Trim Mom

If You’re Not Exercising…

You are not alone!

Did you know that 30 percent of people don’t get any exercise at all during the winter?

I don’t know about you, but right now I’m part of that statistic.  In addition to those who aren’t exercising, those that do often get less than they would during the warmer months of the year.  Winter is often cold and bitter outside which discourages us from getting out and about.  I know if I lived in a really cold place, I’d probably just want to curl up under a warm blanket with a good book all winter long.  Winter can also be dark and dreary which can easily hamper motivation to do anything, much less get up and work out.  The on top of all of that, it’s generally a hectic time of year with it being that holiday season and all.  Shopping, holiday gatherings, company parties, and everything else that goes along with the holidays makes it a challenge to find time for exercise.  I have to admit that I’m more likely to want to fill my extra time with a fun holiday activity than a workout.  All this adds up to the unhealthy habit or not getting enough physical activity during the winter.  With that in mind, here are

3 Tips for Getting Exercise During the Winter

Join a gym: Gyms offer expert staffs, a warm and safe place to exercise, a chance to get out of the house, and chance to socialize with new people.

Utilize the Mall: The mall is not only good for shopping.  A walk at the mall, may be more interesting than walking at the park.  Plus some have some great stairs you can climb for an added challenge.  Some malls even have walking clubs you can join.

Exercise Tapes or DVDs: Ah yes, it’s time to break out those exercise videos!  They allow you to stay in the comfort of your own home and have more privacy while you exercise.

Other ideas include:

• Running in place
• Getting a rebounder
• Playing with the kids
• Playing sports with family and friends
• Participating in indoor winter sports programs

A word of warning: Quick temperature changes can be a dangerous shock to your body.  When going outside, take time to give your body a proper warm up and cool down.  Also, when coming in from the cold, wait a few minutes to remove your coat and other layers.

When you venture outside in the winter, it’s important to take extra precautions to stay warm and safe.  Always be sure to bundle up and wear layers.  You want enough to keep you warm, but not so much that you’re sweating.  While sweating during your summer workout is great, during the winter sweat makes you wet and can make you cold in freezing temperatures.

Exercising during the winter may take a bit more planning and effort, but you’ll be rewarded by staying healthy, looking good, and maybe even having some fun.

Technorati Tags: exercise tips, fitness, health, Holiday WeightLoss Tips, weightloss, winter exercise

From Tired to Fit - 5 Ways to Improve Fitness

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work only to see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them once you got home?  Since you’re tired, you refuse and promise that you’ll play “later.”  Sound familiar?

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, “yes” next time?  You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after that 30-minute activity.

Did you know that exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes helps you feel a lot better, mentally? It has been proven that even moderate exercise not only improves appetite, but sharpens your style in problem solving as well. Not only that. You will also find it is easier to sleep at night if you do moderate exercises even for only 30 minutes every day.

What are the benefits of regular exercise? It promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and getting you out of any depression. For first timers, it can be done for 15 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. You can increase the time you spend once your body gets tuned up for it.

DON’T you ever force your body! This is one of THE biggest mistakes newbies make.  If you get hurt, then stop. You can take a break from exercising for a few days and then you can start again but you’ll be starting all over from day 1.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy:

1. Do the Walking. Make use of your surroundings. You can walk your dog, with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting enough sunlight that is also good for your body.

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. You may want to learn even the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body with the energy you lost for the whole day. You relax and at the same time you stretch!

3. Engage yourself into sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Do not take it seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend is one moderate exercise that is also considered a sport.

4. Join exercise programs at work. If you still do not have exercises programs at work, then why not start it? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. You do not only lose calories but it is also one good way to bond with them. This can be done 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

5. Exercise while doing household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises at home. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fats?

You may be surprised at how many calories you burn simply by incorporating exercises into your daily routines and tasks. Doing these moderate exercises every day can burn from 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!

Personally, I love high intensity exercise.  With high intensity, you feel like you’ve gotten a great workout and you see results relatively quickly.  However, not everyone finds it easy to get into high intensity, especially if you’re not used to working out.  If you’re not quite ready for high intensity these  moderate exercise ideas are a great way to get started on your path to improved fitness!

Technorati Tags: exercise, fitness, health, moms weightloss, weightloss

Awesome Fitness Guide for Busy Moms

Wow!  Guess what I came across while surfing the internet for cool Trim Mom tips to share with you.  There is actually a book called The Busy Mom’s Ultimate Fitness Guide!

I love reading books, but there are some books that are just too boring to read.  One of the things I liked when I saw this book was what other moms were saying about it.

Here’s an example, “entertaining and persuasive style will help many moms.”

Thank goodness!  It’s not going to bore you to tears.  Like I said, I like to read, but there are some books that I just can’t get through because of the way the information is presented.  No matter how great that information may be, it does you no good if it’s presentation is so boring you can’t get through it.

Now another thing I like about this book was the fact that it really tackled the major issues we deal with as mothers.  Not only does this book address the challenges women face as “busy moms,” but it also tackles another significant sticking point many of us struggle with: motivation.

You may have listened to my first entry into my Trim Mom Journal.  It’s all about this specific issue, lack of motivation.  But The Busy Mom’s Ultimate Fitness Guide happens to be a great, easy to follow, step-by-step guide for mom’s wanting to be more fit AND it’s also a wonderful motivational kickstart as well!

If you’re looking for an easy read that will provide a wealth of fitness information engineered specifically for helping you overcome your weightloss challenges as a busy mom, go get The Busy Mom’s Ultimate Fitness Guide and take your first step toward improving your fitness today.

Technorati Tags: busy mom, fitness, fitness book, guide, mom exercise, weightloss

WeightLoss Tip: Find an Exercise Activity You Enjoy

I’m sure you’ll agree that exercise is a significant part of your WeightLoss efforts or in trying to become or remain a Trim Mom. However, sticking with a workout plan can be challenging. If you have difficulty sticking with a fitness or exercise routine, try choosing an activity (or two) that is more fun. Studies have shown that people are more likely to stick exercise when they choose an activity they like and enjoy.

Here are some suggestions of activites you can do to get your blood flowing and your heart pumping:

Ride a bike
Go for a swim
Jump Rope to 4 great upbeat songs
Jump on a trampoline
Walk around the block or park while pushing a stroller
Run up the stairs in your house instead of walk
Dance with your kids to 4-5 great upbeat songs (if your child is too young to dance, carry him/her while you dance!)
Do some Hula Hooping
Go Ice Skating (or falling)
Shoot some hoops
Walk up a hill
Go rock climbing
Rollerblade
Go golfing and don’t get a golf cart
Play tennis (or hit a ball against a wall - you can usually find a cheap racket and maybe even balls at a swap meet or discount/donation store)
Ride a Ripstik
Play the Wii Sports Game
Do TaeBo (this worked wonderfully for me after my 2nd daughter was born)

If you used to play a sport when you were younger, do some sport-related activities (fielding softball ground balls is a much tougher workout for me now than it used to be….I really feel it in my legs the next day and I don’t think of it as “mandatory exercise” while I’m doing it).

Point is, if you put a little thought into it, chances are you can find 1 or 2 activities that you actually enjoy doing and mix them up to give yourself a fun and interesting way to fit exercise into your day and give yourself a decent workout to help with your quest to become (or remain) a Trim Mom.

Technorati Tags: exercise ideas, exercise tips, WeightLoss Tips