Wednesday Wellness Tip
Happy Wellness Wednesday to all you wonderful Moms! I hope you were loved on and felt appreciated this past Sunday, we all know you deserve it!
If you caught my latest post, you know now that your health includes 5 different pillars: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, supplementation. Over the next few weeks, I hope to help you understand simple ways you can do this to fit into YOUR life!
When you focus on just one of these categories, you might not see the progress you are hoping for. The second pillar of your health I want to talk to you about is physical activity. I know SO many people who love to exercise, and do it all the time. Even with how frequently they workout, they still struggle and tell me they aren't happy with their results. I was there for a long time, I get it! Not seeing results with a workout program is probably the most frustrating thing to overcome, but you CAN overcome it. By no means am I an expert on this topic, I just know from my own physical results what has worked best for me when it comes to being able to move more, fit it into my busy schedule, AND see the results I was wanting.
Mindset
We make time for the things that are important to us. It's just a fact. You're never "too busy" for your screaming child after they fall and hurt themselves, right? That's a bit dramatic, but hopefully you catch my drift. Just as you wouldn't leave your child unattended or not care for them, you should take care of yourself in the same way. Physical activity is a huge stress-reliever and mood booster, not to mention overall good for your body and health. Even if it's just a walk in the park or taking the stairs, some kind of activity and movement is overall good for you. To take care of others, it's important that we take care of ourselves and exercise is a great way to do this! Carve out the time, you're worth feeling good for yourself and your family!
Consistency
Just like you brush your teeth everyday, physical activity is something that should become a part of your daily routine. A lot of times when people don't see results when it comes to exercise and the reason being that they just haven't become consistent in what they are doing. I aim for at least 20 minutes of some sort of exercise daily. That can be a walk, hiking the stairs at work, a home workout with weights, squats while holding my baby or even running the halls at home. I promise, even if it seems like it, you are not too busy to dedicate yourself to at least 20 minutes a day.
Find Your Fit
With all the workout programs, workout styles, classes, apps, etc. It can be OVERWHELMING to just get started. In my opinion, do what works best and fits best for you. YOU know YOU best. If you like the accountability of a trainer, pay the money and get the trainer! If you like the competition & friends that come with a class, go to a class! If you like being able to workout in the comfort of your home, choose a home workout program. If you don't know which style you like, go try them! Get a sitter, recruit the MIL or your spouse and go try them all until you find what you like, tons of gyms offer free trials so you can see if the style of the workout and environment would be a good fit for you.
If you don't know where to start, here's some suggestions for you:
Free Apps
Who doesn't love free things? There are plenty of FREE apps or workouts you can find online (somewhere like Pinterest) if you're just starting out with your workout journey and don't want to commit to joining a community. My 2 favorites include SWORKIT and Nike + Training Club. Totally check them out and give them a try!
If home workouts are more of your thing, I HIGHLY suggest The Ladies Edge! I found it through a woman in AdvoCare and these workouts are no joke. The workouts are 23 minutes long, and make you want to fall over, but it's over so quickly that I just push through and never regret it! I've seen SO much muscle definition since joining this program and love the convenience of doing my workouts anywhere. The convenience of having it on my phone has allowed me to stay consistent while traveling or regardless of what my day throws at me.
Remember when I said go "try out" a workout? Class pass is how you can do that! If you love gym hopping as much as I do, you will love the flexibility that comes with it. It is a membership that allows you to workout at different gyms/studios every month without committing to every gym with a membership. Such a great option for you to trial and error programs until you find something that is a good fit for you or even just to have as something to keep some variety with your workouts.
Recovery
This is important! You can do all the workouts and still not see results.. if you don't allow time for rest and recovery. When I say recovery, I mean it. Give your body a break. In order for your muscles to grow, they have to rest and recover. And when your muscles grow, your fat will GO. This is because muscle can help your body burn more calories than fat can. SO find ways to help your body recover:
Switch up the muscle groups you do daily
Use a recovery supplement- my favorite is Nighttime Recovery
Drink lots of water
8-10 hours of sleep - this is when most recovery happens
If you haven't noticed, exercise is something I am passionate about! I could go on and on about the benefits of exercise and activity, but I hope that with these tips you take away something YOU can utilize tomorrow to help you get moving. You can do this, Mama!
- Meg
My name is Meg and I am excited to be featured on the Mommy of Mini's blog bringing you wellness tips. I am a wife and a mom to my little girl, Ellie. I have always had a passion for helping people and health in general, so when I came across a company called AdvoCare, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. With the help of AdvoCare and the nutritional products they provide, I have reached my own health goals and now help others to do the same. I am also a nurse at a children's hospital here in Atlanta, and nursing is where I discovered my passion of helping others, which has now grown into a focus on leading a healthy lifestyle. Through what I have learned from helping my own family and many others achieve their own health goals, I am excited to bring some tips to you to help make living a healthy life a little easier for you.