Running in the Cold

All day yesterday I was thinking about how cold it was outside and trying to talk myself out of running. I kept thinking-- my ears are going to bother me if I get out in the cold and run--. 

So what did I do?

Well after dinner my husband decided he would make banana foster and so of course I ate some (only a little) but I didn't want to hurt is feelings. You can feel my pain, right? 

You know I am just kidding with you, he did a great job and it tasted wonderful.

So after eating it I realized I needed to push myself into running--

 I found myself layering in warm clothes so I could go out and run...

Call me crazy, right??

Well I sure looked it. I had tights on, my pants, socks, tennis shoes, 3 layers of sweaters and a jacket, a hood, ear muffs, and gloves. You would have thought I was going skiing or at least that is how I felt--like a penguin.

But I made it and was glad I persevered through the cold.

Determination is the key when starting something new....Although my husband has lost 25 pounds and I have lost none through this process I am still going to continue to give it a try.

So come Saturday morning (when it is suppose to flurry--although I will believe that when I see it) I will be out running again. Call me crazy but I am not giving up!!

Have a great weekend everyone!! Enjoy your Valentine's Day/Weekend....

A New Routine

This week my husband and I are starting a new exercising routine. Well I guess I should say we are going to try...I am not one who likes to sweat--Ugh--but of course with my husband being a guy he doesn't mind. 

The other night I decided I would join my husband on his, "new way of life" as he calls it.

We are doing the Couch to 5K!!

Have you heard of it?

What this basically allows you to do is to start off slowly with running (well jogging) and then eases you into running 3 miles in 9 weeks.Which isn't much, but it is a place to start, since we don't run at all! Now I know for some of you this sounds simple but I am NOT a runner. I have always wanted to be able to just take off an run but with bad knees it just hasn't been possible.

Even though I say I don't like to sweat I do love to spin!! I have missed it tremendously since I canceled my gym membership but I wonder if running will take its place.

I am finally going to give it a try and this time I will blog to you about it throughout the process.

This week I am running 3 days following this schedule:

Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

If any of you have done this Couch to 5K or any other type of running program, please write to me and let me know how it worked for you!!

{Good Morning Mondays}

Hello Ladies... I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for a wonderful week. I know the weekend goes by so fast and most of the time we have a long list of things we want to finish that sometimes don't even get started.

So I understand how weekends can be productive and then sometimes not so much....

With 18 days left before Christmas...

 lets be honest--How many of us have our Christmas trees up? And how many don't?

Well I am one who does not have my tree up yet. I know-- I usually put it up the weekend following Thanksgiving but this year we were traveling.

So this weekend it is going up!! I hope to report back to you next week that it is up, and completely decorated.

 Share with us if you are in the same boat.. I want to know I am not alone!

Well today I wanted to talk with you just a second about exercise.

As busy women we don't always have time to get in a full workout each day or even a quick little something a few times a week so I have some ideas for you. These are things that I do and even though I am in no great shape right now, I recently decided I needed to work on creating better habits. My baby is now 10 months old. I know longer have the excuse of, "I just had a baby". and now that Christmas is just around the corner I want to enjoy the holidays but not feel miserable.

I hope these will help you out as well.

1. Calf raise
Do It: Stand with feet parallel, shoulder-width apart, and slowly lift heels off the ground so you stand on the balls of your feet. Slowly lower.
Variation: Try the exercise with your feet turned slightly outward at the 10- and 2-o'clock positions to work the outer calf muscles.

You can do this while standing in line somewhere, washing dishes, cooking, etc.

2.Butterfly crunch
Do It: Lie on your back with soles of feet together, knees bent out to sides. With hands behind your head, lift chest a few inches toward legs. Lower to starting position.
Variation: Lift both legs straight toward ceiling, toes pointed. Place hands behind head and do the crunch.

You can do this while watching T.V, (and even though your kids might laugh depending on the age, or ask you what in the world you are doing) you could do this while playing with the small children on the floor.

3.Squat
Do It: Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands at sides. As you squat, keeping knees behind toes, raise arms forward to chest level. Stand up, lowering arms.
Variation: Try a single-leg squat. Lift right foot a few inches off floor and squat on left leg. Switch sides.

You could do this while loading or unloading the dishwasher, standing at the copy machine (just kidding! although you could but I bet you would probably get some looks and that wouldn't be lady like.)

4.Butt Squeezes
The easiest exercise that you can do at your desk, at home while eating lunch, driving in the car,etc.  is the butt squeezes. Simply squeeze and release your buttocks muscles several times. It is that easy..

There you have it! Give them a try for a couple days and see what you think..

If you have any great tips as to some quick exercises you do then make a comment and share with us.

I am sure we would all love to hear!

Happy Monday!

Why Exercise?

Why Bother Exercising?

Simply put, exercise …

These are true facts:

• Makes you feel better physically.
• Improves self-esteem and provides a more positive mental outlook.
• Makes you look better and helps to control your weight.
• Increases your balance, coordination, and agility.
• Helps prevent osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and non-insulin-dependent-diabetes.
• Makes you feel invigorated and more energetic.
• Strengthens bones and muscle, giving you the functional strength for everyday living.

Before you begin, there are some things to consider:

• Have realistic expectations. For all you beginners, don't expect to turn into your favorite movie star overnight. (The majority of us never will.) We have to understand that people come in all shapes and sizes, and genetics plays a major role in your body makeup and proportion. Rule #1: exercise is about looking and feeling your best—not somebody else's best.
• Set responsible goals for yourself. Plan reachable short-term goals each week that will not leave you overwhelmed or set you up for failure. An example of a reasonable goal is: “I will work out four days this week and eliminate all high-fat desserts.”
  Not a reasonable goal: “I will work out two hours every day and lose 10 pounds in three weeks.”
  
• Work exercise conveniently into your day. You know the story: unless exercise sessions are planned during realistic time slots, your “workouts” ain't gonna “work out.” Take into consideration your schedule. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Some people are lucky enough to have leisurely lunch breaks and can sneak in a quickie during their day.
• Rise and shine. Studies show that exercisers who work out in the morning are 50 percent more likely to stick with it. Basically, get it out of the way before the day wipes you out. (What's more, it can also save you an extra shower later.) If you have the capacity to endure a grueling day at the office and then shake, rattle, and roll in the gym—more power to you.
• Keep it short and sweet. Most people have hectic lifestyles and cannot afford to dedicate hours each day to the gym. And they shouldn't! Each workout should be short and efficient. The consistency of regular physical activity is as important as duration and intensity. Without any of these three elements, exercise is simply not effective. Furthermore, people who get carried away usually wind up burned out.