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exercise

Spin, Roll & Count Gross Motor Skill Game

This gross motor skill spinner game was inspired by an idea from our clever little girl. One day after watching me do a workout video, our daughter picked up a die and rolled it and told me that she was going to do arm rolls. She rolled a 5 and did 5 arm rolls. She told me to roll too. I did and rolled a 4 and she told me to do 4 jumping jacks. This sparked a fun idea for a game that kept us both moving and laughing. This simple gross motor skills game is easy to make and fun for the whole family. Use our free printable templates or design your own.Free Printable Template for this Spin, Roll & Count Gross Motor Skill Game - paper plate spinner game for toddlers and preschoolers - arts, crafts & activities for kids

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7 Reasons Why Exercise Sucks

Exercisesucks.jpgHere is something that many of you might not know about me. I hate exercise. I don’t just dislike it. I have a genuine hatred for it, which is funny considering that I was a regional manager for a fitness chain for 10 years. I know that we need exercise. I know that it is good for us & all that other mumbo jumbo & I respect those of you that do it. My husband is a marathon runner. I think it is fantastic, but when he asks me to run with him I just chuckle & offer him a very dragged out “Noooooooooooooooo.”

My husband just purchased a new workout video, the T25 workout. He asked me if I would do it with him. He presented it as something we could all do together and somehow talked me into it. He must have offered me chocolates or something, either way I agreed as it is only 25 minutes long. This weekend we started it. Even our 3 year old daughter joined in.

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It was 25 minutes of sheer hell. Suddenly, I remembered why exercise & I have always had such a bad relationship. It is because it sucks

7 Reasons Why Exercise Sucks

1. It requires moving. I am perfectly content sitting on my ass. I am good at it. I am more of an artsy fartsy sort of girl. Give me some paints & construction paper and I am more than happy. Sitting burns calories too, you know.

2. I want to punch everyone in these workout videos in the throat. I know all these rock hard bodies & six packs are supposed be inspiring, but they make me want to start chucking donuts at the TV screen. Have you ever eaten a donut? Try one they are delicious. On top of it, why are they so happy? As they all have ear to ear grins on their faces, I have to keep wiping the moisture from my face, and by moisture I mean tears. Incidentally, the happiest person on the screen is usually the one doing the modified version for people like me.

3. Sweating is gross. Do you know what I hate almost as much as the act of exercise? I cannot stand being in wet, sweaty & smelly clothes. I sweat like a pig. If I could go to the gym naked, it would be done. Try getting out of those nasty clothes as they stick to your moist flesh. It is not easy. I have gotten stuck inside of a sweat soaked sports bra before. It was not fun.

4. There is just not enough time. I see people around me that have full time jobs, keep a clean house, raise their kids & go to the gym for 2 hours a day & I think “Huh?”. Can you run my life for me, please?

5. I hate sore muscles. If it is not bad enough that I just went through the torture of cardio or weight training on Monday, when Tuesday comes I have to endure the pain of the next day’s sore muscles. Forget about 6 pack abs, get me a 6 pack of Icy Hot and a glass of wine.

6. It’s embarrassing. Even when I did work out all the time, I felt inadequate. I always felt as if I was being looked at. In my head I thought “I look stupid doing this, don’t I?” “Am I doing this right?” “Do I have a wedgie in these yoga pants?”

7. It is just not fun. Working out is boring. I know some of you out there are like “I disagree.” That is because you are slightly crazy. All those exercise endorphins messed with your head. Music makes it somewhat bearable, but if my IPod goes dead, I pack my gym bag up & go home. Guess what! My Ipod has been dead for 3 years now.

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Surviving My First 5K

4571612_race_0.9308576257227521.displayThe day finally came. It was only a matter of time that I would finally break down and run my first race. With a marathon runner for a husband it was inevitable. 311638_2198507855488_1079399790_nEven my daughter has already completed her first race. Should I be embarrassed that my two year old received her first race medal before me? IMG_19701 I started training a couple of months ago. I did not realize just how bad of shape I was in. My first couple of weeks started off great, but then work, baby & scheduling conflicts made it virtually impossible to get to the gym or run outside. I was very worried about how ill prepared I was. I became even more worried when I saw that the course was all uphill. Luckily, my first 5K was an obstacle course race. With 16 foamy & muddy obstacles there were many breaks in the uphill running (and by running, I mean mostly walking). The obstacles consisted of climbing walls, a giant foam slip & slide, mud crawls & a massive bouncy slide as the finale. Between all the huffs & puffs, some muddy water in the mouth & foam in the eyes, I had the time of my life. 4613116_race_0.31827722650558266.display 4612902_race_0.3917459688648467.display 4603715_race_0.9380796214813815.display 4577822_race_0.33772453226369137.display 4577694_race_0.42480102795743213.display I am disappointed in myself for not training harder for it, but I did accomplish what I set out to do, I finished my first race & had a great time doing it.  It was a nice break for us mommies. I am ready for round 2. Bring on the next race & this time I will train harder. 4589346_race_0.5318026521172017.display

Preparing For For My First 5K And A Healthy Snack

homemadegranola.jpgHere is a funny tidbit of information about me. I worked as a regional manager for a chain of health clubs for about 10 years, I married a marathon runner and I absolutely hate exercise. Everyone always assumed that I was a health nut. Nope! While my husband is running marathons, I am trying to find my way to the finish line with a forty ounce of beer. I don’t workout & I definitely do not run. For years my husband has been trying to convince me to run a race with him, but I just would not budge. I just could not understand why he and so many others loved this. Running hurts my knees and my shins. I am a big baby. I just was not interested in putting my body through this torture for no reason. Lately, I have begun to find myself more and more curious as to why so many loved to run. I know that obviously it is great for weight loss, but there are other ways to do it, so what is the draw. I have been gaining motivation through watching my husband, friends and even some of my fellow bloggers, Runsaltrun .

Soooooo, I, Kim the anti-runner have agreed to do my first 5K. I am a registered participant for one at the end of next month.  This week, I began my training. What I have discovered is that I am grossly out of shape, but I am working on it.

When ever I start a exercise routine, I know that I am going to need some extra fuel to keep my body going. One of my favorite energy foods is granola. It is healthy, delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups of quick oats

1/4 cup organic honey

1/4 cup organic peanut butter – Make sure to stir the peanut butter well before measuring out as organic peanut butter can have an inconsistent texture if not stirred well.

1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1/4 unshelled sunflower seeds

1/3 cup dark chocolate

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp of sea salt

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix oats, honey and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix well, breaking up any chunks of peanut butter and evenly distributing honey and peanut butter through the oats. Mix in the almonds, sunflower seeds and chocolate. Add the vanilla and sprinkle in the sea salt. Stir well. Spoon on your mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Spread out the mixture compactly to form larger granola chunks or scatter for smaller bites. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Watch carefully not to burn. Remove from the oven & let cool. Toss in the cranberries and crumble granola in to chunks.

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I bagged up snack sized portions in snack baggies to take to work.

The great thing about granola is their are so many possibilities and different fruit and nut combinations. Granola is great alone or sprinkle over yogurt or even ice cream.

Stay tuned for more on my 5K training saga…

Toddler Exercise

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A few weeks back, I had a routine doctor’s appointment. While I was there, he asked me all the standard questions, “Are you a smoker?”   NO!   ” How often do you drink alcohol?”  When do I have the time? & …

“How many days a week do you exercise?”

Me: “I exercise everyday.”

Doc: “What do you do for exercise.”

Me: “I chase a toddler.”

Who needs a gym membership? I have all the workout I need at home. My daughter is my personal trainer. She is my home gym. She has a lot of energy. I mean a lot of energy &  if not given an opportunity to unleash that energy, she turns into a surly little girl.

Toddlers need exercise  just as much as their mommies and daddies do. What can we do to help keep them active?

Here are a few suggestions…

Take them outside – This is an easy one.  Let them run around in the back yard or take them for a  ride on their bikes. My daughter loves the outdoors. She will grab her sneakers of the shelf & bring them to me.   “Aaa-side, aaa-side”

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Ok mommy, I’m ready to go.

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Visit an indoor play center – These can be a lot of fun. We have a Kidsports less than a mile from our house. It has been a life saver for rainy days. There is an indoor padded playground, climbing walls & an air propelled batting  practice.

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Get up & dance – My daughter loves music. Mai will leap up and start dancing as soon as the music turns on & not to brag, but she has great rhythm. I see dance recitals in our future.

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Visit the zoo, park or a local farm etc.. – Leave the stroller in the car. My daughter loves roaming free. Obviously this is a lot of work for mommy but it is great exercise for the little one & everyone will sleep well that night.

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Take a class – Mai takes swimming lessons & will start gymnastics next month. It is not only great exercise, it is wonderful for socializing with her peers. She does not go to daycare, so these classes have been a great way for her to meet other children.

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Games & Songs – Games like Red Light, Green light, the Hokey Pokey,Ring Around the Rosey & Hide and Seek are a fun filled way to ensure your spirited toddler is up and moving.

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Mommy found you!

There are many ways to keep your child active. Please feel free to share your stories with us. We always love to hear from you.

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