MamaManagement

This post is as much for me as it is for you. I am just beginning my journey into the land of Body Positivity and #BellyLove is my next big step. As many of you saw in my last post about diet culture, I've recently been inspired by a #BodyPositivity movement that came to my attention through Instagram. This movement is all about loving our bodies just as they are, in whatever shape they are in. It's about ditching the pervasive diet culture and body shaming, and seeing the beauty in every body...especially our own. This Body Positivity movement is connected to another movement called # HealthatEverySize . Which focuses on being healthy and doing the best for your body regardless of what size you are. Not worrying about what the scale says or whether of not you have washboard abs and a thigh gap, and instead focusing on eating foods that make your body feel good and doing movement that promotes good mental and physical health AND feels good...without caring at all abo...

Well, folks, in case you hadn't noticed, it's winter. Winter brings shorter, colder days and it brings my workouts inside. So, instead of walking and running outside, I'm all about the workout dvds in my basement. Right now I'm working from my existing stash, but each year I add a few to the mix so that I don't get bored, so I'm gearing up to buy a new one or two. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a couple of dvds that I have in the rotation right now that I think are worth a try. As I type this my entire body is sore from this week's round of workouts, thanks to Jackie Warner. That seems a good sign, so here are a few thoughts on the two workout dvds I've been sweating to... First, a few words about Jackie. She's famous for her Bravo TV series Workout . Which I have watched a few times a long while back. She has an incredible, muscular physique. Watching her makes you want to try harder so you can look like her. (Even though I'm not a...

I have been, off and on for most of my adulthood, a pretty heavy workout video user. Though there have been times when I worked out at a gym or only ran or walked for exercise (or was a couch potato), much of the time at-home workout videos have been a mainstay in my workout diet. So I thought I'd share a few of my favorites from over the years…as well as this one little tip: if you have a great local library where you can check out dvd's (like I used to Ohio), the library is a fantastic place to tryout workout videos before you buy them…or just to mix up your workout routine--challenging yourself and your muscles and staving off boredom, with regular workout change-ups. I would simply research workout videos and create a list of ones I was interested in. Then I would put a couple on hold at my local library. I'd check them out and use them, then, as I needed to return them, I'd add others to my hold list or just randomly pull something off the shelves. It was great...

This morning, while out for my morning run, I had this moment of, "Wow, I really missed this." The sun was on the rise. It was a crisp, fall morning. I had my earbuds in and a happy song playing. Neighbors were waving as they headed out to work or taking kids to school. I hit my stride early. The soreness from yesterday's cross-training workout faded away. And I. Was. Just. Running. And it was good. It has been more than 5 years since I ran regularly. It was well before my first pregnancy that I stopped. I still worked-out then, but running had lost its luster. I had run off-and-on since high school, but it was at 24, when I decided to run a marathon, that I became a runner. And though I only ran one marathon, I kept running regularly for a number of years after that, often entering 5 and 10K's. But somewhere after 30, running fell out of favor in my workouts and other things took hold-- walking,  workout videos, the elliptical at the gym, whatever. Then...

Today I kicked off my own recommitment to healthy eating and regular exercise which I'm calling "Healthy for the Holidays"…or, the most apt description: "Shut Your Mouth and Move Your Butt." As we wind down this incredibly stressful and overwhelming move and look toward establishing a new routine for our household, and as summer comes to a close and the holiday season can be seen on the horizon, it seems the perfect time to kick-off a new exercise and eating routine. (And it is MOST NEEDED! I gained considerable weight during this relocation process…and I wasn't at my healthiest before it started.) Care to join me? Here's the basic premise: Shut your mouth (you can talk, just quit constantly stuffing food into your pie-hole). And, move your butt (exercise, workout, walk, run, play actively with your kids…do something that makes you get off your bum and move, everyday). We've got plenty of time to establish a new, healthy routine before the ho...

In the evenings, once the kids are in bed, I lace up my tennies (or pull on my boots, coat, hat, scarf and mittens when there is snow and freezing temps), slide the leash on the dog, and head out for our nightly walk.  For 20-30 minutes each night, we wander the neighborhood or the park across the street. Sometimes I catch-up with someone on the phone, sometimes I check email, sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I chat with neighbors while Cooper greets their dogs, and sometimes we just walk.  In the winter, our walks are always in the dark and are typically very quiet--just the crunch of my boots in the snow. It is the most peaceful time in my day and the reason why I usually don't mind heading out into the cold, dark night.  In the Spring…like right now…it is such a beautiful walk. Trees and flowers in bloom, sun shining or colors intensified by the rain. Moon on the rise. I am often struck by the beauty of nature and the wonder of where I am so lucky ...