The usual weekend for a typical family is filled with running errands, running the kids to various sports and activities, cleaning the house and all of the things we can't fit into our busy weeks. Although getting these things done is important, it is also important to get outside and enjoy yourself, enjoy your family and enjoy your life.
Set aside a minimum of one hour to spend doing something outdoors and healthy with your family. Go for a bike ride, go to the park, play some frisbee, go to the beach or just walk the dogs around the block. The point is to incorporate movement into family time, and what better way to do that then step outside.
Get creative and let the kids get involved. Have a fun weekend!
Stay Purely Fit ~ Shannon S.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
It's Friday not Wednesday!
Well somehow my Monday and Tuesday posts were not posted until Wednesday and Thursday, weird. It seems my Wednesday and Thursday posts are now missing in cyberspace. So, you'll have to tune in next week for De-Stress Wednesday and Nutrition Thursday, where you'll learn a yummy, healthy, fat burning recipe that you can cook in under 15 minutes! For now let's get caught up to Friday.
Fridays are I.A.M. days. I.A.M. is an acronym for Independent Authentic Movement. This is a class I created in 2008 to help women get in touch with their bodies, to help them learn to move freely and to help them find their movement passion.
Think back to when you were a child, chances are there was some form of movement that gave you tremendous joy and made you feel alive. The movement you loved came easily and you felt like you could move like that all day. For some it was a sport, for others running around the neighborhood, swimming, dance or playing on the playground equipment but all of us at one point loved to move. I.A.M. is about teaching you how to reconnect to your movement passion.
The way I teach this is by introducing different free flowing movements in the class, moving your hips, belly, arms and legs in a way that you probably have not done since you were eight. I help women get acquainted with their own bodies again, to let go of the fear of movement.
You can do this at home and I highly recommend that you do. Once you connect to what movement you truly love to do, it becomes fun not exercise and you'll want to do it daily as often as you can. If you have a child under ten observe them. Watch how they play at the playground, how they really love the sport they are doing or how they love to dance and move to music in their room. It's refreshing and freeing to see how they move their bodies without any regard to who's watching, what they look like or if they are doing it properly, they just move and they have fun.
Write a list of all the things you loved to do as a child and try them out again, don't worry about what anyone is going to say or how you look doing it, like Nike says "Just do it!".
If you loved to play on the playground go out and swing, if you loved to dance find a local beginners dance class, if you loved to run join a beginners running club, or my favorite just turn on your favorite music and let your body go! Move your hips, move your chest, move your belly, move your arms, move your legs, let every part of your body move freely until you are laughing and exhausted. This is not only good for the body but it's good for the mind and the soul!
Have fun, it's FRIDAY!!!
Stay Purely Fit ~ Shannon
Visit the Purely Fit homepage: www.purelyfit.com for great articles, videos & more
Fridays are I.A.M. days. I.A.M. is an acronym for Independent Authentic Movement. This is a class I created in 2008 to help women get in touch with their bodies, to help them learn to move freely and to help them find their movement passion.
Think back to when you were a child, chances are there was some form of movement that gave you tremendous joy and made you feel alive. The movement you loved came easily and you felt like you could move like that all day. For some it was a sport, for others running around the neighborhood, swimming, dance or playing on the playground equipment but all of us at one point loved to move. I.A.M. is about teaching you how to reconnect to your movement passion.
The way I teach this is by introducing different free flowing movements in the class, moving your hips, belly, arms and legs in a way that you probably have not done since you were eight. I help women get acquainted with their own bodies again, to let go of the fear of movement.
You can do this at home and I highly recommend that you do. Once you connect to what movement you truly love to do, it becomes fun not exercise and you'll want to do it daily as often as you can. If you have a child under ten observe them. Watch how they play at the playground, how they really love the sport they are doing or how they love to dance and move to music in their room. It's refreshing and freeing to see how they move their bodies without any regard to who's watching, what they look like or if they are doing it properly, they just move and they have fun.
Write a list of all the things you loved to do as a child and try them out again, don't worry about what anyone is going to say or how you look doing it, like Nike says "Just do it!".
If you loved to play on the playground go out and swing, if you loved to dance find a local beginners dance class, if you loved to run join a beginners running club, or my favorite just turn on your favorite music and let your body go! Move your hips, move your chest, move your belly, move your arms, move your legs, let every part of your body move freely until you are laughing and exhausted. This is not only good for the body but it's good for the mind and the soul!
Have fun, it's FRIDAY!!!
Stay Purely Fit ~ Shannon
Visit the Purely Fit homepage: www.purelyfit.com for great articles, videos & more
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Strength
Good Morning Purely Fit People!
Tuesdays are a great day to focus on strength training. Starting in a few weeks I will have a free daily video series available through the Purely Fit Youtube account: http://www.youtube.com/purelyfit, Tuesdays will be dedicated to strength training and building beautiful lean muscle mass.
Many women believe that building muscle will create a bulky, thick look, this is absolutely not true. The only way to bulk up is to lift super heavy weights and eat an extremely high calorie/high protein diet. If you want to become a body builder it will take you quite a while to build up that muscle. For those of you who just want a nice lean muscular look strength training via weights or body mass is the perfect way to get the body you desire.
Todays focus is going to be on arms. Most women are concerned with arm jiggle when they wave. The only way to tone up the arms and avoid the jiggle is to do weight bearing exercises. Here are a few to start with:
Tuesdays are a great day to focus on strength training. Starting in a few weeks I will have a free daily video series available through the Purely Fit Youtube account: http://www.youtube.com/purelyfit, Tuesdays will be dedicated to strength training and building beautiful lean muscle mass.
Many women believe that building muscle will create a bulky, thick look, this is absolutely not true. The only way to bulk up is to lift super heavy weights and eat an extremely high calorie/high protein diet. If you want to become a body builder it will take you quite a while to build up that muscle. For those of you who just want a nice lean muscular look strength training via weights or body mass is the perfect way to get the body you desire.
Todays focus is going to be on arms. Most women are concerned with arm jiggle when they wave. The only way to tone up the arms and avoid the jiggle is to do weight bearing exercises. Here are a few to start with:
- Push-Ups: By far the most convenient way to tone your arms. All you need is a cleared area on the ground and your own body. If you are not use to this exercise start with the beginners form and work your way up to the more advanced. Start with your knees on the floor, your abdominals and gluteals tight and your hands directly under your shoulders. Slowly lower your upper body toward the floor, keeping your torso straight (no butt up in the air!), lower down as far as you can until your nose almost hits the floor, then slowly push back up. Repeat this 10 times adding more repetitions as you become stronger. Once this move is to easy start with your knees OFF the floor, toes on the floor with the same movement.
- Tricep Kick-Back: This movement can be done with a dumbbell or a food can, the goal is to start with a small weight and work up to heavier. Begin on hands and knees on the floor, take the weight in one hand, pull your elbow up to your torso and then slowly kick your hand back until your arm extends out straight. Keep your elbow even with your torso not letting it rise up. Repeat this movement 10 times and then switch sides. As you progress add more weight to the kick back.
These two simple moves will help get you started on the road to a no jiggle wave. Check back for the video series so you can see exactly how to execute the movements.
Stay Purely Fit! ~Shannon
Please contact me with any questions or comments! shannon@purelyfit.com
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
New Article for the day
Here's my latest article on Ehow: How to Surf Like a Girl
Here's the latest recipe: How to Make a Fast Fat Burning Burrito
Enjoy! Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.
Stay Purely Fit ~Shannon
Here's the latest recipe: How to Make a Fast Fat Burning Burrito
Enjoy! Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.
Stay Purely Fit ~Shannon
Manic Mondays
Most Mondays in my household start out frenzied and rushed. Getting my son out of bed for school on Mondays are especially difficult, my husbands usually needs my help with something and the dogs can't get their food and water fast enough. By the time I get everything done and get out the door I'm usually running late, leaving me no time for my planned work-out that morning. If I couldn't find the 45 minutes to do my work-out then I just would not do it. I tell my clients to always make the time and here I was not heeding my own advise. A solution came to me right before winter break during the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season. I justified not having enough time due to the fact that I was extra busy with holiday goings-on and decided to give myself a 10 minute Manic Monday work-out. I would wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual, not as hard to do as 1 hour, and make myself do a cardio-quickie. This tiny tweak in my schedule gave me more energy, pep and confidence throughout the day and helped me stay motivated.
So all my fellow busy friends do not make excuses, as I always tell my clients, there is always time so make it.
Suggestions:
1. Quick jog around your house, up & down stairs, in the backyard or in place while watching the morning news.
2. If you have a WII then it is essential you buy WII Fit, WII Fit Plus or Active! These have now become my favorite part of my Monday mornings! I pop on the WII and my 10 minutes are over before I know it! These games also provide many different types of movement for cardiovascular exercise so you will never get bored.
3. The mailbox dash is a fun one, especially if the neighbors come out and give you strange looks! If your mailbox is more than 12 feet away from the door then jog or do sprints from the front door to the mailbox. You will be surprised how fast 10 minutes will be up.
While this mini workouts won't give you the major fat burning effects of a 1 hour cardio session, it will really help keep you motivated.
Until next time, stay Purely Fit! ~Shannon
Have questions? Please feel free to email me: shannon@purelyfit.com
follow me on twitter: twitter.com/purelyfit
Become a fan on facebook: purely-fit
So all my fellow busy friends do not make excuses, as I always tell my clients, there is always time so make it.
Suggestions:
1. Quick jog around your house, up & down stairs, in the backyard or in place while watching the morning news.
2. If you have a WII then it is essential you buy WII Fit, WII Fit Plus or Active! These have now become my favorite part of my Monday mornings! I pop on the WII and my 10 minutes are over before I know it! These games also provide many different types of movement for cardiovascular exercise so you will never get bored.
3. The mailbox dash is a fun one, especially if the neighbors come out and give you strange looks! If your mailbox is more than 12 feet away from the door then jog or do sprints from the front door to the mailbox. You will be surprised how fast 10 minutes will be up.
While this mini workouts won't give you the major fat burning effects of a 1 hour cardio session, it will really help keep you motivated.
Until next time, stay Purely Fit! ~Shannon
Have questions? Please feel free to email me: shannon@purelyfit.com
follow me on twitter: twitter.com/purelyfit
Become a fan on facebook: purely-fit
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