Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Ready to Get Fit? (Huge Discount on Personalized Fitness Programs!)

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It’s a great time to work on getting in shape! 

(Technically, any time is a great time to work on getting in shape – but we all tend to think about it a bit more after eating extra pie and fudge…)

I can’t even tell you how much I’ve benefited from Getting Fit With Jen’s personalized training program. She’s very gifted at creating workouts that fit an individual’s needs – no matter what your physical needs, limitations, or strengths. I’ve had to work hard, but by following Jen’s programs, I really am getting more fit. I love it!!

This month, Jen is offering $10 discounts on her personalized workout programs. Take advantage of this – and you will not regret it! 

Time to get fit and feel great!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

The Benefits of Exercise (It’s About More Than Weight Loss!)

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I humbly consider myself to be thoroughly kicked in the pants. Good grief – why have I avoided exercise for so many years? Since I began to workout faithfully in January, I feel healthier and more energetic than I have EVER felt!

You know one of the main reasons I avoided exercise? Okay, two of the main reasons? 1) I didn’t really need to lose much weight and 2) I have asthma.

Oh dear – I was really afraid that my asthma would flare up if I exercised? Let me tell you right here and now – and this is the part where I have been kicked in the pants – exercise has made my asthma better, not worse! Beyond that, being at a healthy weight is great, but that’s a silly reason for me to think that I didn’t need to exercise.

Shucks, exercise can certainly help a person lose weight (sweet!), but as I have been working out with Jen, I have learned all kinds of reasons why exercising has been beneficial to me. I’ll let her share about those reasons here in a minute, but first I need to gab and gush about how good I feel.

Here’s the deal:  The past couple of weeks, my family has been passing around a cold  – and I didn’t get sick. This never happens to me. Any time my kids are snotting and hacking, I catch it. Within days, infection typically hits my asthmatic lungs, causing some major issues like bronchitis or even pneumonia.

This time, I began to get a sore throat, then began to fear that sickness and lung congestion would lay me flat. I upped my vitamin intake, drank plenty of water, and worked to get enough rest. And would you believe it? I fought that cold and did not get sick.

You may not understand the significance of this. But trust me, Matt and I are astonished. All of the cardio workouts and the weight lifting I’ve done during the last 4 1/2 months have really built my immune system and strengthened my lungs. I feel strong! I feel healthy. I can fight now!!! (Fight infection, that is – not the children. I do feel strong, but I still don’t feel the need to get on the floor and wrestle, just in case you were starting to picture that…)  ;)

I asked Jen, of Getting Fit with Jen, to give me a bullet list of all the amazing benefits to exercise:

~ Lowers your blood lipid profile (cholesterol)

~ Makes daily living/every day activities easier

~ Reduces your risk for cardiovascular diseases

~ Improves bone health, which helps fight osteoporosis

~ Improves mood and mental health

~ Lowers your blood pressure

~ Transforms your body shape

~ Helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight

And oh yes, exercise can strengthen your immune system. I realize that exercise isn’t preventing me from ever getting sick again. But I have seen so many improvements in my overall health since beginning our workouts. I’m in this for the long haul!

What benefits have you seen from exercise? If you haven’t been exercising, what improvements would you like to see if you were to start an exercise program?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Getting Fit With Your Kids

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My great friend and personal trainer, Jen, of Getting Fit With Jen, has said it to me time and again:  “Sometimes, working in time to exercise can be as easy as getting up and playing with your kids.”

The statement makes perfect sense and ultimately, I agree. But I also have to say that doing this has often been a struggle for me. I’ll admit that I don’t often just stop and “play”. There is work to be done!!! Often, I find that the best time to get that work done is when my kids are off happily playing…on their own. Happily playing children means that I have a moment of peace to focus on other tasks. To take the time to stop my cooking, laundry, website work, house work – and instead go play with my kids? It almost feels as if I would put myself behind in some way. That I would be more stressed out because of the growing “to-do” list that didn’t get finished.

All of that may be true sometimes. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of quiet moments and content children when there is work to be done. But – I promise you that I have never, ever regretted time I have taken out of my “very busy schedule” to go play with my kids. And when that play involves some sort of exercise? Well, I do believe we can call that multi-tasking. :)

Remember the day I scored five!!?!?!? (Why yes, I did just give you the link to that post so that I could brag some more in case you forgot that story.)  It was a great workout, and wow did we all have fun! A few days after that, while waiting for our seven year old to warm up for his soccer game, I headed over and kicked a ball around with our 10 year old. You should have seen his face light up once he saw me and recognized that I was there to play with him!! Golden. Never will I regret taking advantage of opportunities like this to play with my kids.

Remember how my kids were doing this:

kidsontrampolinesm

And then they talked me into doing this:

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I loved every minute of that – and so did my kids!

Jen is right. Now that I’m being more intentional about being active with my kids, I’m finding that there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy spending time with them in this way. And lo and behold – all of my other work still gets done somehow. ;)  After playing, I get right back to the house work or computer work – this time full of extra energy because I’ve just been up moving around!

Here are some specifics Jen had to share on this topic:

Anything that involves moving for several minutes at a time will increase your heart rate and be beneficial for your health. Go outside with your kids. Kick a ball around, chase them, play some sort of tag, play catch, go for a walk or bike ride – the ideas are limitless. Your kids will love this time with you and you will be burning calories, building muscle, and increasing your endurance level.

Do recognize your limitations so that you don’t injure yourself. Don’t break into a full on sprint to chase your kids if you aren’t used to running. Pace yourself, maybe taking short breaks between play times. Remember, even 10-15 minute segments of activity will be good for your body.

Your example to them will encourage them to want to be fit as well. Get out there and be active with your kids!

Be sure to visit Getting Fit With Jen to learn more about how you can make fitness a part of your life.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Is It Expensive to Start Working Out?

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I can’t tell you how excited I am to hear that several of you are involved in or have now started a workout routine of some kind!! Way to go!

I love how much energy I have now that I am exercising regularly, as well as how healthy I feel overall. If you’re still hesitating to do some sort of exercise, I really encourage you to give it a try. You won’t regret it. (Even if you are sore at first!)  :)

I am also very excited to have Jen, from Getting Fit With Jen, on board here to help answer so many of our fitness questions. She has taught me so much while we’ve been working out the past few months. It would appear that I’m not just getting fit, I’m becoming a little bit smarter too. How ’bout that?

Several of you have already taken advantage of Jen’s personal online training services, which I know will be a blessing to you. Having someone tell you exactly what you need to do, having someone to be accountable to – I find it all so helpful.

Today, I was able to bend Jen’s ear for a little while and ask her some questions about fitness and finances. If money is holding you back from getting started in a workout program, I think you’ll like what Jen has to say.

My conversation with Jen…

Laura: How much would you say it costs to get started with a workout program?

Jen: I feel like you can actually get started without spending any extra money at all. Walking, for instance, doesn’t cost a thing. Resistance training can be done simply by using your own body weight, your little ones, and well, since we’re talking about this here at Heavenly Homemakers, I’d even throw out the idea of using your bags of wheat. :)

Laura: Ha! I’m pretty sure I could find a bag of wheat around here somewhere. :)  So you really think a person can have an effective exercise routine without spending any money at all?

Jen: Absolutely!

Laura: If someone does have some money to invest in their fitness journey, what would you recommend they look at first?

Jen: The first thing that comes to mind is a good pair of shoes, if you don’t already have some. A set of resistance bands or dumbbells are also great to have. Resistance bands are very inexpensive, very versatile, and they don’t take up much space. Once you know you’re serious about exercising, some high quality workout DVDs can be a great investment because you’ll have them forever, and you can workout at home when it is convenient for you.

There are some other pieces of equipment that you may appreciate owning (like an elliptical machine or a tread mill), but be sure you’re serious about using them before you take the financial plunge.

Laura: Is there anything you would say is NOT worth spending the money on in order to get fit?

Jen: Watch out for any product that “guarantees results”. Some of them are legit, but not all of them are. I’ve seen some gimmicky workout equipment that simply isn’t necessary, such as “ab belts”, which promise to give you a six pack. If you want a six pack, you’re going to need to work for it! Save your money for some of the above mentioned gear and be ready to invest time and energy into achieving the results you’re looking for!

Watch for more of your questions to be answered in our “Ask the Trainer” feature next week. Have more fitness questions? Be sure to leave a comment here. And check out Jen’s site, Getting Fit With Jen for more great fitness information.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

I’m Getting Fit With Jen – Want To Join Me?!

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Everyone who knew me before January of 2012 knows that I did not like to exercise. No way, no how. Exercise was painful and I was very sure that I didn’t have time for it. That is why, in January of this year, when my friend Jen asked me to join her in her workout routines, I choked, laughed, and ran far, far away.

Well, I didn’t literally run far, far away, because that would have involved exercise, which was not something I ever did. But you know what I mean.

Jen urged me on; she told me how much fun it would be for us to work out together; she told me how much better I would feel.

To which I answered, “Hey, I feel just fine, thankyouverymuch.”

And then I coughed.

Stinkin’ asthma. Which led me to another excuse I’ve always given to avoid exercise – it would trigger my asthma.

So no thanks on the workouts. I would simply continue eating a wonderful diet of nutrition packed foods. That is all I needed to be healthy.

Well, Jen is almost as stubborn as I am, and so she nicely pushed and told me to think about it some more. She promised to go easy on me, but felt sure that I wouldn’t regret the decision to become more active. Matt agreed with Jen, knowing that I would benefit greatly and become stronger from the workouts. He’s been forever concerned about my lungs and asthma. He was also not nearly as convinced as I had been that simply eating a healthy diet (and skipping the exercise) would keep me healthy.

I finally agreed reluctantly to give this workout thing a try – mainly because I knew that my lungs and overall body needed to get into shape. I figured I would last a total of two and a half days, and then I could move on back into my happy place – my comfortable kitchen where I would always and forevermore be content baking muffins and reading school books to my children.

Twelve weeks and approximately 55 workouts later, all I have to say is this:  Jen is a miracle worker. The girl has made me fall in love with exercise. She’s whipped me into shape, and she’s somehow figured out how to make it fun.

It didn’t take long at all for me to notice a difference in how I was feeling. In fact, I feel better than I have felt in years. I have loads of energy. I’m standing straighter. I’ve had to tighten my belt two notches.

We’ve been walking, lifting weights, and doing workout videos. Jen is so gifted at this personal trainer business that she is now working toward becoming a Certified Personal Trainer. I am so excited for her!

And guess what? I’m so nice that I’ve decided to share her with you. (Just so long as she doesn’t get so busy that I can’t get my workouts in – because look out world! I am addicted to exercise!)

I recommend that you check out her website, Getting Fit With Jen. Read the great information she shares on fitness and look into the services she provides. (Yes, she can even be your long-distance personal trainer.)

And guess what else? Because I am finally recognizing that simply eating healthy is not enough, in an effort to complete the whole healthy package around here at Heavenly Homemakers, Jen has agreed to help me out with a new feature here:  Ask the Trainer

If you are like I was, you may have no idea where to start on your fitness journey. You may wonder how you can even schedule exercise into your already very busy life. You may wonder how to involve your children. You may have all kinds of questions about working out and exercise – I know I sure did. I can’t believe how much Jen has taught me in such a short time.

So here’s how we’re getting started with this today. First, make a decision – are you ready to get fit? I realize that this may not be an easy decision for some. But oh how I hope you’ll join me on this journey! You won’t regret it. Next, what questions do you have that you’d like Jen to address in this new “Ask the Trainer” feature?

Let the comments begin. Who’s ready to get fit!?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!