Getting the MOST out of Housecleaning.

Ever have one of those days where cleaning is really the last thing on your mind? If you are working on getting in shape, loosing weight, or just being slightly more active, housecleaning is really helpful. Have you ever noticed that you are actually PHYSICALLY tired after cleaning for long periods of time, especially when deep cleaning the house? This is because you are actually burning a LOT more calories then you think. For example, after 15 minutes of walking around while you prepare to leave (if you have kids, you know this take MUCH longer then 15 minutes) you burn roughly 36 calories! Of course this is dependent on your current weight, but you can check out how many you are roughly burning by visiting CalorieLab.

There are other things you can do in order to burn more calories faster and also things you can do during basic house cleaning rituals to help build muscle. For example, instead of using a handvac to "sweep" your floors, pull out that old dusty broom and sweep the floors. If you are OCD like me, doing it an extra time to make sure everything is up will be good for you as well. Instead of wasting precious EXPENSIVE electricity, hang your cloths outside on the line instead of using your dryer, not only will it save you from having to clean out the dryer vents every quarter, but it will also work those arms, legs, back and calves!

One thing that I personally do, especially if someone has the kids while I'm cleaning, I'll turn on some good tunes and dance around while I am doing my house work. Constant motion throughout the entire body not only will burn those calories off but it will keep you loose and flexible!

Here is a list of other ideas to help burn extra calories while cleaning:

1. Run or walk quickly up the stairs of your house throughout your cleaning section (USE YOUR HANDRAIL)
2. Do squats when picking things up off the floor. Not only is this better for your back, but your legs and butt will get some great toning!
3. If you arent doing a WHOLE HOUSE cleaning, set a timer and see how much you can get done in 5, 10, or 30 minutes.
4. Vaccum at a fast pace. great full body workout!
5. Skip out on using the Dishwasher and handwash the dishes. Your arms get a great workout!
6. DANCE. Shake that booty while you are standing and folding laundry or vaccuming the floors!
7. If you MUST sit, use your best posture and dont lean back in your seat.
8. Use full range of movement while working, doing this will help stretch your muscles and joints.
9. If you have a lot of cleaning to do, set a timer for 10-30 minutes and take a 5 minute stretching/breather before starting your next "workout" session.

Now, I know many people dont particularly LIKE cleaning the house. I for one am definitely one of those people! I have the whole mindset that, if it isnt done right, it isnt done! Which makes housecleaning take a lot longer and it gets more in depth then what it technically should be. There are ways to help with making cleaning a little more tolerable. And yes, I had to find ideas online to help me...

1. Set a positive mood for housecleaning. For me, I have found that playing high energy music (even if it's kid's music) helps me stay active and positive while cleaning. I also make sure that the house is BRIGHT. I know during the Alaskan Winters, bright isnt something we come by often so we have lots of lamps and bright bulbs in our house. During the summers, I just tie up the curtains and get to work!
2. Take DEEP BREATHS. I know this sounds a little funny, I know, but when you breath deeper you are giving yourself more oxygen in your blood which means more oxygen to your muscles, including your brain. This will make you feel more energized.
3. Set a pace. Dont try to get everything done all at one time. If you set yourself small achieveable goals (kind of like the ones you set for your fitness), you will see progress faster. Work at a fast pace to keep your heart pumping, but not too fast to burn yourself out too fast.
4. STRETCH. House cleaning is a workout. What do you do before and after a workout? YOU STRETCH! You use more parts of your body while you are cleaning then you do when you go to a gym and sit on a machine. If there is a point in your housecleaning that will make you have to stretch, do it! You're body will thank you!

I hope these things help you with your Housecleaning Workouts, They have certainly helped me in the past few years and have definitely made me more eager to be able to start really cleaning again after this baby girl arrives! Let me know what kinds of things you do to help you loose calories while cleaning!


References:
http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/cleaning-workout/
http://fitbodyfulllife.com/2010/07/top-10-housecleaning-workout-tips/
http://calorielab.com/burned/
http://voices.yahoo.com/get-good-workout-while-housecleaning-141601.html

Toddlers - Heralthy, Active, and FIT

For the last few months I have been on bed rest because of some complications with my pregnancy. It’s been both stressful and tiring to do anything. When you add pregnancy with a -0- activity level, then you get physical drainage like you wouldn’t believe!

I have always been a person who could clean my entire house and STILL have energy to do SOMETHING so the last few months have been crazy. Keeping a clean house, dressed children, and pampered puppies was my thing. I was home all day, what else was there for me to do?

After I was put on bed rest, that all changed..

I mean really, how is it possible for you keep up with things, prepare for another baby, and deal with two toddlers at the same time all while on bedrest?! I was in a mental funk that I couldn’t shake. I didn’t think it was possible without someone constantly being there to help me and I wasn’t getting that help or support from, well, anyone. My husband helped when he could, but with his work schedule, it was hard for him. My brother lives too far away to help and my parents moved away this past summer, so getting help from family wasn’t happening… I was getting pretty stressed out.

Needless to say, I REALLY had to make some changes in my life and schedule in order to keep up and cope with things.

One major thing, I had to figure out how I was going to MENTALLY handle everything. I had to wrap my head around the fact, that cleaning wasnt going to get done the way, or the times that I personally think they should be done. For people who really know me... me lifting our F-150 would be easier! I was only allowed to do the bare minimum! Once I got my head in the game, I was able to limit myself on how much I would do in a day... I'd break the rules on occasion, but for the most part, I was pretty good at keeping myself sitting and resting.

The next big thing, I had to find a way to eat healthy, while not spending a lot of time cooking. The kids are really easy! Making them some of the Gerber meals is nothing more then putting it in the microwave for a minute or making some Mac-n-Cheese with mixed veggies inside... but that isnt enough for me. I ended up talking to my Doctor about Shakeology and soon after broke  down and bought some Shakeology (Chocolate) to help me and my husband. Not only is it filling but it is super healthy and all the ingrediants are from plants, vegetables, and fruits.

This ended up giving me the nutrition I was needing but it also helped with my low energy level. I was able to deal with the active lifestyle my children had and still keep myself from over-doing it. I was able to do some cleaning and not raise my heartrate above the 110 bpm that my doctor set for me.

One last thing that I did to help, I went to bed shortly after putting my kids to bed. 9:30p rolls around and it's time for baths and bed. Though sometimes I dont fall asleep until midnight, just laying there and reading a book is enough to start relaxing my body and mind which is MUCH needed after a whole day of chasing a 3yo and a 1yo. During their nap times, I also sit and relax. I either read or watch something on Netflix.

All in all, I have had to learn to RELAX some. There are things that I just cant always control. It isnt easy for me, as I am a control freak, but it is needed and helpful for me when I give up on a few things in order to make my pregnancy healthy and happy.

Beachbody... on Bedrest?

Yes, it is possible to still work on getting your "Beachbody" when you are pregnant... but what about when you are told to stay in bed and rest? Being bedridden you cant do any exercises, so there is nothing you can do... right?

I was doing Insanity when I found out about my pregnancy. I was 6 weeks into the program and found out I was 4 weeks pregnant. I was truely heart broken that I had to stop doing Insanity so I bought a new program from Beachbody and was doing that. It's called "Yoga Booty Ballet : Baby on the Way." Great program for women who want to do a bit of both Yoga and some light Cardio. Nothing strenuous, nothing high impact, nothing crazy.

A few weeks into that, I was told by the doctor that I had to "take it easy." No "intamacy", no exercise, no nothing... as a mom of two small children... this really isnt something that is possible. Bedrest for me seemed like the end of the world.. I honestly did NOT know what I was going to do. I have always been someone who is constantly doing something.

I decided that I would do the bare minimum around the house and just make sure the kids were fed and taken care of, make sure that laundry didnt get too backed up, and make sure that dishes didnt take over the kitchen. This was, on most days, easier said then done... I will say that I have been sitting and resting a lot more (hence the journaling, blogging, and crazy amount of FB time...), but there are things that just have to get done and my husband isnt home enough to do it all.

Anyways, After about 10 minutes of bedrest... I started looking for ways to stay fit while on bedrest and have honestly done decent at doing so. To explain this a little farther, let me first tell you about my last two pregnancies. When my son was born, I had DOUBLED my weight. That is gaining over 120 lbs in 9 months!! When my daughter was born, I didnt double my weight, but I didnt gain a healthy amount either... I only gained about 95 lbs in the 9 months. I'm 33 weeks and 6 days pregnant and am currently sitting right at 150 lbs... that is only 30 lbs over my normal pre-pregnancy weight.

Here's how I stayed FIT during bedrest.

• I got permission from my doctor to be on something called "Modified bedrest", meaning if my pulse went over a certain number I had to sit down and wait for it to relax. At first this was really easy but as my pregnancy progressed, my RHR went up. I was allowed to get up and clean a lot more which meant I was staying at least partially active.
• Because I wasnt burning as many calories, I had to start watching what I was eating slightly more while still making sure to get the nutrients and vitamins I needed.
• One way I did this was by drinking Shakeology for breakfast most every day. Since this is a lower calorie meal replacement shake with more nutrients then I would get by eating all my fruits and veggies for the day, this was approved and strongly supported by my doctor. I drank Shakeology itself as a replacement for my prenatals during the first and part of the second trimester because the pills made me so sick.
• Ate healthier food and added more fruits and vegetables to my diet. Also cut a LOT of sugar out of my diet. I have always had a soft spot for cokes and junk food, now I eat way less and am down to one Pepsi a day.
• I use an app on my phone, tablet, and computer that all sync together to log the things that I eat so I know I'm getting the nutrients that are needed for my health.
• After I was able to take the prenatal pills, I started taking them daily. I also took an additional B6, Calcium, and Folate pill.

Most people will tell you that when you workout and eat crap, you are defeating the purpose of working out. The only way to be successful with your workouts is to first devise a HEALTH plan. You can workout 3 times a day, but if you are eating crap, you are only hurting yourself. Step one to loosing weight is changing your diet... If you are on bedrest, what better time to start a newer healthier lifestyle then when it's most important for you and your unborn child!

Introduction to Insanity

For most of my adult life, I have dealt with stress, anxiety, and depression. It wasnt so bad when I was working full time with as much overtime as I could manage, but once I got pregnant, I quit my job and become a stay at home mom. Dont get me wrong, I have reaped so many rewards from staying home with my two kids, but there are times, like right now, where i'm sitting and not doing anything. Not because there isnt anything to do, but because I cant... or when there is so much to do, but the kids make it impossible to do the things that need to get done (never ending laundry and dishes...). It gets a little overwhelming for someone with my mental state.

Last summer, my husband brought home Beachbody's Insanity. I thought he was INSANE for even trying it. I would watch him do the program in my living room while the kids ate their breakfast and think, "Oh... My... God..." and swear that it was definitely something I would NEVER, EVER even try. Honestly, I thought I would die if I did. The program calls you to do things, that honestly look impossible to do that fast and that much... for THAT LONG.

Watching my husband do the program and watching him do the program got me intrigued... I decided to try just the "Fit Test". Then the next day, I did Day 1... At any rate... I started doing the program daily. I didnt stick with it at first. I wanted to be able to DO the exercises before I went through the whole 30-day calendar of programs.

Around Mid July, I decided to commit and follow through with the ENTIRE program. It was also then that I realized how much Insanity was already doing for me. Insanity, while it's a GREAT workout, was doing something that, to me, is more important then anything else. It was making me less "crazy". I wasnt stressed throughout the day even though there were things to do, I wasnt anxious when things started going wrong, I wasnt depressed when my husband was gone for days at a time with work... I was HAPPY. To me, that is more important then loosing weight, gaining muscle, or even getting that sexy body I had in High School.

Insanity helped me in a way that couseling, therapy, and medication never did. It helped me be the wife and mother that I wanted to be.

Welcome to my Health and Fitness Blog

Welcome friends! I would like to thank each and every one of you for comming and visiting my Blog! This is all really new to me and with any amount of luck, it will help me just as much as Team Beachbody has helped me over the last year!

This blog will hold all the information that I have learned and experianced over the last year. Hopefully the things that I share here will be helpful to you and your families as well. I will be posting recipies, hints, tips, and tricks for achieveing your goals in pursueing a healthy and happy life for you and your family!

Being healthy isnt just about workingout out... as a matter of fact, you can work out everyday and not get any results in your weightloss. First and foremost, you have to watch te things you eat. If you dont eat healthy, you ruin any amount of working out you have done. People think that eating healthy doesnt taste good or that you have to spend a lot of money in order to eat healthy... this simply is not true. In the next few weeks, I hope to show you how you can achieve your goals in health and fitness by making simple changes in your life.

Again, thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my blog! :-)