Finding Balance

 Physical Mental, Fitness and Life Balancing ...

When you hear the word “Balance” what first comes to your mind? The ability to stand upright during tasks? OR the ablity to stay stress free? OR the ability to do a little of everything? You can find balance in all of these areas.  When you do, you will find that you are much more successful in each. These areas of life all work together and if one is a bit unbalanced, we feel it in many ways.  It is hard to say that one is more important than the others; they all work together and interact with one another.
With practice you can improve your Physical Balance, Mental Balance, Fitness Balance and Life Balance.

PHYSICAL BALANCE: Did you know that your physical balance can be improved as readily as your strength, endurance and flexibility? It just takes continual practice and challenge.
How to Improve: Start with simple balance challenges throughout the day. Begin by simply standing on one foot while you do medial tasks (such as brushing teeth).  Add challenge to your equilibrium by changing your focus – look to one side then the other, or even try closing the eyes.  You may want to practice Tree Pose from Yoga (see picture above): Start with feet hip width. Lift one foot and place it above the ankle or knee (not over knee joint).  Find balance on your supporting foot by keeping good posture and your abdominals engaged.  Hold for 10-60 seconds – increasing time as you practice.
Practice these types of exercises daily.
Looking for more Balance Training ideas? Check out a Brochure I wrote for the American College of Sports Medicine. The PDF can be printed at the following link:

http://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/selecting-and-effectively-using-balance-training-for-older-adults.pdf


MENTAL BALANCE: Do you notice that productivity diminishes when you feel “scattered” or over-stimulated? Take time to find mental balance and you will be far more organized, relaxed and productive.
How to Improve: Stress reduction is a key component. Start by taking deep breaths, exercising, taking “me time”, etc. You may want to practice a progressive relaxation daily to find mental relaxation and focus.  Getting your thoughts organized though meal planning, weekly scheduling, etc will also help you to stay balanced.


FITNESS BALANCE:  Are you getting enough of all the areas of fitness? Cardiovascular fitness, Strength Training and Flexibility Training are all key to meeting your health and fitness goals. You will need to strive to spend time in each area weekly.
How to Improve: Make a schedule and stick to it. If your workouts are planned for the week, you will be much more successful and more likely to stay on task.  Keep in mind that you may have a workout day that combines all types of exercise and you may find yourself doing a bit of all three in one session.
• Cardiovascular Training ~ We need to strive to get in 3-5 Cardio workouts (20-60 min each) per week. (Cardiovascular exercise includes activities such as:  using a treadmill, biking, walking, swimming, etc).
• Strength Training ~ We need to work toward 2-3 Strength Training workouts (8-10 exercises covering the entire body) per week. (Strength training exercise includes: toning classes, free weights, machine weights, body weight exercises, resistance bands, etc).
• Flexibility Training ~ We need to work toward stretching 3-5 times per week (8-10 stretches covering the entire body). We should stretch each time we work out!! Flexibility is important for joint health and injury prevention.

LIFE BALANCE: This type of balance seems all encompassing, it covers all of the areas and keeps everything working in synchronization.  This involves finding a good combination of family time, work, faith, exercise, play and personal time.
How to Improve: Make a list of the areas in your life that require your time. Since everyone’s list will be a bit different, the strategy for balance will vary. Take time to determine if you are spending enough/too much time in each and brain storm ways to find more balance here.

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Deployment ~ Keeping Our Heads Up and Counting our Blessings

Freedom comes at the cost of bedtime stories, kisses goodnight, companionship, date nights, missed birthdays, anniversaries,  and so many more things... The way I look at it though, I can sit here and dwell on all of the things that we are missing or look into the four little eyes looking up at me and tell them everything is alright. I tell my children we are the luckiest family in the world to have such a brave and strong Daddy. It's true we are truly blessed to have such an amazing hero in our life.

 It was a hard morning a couple days ago as we delivered our hero to his plane. Time stood still for a moment as we stood there together as a family unit and said our goodbyes. We got into the car to drive away and Olive asked me if the plane could make a heart cloud for her as it departed. I am not sure that the request made it all the way to the cockpit, because there was not a giant heart in the sky as waved good bye that Sunday morning. There was, however a giant heart in the plane leaving us behind to perform a duty and a calling. As we stood surrounded with our sweet friends I realized just how fortunate we are.

My children and I are so amazingly blessed to have such wonderful friends who come to our side at any moment of need. I have an incredible husband who selflessly devotes his life to our country (12 years of service and still holding strong). He is an amazing father and brings sheer delight and awe to the lives of our children.  We are so lucky to have an amazing family who supports us and gives us more love than we can even hold. I am above all blessed and humbled by the Lord who placed us here and now with all of this.

My husband and I have been through deployment before, but just us, not with our tiny soldiers in tow. This time around it is different.  There are two innocent hearts with curious minds and a limited understanding of the situation at hand.  They have a Daddy Countdown Jar filled with Tootsie Rolls that they keep track of the days, they listen to stories at night pre-recorded on our iPad from Daddy, and they will eagerly video chat when they are able. These small things are lifting their spirits, little do they know that they are lifting me up a thousand times over. We are so blessed to have these munchkins who bring a light to our lives. These two bravely take on the separation as they count down the days one by one until their Daddy comes home!

Beat the Evening Snack Sabotage

Are you an evening snacker? I am the first to admit that I daydream about what delightful treat may be awaiting me down in the kitchen as I go through our children's bedtime rituals... I have to be conscious of this cool down snack craving that comes on nearly every evening. I know I am not alone, I hear others discussing this healthy day sabotage as well. This doesn't necessarily have to be a problem per se. It can be satisfied with a health option.

Here are some tricks to avoid over indulgence in the evenings. Pick one (or more) and try it for the week. You will find that you can make good nightly choices that will make all of your hard work during the day pay off. Keep in mind, I am not suggesting that you should never treat yourself to dessert. Moderation is key, and planning ahead will keep you on track.


Trick One ~ H2O
Before "snack time" have a full glass of water. Often when we have a craving for sweets, we are actually in need of some calorie free hydration. Another benefit of this trick, is satiety. Any actual hunger you are feeling will be subdued by the water consumption.


Trick Two ~ Have Healthy Snacks on the Ready
Prep fruit and veggies ahead of time. Have them ready in the fridge and this will be a desirable choice. The last thing I want to do in the evening is additional food prep, cleaning, etc. If it is already done, I am far more likely to enjoy this type of treat.  This also works for other healthy options. Have smoothie makings ready in the freezer or put almonds in the front of the snack cupboard (in front of the chips).


Trick Three ~ The Snack Cup
Designate a "Snack Cup" and only allow yourself to fill it up once. This cup should be no larger than a coffee cup and should preferably hold things from "Trick Two".  But even if you splurge and put something not-so-healthy inside, you will know there is a limit, and you will be less likely to over indulge. You may want to put a picture of healthy food or even a motivational quote on the outside to remind yourself to stay the course.


Trick Four ~ The Wrong Hand
When sitting down for the evening (at the computer, the TV, etc) we often mindlessly consume calories. Next time you sit down with your snack eat it only with your "wrong hand". This will slow down your eating, make it more mindful and cause you to think about the amount you are consuming. There have been studies on this and it has been shown that we are likely to consume less than half the calories than we would with our "right hand".


Trick Five ~ Slacker Free Snack Time
Assign a cardiovascular exercise to your calories consumed. See this previous blog post for all directions: 
http://fitfancyandfree.blogspot.com/2011/08/hot-mommasfit-and-fabulous-slacker-free.html 

This will make you think twice before going in for seconds!


Have a Fit and Fabulous Week!

The Tummy Tuck Twenty

There are so many opportunities to get in a bit of exercise throughout the day.... We can park further away or choose the stairs. We may do a few lunges while we make dinner. This week let's work on a specific area that takes no special equipment, postions or movement and yields fabulous results with practice! 

The Tummy Tuck Twenty is no surgical cure for our muffin tops!  It is a simple method of toning our mid to lower abs, flattening our tummies over time.


Here is how it works:
While seated or standing, draw in your abdominals. Feel as though you are squeezing into your "skinny jeans" and pull your belly button inward and upward. Hold this muscle squeeze (isometrically) for 20 seconds. Release and repeat throughout your day.  Do NOT hold your breath while you do this - the focus is on the abdominal muscles only. The Tummy Tuck Twenty works by building muscle tone in your rectus abdominus (middle abs) and helps to keep the belly toned and tight. 

There are so many easy times to get these in. Try it while you sit at a stoplight, brushing your teeth, standing in line, sitting at your desk, etc etc...Keep a tally and get in 20 Tummy Tuck Twenties each day this week!

Have a Fit and Fabulous Week!

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Hot Momma Accountability Tracker ~ Week Two

These Ladies are Working Hard!

The Hot Mommas ~ Fit and Fabulous

Workout Accountability Tracker

Hot Momma	Goal	Workouts	Comments
Kiri Perez	4	4
Sarah Swann	5	5
Jessi Gilman	4	2
Brigette Geary	4	No Report Yet
Elin Pemberton	4	1	Injury from overworking
Jennifer Jens	5	3L	Got Sick L Next Week Here I Come!!
Lisa Duff	This Momma will Join Soon
Renee Humpal	3	3
Courtney Killian	5	5
Anne Van	4	2
Kaye Otis	6	No Report Yet
Ashley Rundhaug	4	5 YES!!!
Brooke Meyn	4	2

Plan, Pick up, Prepare, Enjoy!

This week I challenge you to make a Meal Plan!
For most of us, the week generally starts off with good intentions of healthy eating...BUT then as life gets busy and time gets short, we fall off track a bit. Let's change that by having a plan! Over this weekend, sit down and decide what you will prepare for the week.  Be sure you make healthy choices!



Then go to the store and get all the parts of your plan. If you have your healthy ingredients in hand, you will be ready to make a great meal and won't have to waste time deciding or waste calories on rash decisions.

Prep as much as  you can ahead of time and you will be so pleased as the week goes on.

Don't just plan dinner, plan breakfast, lunch and snacks. This will keep you on track and ensure that good decisions are made. Get the whole family in on it!

Try it this week, and who knows it just may be the answer to healthy eating and nutrition tracking you need!

Have a Fit and Healthy Week!

Hot Momma Accountability Tracker Results ~ Week ONE

The Hot Mommas are Rocking it This Week!

The Hot Mommas ~ Fit and Fabulous

Workout Accountability Tracker

Hot Momma	Goal Per Week	Success Rate	Comments
Kiri Perez	4	3
Sarah Swann	5	5
Jessi Gilman	4	4
Brigette Geary	4	No Report Yet
Elin Pemberton	4	4
Jennifer Jens	5	4 L	Wasn’t feeling well Wednesday
Lisa Duff	This Momma will Join Soon J		Delivered a Baby Girl Thursday J
Renee Humpal	3	3
Courtney Killian	5	5
Anne Van	4	4
Kaye Otis	6	No Report Yet