevator at work, go up the steps. Park far away from the
door and speed walk to the entrance. There are lots of ways to get in
a work out by just not being lazy. Every little thing will help you
get fit and become accustomed to the active lifestyle we should have.

If you need some ideas on what you can do for the topics above, just
ask. I’ll even do another topic on these to help you all out. The
major thing I want you to take from this email is that just by doing a
little bit each day and changing one thing you do will help you to get
started on your dreams of being a Fit Mom! I challenge you (and
myself) to do at least one of these things three times a week.
Whatever we do will help our families and ourselves in the long run.
So … Have fun and go out and get to it!