No equipment exercises

I wrote a guest post on this topic over on The Stoker Kitchen a few weeks ago and wanted to revisit with a little more detail. I love that Brent and Tessa are close in age, we love that they grow and play together, however, having a child at age 30 and 31 was hard on my body and it’s been difficult to recover my previous level of fitness (basically every mom relates to this!) I absolutely loved Treehouse Athletic Club when we lived in Utah and felt it was worth every cent to have awesome equipment, classes, lots of space and most importantly, a great child care. The kids and I were there every morning except Sundays. Here in Austin, we are back at 24 Hour Fitness – this location is pretty crappy but they do have childcare which was basically my only requirement. Joining a gym with child care has been the number 1 thing that has helped me get back ‘in shape’ after having kids.

In the times, I’m not at the gym or outside exercising, these have been awesome to do in the house, no equipment necessary.

I like to do 10-15 reps  and 3-4 sets depending on the difficulty of the exercise OR 30 seconds of an exercise and then 30 seconds rest, repeat until exhaustion 😉 The nice thing is these can be done anytime and even if you only have 10 minutes.

Ab and core exercises:

  • Crunches
  • Bicycle crunches
  • Reverse crunches
  • Leg lifts
  • Plank
  • Side plank
  • Side plank crunch
  • Plank step out
  • Plank shoulder touch
  • Walking plank
  • Bird dog
  • Glute bridge/hip raise
  • Single leg hip raise
  • Split leg (jack knife) sit ups

no equipment exercises to lose weightno equipment exercises to lose weight, abs and coreLower body exercises:

  • Squats
  • Stationary lunges
  • Curtsy lunge
  • Calf raises
  • Standing single leg lift
  • wall sit

Upper body exercises:

Pushups, Spiderman pushups

Whole body exercises:

  • Burpees
  • Surrenders
  • Windmills
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Jumping Jacks
  • Squat jumps
  • Inch Worm

no equipment whole body exercises to lose weight

My top 10 ab/core exercises here

no equipment exercises to lose weight that you can do anywhere

I’d love for you to follow along – follow buttons in the right sidebar or at the bottom if you’re on mobile 🙂

Chicken Fruit Orzo Salad: easy summer recipe

I could actually eat this salad all year around but it’s especially nice in the summer because it’s served cold. I love that it includes fresh fruit and also protein (chicken). It can be prepared before hand, made in large quantities and tastes great as leftovers. I got this recipe from my mother in law and have made it a ton since we got married 10 years ago.

Chicken Fruit Orzo Salad

 DSC_0002

JAM TARTBOUTIQUE

Protein bites: easy, healthy, high energy snack

After working out, I get extremely hungry and this is my favorite protein-filled, quick snack that can be prepared beforehand.  I like this recipe because it’s SO simple, requires little prep time, no cooking time and you can add in sweets (like chocolate chips) or salty (almonds, nuts, etc). In addition to protein, it has flaxseed which has shown evidence of reducing heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Flaxseed also comes as ‘ground flaxseed‘ if you prefer it less seedy. I usually double or triple the recipe because we go through them so fast!

image

 

FullSizeRender_5 Ingredients 

 FullSizeRender_1_1

Mix then chill

Roll and enjoy!

Protein Bites (1)

easy, no bake-protein-filled

How we wore it: Work out Clothes

This is my first time linking up for a ‘how we wore it‘ post and it’s kind of perfect for me because I love exercise clothes and am always on the hunt for affordable, stylish workout wear that allows free movement and sweat, ha, ha.  I’m at the gym 6 days a week with my kids and have  played sports basically my whole life and love exercising, running, cycling, yoga, and my true love: soccer.

The inspiration for this post is from Jacque from Looks for Lovelies:

howweworeit

And this is how I wore it:

DSC_1532

DSC_1527

Top  (similar) / Capri bottoms* / Running shoes from Asics

*I LOVE  Lululemon products because of the fit, stretch, comfort and style. They are pricey but definitely worth it. I don’t spend a ton of money on clothes and everything I have from  Lulu was a gift or from a gift card. I’ve had the black capris for NINE years and they’re still going strong!

Make sure to check out these other inspired looks:

Deidre from Deidre Emme

Ruth from My Little Nest
Jenn from What You Make It
Kiana from Glitter & Donuts
Jessica from Mason Jars and Lemon Bars
Alyssa from Pinsent Life
Sierra from Sierra’s View
Madeline from CaseyLand
Riley from Riley Jo Blog
Samantha from The Samantha Show
Beverly from What a Day
Brooklyn from Brooklyn Jolley
Amber from Amber Nicole blogs
Erica from Good Job Momma
Shelbie from 365 With RyGuy and I
Jenn from Give This Girl Coffee
Kelsi from Lovestrong
Justine from Little Dove
Chelsea from Tessa Marie
Monica from It’s All About

good things cometo those who

Top 10…Ab and Core Exercises

I studied Exercise Science at BYU and absolutely loved my major! While I’m not currently working in my field, it’s so applicable to everyday life. Having a strong core is beneficial to one’s overall health and wellness, something I probably took for granted before having kids! My kids are almost 2 years apart and my body was definitely changed through the pregnancies and 2 C-sections (side note: it’s totally worth it, being a mom is the most amazing thing!)

I’m still working on the process of rebuilding my core and abdominal strength. One of the most common misconceptions is that doing thousands of sit ups will give you a 6 pack. Your core is not only the abdominal muscles but your entire core, including your back.

Here my top 10 effective exercises that will build your core (including your back!):

1) Plank

you can also try variations such as plank jacks, plank step outs, or plank leg lifts

 

ab1

2) Walking planks – shown on Bosu ball to add more of a challenge because of the unstable surface

ab3

3) Side plank

ab2

4) Split leg sit ups – I usually do these on the Bosu ball

ab4

5) Knee tuck on ball

ab6

6) Bird dogs – these are so great for your entire core! They can also be done on a Bosu ball for an added challenge

ab7

7) Spiderman plank

ab8

8) glute bridge – the variation is shown here using a single leg instead of 2

ab9

9) pelvic tilt – especially great for those small abdominal muscles in your core. This is also an excellent one for women recovering from pregnancy/diastasis recti 

ab10

10) side plank hip drop

ab11


Top 10 effective

Top 10…Benefits of Peppermint Tea

Top 10 (3)

I occasionally drink (herbal) peppermint tea, mostly for the flavor but also for the health benefits. Here’s a few benefits:

  1. Can reduce stress
  2. Anti-inflammatory
  3. Boosts immunity
  4. Can prevent nausea
  5. Improves digestion
  6. Can help reduce a fever
  7. Can reduce cramping and bloating (especially great for that time of the month, ha)
  8. Reduces motion sickness
  9. Can calm diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome
  10. Relieves dry throat and coughing

DSC_0925

*ask your doctor if you’re pregnant or taking other medications

Top 10…Healthy Habits to Develop

TOP (1)

I majored in Exercise Science as an undergrad at BYU, with an emphasis in Fitness and Wellness. I love exercising, being active and helping others achieve their fitness goals!

Wellness is not just being physically strong and able but also includes other aspects that helps one be well rounded:

Ace Wellness Consulting (1)

Top 10 healthy habits that are small and simple changes anyone at any age or stage can do:

  1. Drink more water – aim for 8 cups a day.
  2. Regular and consistent exercise -find something you love to do that’s not a chore.
  3. Practice stress relief like meditation, deep breathing, stretching, yoga, etc.
  4. Walk more – take the stairs, walk on your lunch break, park farther away.
  5. Get enough sleep! – you will be mentally sharp and more able to maintain a healthy weight. One of the factors of obesity is a lack of sleep.
  6. Eat breakfast.
  7. Fill your body with whole foods – the less processed, the better it is for your body.
  8. Lift weights – You don’t need to become a body builder, but strengthen your muscles and bones.
  9. Look on the bright side – make an effort to focus on the positives instead of the negatives, don’t compare yourself to others.
  10. Serve and reach out to others – both parties will benefit in countless ways.

health and cheerfulness naturally beget each other

Here’s to being healthier and happier!