2009 March Archive at themojocoach.com

Archive for March, 2009

Finding Time for Fitness When Traveling

Published on March 26, 2009 in General. 0 Comments

Is it possible to fit in exercise when you travel? Here are a few ways to not only make it possible, but easy as well.

The first thing you may want to do is pack everything you’d need for your workout, such as sneakers, workout clothes, music or a book (if you read while on treadmill, etc.). You at least stand a chance of getting a workout in if you have what you need.

The next things you may want to pack are resistance bands. They accomplish the same thing as free weights yet are practically weightless and easily portable. If you don’t have any resistance bands, you can choose to do exercises which use your own body weight as resistance such as push ups, chair dips, crunches and squats. When done properly, those exercises work almost every body part without any equipment at all.

Most hotels have gyms or fitness rooms with everything you’d need for a great workout. If you’d prefer working out in the privacy of your hotel room, many hotels now offer fitness equipment you can borrow during your stay. For your aerobic workout, you can always walk, jog or run outside. Besides typically having more free time when you travel, a new place offers opportunities for new sights to see.

If you’re traveling to a place conducive to sight seeing, take advantage of the extra walking you’ll do. To show yourself how far you’ve walked, you can bring a pedometer to track your steps.

If you’re taking a beach vacation, walking, jogging or running on the beach provides a more intense workout than on a street or treadmill. That means that you can accomplish more in less time. If a beautiful beach scene doesn’t motivate you to workout, just think about how much better you’ll feel and look in your bathing suit!

Cruises have so much more to offer than ever before. If you plan on going on a cruise, it’s great to know that most cruises now boast their work out facility as being as much of a draw as their buffets! You may even want to take advantage of fitness classes you normally may not have access to such as spinning, Pilates, yoga or even pole dancing!

You may even choose to go on a trip designed for a specific activity such as bike riding through the country, canoeing or hiking through exotic trails. With this type of trip, combining sightseeing and fitness makes activity seem effortless.

Sometimes vacations offer an opportunity to be active in ways we may have enjoyed years ago. Maybe you used to jump rope, roller skate or ride your bike for fun. If you think you’re up for the physical mental and potentially embarrassing challenge, you may want to try some of these activities again!

Finally, do the best you can and of course, don’t forget to drink water and put on sunscreen if you’re exercising outside. Strive for being active every day while away whether it’s in the form of formal activity or an activity conducive to the trip. Vacations don’t have to mean time off from activity. Instead, you can use the time you have to exercise in ways you find fun, fresh and exciting.

Mom’s See-Saw

Published on March 19, 2009 in General. 0 Comments

Have you ever seen two children riding on a see-saw? It can be very interesting to watch depending on who is on either side. For example, if there is a large ten year old on one side of the see-saw and a small five year old on the other, the ten year old will be sitting on the ground, grumbling and saying how bored he is because the see-saw will not lift up. The five year old will probably be either panicking from the extreme lift off or wondering when and how she will ever get back down again. Now, imagine two average sized seven year olds. They can be seen happily giggling, enjoying the ride and enjoying the experience. They are doing what’s appropriate for them, they are able to balance the see-saw because their weight is evenly distributed and they are finding joy in their experience. The point is, when the see-saw is out of balance it will not work properly and if it doesn’t work it’s just not fun.

Look at your life the same way using the same see-saw example. On one side, place your work, your responsibilities, your commitments, projects, tasks, your obligations and the stress you feel from it all on one side of the see-saw. At this point you’ll see that the see-saw is extremely heavy on one side and is far from balanced. What’s interesting though is that this is how many moms live their lives. The weight of one side of the see-saw is completely out of proportion with the weight on the other side. Just as the unevenly matched children were unhappy with this lack of balance, so are most moms. But while the mismatched children will quickly find a solution to make the see-saw more fun, most moms resign themselves to believing that there is no other alternative and keep their see-saws exactly as is. This approach leaves things terribly out of balance and simply not working.

Now go back to your see-saw and imagine what it would take to bring it into balance. First add some down time and enjoy it with music, taking a bath, reading a book, writing in a journal, meditating, visualizing or trying some deep breathing exercises. Maybe the see-saw budged a little bit. Now add a little bit of self care by finding time for exercise, eating well, getting more sleep, enjoying time with your family or pets, pursuing an interest and having a good laugh with your friends. See the see-saw start to lift? Continue to add a little pampering by finding time for a manicure, getting an overdue haircut, buying a new outfit or a great pair of shoes. The see-saw is lifting off and is much better balanced than before.

Each time you implement something pleasurable onto your see-saw it helps bring your life into balance. Joyful activities enable the see-saw to lift off while the daily stress you encounter weighs the see-saw down. The idea is to make your see-saw balance most of the time. It’s ok if it teeters because life is not perfectly balanced all the time. Throughout your day your see-saw will weigh heavier on either side depending on what you are doing, feeling and thinking. The point however is to find enough activities to lighten the heavy side so that the see-saw will work, find its balance and give you a pleasurable ride.

Debi “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com
www.AskTheMojoCoach.com

Seven Tips for Quick and Easy Meal Planning

Published on March 12, 2009 in General. 0 Comments

Think healthy meal planning needs to be difficult and time consuming? Use even a few of these tips and enjoy the extra time you’ll discover as a result.

Use a slow cooker - These are a busy person’s dream. Simply set everything up in the morning and enjoy a warm, home cooked meal when you’re through with your busy day.
Overcook - I don’t mean keeping something in the oven for too long but make different versions using the same main ingredient. For example, let’s say you’re cooking chicken cutlets. How about buying a family sized package then getting the cutlets ready in a variety of ways. You can prepare some with BBQ sauce, season some for baking, use some for stir fry and grill some to use in sandwiches and salads. They’ll all be cooked and ready to use as you need them throughout the week.
Double a recipe - As long as you’ll be cleaning those pots and pans anyway, may as well make more than for just one meal. Simply double or triple the recipe, label and freeze for later use.
Have breakfast for dinner - Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day why not enjoy it more than once from time to time? Breakfast can be a goldmine of healthy foods with careful planning choosing foods such as nutrient rich, high fiber cereals, whole grain pancake or waffle mix, fresh fruit smoothies, low fat milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs and much more.
Keep a running food shopping list - By keeping a running list in your kitchen, you’ll find it easy to keep healthy foods on hand. As you’re running low, simply jot them down to be replaced during your next trip to the supermarket. Keeping a running list is also a handy way of writing down healthy, delicious ingredients you’ll discover when reading magazines, watching TV or when a healthy meal idea comes to mind. By sticking to your list you’ll also avoid many of the high sugar, high fat, highly processed “impulse buys” you may normally purchase if you didn’t bring a list along.
Use some “supermarket savvy” - When food shopping, keep things quick, easy and healthy with precut, prewashed vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grain breads, nuts, beans and quick cooking lean protein. Frozen vegetables are also great to keep on hand as well as frozen entrees such as Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers or Lean Cuisine. Feel free to add a salad or cooked vegetable to round out the meal, make it more filling and satisfying.
Menu planning, food delivery and food preparation services - There are so many great options available to made meal planning quick and easy.

Online menu planning services offer easy weekly or monthly menu ideas based on your tastes, preferences, restrictions and budget. They also provide printable shopping lists to easily get what you need to prepare each delicious meal.
Depending upon where you live, grocery delivery services may be available. Ordering your groceries and scheduling delivery times are only a click away. Not only is this option a huge time saver but for those with busy lifestyles, this service can be priceless!
Another service designed to save time while still promoting the idea of a home cooked meal has been becoming increasingly popular. Some look like comfortable, yet professional kitchens where the customer is able to simply walk in and “assemble” the meal using fresh, premeasured ingredients and all that’s left to do is go home and pop it in the oven for the recommended amount of time. If this option takes too long, entrees can even be “preassembled” and picked up leaving you to do nothing more than put it in your oven.
Meal delivery services are another option where according to your tastes, restrictions and preferences meals and snacks can be packaged and delivered right to your door. Nothing is quicker and easier than a meal that’s already prepared, portioned and ready to eat!

Healthy meal planning doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming at all. It can be quick, easy and delicious with just a little bit of creativity and the willingness to do things just a little differently.

Debi “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com
www.AskTheMojoCoach.com

No Money, No Gym…No Problem, Part 2

Published on March 5, 2009 in General. 0 Comments

Here are more exercises you can do which will shape, tone and sculpt your entire body without spending a penny.

Here are some ideas to strengthen your abdominals for core strength:

Bicycle: Lay on your back with your chin up, elbows back behind your ears keeping a space between the chin and the chest. Slowly pull opposite knee towards your opposite shoulder pressing off your shoulder blades. Hold each move for 4 counts. Work up to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Crunches: Lay on your back with your chin up, shoulders back, elbows behind your ears and space between your chin and chest. Keep your feet hip distance apart. Press off your shoulder blades to lift your upper body. As you lift, curl your hips toward the ceiling in a pelvic tilt to contract the entire abdominals from top to bottom. Lift for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts then lower for 4 counts. Work up to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Plank: This abdominal exercise requires the same positioning as advanced push ups except you’re resting on your forearms instead of your hands. With your back straight and abs tight, hold for 1 minute. The key to this exercise is making sure your lower back stays straight and tight.

Here are some exercises for your lower body:

Lunges: Make sure your back is straight and your shoulders are back. Take a deep step and lower 90 degrees, making sure your knee is directly above heel, never over the toes to avoid injury. Press your weight through your heel as you slowly lower down. Contract glut muscle as your weight is pressed through your heel. Slowly lower then push yourself back to starting position by pressing through your heel and repeat. Work up to 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each leg working one leg at a time.

Squats: Imagine trying to sit in a chair that’s placed very far behind you. Make sure your back is straight, shoulders back and feet are hip distance apart. Press your weight through your heels pushing your gluts way out behind you and lower 90 degrees. Your knees should be over your heels, not toes to avoid injury. Lower for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts then lift for 4 counts working up to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Plié: This exercise is similar to squats except by using a slightly different form you strengthen the hips and outer thighs. For this exercise, turn your toes and knees out while tucking your tail bone under. Your back should be straight and tight. Press your weight towards the outside and back of your legs. Lower for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts then lift for 4 counts. Work up to 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Becoming fit doesn’t have to mean costly gym memberships or even moderately priced home equipment. What is needed, however, are just a few ideas and the desire to look, feel and live your best.

Debi “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com
www.AskTheMojoCoach.com