Sprint It Out--HIIT Workout

I am a big fan of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It is very effective in revving up your metabolism and shedding that stubborn fat in less time!!! I don't know about you, but who wouldn't want to workout less yet see the results they are after. The key is that you have to work really hard while you are doing it in order for it to be effective. Are you ready?

Here is your workout:

Jog 3-5 minutes to an open parking lot, grassy area, basketball court, a large back yard, or this can be done on a big hill for extra challenge. Set up 5 markers (cones, clothes, rocks, or the lines on the basketball court) about 15 feet apart from one another. You are to sprint as hard as you can from the first marker to the second touching it and then turning around and sprinting back to the first as fast as you can. You are then going to turn around and run to the third marker then back to the first. Repeat this until you have ran back from all the markers. The key here is that you are working as hard as you can. On a scale of 1 to 10 this is all out effort of a nine. I want you to have to catch your breath when finished. I want those legs screaming at you!

The best thing is to time yourself with a cheap wrist watch. You are going to repeat that 4-6 more times trying to finish in the same amount of time or faster each time you do it. Give yourself around the same amount of time it took you to complete the sprint as rest time between each. 

As you get more cardiovascularly fit spread the markers further apart, give yourself less rest time, and kick up the speed.

Finish your workout with a 5-10 minutes jog at a moderate intensity or a 7 on your scale of 1 to 10. Perform this type of training three days a week on non consecutive days coupled with three days of resistance training for the best results!

Be sure to stretch your glutes and hamstrings after this one!

Compassion For Ourselves

Compassion for ourselves. Being nice to myself, saying positive things and putting things into perspective, listening to my body and what I truly need, and being ok with it all. This has been my focus the last few weeks.

This is one of the most challenging things for many of us, I included. We often zone out, push beyond our limits, not listen to what our body is trying to tell us, and then wonder why we are stressed, overworked, have an injury, or burnt out. We are very negative and say things to ourself that you we would never tell anyone else.

I learned the lesson with my first pregnancy and continued to put those lessons into practice pretty well, but now am reminded fully again with baby number two. Things are harder then they use to be, the thought of a salad is revoking, cheese and tostitos taste really good, and all I want to do is sleep. For those who know me this is not the typical Ashley (well maybe the cheese part:) and it is mentally challenging to take a few steps back.

Here are lessons that I am fully reminded of now that I hope you all put into practice:

• When you are having an off day ask yourself why. Then put that day into perspective (not enough sleep, pregnant, poor eating habits, deadlines, a fight with someone, missed a workout, lack of planning). Once you change the way you are viewing how you feel you can then make the most out of the situation and ultimately how the rest of your day will play out.
• If that workout is feeling extra hard, know that you are doing your best given the circumstances. Be excited that you are still working out and doing the best that you can on that given day. Look at the positive instead of focusing on those negative things. Know that workouts should feel hard, you should be out of breath, your muscles should be burning, and mentally you are stronger because of it.
• If you didn't have the best choice in food know that it is not going to ruin your day and that you will make up for it by doing your best with the meals and snacks to come. Having a cheat meal/snack is actually really healthy. We are humans and will never eat perfectly. What would eating perfect look like anyways?
• If a situation is totally throwing you off take a step back and reflect on what is going on. What things can you take control of and change? What things do you need to let go of?
• Talk so yourself as if you were a child. Tell yourself that it is ok to feel a certain way or that it is understandable, but the reiterate what needs to change. (I do this all the time with Drake who is starting to through tantrums or injure himself by doing something naughty)

Be nice to yourself and see how you bloom!

It is a skill to

Grocery Shopping

I attending a grocery shopping tour by Tracie Hittman last week. It was interesting to have someone actually take you through the store and show you things that they suggest you buy. I learned a lot and was so glad I was able to attend.  Tracie has many other classes and a great blog that encourage you to check out: http://www.itsyourplate.com/blog/.

One of the things that I said though afterward the tour is that now we have to put it into practice. It is one thing to be given a plan and the reason behind the plan, but putting it into practice is most of the time the hardest part. I know I am a creature of habit when it comes to grocery shopping. I do not like to spend a lot of time in there and many times with my son I do not have a lot of time. This is good if you continually buy the best foods. I have made many tweaks over the years to what I put in my cart and after the tour I will do some more tweaking.

Here are some of those changes:

• I will go back to drinking real cows milk : Organic Sassy Cow is what I buy my son and know that is a great choice for him. I on the other hand have been drinking Almond Milk for about 3 years. I started drinking this because I thought is was healthier for you. Come to find out that is not the case. According to Tracie Hittman's rules it was not around 100 years ago and therefor I should not be drinking it.
• Yogurt: I will now look at the label of my yogurt. Yogurt should not contain Pectin. Pectin is a thickening ingredient which is natural to find in jams, jellies, etc, but not in yogurt. One yogurt that was suggested was Fage. I have made this switch and like it.
• I will stick with white cheese: Milk is white so cheese should be as well. It is so simple, but I never really thought about it before. Also making sure to look at the labels for RBGH Free on them or buy cheese from other countries which all are RBGH Free.
• Know that it is a transition: Tracie reiterated that there are some great transitional foods that may not be A+ foods, but maybe B-. This is going to be important with transitions from things we currently eat now and for those times we just want something specific. My husband is very happy with this point:)

Keep making those small changes, because they do add up.