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June 20, 2009

Day 4 - Fit-in 15

I have not - HAVE NOT - yet missed a day of the Fit-in 15 challenge.

I have actually, looked-forward-to-doing a focused fitness activity just before lunch thus far. (Same bat time. Same bat channel. Everyday.) It's true the more you engage in 15 minutes of fitness the more you get in the habit of it. I'm liking this "active" part of my day.

Talking about the day - today is the dreaded DAY 4. The day where, I have traditionally, fallen-out-of-love with an activity. Then add in the fact that it's a Saturday (and Saturday's are usually crazy crazy days).

I'm not quite sure where today's Fit-in 15 will fall - (check back tomorrow) - but I have some very good intentions - and children who will want to be doing something outside - so there is very good chance of exceeding Fit-in 15 today.

    Today's Fitness Menu (buffet style)

  • Parking my vehicle in a spot that's furthest away from Loblaws
  • Go for a bike ride with the kids
  • Clean the house (hello? squats anyone?!)
  • Walk to wine store. Carry wine home (we'll call that weekend weight training)

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June 19, 2009

Day 3 - Fit-in 15

Um...guys...my calves hurt (the Day 2 Fit-in 15 Fitness Menu was fun but I'm feelin' it today).

I surfed over to the Fit-in 15 site to get some tips on how to stretch my sore calves - and I stumbled upon this...
Fit-in 15 is a public education initiative of the Canadian Chiropractic Association aimed at motivating sedentary Canadians to start a physical activity habit by fitting in 15 minutes of focused activity a day.
I must admit - I AM fairly sedentary - I spend a large portion of my day sitting at a computer (maybe that's why my neck hurts - I lean into the computer to read rather than sit back. Note-to-self: check Fit-in 15 for neck stretches too). And today, of all days, I will be really chained to the computer as I have a big deadline looming.

So today's fitness menu is aimed at moving the body - indoors - taking inspiration from the Making it easy area on the Fit-in 15 website

    Today's Fitness Menu
  • Putting on my favourite music and dancing my heart out for 15 minutes. (Do I remember them doing this on Ally McBeal or was it Grey's Anatomy?) Since I work-from-home this is a perfect activity - no equipment required. If you're in an outside-the-home-office - ok, well, maybe dancing around your cubical isn't so good. Alternative: take the stairs/walk the halls/do some chair yoga stretching)

Parent Club and Bargainista have arranged a friendly Fit-in 15 competition between our two sites. Who will win the much coveted (very-non-official) Fit-in 15 trophy*?!

Monday June 22nd (that's this Monday people!) go for a 15 minute brisk walk. You could do it downtown - on your lunch break. Quick step your way to your favourite store for some power shopping. Push the stroller to the park. Walk to pick the kids up from school. However you can fit-in 15 minutes of fitness into your day.

Then, (pah-leez), come over to Parent Club and comment before 6pm. The blog with the most reader comments on Monday (up to 6pm) "win" the competition and get the virtual trophy.


[Disclaimer: we devised the trophy/competition all-by-ourselves. It is not an acutal competition endorsed by Fit-in 15. It's a buddy-system competition to get ourselves - and you - moving]

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June 18, 2009

Day 2 - Fit-in 15

I must admit...I liked my 15 minute brisk walk. A little Jai Ho (slumdog millionaire soundtrack) was the perfect soundtrack.

My shoulders relaxed, I had some cleansing breath - it was actually a good tension breaker. (Good Ghandi! - I had a spring in my step!)

But that was Day 1. Everything is always good on Day 1. I usually fall-out-of-love with an activity around Day 4. Deadlines, the laundry, snacking, entertaining the kids -- usually get top priority.

So today, the secret plan (Just between you and I) is to incorporate what usually takes priority in our daily lives with our Fit-in 15 challenge.

    Today's Fitness Menu


  • I am taking the kids on a bike ride after school. It will be mobile kid entertainment. No doubt, the child in the back of my bike will be motivating me (or un-motivating me) and Thing 1 will be asking "one more tour?...". The cardio will be the peddling. The strength will be the friggin' hills. And the flexibility will be some stretching (hello, quadriceps! Where have you been all my life?)


ok - over to you - what are you doing to be Fit-in 15 today?

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June 17, 2009

Parent Club Challenge: Fit-in 15






Ok parents - we (and by we - I mean WE - you and I) are starting the Fit-in 15 challenge - TODAY.

The Fit-in 15 challenge is to build into our (yes busy) day 15 minutes of fitness activities in the categories of cardio-vascular, strength and flexibility.

My fitness issue: Commitment. Yes, I can find 15 minutes today. But tomorrow? The next day? I have commitment issues. So my objective is, to build into my day, 15 minutes of fitness activity no matter what and stick-with-it. (motivate me people!)

My overall goal: Tension relief. Improve endurance. More energy. If you have read me - you know I have a chronic digestive problem which makes me fairly slender. So, I don't need to lose weight - but I do need to improve my overall health. I want to be able to keep up with my busy little family - don't you?...(and "don't you" I mean...don't you want to be able to keep up with your own busy little family - you don't need to try to keep up with my busy little family - that would just be weird)

My Fit-in 15 secret plan: Incorporating 15 minutes of focused activity into our regular day to make it easy and manageable for us. So easy and manageable, the fitness activity might become a habit (an enjoyable habit -- like getting out the good ice cream after you put the kids to bed).

Do you want to get Fit-in 15? I said DO YOU WANT TO GET FIT-IN 15?! (ok - that's my best attempt at a boot camp voice). If it isn't much trouble, could you - pretty please - do the Fit-in 15 with me - please.

One lucky Parent Club reader - who participates in the challenge with me - will be chosen to receive a 4GB iPod Shuffle and a $20 iTunes gift card. Surf over to the Fit-in 15 website to get some tips on what activities we should do, how we should motivate each other, what we are looking to achieve in this. Then come back here and share your comments with Parent Club. Easy-breezy.

Today's Fitness Menu

  • I am going for a brisk walk to get - our much needed - 4 litres of milk. Will be taking along my ipod for motivation. Will carry 4 litres of milk home (the parent equivalent to free weights) - switching arms half-way through walk to balance out. Then, some shoulder roles.

Challenge closes Wed. June 24th, 2009

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June 16, 2009

Supermom bikes - bootcamp style

This is my new bike. Good bike. Solid bike. However, one negative option. The child at the back becomes a back-seat-driver.

"Turn"
"Go Faster"
"Slow down"
"One more block"
"Do you know what you're doing?"


Seriously, I didn't plan on signing up for mommy bootcamp!

Putting picture of bike on the internet to delare it is MINE. Don't steal it please. 'Cause if you do - you will most likely be stranding a mom, a backpack and several children somewhere - which is just bad karma.

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June 15, 2009

Supermom can bike

Did I ever tell you the story of the last Mother's Day present I EVER received from my prince? About three years ago, he bought me a bike. For Mother's Day. Apparently, for family bike trips and fitness. Thing 2 was still in a stroller and Thing 1 couldn't steer and peddle - a tricycle - at the same time.

I burst into tears and told him to take it back (he gave it to a friend and never gave me another Mother's Day present again). At the time, he thought I could have used it to go get milk by myself. I felt like I was never going to be all-by-myself EVER AGAIN. A bike was a representation of all the things I thought I couldn't do with two young kids (I masochistically like to limit myself).

Fast forward to Friday night, where I say casually, that maybe I should get a bike this year -- Thing 1 went off training wheels last week. Saturday morning my prince came home with a bike for me. Plus a tow-bike-attachment-thingy which turns my bike into a sort of double bike -- so that I can tow Thing 2 along (who cannot peddle and steer at the same time).

Know what? I can bike! All-be-it slowly. All-be-it my legs hurt (we did 12K yesterday - ouch!). But the fact is I am getting fit and being part of the fun (rather than just being a fan sitting on the sidelines).

This week - Parent Club - is all about fitness. It's going to be reader-interactive so check back everyday (you'll be pleased you did -- really -- exciting stuff -- come back tomorrow!).

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