Healthy Kids

Here is a fun and surprisingly active game to play with your kids (or even other adults!).

Pick 3-4 positions (e.g. standing up, sitting down, laying down) or activities (e.g. run, jump, hop, push ups).
One person is the leader and calls out different positions/activities (quickly, if possible).
The rest of the group gets into the position or does the activity.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
*change leaders when you like

Position ideas
Standing
Sitting
Laying down
Superman (lay on tummy with arms out like flying)
Banana (lay on back with arms extended above your head)
Ball (tuck body into ball (on back or feet)
Tiger (on hands and knees)
Snake (cobra yoga pose)
Letters (T, Y, R, E....)
Star
Sideways (lay on side)
One leg up
Side plank
Front plank

Happy Healthy Kids

So I have finally found the time, kind of, and convinced my employer to let me teach some kids' programs.....so this summer the Fitness Center in Champaign began Healthy Kids. Its 30mins a day, Monday thru Friday for kids ages 3-12.

So many of the things I do in class, you can do at home with your kids. Simple, short, fun things.

Over the next couple weeks, I will share some ideas with you.

*Red, Yellow, Green Light
Take 3 pieces of construction paper (red, yellow, and green). One person stands on one side of the room/yard and holds up a paper...the others move towards to the person according to the color (red=stop, yellow=slow motion, green=run). Take turns being 'the light'.

*Building and Knocking Things Over
Make towers out of things (at the gym we use yoga blocks, at home empty boxes). Then take turns running, punching, and kicking the tower over. Rebuild and repeat.

*Paper Planes
Make lots of paper airplanes together. Then toss them around the room/yard. Run to get them and throw them again.

Fitness Friday!!! the Comeback!

Obviously, my body has undergone lots of changes in the past year. I gained about 35lbs during my pregnancy, reaching my all-time high weight.

Every woman feels pressure to lose that baby weight. If you watch the tabloids, Hollywood moms make it look way to easy to drop all that weight in a ridiculous about of time. They make us, normal people, think it should all melt away. But ladies, it doesn't. When I was 18, yes, the weight disappeared. But when I was in my twenties, I decided just to have another baby instead of trying to get rid of the rest of the pounds. And with #3, it wasn't until I was done nursing (after 2 1/2 years) that I finally finished up that last 5lbs. And honestly, my pre-pregnancy-regular weight is 10lbs higher than my wedding weight.

So we'll see what happens this time. I was in the best shape of my life before I got pregnant (which really helped my surgical recovery!) and I am nursing all the time and taking care of 3 other kids, not to mention teaching the best 24 preschoolers in town....let's just say I'm very active. But I love junk food and sitting around watching a lot of tv while I rock and nap isn't good for anything.

My goal is to have my body back to being strong (lifting those big weights again), active, and fit (e.g. running up the stairs and breathing at the same time) in 9 months. I want to be able to keep up with my students, young and old, and my own kids.

It took me 9mons to get up there, it will take about 9mons to get back down.

I'll track my progress here and we'll see what happens!

Height: 4ft 11in
End of pregnancy weight: 162
Today's weight:138.5

Fitness Friday!!!

Let's talk shoes and clothes.

There are lots of new toning shoes on the market. And now Reebok has a line of toning clothing.


I will start by saying that I have not actually purchased either of these products, however, I still find them ridiculous.

Let's start with the shoes. I actually think that walking in these shoes may help tone and sculpt your lower body and core. But simply having them on your feet, will do nothing. Your butt will not look like the girls in the commercials. You have to walk or run in them, and in significant amounts. Such amounts of activity might help you loose weight and tone muscle regardless of your shoes. If you don't already walk for fitness, I would recommend purchasing a good walking shoe first. If you enjoy walking and would like to make it a regular part of your fitness routine, you might consider these type of shoes. However, at $100 per pair, I would recommend a set of squats and heel raises at the end of your walk instead for free.

Now, the clothing. Just as the shoes, the clothing itself will not help you loose weight or tone your muscles. Regular cardio and strength exercises combined with a reasonable diet are the only ways to truly achieve this goal. (Remember, you should aim to exercise for 30mins at least 3-5 times per week) Simply wearing tight clothing all day, will do nothing. Again, I haven't tried this product personally. As with the shoes, if you are already in good shape, these might help you continue to progress in your fitness goals. Price-wise is it comparable to other specialty fitness appeal ($55-80 per item).

There is no easy fix to getting in shape. You have to put in the work, time, and effort. Instead of purchasing specialty clothing, invest in a gym membership (great deals are around in December and January), a great pair of cross-training shoes and sports bra, and even a couple sessions with a personal trainer.

For affordable fitness apparel, I like Target and Kohls. I do have a several things from Fit Couture, that I LOVE as well.

Fitness Friday

Here is what my mom did as a child to keep fit! How about you?

Fitness Friday: The Power of Walking

Walking is one of the best exercises you can find. Obviously, it is a highly functional exercise (we all walk every day!). It is also low-impact and beginner-friendly....one foot in front of the other--repeat.

I also find it very relaxing. A walk after dinner or in the afternoon while the kids are still at school...delightful. Today at school, we took a walk with the kids to calm them down a little after snack. Just breathe in and out and look around you (or listen to your favorite music). It is an easy way to get in an extra 20-30mins of exercise into your week (you should aim to do something active EVERYDAY!!).

My favorite places in CU to walk are into downtown Champaign (Pakara is waiting for me in the middle!) or Meadowbrook Park in Urbana.

Where is your favorite place to wonder?

This weekend you can walk for a good cause at the annual CU Buddy Walk. This is a free event (donations for the CU Down Syndrome Network are happily accepted) for the whole family to raise awareness and inclusion of children with Down Syndrome. Walk with a team or alone and then stay for family-fun. See here for more details.

Fitness Friday: Pregnant Lady Edition

So, I am 20 weeks pregnant and the questions are getting more frequent....when are you going to stop exercising?

With my last baby, I remember heading to the gym the night before my scheduled c-section. And I plan to do the same with this one. I will stop teaching classes after the holidays but I will continue to get in the gym. I had to laugh this week as one of my fitness students said she came into class that day since she thought I would be taking it easy....she was wrong. I am also serving as an inspiration to everyone...'if the pregnant lady can do this, so can I!'

Exercise during pregnancy is very important. Besides being in good muscular and cardiovascular shape is important in everyone's life.....your body is being put through a lot and you need to keep it strong! Not to mention, if you have to labor and deliver vaginally, you will need some strength. If you are having a c-section, you will recover more quickly.

Surprisingly, core strength is really important during pregnancy. Just as your 'core' seems to disappear, right?! Keeping a strong core will help with supporting that belly and relieve some lower back stress. It will also help get back into shape after the baby. Check out some prenatal pilates.

The basic recommendations (see ACSM here) encourage pregnant women to exercise regularly. And basically, if you exercised before becoming pregnant, you can continue whatever you were doing (so yes, I still do some kickboxing). If you didn't, its a good time to start but not maybe the best time to start any extreme sports. A basic cardio program 3 or so times a week such as walking, cycling, step class, or dance as well as some strength such as light weight work or resistance bands and flexibility training such as yoga are good choices. As your pregnancy progresses, you may have to reduce the intensity or modify some exercises.

Always ask your dr or midwife what is safe for you. Stop exercising if you have any cramping, spotting, shortness of breath, or dizziness. If you are taking fitness classes, please tell the instructor (they will be able to give you modifications). Most communities offer specific prenatal fitness programs (check your local hospital) and the library has lots of DVD's and books.

Fitness Friday

My kids have their annual Walkathon fundraiser next week at school. Last Friday, we had a kick off assembly complete with a magician and the local high school cheerleading squad. I ended the assembly talking to them about fitness and how to put into their daily lives. I was a bit shocked to hear how many of them liked push ups! I lead them in a five-minute hip hop routine and yoga stretch.

I did some hip hop since, like most dance, is based on walking. It is also pretty easy for kids (and adults). It was really fun. But now I am 'the hip hop mom'. Here's a secret...I am a white girl from the suburbs of Chicago that can apparently fake enough dance to make people think I am a real dancer (there were rumors around my husband's work that we were professional ballroom dancers!). I have been booked for future engagements.

But what was even better was when I went to school to help our first grader celebrate his birthday. I was greeted with "Hey, I exercised today! I did some push ups!" "I did some dancing last night with my mom." "I have been doing lots of walking!" What? They listened to me? They did what I told them was right? My five minutes of fun fitness translated into a week of wellness? It felt nice to push fitness into their lives and have them so excited about it, that they want to share it with me.

I go back next week, so we'll see what they have done and what stories they have to share.

Sweaty Sunday (late edition of Fitness Friday!)

Now that most kids are back into school, some parents find some extra time for themselves. This is a great time to add in or increase your fitness routine.

Here are some ways to add that time to your day:
1. Walk your kids to school and then take the long way back (or take walk after the kids head out for the day).

2. Find a park district or gym class. Try something new. Most facilities start a fall session and offer a Free Week or a Free Week-Trail.

3. Find some other moms or dads and take a weekly bike ride together or stroller walk. Plan for at least 30mins.

4. Check out some new fitness DVD's from the library and try them out while no one else is home to watch (and interrupt you).

5. Schedule some sessions with a personal trainer. They can help you start or refresh your workout and give you solid fitness goals that work within your schedule.

Fitness Friday!!!

Fitness DVD Review! Dancing with the Stars: Dance off the Pounds

If you watch the show and want to shed some pounds and tone up that body....this is the best DWTS DVD yet (they are all pretty good). This 45-min workout includes three dances...the three most energetic, calorie-burning ballroom categories: swing, jive, and the quickstep.

The DVD is broken up into four segments (the three dances and a cool down). You can do each section individually or mix them up for a full workout. You can also do each section with or without verbal cuing. Each section builds up simple choreography into a combination that is repeated several times. The instructors, Kym, Lacey, and Dimitri, all teach the moves fairly clearly and repeat each movement several times before slowly adding up to the entire combination.

Although it is pretty beginner-friendly, they do not provide specific modifications to make the workout less or more intense. Additionally, the cool down stretches are not held long enough to properly stretch each muscle group. So, if you are new to dancing or fitness, you may want to start with one dance at a time and build up to the complete 45 mins (ALWAYS cool down and stretch with each workout).

This is a pretty fun and effective workout. I would recommend you check it out!
*The Champaign Library carries this title!

Fitness Friday!!!

For me, there is nothing more boring than walking on the treadmill or going for a run outside on my own. I am a social being and I need people around me when I sweat!
So, my fitness tip for you this week is...

***Find a buddy to exercise with!
It has long-been advised to find someone to workout with. This helps you hold accountability for each other. You can set goals for each other such as a local 5K. But more importantly you have someone to gossip with. You could even start a facebook group! Keep track of your friends activities.

***Check out group fitness classes!
I, of course, love classes. It is why we joined The Fitness Center so long ago and now teach classes myself. It is so much fun to workout with other people! Plus, it is great to turn off your brain for an hour and let someone else tell you what to do. You can laugh together, moan together, and get sweaty and smelly together! But also you can meet others who have similar fitness goals and even make some amazing friends. I feel like I am a part of each person's fitness journey as well as all the members being part of mine.

Zumba!

I like to dance...a lot. And dance is a great way to get your workout in.

Zumba is a fantastic fitness program that combines Latin music and rhythms into a fat and calorie burning workout that doesn't feel like anything more than the best dance party ever! It is a fantastic cardio AND toning workout for your entire body. This will tone you up and drop dress sizes like they're hot!

Of course, I teach a class twice a week at the Fitness Center in Champaign so I hold Zumba near and dear to my heart. But you can find a live class ANYWHERE! In CU, almost every gym has a class (but I will say the Fitness Center instructors are pretty awesome!).

But if you can't or don't want to take a live class, Zumba Fitness has recently released a new DVD set (Total Body Transformation System). The DVD's include several workouts including some specific for sculpting and abs. You can check out their informercial on tv. You can order this system online here. (the Champaign Public Library does have a set that you can check out before you buy).

ZUMBA TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM DVD SET from Zumba Fitness on Vimeo.

Fitness Friday!!!

Why I like being fit and healthy?

If you know me, you know that I exercise regularly and pretty hard. I really enjoy exercise and when the opportunity came up to become a fitness instructor, it really completed part of myself that I hadn't expected. Before my 6yo was born, I really never exercised. Gym class, dance class, fun at a wedding, a long walk.... Although not the best message from my husband, he got us a gym membership for our birthdays one year.

Once I started getting in shape, I quickly learned why I need to maintain this in my life.

*I can breathe! Better, at least. I have asthma and cardio is the best way to improve it. I now know that I can run, jump, and play with my kids while breathing at the same time. I have full confidence that I can sprint after a kid trying to cross the street on his own and have the breathe to tell him he scared the crap out of me afterwards.

*Energy! I have a lot of energy and it helps me keep up with the many things going on in life as well as run, jump, and play with my kids!

*Strength! I am very confident that I can pick up and carry a lot of things....children, laundry, groceries, books, chairs, dogs. I can also easily make it up and down several flights of stairs while doing household chores.

*Stress Relief! If I didn't head to the gym or to the sidewalk, my marriage would be a mess and my kids would hate me. I need to physically relieve my stress everyday. I feel so much better after a good sweat or stretch.

For me, fitness makes me a better parent and person.

If you exercise regularly, what keeps you going?
If you don't, what would you like to gain from fitness in your life?

Fitness Friday!!!

Although I am not running in the Illinois Marathon tomorrow, I have been on a marathon of my own. Last weekend, I attended a fitness conference through IDEA. I spent three days dancing, stretching, strengthening, and having a great time. I learned a lot of new things and met some fabulous people.

Some current trends I love!
*Zumba (of course!): this latin fusion class will tone you up while you have a BLAST! find a class near you NOW!
*Beaming: this is a new program that takes current programs such as yoga, pilates, and tai chi and puts them on a foam balance beam. It was one of the hardest things I have done.
*Kids fitness: Using an adventure format, we went through a workout that would be hard for adults but kids will having so much fun, they won't even notice the sweat dripping off their noses (more on this next week)

Summer is a good time to try out new things. A lot of places have shorter programs to try out and fit into your schedule. Additionally, the pool is open!

****The Fitness Center in Champaign, Monticello, and Tuscola is offering a GREAT summer membership deal! $129 for the whole summer! Check it out!

Fitness Friday

The pools open in about 7 weeks, so if you have kids, it means you will probably have to put on a bathing suit. So make the most that time and tone up so you look awesome hanging out at the pool and chatting with other moms and relaxing on the lazy river.

1. Those who already work out. Crank it up (a little).

*Try to add 10-15mins of cardio on your workouts 1-3 times per week.
*Do 5mins of each of the following 5-7 days per week: squats, push-ups, core work (planks, crunches, etc.). Those three exercises will tone every muscle in your body.

2. Those who don't workout. Start moving.

*Start doing something active enough to make you sweat 5-7 days per week for 20-30mins. This could be walking, DVD's, dancing in your kitchen while you make dinner, playing with your kids, taking some fitness classes.
*Do 5mins of each of the following 5-7 days per week: squats, push-ups, core work. Those three exercises will tone every muscle in your body.

In addition to the Sparkspeople links above, Exercise TV on Hulu is a great place to find out how to perform simple exercises.

Fitness Friday

The weather is great, so fitness is easy to fit in now!

GO OUTSIDE! and PLAY WITH THE KIDS!

Run around with the kids, and I mean literally run! Try hide-and-seek, chase, running bases.

Go for a family bike ride.

Take a walk! I live close enough to downtown to be able to make a healthy walk out of it and the kids can handle it too. We can also stop at two parks along the way.

Play at the playground! Climb, do the monkey bars, do some push ups!

Jump rope.

Have fun!

Fitness Friday

Another DVD program review: Physique 57

If you want to tone up and strengthen your body to look hot at the pool or beach this summer, do this!

Physique 57 combines strength training and a mild cardio workout to tone out your legs, core, and arms. It is slightly based on ballet (and the videos are full of dancers so don't be discouraged by them if you can't stretch as long and beautiful as them). You use light weights, a ball, mat, and chair (or ballet barre). You basically burn out each muscle until it is shaking and fatigued.

Although it is challenging (and the first time you do it, you might not get through it) once you build up your muscles and endurance, it will sculpt you up beautifully. The creator, Tanya Becker, is entertaining enough to get you through and make you laugh from time to time. They do provide modifications for all fitness levels and you can always press pause. I did not find the cardio enough to burn into my fat, so I would pair this with some more intense cardio to see better results and balance your fitness needs.

Currently, they have an hour work out (or 57mins) plus shorter 30min Arms, Abs, and full-body versions. They have a studio in NYC to take live classes.

And as with any program I recommend, it only works if you put the work into it!

Fitness Friday!!!

I suppose this relates to fitness...Jarling's Custard Cup in Champaign opens for the season today! Add some fruit to your snowstorm to make it healthy!



I've gotten into NBC's The Biggest Loser, and since some people I know have and love Gillian Michael's DVD's, I had to check them out.

I love to watch fitness DVD's (yes, I just watch them as research, I rarely actually do them in my living room). I've watched a lot.

Overall, I think Jillian Michael's 30 Shred and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism are very good programs.

The 30 Shred is a great beginner program. It follows an easy format of 3mins of strength, 2min of cardio, 1min of core (and repeat for 20min). This allows you to focus on one movement at a time. It also allows you to move quickly from exercise to exercise (you can endure 3mins of anything, right?). She provides enough modifications to meet all fitness levels. There are three workouts on the DVD so as you get stronger, you can move up. For beginners that actually do this for 30 days, you will feel stronger and increase your fitness level. What I really like about this program, was that it was 20min per day...who doesn't have 20min to devote to themselves.

Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism is for a more advanced participant. I won't lie, it is challenging. It is almost in a boot-camp style format with lots of strength and cardio drills. She does not provide as many modifications so beginners will have to alter the workout to fit their fitness level. It is also 45mins long. I have no doubt that doing this program twice a week will get you into great shape. But since this is more challenging and longer, it might be more difficult for people to stick with it.

Jillian has other DVD titles that I am sure are equally good. She is motivating and gives good fitness information (both have 'extras' with more information). Her boxing form is terrible but I like that she includes a variety of fitness styles within both DVDs (such as plyometrics, pilates, boxing, athletic drills, weight work). I would prefer more 'normal' people on the DVD working out with her (those ladies are in amazing shape) but...

Overall, if you like working out at your house or want something to take with you when you can't get to the gym, I recommend Jillian's DVDs. But remember, you only get out what you put in. You have to do the work.

Fitness Friday!!!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am way behind on technology. I am pretty old-fashioned. I still have a landline, my preschool students play with playdough, paint, and wooden blocks, I make my own cookies and soup, and sometimes bread.

As I am a fitness instructor, the techologicalization of exercise is very surprising to me. When I was a kid, I would ‘exercise’ all the time. I walked to school, had gym class everyday, and played outside all year-round. Our neighborhood was full games such as running bases, kick the can, sardines, and double dutch jump rope. My dad would walk around the house doing odd exercises and my mom embraced the Jazzercise motion. Also, our family was known to have spontaneous dance parties.

We all know that times have changed. Obesity is a major epidemic for a mirad of reasons. Now everyone is finding a way to solve this problem. The newest is electronic-supported exercise. I’m not talking about treadmills, elliptical machines, or stationary bikes or even the huge fitness DVD industry. I’m talking about video games such as Nintendo’s Wii.

Several years ago my husband convinced me that we needed Dance Dance Revolution so that we can exercise and have fun at the same time. We still play it once in awhile and after playing for an hour you might actually be sweating and burn a couple carlories. For research purposes, I recently spent an afternoon with my kids and another family playing Wii Fit and Wii Resort.

Surprise, surprise, I am not a video gamer so I had to take the time to learn how to use it and set up my profile including an initial body assessment and goal setting, The original Wii Fit includes yoga, strength, aerobics, and balance activities. A personal trainer explains and demonstrates each exercise and provides feedback. You learn, practice, and perform several activities at a time and as you go, you can access more and more activities.

(I will preface my review by saying that I am very active and my personal fitness level is probably higher than the average American.)

The yoga and strength portions are challenging for all levels of fitness. I particularly liked the yoga program since it provided lots of feedback to get your body in the right alignment. I found the strength portions a little advanced for the average person but once form is mastered, the exercises are good. The balance section was more game-like including hula hooping. This section was by the far the funnest. The aerobics section was not only difficult to understand and get the hang of, but not an effective cardio workout, even for beginners.

Since the programming takes several steps to actually begin, your workout is slow and discontinuous. The program will track how long your active workout is but to get a full 30-minute session of activity, it will take you 45-minutes of screen time. As I understand, the aerobics programs get longer as you go and the newer programs are a bit better. I also did not like how the steps were presented visually only (similar to DDR). I would have preferred voice commands to tell me what to do similar to attending a live step class. I do not believe that the participant’s heart rate will go up high enough for long enough to be effective for weight loss or maintenance.

Overall, for adults, this is just another fitness tool that is only as effective as you make it and isn’t as effective as more traditional technologies such as treadmills, elliptical, or DVD’s. As my friend told me, she used it a lot when she first got it and now, not so much.

For kids, it’s a different story. The balance section of the program is fun and easy for kids and will help them with balance, coordination, and core strength. My friend said that her son’s coordination and body awareness has improved since using it. As we moved onto the Wii Resort game, the kids were more active and worked up a sweat. I also found the Resort games to be more fun and a very effective core workout. Another person told me that her children love to play the Wii programs and think it is a good alternative to playing outside, which they don’t want to do anyways.

As a fitness professional, I don’t recommend the Wii for an effective way to lose weight or get into shape but a good source of fun and a supplement to another fitness program for all ages. As a teacher, I wouldn’t recommend it at all. I worry that video games are closing kids into their homes. Kids used to play outside with friends and now they play a video game alone in their living rooms. I would recommend you head outside and play with your kids, even in the winter. Go for walks, dance, run around, take a class, or join a team. Make friends with your neighbors or your child’s classmates so they have someone to play with.

Mental Fitness Friday

As for many families this time of year, stress can get a bit high when school begins...especially if one or both parents are educators.

Here are a couple ideas to keep stress under control:

*Find a schedule that works for the family for most days of the week. Get a calendar! This includes breakfast and bedtime for everyone. Keep some good breakfast options (e.g. hard boiled eggs, nuts, whole grain breads, oatmeal) in the house so you don't forget the most important meal of the day. Put yourself to bed at a reasonable time.

*Find time to exercise. Whether it be morning yoga before anyone knows your awake, a quick jog with the kids around the yard, or an evening fitness class....put it on the schedule and make time for it.

*Plan some meals ahead of time. Even make some and freeze them. That way, when the day has run crazy, you won't be tempted to run to the nearest fast food place (which will cost more in the wallet and the waist).

*Drink lots of water. Try not to reach for too many caffeinated beverages to keep you going throughout the day.

*Keep up with the laundry. That sounds impossible but if everyone has clean clothes in their drawers each morning, everyone can get dressed quickly and easily.

*Despite homework, laundry, dishes, and work, take time to play. Take at least half a day on the weekend to go out and play with the family.