Category: Family

The benefits of staying hydrated and a Nalgene product review

7/11/2014

One of my biggest pieces of advice to anyone who is looking to improve their health and nutrition is to DRINK MORE WATER. Water does amazing things for your body! Sometimes we even confuse thirst for hunger and many people are dehydrated without knowing it. If you feel thirsty at all, you're already pretty dehydrated. To estimate how much water you should be getting, divide your weight in pounds by 2 and drink that many ounces (more if you're working out)! Thank you Taralynn McNitt at Undressed Skeleton for this great post of how to mark your water bottle so that you can check in throughout the day and make sure you’re getting it all in! If you want to add a little flavor to you water, try a squirt of lemon, a squeeze of lime, a few sprigs of fresh mint or a cucumber or orange slice. You can even add a few berries or watermelon. What ever gets you to drink it up!

The benefits of staying hydrated and a Nalgene product reivew

The benefits of staying hydrated - 10 reasons to DRINK MORE WATER!

I like to carry a water bottle around with me, so I always have water on hand - that's why I was so excited when Nalgene reached out to me to try their products.

Nalgene has come a long way since their original shatter proof water bottle. They are now ALL BPA-free and leak proof (and still SUPER durable)! They are dishwasher safe and some are even graduated (so you wouldn't even need to mark your bottle as pictured above - it's already marked for you! They come in a variety of sizes as well as cap shapes, so great for sippers and chuggers! There are even sizes specifically to fit in cup holders and bike cages, so it really doesn't get much more convenient than that! They also have food storage containers (pictured on the far left). They've really thought of it all!

My personal preference is the "on-the-fly" style (pink bottle pictured above) because of it's easy flip-open design. It's great for carrying around and doesn't spill in my gym bag. Take a look a the variety of bottles they have and try one out for yourself! You'll love all the water you're drinking and how you'll feel afterwards!

What's your favorite water bottle?

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FitYaf's 1 Year Blogiversary

6/20/2014

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Tomorrow marks the first day of summer, which is also my 1-year Blogiversary (check out my first blog post ever)! Although my blogging has been a little sporadic lately, I thought I'd update you all on how things are going over here at FitYaf! I first started this blog after running a "100 days till summer" Challenge Group. There were so many great things that came out of the challenge - I wanted a place to share it beyond my group.

What has my fitness been like lately?

When 2014 rolled around, I set myself some fitness goals for the year. I was very happy with everything I achieved in 2013, and was looking forward to what 2014 had in store. I also had some personal (non fitness related goals), and if you follow be on Instagram or Twitter, you might already know that my husband and I are expecting our first child in October of this year! While I planned to be (and to this day still am) very active throughout my whole pregnancy, I quickly decided that maybe this year was not the year for these goals. After talking to my doctor, I got the go ahead to continue exercising (and teaching fitness classes), but as far as pushing myself beyond my current fitness level - I just didn't feel comfortable doing that. I did manage to hit one of those goals about a week before I got pregnant, so I can check off "run a 5k in under 25 minutes".

Once I found out I was pregnant, I was a little scared to keep up with my workouts, specifically running. My running workouts were typically completed in the early hours of the morning, and while I was very lucky in the "morning sickness" department, I still didn't feel great in the mornings. At first I did try to keep up with my "1000 miles in 2014" goal, running 91 miles in January, 84 miles in February and 74 miles in March, but tracking the miles was putting a lot of pressure on me, so I decided to save this goal for 2015. As it turns out, at around 14 weeks, I developed some pelvic pain that has pretty much stopped all running for the time being. I was able to run the Philly Love Run in March, and although I didn't train to hit my "under 1 hour and 50 minutes" goal, I finished the race (came in at about 2 hours and 10 minutes) and felt AMAZING!

Not running has given me more time to try out other workouts, or spend more time doing the workouts I was already doing. I'm spending more time with Insanity (about 2 times/week) and Melissa Bender workouts (about once/week). I've also been able to continue teaching 3 classes/week (boot camp, Bodypump and step aerobics). Sometimes it takes a little extra creativity to motivate the class when my own energy is dragging, but I'm up for the challenge. I'm also BEYOND excited to start Chalene Johnson's BRAND NEW AT HOME PiYo workout program. I just ordered mine yesterday, and I think it's going to be a great way to add some variety to my fitness. PiYo is an amazing workout that previously was only available in select gyms, but now you can order your own at a HUGE discount (while supplies last). This program is a mix between Pilates and Yoga and helps build lean muscle! Think - fast hot yoga but with the air conditioning on and awesome music playing!

So for now, I'm still working out about 6 times/week and loving this whole pregnancy journey. I'm taking it day by day without any expectations. I'm trying my best not to worry about every workout or every pound gained, and I look forward to revisiting my 2014 goals next year!

What have I been blogging about?

Over the past year, my blog posts have covered topics from recipes to healthy habits to workouts and more! Below are my top 5 blog posts:

My readers come from all over the world, but here are the top 5 cities where people love FitYaf:

Philadelphia
New York
Chicago
Minneapolis
Los Angeles

And finally, here are the top 5 blog posts that people find through searching on Google:

What is coming in the future?

In the immediate future, I have two Challenge Groups starting soon: a Shaun T boot camp and a PiYo boot camp. You can email me if you have any questions or if you're interested in joining on of these.

I do have some exciting product reviews, giveaways and recipes, coming your way this summer, and I'm going to be posting some more Fitness Friday Workouts. I'm not signed up for any races, and I don't plan to race again until next year. I look forward to the second half of my pregnancy and of course meeting my baby fitness guru in October!

What do you want to see more of on FitYaf.com? Have you had experience working out through a pregnancy?

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Happy Thanksgiving!

11/28/2013

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I hope every has a great day ahead and is looking forward to friends, family and good food. I'm spending the day sleeping in, cooking/baking, working out, relaxing and heading off to my parents for my favorite holiday of the year! I put together a list of some good reading from my fellow bloggers to help you stay on track today and the rest of the holiday season - ENJOY!

Getting through the holiday season without gaining a pound

via Christine Ardigo

6 holiday eating rules to stay on track

via FitMama4Life

Black Friday for runners

via IRunonWater

Also, don't forget to take advantage of Beachbody's Holiday sale - some items have already sold out!

What will you be doing this Thanksgiving?

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Friends of FitYaf - Ashley sneaks in exercise while spending time with her kids

11/11/2013

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Ashley grew up across the street from my best friend Stephanie. We would always pair up at Stephanie's birthday parties because we didn't know anyone else (neither of us went to Stephanie's school). At one particular birthday party, there was a talent show - Ashley and I danced to Ace of Base "The Sign". It's strange the things you remember from your childhood. Later, after our college years, Ashley started dating another good friend of mine Jon, and now they are married with two beautiful girls.

Friends of FitYaf - Ashley sneaks in exercise while spending time with her kids

As a working mother, she struggles to find time for her daughters, her husband and herself (Ace of Base was right - life IS demanding), so in an effort to keep both herself and her family active, she comes up with ways to sneak in exercise while spending time with her kids.

Ashley also blogs for Kveller.com - click here to check her out!

8 ways to sneak in movement & exercise with your kids

1. Dance Off

Who can dance the longest without stopping. This is easy and inexpensive. Most cable providers have a music channel you can use: toddler songs, classical songs, princess, rock songs, etc. We just switch channels and act like we are doing corresponding dances. For added exercise, I pick up my youngest daughter (age 10 months weighing in at a whopping 24lbs or so) and it is now a weight & aerobic exercise.

2. The Animal Game

This game started when I was teaching my daughter the alphabet and how to read. We take each letter of the alphabet and pick out a corresponding animal. A for Ant - crawl around the floor. B for Butterfly - run around flapping your hands as wings in the air, etc. It is amazing how many animals help different muscles.

3. A nature hunt

Another favorite game of ours is to pick leaves and glue them on paper or any art project. In the Fall we use leaves, in the winter, we use pine cones, etc. We just go on an adventure walk.

4. Obstacle course

For days when you can't get outside, setup an obstacle course inside. All you need are the obstacles, which you can get from things you probably already have in the house: pillow, hula hoop, tape or ribbon, soccer ball anything you can think of to incorporate. You can have them jump over the pillow, run in the hula hoop, walk a straight line to kick the ball. When they are old enough, make it a two-story course that involves the steps! You can time each other for a race - of course let your kids win!! My 11 month old think it's hilarious and has a good time watching. Sometimes I carry her for the extra effort!

5. The Alphabet Game

Another Fun game! I laminated capital letters and toss them throughout the house. I give my daughter an animal or object and she runs to stand on the corresponding letter. This is great aerobic exercise, especially if you put some upstairs and some downstairs. I even act like I am timing her so she gets to the letters faster. I run behind her and we're both moving!

6. A simple walk

Of course we always love to go for walks. For me it's an added benefit because my youngest cannot walk. So we all walk, and I push the stroller. Even if it is for 30 minutes it is still something that gets us moving.

7. Playground fun

I once saw a mom pushing the swing with one arm. I thought it was strange, but she eventually switched to the other arm. I suddenly realized she was working out. She even did squats while her daughter was playing in the gazebo. Take the kids to the playground, push them on the swing for 10-15 minutes. Use only one arm for about 5 minutes, then switch. You can also jog while your kid is on the slide. My daughter loves to play monster, where they are the beautiful princesses and I am the evil monster/step mother - I run around the playground and chase her and her friends. Just another way to get moving.

8. At home workouts

Worst case scenario - just get on the treadmill during naps, or if your children don't nap anymore, have them play around you. I noticed that my oldest daughter, who is now 4, is capable of playing for 45-60 minutes near me while I am on the treadmill. She even likes to try and participate in Yoga videos. Sometimes I get interrupted but I think it's a positive thing to show her that mommy wants to be healthy.

What creative way do you sneak in exercise while spending time with your kids?