Gardening for Fun and Physical Activity

By now you guys know that I'm all about making everyday activities count towards the physical activity I need in my life. This weekend, we planted some colorful flowers around the front of our house and this was one of those opportunities to make every movement count.

Let's go over a few tips for how to burn more calories while gardening:

1. Proper form. You can't burn calories if you have to go inside after throwing out your back. So watch yo-self. Depending on how you like to garden, either kneel or sit on a stool so that you aren't straining your back muscles. Keep in mind that you have the opportunity here to strengthen your core so pull your belly button into your spine to engage your abs. This will help take some of the pressure off your back.

2. Squats. Ensuring proper form, as you bend down to pull weeds, go ahead and do it with a squat. Pretend like you're sitting in a chair and don't let your knees go over your toes. This exercise can be done as a wide squat with your toes pointed out and feet more than shoulder width apart; or as a regular squat with your toes pointing forward and knees shoulder width apart.

3. Arms. Digging can be tough. Especially if you're like me and like to buy the 3 gallon plants :-) Keeping proper form, really try to engage your arm muscles and let them do all the work. This will also help to take pressure off your back. This weekend I was having to dig through and around some well established root systems- my biceps will thank me tomorrow, I'm sure.

4. Think of it as a workout. If you have the mindset that you want to burn extra calories then you will be better prepared to work at a faster pace. The more leisurely you garden, the less calories you burn. It's still a great activity, but you're the boss so kick it up a notch and dig faster, squat more, and don't lolly-gag.

Make the most of your time. Be mindful of the opportunity you have while doing "chores" and you will see that you'll be working up a sweat and enjoying a beautiful yard in no time!

Weekly Work Out {Clean & Lean}

It's been a while since I posted about Clean & Lean. But for good reason. :-) I've already shared the basics, you can find them under the tab at the top-o-the-blog, and now that I have my handy dandy treadmill I have been working on some "routines", if you will.

To integrate cleaning my house into my workout schedule I have found that cleaning makes a great warm-up and cool-down. This also reduces the amount of time I'm on the treadmill, But I still get 50 to 60 minutes of workout 4-5 days a week.

Here's what a weeks worth of Clean & Lean looks like for me now (there are a few new moves that will be coming to the blog soon :-)):

Monday
Start a load of laundry
15-minute pick Up
25 minutes on the treadmill
Squats while I transfer clothes from washer to dryer
Standing crunches
Push-ups

Tuesday
{rest day}

Wednesday
Start a load of laundry
Vacuum Lunges
25 minutes on the treadmill
Mopping arms
Laundry Plies
Standing crunches
Push-ups

Thursday
{Some weeks this is a rest day}
Start a load of laundry
Window Abs or Dusting Standing Crunches
25 minutes on the treadmill
Squats while I transfer clothes from washer to dryer
Push-ups

Friday
Start a load of Laundry
Guest bathroom (toilet cleaning squats, bath tub arms, mirror abs)
20 minutes on the treadmill
Master bathroom

Saturday
Dishwasher calves/Dishes
25 minutes on the treadmill
Standing crunches
Push-ups
Clean the kitchen- counters, sink, floors, wipe down cabinet fronts

Sunday
{rest day}

Here are a few mommy machine secrets to make this as efficient as it can be:

• I usually get my hour of workout in while my kids watch an hour of TV. After we get home from school/the babysitter's house it is good for them to have some quiet time and a snack. It also happen that they love Max & Ruby and that show is on from 3-4. Good timing for me.
• I don't beat myself up if I don't get everything done. There are some days that things come up and I have to rearrange my schedule. That's ok!
• I will substitute activities as necessary. This routine isn't the end all, be all of my schedule. Somedays I have way more dishes/kitchen clean up to do so I will swap that in for dusting or laundry. If it's really nice outside we will go for a walk or play soccer in the backyard and that's my "treadmill time" for the day. Flexibility makes it much easier to get things done and stay active!
• I do more housework than this, but these "routines" help me to maximize my cardio work and muscle toning in a one hour time frame. All the other "chores" I do still count, but they just happen before or after my hour workout.
• I remind myself that every thing I do around the house can be active- even if I have to piece my 60 minutes together over a few hours, at the end of the day I will have a cleaner house and a healthier body!

What's your favorite household chore to step up and make a work out? I'd love to know!!

Happy cleaning everyone!

Lean Arms Challenge

Clean & Lean has absolutely changed the way I think about "working out". It has been my motivation to keep trying and to make every movement count.

I have found that I am finding ways to keep fit while doing other things, too. Like a ripple effect, now that I have the mindset that I can make every activity work for my work out, even watching TV has me thinking about how I can be doing a few extra ab exercises.

My mom and I were chatting about summer approaching and what to do to get rid of that arm flab. You know, the top part of your arm that waves even when you aren't waving. I think one time I heard Oprah call them her flags.

Anyway, I explained to my mom that, back in the day when I would go to an exercise class a few times a week, my instructor showed us how to do a "Dr. Oz move". Now, I have tried and tried to find video with this arm move on the Dr. Oz show. I have been unsuccessful in digging it up so I can't say with certainty that it really came from his show. Either way, Dr. Oz is in no way related to or even remotely aware of this post ;)

As my mom and I discussed, the problem with this part of your arm is that the muscles that make up the back of your arm, your triceps, aren't easily worked. Most of our normal activities work our biceps, and that gives our triceps a little work, but not as much as they need to stay toned. Sometimes you've got to be really deliberate about working your triceps.

I told you that story to tell you this: my mom and I have started an arm work out "challenge". I have added 2 minutes to my "Clean& Lean" routine everyday and she is doing the same. Yes, everyday- 2 minutes to better toned triceps!

Here's Tricep Workout 1 (aka "the kind of Dr. Oz"):

• Set a timer for one minute.
• Hold both arms out in front of you with your elbows straight and the palms of your hands facing each other.
• Tummy tight!
• Quickly move your arms up and down while keeping your arms straight and your hands facing each other.
• Kind of like a scissor move...

 

Tricep Workout 2:

• Re-set the timer for one minute.
• Hold your arms in front of you and bend your elbows so you make a square in front of you.
• Keep your elbows up! They should make a 90 degree angle with the floor at all times!
• Start with your left arm on top.
• Quickly move your elbows out to the side and then back in front.
• Switch your right arm to be on top after 10 seconds- keep switching every 10 seconds.
• This move feels like you are trying to give someone a hug...

Here is my "before" picture:

Here I am after 2 weeks:

I will post an update in 2 weeks and in 4 weeks  :) Join me, won't you??

Remember that, it is better to do toning exercises in combination with cardio. You also want to be careful not to over extend or injure yourself! Focus on your form and your workout will go much farther.

Happy toning!!

Don't forget to enter our super simple 31 giveaway here!

Clean & Lean: Mopping Arm Workout

With all the rain we have been having lately, combined with the yard that is starting to be mowed again, my tile floors have a lot more dirt to show off lately!

You know I can't have that.

I have figured out a way to isolate my arm muscles while I mop. I find myself using a little extra "elbow grease" on our floors anyway, but if I really focus on my form, my arms make this a workout!

Mopping Arm Workout

Proper Form

• Start with your feet shoulder width apart and your tummy tight (pull your abs toward your spine like you are sucking in your muffin top- or at least that's what I'm doing).
• Keep your back straight the whole time- no bending! This is the secret! You can twist, as long as you keep your tummy tight.

My feet won't move until I have to step on to the next spot on the dirty floor.

Clean & Lean

My left arm is doing all the work here. My right arm is just guiding the mop.  And my back is straight!

• While pushing the mop on the floor, really get your arms into it- even if you can't see the dirt you are scrubbing, get after it like it's your enemy! :)
• Use your arms- and just your arms- to push and scrub.
• Make sure you switch your arms so that you have one scrubbing and one guiding (see picture above)  for a couple of minutes at a time. A good rule is that every time you have to re-wet your mop, switch your arm positions.
• By keeping your abs tight you are strengthening your core, too. It takes a lot of muscles to keep your back straight while doing this so it's a great toning exercise for your arms and core!
• When you have throughly scrubbed one section of floor, take a few steps and move to the next area. You will have to move a lot since you aren't bending, your reach will be shortened.

Step It Up

If your tile surfaces aren't enough, try this same technique while vacuuming too! Can you clean all your floors using only your arms? I dare you!!

Clean & Lean: Dishwasher Arms

Does doing the dishes make you want to punch something? No? Yes? Maybe?

There are times that the last thing I want to do is the dishes. I'm not a big fan of unloading and reloading the dishwasher. However, I despise having to hand wash dishes, so I maintain a love-hate relationship with my dishwasher.

To make me feel better about doing the dishes, and about life in general, I take this opportunity to do a little arm workout. Bonus: this helps build core stabilizing muscles, too!

Proper form

• Feet should be shoulder width apart.
• Knees slightly bent.
• Tummy tight. Try not to laugh. But if you do, because it is kind of silly to be punching in your kitchen, keep your tummy tight and count it as a more intense ab workout. 
• Starting position: arms up, elbows bent, make a fist! 

Clean & Lean

Channel your inner Bruce Lee and "punch out" the silverware drawer {just an expression, mind you}. As you unload each piece of silverware do the below moves:

• Spoons: for every spoon you put up in the silverware drawer, do a Left-then-Right uppercut

• Forks: for every fork you put up, do a Left-then-Right jab

• Knives: for every knife you put up, do Left-then-Right cross

• Utensils: for the other utensils you have to put up, do all 3 punches!

{Mix it up- you don't have to do all the spoons at once, do a little spoon, knife, fork; or fork, fork, spoon, knife.}

Remember to keep your abs tight- like you are trying to pull your belly button toward your spine.

Step It Up {Once the above moves feel too easy}

• If you still need a little more stress relief, repeat the same exercises while loading the dishwasher too (but remember- you will need to do at least 10 reps, so make sure the sink is full of dirty dishes if you are doing it this way).
• I dare you to strap ankle weights to your wrists. Go!

Now you have an organized, clean silverware drawer and you are well on your way to leaner arms and stronger abs!