Workouts on the GO

I have been in Austin, TX since Friday.

It's been a great time, but I am ready to go home.

When you are traveling and away from home, consistency is needed.

If you eat too many different foods, you're going to get a stomach ache.

If your bed is not comfortable and relaxing, you won't have a good night's sleep.

If your schedule is too busy, your body and mind wear out.

If you don't like the taste of the water, you drink less.

My saving factor this weekend has been my morning exercise routines.

Every morning I have hit the weight room for 20-30 minutes.

And my biceps and quads have been sore!

I bypassed the cardio machines, (they looked too boring!) and hit it hard with the weights.

And my body is feeling it.

That's a good feeling.

Here is my daily routine:

8 reps of elevated push-ups on the stability ball

8 reps of roll-ins on the stability ball

x 4

35 lb. dumbbell squats and overhead lift

x 20

40 deep walking lunges across the floor with 10 lb. weights

20 knee-ups in the captain's chair

20 knee twists in the captain's chair

x 2

That's it.

Try it and tell me what you think of the workout.

You know, you can have meaningful conversations in the weight room at 6:00 a.m.

I'll save those stories for another day...

GIve Thanks Daily...

As we reflect on giving thanks this time of year, I want to give thanks for life, the Creator of Life, family, friends, students, and life-changing situations. 

Recently I had the chance to be with my sister in the hospital as she had round six of six chemo treatments.  We had a fabulous slumber party in the hospital in spite of ongoing buzzers, numerous IVs and nurses’ visits, countless blood draws, Mayo doctor checks with their entourage, hospital food, quick-paced laps around the unit, many trips to the bathroom with the IV stand, and a multitude of hours waiting for the IV bags to empty. As I reflect on the deep bond my sister and I have, I can’t help but thank God for the people in my life.  

We never know what each day holds and what is required of us, but we do know that we have choices to make.  We can choose to embrace life and the people in our lives---hug tighter, laugh longer, sing louder, pray more, listen better, be expressive, slow down and spend time with each other...

IN this season of giving thanks, have an attitude of gratitude.  Be thankful for each day and ask what God has planned for you.  Enjoy your families, your friends, your jobs, your life,  as it truly is a gift.  

My sister Janel  didn't choose to have cancer, but she chooses to have a positive attitude and daily appreciates each person God has placed in her life.  

Soccer Moms

This season I had my first taste of being a soccer mom.  

It was way cool! 

Four  things I learned: 

1)  Support the coach.  (It's super easy when you have a fantastic one like my dd Hannah had!) 

2)  Join them in the game.  (Of course you can't run out onto the field when they are playing, but make sure you are exercising yourself.) 

3)  If you correct the girls from the sidelines, make sure you can do what you are asking them to do.  Don't be a nag. 

4)  Don't put a presidential bumper sticker on your van.  It ruins the paint!   

Watching the games only motivated me to go home and exercise and be active! 

Not at all tempted by the concession stand! lol :)

 

Different Ways to Workout

Today our Elite Boot Camp ran a 5k in the cold, dark and rain.  

I was supposed to bring my bike to monitor the runners. 

Well, last night I found out they all had flat tires (Needing new tubes), 

so I took my daughter's scooter and used it. 

What a great workout!  

MY thighs were burning by the end of the race!  

I would encourage you to workout with your children.   

Follow them around and exercise the same way. 

You will be surprised how intense and FUN the workout can be!  

The Locals Hang Out Here!

Over the weekend we stayed with some good Guam friends who now live in CO Springs. 

Our children had a great time playing with their children and we had a wonderful time renewing our friendship.  

On Saturday we went to visit the Garden of the Gods.  

We ran on the paths and crawled over the  rocks.  

IT was a great time and a good workout.  

What was most impressionable was the majority of cars in the parking lot were from CO. 

That was so encouraging. 

The locals don't  leave this gorgeous playground to the tourists, they actually use it!  Wow~! 

Find the spots of beauty in your area and take your family there for some fresh air, sunshine and exercise. 

INdluge a Bit---Life is SHort

We're still on our week's vacation in CO.

It's been an active one with one or two treks/runs up the mountain daily, a daily swim and a daily romp in the weight room.

We like active vacations.

My husband and children also like physical activity.

ANd I like that!

And we also like good food.

When I have the time, I like to cook.

But, I cook with "real" food---butter, cream cheese, buffalo, sour cream, raw milk, cheese, etc.

IF I am going to cook, it is going to be like my grandma's cooking, before all this artificial food came on the scene.

SO, this week I have indulged a bit---

Organic cream cheese. (Num!)

Chips and salsa.

Cereal and raw milk. (YEs, it's good for you. I grew up on the farm and drank Wanda's (our cow's) milk all my life until we went on a diet in high school and got fat!)

Microwave popcorn. (We don't have a microwave at home.)

I like the fact that I have choices to eat treats occasionally.

I am to the place in my life where I am thankful for:

1) THE choice to indulge.

2) A body who tells me when I'm done indulging.

3) A chance to get back to eating "normally".

4) A body who craves the healthy food and lifestyle and doesn't want to be on vacation forever.

5) The knowledge of how to get the treats "off" my body quickly.


Today my 10 yo daughter said she would like to live here forever.

SO we talked about what life would be like...

It's nice to get back to the normal routine of everyday life and I'm thankful for the way our bodies have been made...

Just like my Horse Ginger...

Today we ran/hiked some of the bike paths on the ski hill.



The children had great fun finding the black diamond bike paths and tyring to conquer them.



Those bike folks are extremely brave and like living on the edge.



I couldn't believe the jumps/bridges/drop-offs. WOW!

We were out on the mountain for 2.5 hours.

For the most part, the children were good troopers.

I do have to say, they reminded me somewhat of my old horse Ginger when I was a child.

When I wanted to ride away from the barn, I would have to kick her and work hard to get her out of her comfort zone.

Then, once I turned around and headed her toward the barn, she ran like a wildman!

The children weren't as stubborn as ole Ginger, but they were happier and livelier on the way down than on the way up the hill!

But, I don' t remember having that challenge when I was 8, 10, 11 or 13 years old.

My children are more knowledgeable about physical fitness and a healthy diet than I was growing up, but the advantage I had was growing up on the farm and playing out side every day.

Living in the city and being a work-at-home-mom (WAHM), we have to plan phsical activity in to their day and make sure we are good role models.

We're in CO!

It's been a few days since I've blogged.

I think about it daily and always have something I want to write, but the last few days were spend getting ready for the trip to CO.

We arrived to snow yesterday!

We are staying in Keystone and having a great time running and hiking in the mountains.

The children were great troopers today with two treks in the mountains, an hour-long swim in the outdoor pool (45 deg.) and a romp in the weight room.

The resort is deserted, so we can take full advantage of the facilities.

IT feels great to be out in the sunshine, fresh air and exercise.

Those principles have been around for years, maybe centuries, but for some reason it feels healthier in CO!

THE air is thinner and we are still adjusting to the altitude, but for the most part the children have gotten over their headaches, chapped lips, etc.

WE do need to drink three to four times as much water, limit the salt, caffeine and alcohol the first few days and go easy on the physical exertion.

Only the last part is the hard one to do! :)

Today on the TV I heard where the RDA for Vitamin D doubled. Hang out in CO in the sunshine and you'll get plenty of Vitamin D.

OF course, I swear by my two to three spoonfuls of cod liver oil daily.

It's my constitution.

SO, next time you're thinking vacation, think CO.

Lots of healthy food and activities here...

Fasting

Today was Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement. 

ON this day, denying oneself, translated as fasting,  is required. 

It wasn't that bad.  (More on that later.) 

Yom Kippur's emphasis is to examine one's self and to ask for forgiveness from others and God for one's trespasses. 

Usually it is those closest to you which you need to ask for the most forgiveness. 

We did that today in our family. 

It is necessary to mend relationships and not allow a bitter root to spring up. 

And we did that exercise at the park while we exercised our body and mind. 

IT was a gorgeous fall day so we walked to the park for sunshine, fresh air and exercise. 

Now, back to the fasting, fasting from food for 24 hours is really not that hard. 

It is fasting from water which is hard. 

By 5:00 p.m. I was getting a major cotton mouth. 

You see, when I was 40 lbs. heavier in my 20's, I determined to lose the wt. and set up an exercise program for myself with built-in incentives and a healthy eating plan which included one or two days of fasting each week. 

That was 17 years ago and I am still the same wt. after four babies.  

I was excited to find a similar program recently who teaches the same concepts that I used initially to lose my excess wt. 

The program is called Eat STop Eat by Brad Pillon,   www.eatstopeat.com

CHeck it out, I like his research, the price and ...it works! 

Many Uses for Pumpkins!

Moms, 

Do you realize there are many wonderful uses for pumpkins? 

1) home  grown in a garden

2)  High in beta carotene 

3)  make fabulous pumpkin pies and custards

4)  festive decorations for fall 

5)  and working out with them! 

Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself

Do we love our neighbors? 

Do we love ourselves? 

"Love thy neighbor as thyself."  

Who is thy neighbor? 

We cannot love our neighbors until we love ourselves. 

Do we love ourselves? 

IF so, then why do you overeat?   

WHy would we not be good to ourselves and exercise daily? 

SHort and sweet is fine. 

WHy would you fill your plate with chips and salsa when there are healthy options? 

Search your soul this weekend.   

See  if  you love thyself. 

Healthy Luncheon

Tomorrow the 12 Simply Music  Teachers in this area are getting together for a quarterly meeting and of course, we will be eating together. 

Very typical for women! 

It doesn't have to be a free-for-all and eat whatever. 

It can be a time of self-control and making great choices. 

I am bringing a spinach salad with extraneous doo-dads and an apple and pear compote. 

I usually bring a large salad to gatherings because:  

1)  I LOVE salad. 

2)  I know it will be healthy and I can fill up on my salad. 

3)  It's a great example for others who want to eat healthy and feel better. 

The best part is leaving feeling great about yourself and your choices! 

Community Spirit

Some days I don't feel like working out. 

My body feels weak, sluggish, tired, not motivated, etc. 

Ever have those days? 

Today was one of those days. 

Even though I was leading the Boot Camp workout, my body still wasn't cooperating. 

But, once I got going working out with others, my body started to follow suit.  

That is the beauty of working out with others. 

I recommend it highly. 

Up until 1.5 years ago, I exercised by myself. 

I ran for miles and miles and miles on my own.  

Training for marathons and half marathons. 

When I hit the Boot Camp scene last March, I was hooked. 

I loved the camaraderie, socialization, competitiveness, etc. 

Try it.  You'll like it. 

Fresh air, Sunshine and Exercise

Parents, 

Take your children outside to play. 

Fresh air, sunshine and exercise.  Daily. 

Today we went to the local park midday. 

We played tag on the playground equipment. 

We played soccer on the court. 

We played football in the grass. 

We had a competition on the twirly-seat. 

We threw rocks into the river. 

We took the dog along for  a swim. 

Play with your children.  

They will like you more. 

Don't watch them play, play with them. 

It was a great workout running on and under and over the playground equipment. 

The family who plays together, stays together. 

Do it often! 

Killer Workout Today

Today at Boot Camp after warm-up, we did a ten minute workout containing four exercises done with no rest in between. 

squat thrust 

squat 

push-up 

jumping lunges (Or reverse lunges) 

First round for 1 minute 

Second round for 45 sec. 

Third round for 30 seconds 

Fourth round for 15 seconds 

After the ten minute workout, we did the ten best hip, thigh and glute exercises. 

split squats, step-ups, bulgarian lunges, dead lifts, stability ball roll-ins, one-legged wall squats with the stability ball, etc. 

Great workouts.  The class felt worked!   

These workouts were created by Scott Tousignant, a CPT from Ontario. 

www.thefitchic.com

Check out his blog.  His goal is to hit 4% body fat by January!  What an inspiration! 

Healthy Food from the Earth

Here's a tip on feeding your family healthy foods. 

Pick local apples.  (Free is great!) 

Wash, cut, core and cook on the stove and mash in a colander for healthy applesauce. 

Take the applesauce and put it in the dehydrator on 107 degrees and lower to maintain the live enzymes.   Dry until it turns into fruit leather. 

Take the applesauce and add vinegar, honey, cinnamon, cloves and allspice and cook it in the slow cooker overnight for apple butter. 

Take your peeler, slicer, corer, and peel apples.  Make apple crisp.  Put the apples on the bottom and put the crumb mixture on the top.  (Butter, honey and oatmeal)   Bake in oven for 30 minutes on 325. 

Take the peeled and sliced apples and dehydrate them in the dehydrator on 107 degrees and lower for dried apples.  Sprinkle with cinnamon before dehydrating. 

Sounds nummy?  They are!  And healthy too! 

Healthy BMS

Healthy Body. 

Healthy Mind. 

Healthy Spirit. 

IT is extremely important to have all three of these aspects to live an abundant life. 

Let's start with a Healthy Spirit: 

Today is our day of rest.  

If God needed to rest one day, that is a good enough reason for me to do it. 

So, we do all our work in six days and rest on the seventh. 

Then on the first day of the week, I am ready to get back into the game of life. 

Healthy Mind: 

With having a planned rest day, I can rest my mind from thinking about my businesses.  

Therefore it is refreshing to think about other things and I find when I start my week, my mind is cleared and I have energy and new ideas.  

Healthy Body: 

If we rest one day a week, our body can physically relax also.  It is important to take a rest day from intense exercise at least one day/week. 

Today we made homemade applesauce from our neighbor's trees, which we turned into fruit leather, made apple crisp, dehydrated apple rings and apple butter. 

Take care of your body by eating local food, organic when you can get it, and making it homemade.  

IT is worth the time! 

 

Treat Yourself

I eat clean 90% of the time.  I have a good handle on nutrition and what makes my body feel better. 

I plan a "treat meal" in my week, and usually it is on Friday night during our family time.  

We had homemade chicken soup for supper, along with bread and butter and dark chocolate with  peanut butter and honey.  Nummy! 

I avoid grains and sugars in my normal diet, because I feel better without it, but occasionally I treat myself. 

I think treats are fine, as long as they are planned, only once  a week, and in moderate amounts. 

Be good to yourself and don't abuse your body on the weekends. 

The secretary and janitor

When I was in teacher training school we were told the two most important people in the building were....

no, it wasn't the principal and his asst., 

it actually is the secretary and the janitor. 

Want to know why? 

They hold the power and the ability to get things done.  

It's important to have a relationship with them as you need them in your life. 

Also, they happen to be the ones folks will pass by to get to the top dog!  

Not a good idea. 

This past weekend at Ryan Lee's Boot  Camp...

do  you know who the two most important people were ? 

Ryan's two assistants---   

Geo and Demetria. 

It's important to be kind to people, but especially to the ones who make it happen! 

PLus, how could you not be nice to those two?  

They're great people! 

Working out with others

This morning I taught Boot Camp. 

What I noticed is people work harder when they work out with others.  

People are competitive. 

People look forward to seeing their friends at Boot Camp. 

We have an 80% return rate in our Boot Camps. 

I know it's true for me too. 

I look forward to teaching with my favorite Instructor friend. 

I think I am a better Instructor when I work with her. 

Our students have the same mind set.   

SO, think about  your workouts.  

Do you work hard enough by yourself? 

Do you need to challenge yourself and work out with others? 

Try it, you may like it. 

Apples don't fall far from the tree.

(Ignore the date on the picture, I can't change it without my children's help!)  

This past weekend when I attended the Ryan Lee Boot Camp, I met his father, Bruce Lee.  

 

I am extremely family-oriented and it was a highlight for me.  

Mr. Lee was warm, caring, funny, humble, family-oriented and spoke well of his wife and children.   

I like those characteristics. 

Being from the midwest,   knowing someone's family and their roots is so important.  

An apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 

Along with "train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from  it." 

Obviously, Ryan's dad had a huge influence on his life and Ryan was wise enough to listen to his wisdom and apply it to his life.  

If you are a parent, think about your influence on your children's lives and the example you are living. 

WHat an experience!

(Ignore the dates on the picture- as I don't like to read those instruction manuals, I did not know how to set the correct date! 

I went to the Ryan Lee Boot Camp this weekend and was encouraged by so many successful and unique  trainers. 

 We were encouraged to "find our niche",  "make a brand for ourselves", "find our target market",  "be ourselves", etc. 

I like that sort of thinking as we all have gifts to contribute to society and we all can be the way we were created.      

This morning when I taught at Boot Camp, I was different on the inside.  More confident. Stronger.  Affirmed. 

This weekend  was empowering,  enlightening,   goal-setting.  

I may be a newbie, but I can follow the advice given and grow a successful business and turn around and help others who are behind me in the journey. 

I found so many trainers who were willing to help like that.  That's encouraging as that's my style too. 

Thank you to  all the great people I met this weekend!   And thank you to RL, Geo, Demetria, Mr. Lee, Geo's brother, etc.  who were doing all the work behind the scenes!  Awesome! 

RL Boot Camp here I come!

I am heading to RL Boot Camp training and and am excited and nervous. 

I'm new to the fitness industry, but why not learn from the best? 

A person has to hang around the big dogs in order to learn, right?  

SO why not take a chance and do it? 

I'll report after the Boot Camp! 

Today's Mindset Change

Tonight we ran a long, slow distance (LSD) of 5.5 miles with Christian (11) and  Hannah (9). 

Rachel (13) still has the chx pox and Amanya (8) stayed home with her to amuse her.  

Lately I have been dragging my feet about running LSD.  Partly it is getting into Boot Camp 1.5 years ago and not wanting to just run to keep in shape, and partly it has to do with the articles I've been reading on the internet about "the death of long, slow cardio."  

I guess I've been a bit brainwashed. 

BUT,  reading on Jeff Galloway's site today (www.jeffgalloway.com)

and remembering how I initially lost 40 lbs. in the early 90's and got back into shape between babies, my attitude  is changing towards running as a workout.  I think it serves its purpose.  

We are running more in the Elite Boot Camp and will be working on form, speed work and running drills.  

Tim is very good about checking our form and giving us tips while we are running.  

Time for a shower and some R and R! 

Today the family ran a 5k

The focus of this blog is to promote family fitness through healthy eating and exercise.  

I will share our life with you with the intent of support and encouragement. 

This morning we ran a 5k to support the Troops at our local gym.  

Our 11 yo son ran it in 22:32 and placed third in the boys' division. 

I ran it in 23:23 and placed third in the Women's division. 

Amanya and Tim (Dad) ran it in 31:30 and she placed second in the young girls' division. 

Our 10 yo  had a soccer game at 10:00, so she saved her strength for the game, and our 13 yo has the chicken pox!  

Hannah, the 10 yo played her first game of soccer.  She was aggressive on the field, but young in her soccer skills.  She will learn the skills. 

We came home and ate lunch with 50% fresh fruits and vegetables, rested today, played outside for some fresh air, sunshine and exercise. 

Amanya, the 8 yo and I,  took our dog, Dustin on a walk while she rode her bicycle.   

IT was a refreshing day! 

HI!

Welcome to our PavPackFitness blog! 

The purpose of this blog is to help other moms

 

live an abundant life through healthy body, mind 

spirit which will affect your whole family.   

Since mom is the heart of the family, you have a

 huge influence on your children and husband.   

I am a certified personal trainer who loves to 

exercise and help other people get "hooked" on 

it.

I also love to prepare healthy meals with whole foods from the earth.  

I will tell you more of my story in the days to follow...