Easter has come and gone and now you’ve got your kids’ stash of chocolate to sneak after they go to bed. I’ve personally got a penchant for anything containing peanut butter. My daughter is still young enough that she doesn’t know to take stock of her chocolate and hide it from her mother. I can ration it with little argument. This is a bad thing as I can eat just about as much of her chocolate as I want without her even realizing it. So I’ve got to find ways to keep all of that Easter chocolate from spending a lifetime on my hips. 

Here’s a few simple ways to work off those calories in this rainy spring weather. Some of them are even fun!

1. Jump in the puddles! Slip on some splash pants, get everyone into their rain boots and go outside to have some fun. You won’t even realize you’re working off that giant Lindt bunny you’ve been snacking on.
2. Spring cleaning. It’s not always exciting but you can make a game of it and get the kids in on the “fun”. Bonus points for dancing while cleaning. Even more bonus points for doing squats while cleaning the toilets.
3. Hit the gym on those chilly days. I like to sneak off to my local GoodLife Fitness once the kids are in bed and hubby is parked in front of his computer. Try a new fitness class or just do some cardio, whatever suits your mood!
4. Play some video games with the kids. Not the kind where you sit around with a controller in your hand. Get up and move! Play some active games on the Nintendo Wii or other similar system. Your kids will love that mom is joining in on the fun.
5. Try geocaching. Holly is a big advocate for getting outdoors with the whole family. She’s done a number of posts on geocaching if you’d like to learn more. Even if you stick with the simpler ones, you’re still being active and you won’t even realize it.
6. Play hide & seek. You’ll have to move quick if you want to hide before your kids sneak a peak. Don’t limit the game to just one floor of the house; by using the whole house, you’ll have to get up or down those stairs quickly!
7. Go for a walk after dinner with the family. The weather is warming up and the buds are starting to show. See how many robins you can spot. Play a round of I-Spy. A long walk around the neighbourhood will gear the kids up for sleep and make up for that Reese egg you ate during nap time. 
8. Make the effort to eat healthy meals. Cheating with chocolate doesn’t feel as sinful when you’ve had 3 proper meals throughout the day. Don’t just eat the crusts & crumbs from your child’s lunch. Take a few minutes to make yourself a salad with some fruit, nuts and cheese and a light dressing. You know it will taste better than floor Cheerios.
9. Go shopping. And do it when you can take your time and with no purpose in mind. Wandering through all of the stores that you like to peruse will burn more calories than you think! 
10. If it can be done while walking or standing then do it! Have your morning coffee while standing at the kitchen counter. Throw in a few squats for good measure. Or alternate standing on each foot. In the mood for a round or five of Candy Crush? You can pace the floors while playing. 

Don’t be a chubby bunny this Easter!

This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program; however, all opinions expressed are my own. 

Looking for more great crafts, activities, and foods to celebrate Easter? Check these out.

Have you seen our Easter Mantel Decor? Become inspired now.

February is commonly known as Heart & Stroke Month or simply Heart Month. It seems only fitting as Valentine’s Day is smack dab in the middle. A day full of love and heart-shaped candies. But it’s a great reminder to take care of that organ pumping blood all through your body. 

As a mom, stress can take a toll on you. This isn’t healthy for a number of reasons but one of them is that it isn’t exactly healthy for your poor little heart. A great way to help you deal with the little and big stresses in the life of a mom is to work out. I’ve written a number of articles on how to incorporate a trip to the gym into your busy schedule and they many reasons why it’s so important. 

Beyond just working out, there are so many simple ways to take care of your heart this month and every month. GoodLife Fitness is launching the Healthy Heart Challenge this month in partnership with the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. You can follow along on the official GoodLife Fitness Facebook page and join the official event page. Every day there will be a new challenge along with exercise tips, recipe ideas, ways for reducing stress and getting better sleep, and advice for preventing heart disease and stroke. 

Be sure to follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #iheartexercise. And get your butt to the gym for some heart-pumping cardio! Be adventurous and try out a new class. Or stick with your tried and true piece of cardio equipment. No matter what you choose, keep your heart heathy this month and every month.

The holiday season is supposed to be a time of joy and happiness. For many, it simply becomes a time of stress. Crazy mall parking lots, even crazier lineups inside the stores. Finding that perfect toy for your kid and fighting off other parents Black Friday-style for the last box of Shopkins. Getting home and cracking a bottle of wine and a box of gourmet holiday cookies to soothe your troubled mind (and bruises from winning that last box of Shopkins). While one option would be to stick with online shopping, I’ve got a better way to help deal with the stress of Christmas: working out.

Seriously, stay with me here. 

Here’s 3 reasons why you should stick with your gym routine this winter:

1. Reduce stress levels.
2. Keep up your energy.
3. Maintain your svelte figure.

Stress

Most people operate on a high level of stress during the holidays. There is seriously nothing more relieving than sweating it out on some cardio equipment or taking a yoga class. It really depends on your personality and you need to pick the class or activity that works for you. At GoodLife Fitness, my local gym, there’s a class called BodyFlow. It’s a combination of yoga, tai chi and pilates. The lights are dimmed, the music is soothing and there’s 8 minutes of meditation or relaxation time at the end. Doesn’t that sound blissful? I feel calm just thinking about it. Or perhaps your stress is causing you to feel a little full of rage. Maybe getting on that cross-trainer is more your style. Pop in your earphones, get some really upbeat or feisty music going and use that stress-rage to fuel you. I bet by the time 30 minutes are up, you are feeling so much better. 

Energy

All that stress can drain you, both mentally and physically. The holiday season requires you to keep your wits about you and power through those shopping trips and marathon baking sessions. Get your blood pumping at the gym before you head out to the mall. What I love about my gym is that it’s located inside a mall which many GoodLife centres are. You can take two approaches: 

1. Hit up the gym before shopping. Take that BodyFlow class to put you into a zen state for dealing with the mayhem. You can also do some cardio to get your motivation up to power walk around that mall. 
2. Head to the gym after your shopping trip to de-stress. You can get out the shopping rage on the cardio equipment or in a class. Either that, or take that BodyFlow after to relax you after a particularly stressful shopping adventure. 

Waistline

It’s Christmas. And with that comes delicious treats. While you could eat everything in moderation, where’s the fun in that?? I’d rather spend a little more time in the gym than curb my desire for candy canes and gingerbread cookies and egg nog. I’m not going to sit on the couch and gorge on all of these goodies at once but I don’t want to feel guilty for eating a cookie every day for a month. So while you’re sweating it out on that treadmill, trying to reduce those stress levels, remember that you have also totally earned yourself a big glass of nog tomorrow with a gingerbread cookie (or three) dunked in the glass. 

I’m a self-professed geek girl. Heck, I run a website! I married a computer genius (my term, not his) and we are always surrounded by the latest forms of technology. I use technology in pretty much every facet of my life. So why wouldn’t I use something fun at the gym?

The three main tools in my arsenal are my Apple Watch and my iPhone and my headphones. I will freely admit that if I forget my headphones, I will turn around and go home. Why, you ask? Simply put: I need to listen to something while I work out. While there are TVs at GoodLife Fitness, my local gym, there is no sound unless you plug in some headphones to your cardio equipment. There are subtitles on most of them but if you’re running full-tilt on that treadmill, it can be a little difficult to read tiny words on a screen. I like the freedom to listen to music on my iPhone or the televisions depending on my mood.

The iPhone is also handy if I have some TV shows to catch up on. I download the latest episode of my current obsession before I leave the house and it’s ready for me to watch. It’s a small screen but when mounted on the little ledge on the cardio equipment, it’s nice and close. 

My Apple Watch is not a necessity but it’s always on my wrist so I like to make use of it while working out. The Activity app monitors my basic exercise & calories but the Workout app is also very useful. You can set your goals for a number of different activities from elliptical to treadmill to rower. You can also choose from indoor or outdoor activities which is helpful on those nice sunny fall days where you decide to hit the trails. Have you found a great third-party app for your Apple Watch? I’d love to hear about it!

There are so many forms of technology that can be put the use at the gym. Maybe you have a Fitbit like Holly. Perhaps the iPad is more your style so you have a bigger screen for watching TV shows or movies. There are so many apps available nowadays to help you pinpoint your exact fitness goals. Although I haven’t used it myself, I know Nike+ is a popular app, especially for runners. My husband uses Runtastic Push Ups to help him work his way to 100 pushups. They also offer apps for Sit Ups, Squats and Six Pack Abs Workout. Download yourself some new apps and see what works for you. 

Here’s a few ideas of topics to search for:

• Yoga poses
• Pilates moves
• Excellent stretches
• Personal trainer
• Fitness trackers
• Weight loss monitoring 
• Calorie counters – try both with fitness and with food

Have you found a fantastic app that makes your workouts more enjoyable? How do you use technology at the gym to benefit your health and wellness? I’m always looking for some new way to embrace technology. I love being one of the geek girls at the gym!

This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program; however, all opinions expressed are my own. 

Admit it, you don’t want to drag your butt to the gym. But also admit this: it has to be done. As a stay-at-home mom, I don’t have much time during the day to get to the gym. Thus, I need to go at night after the kids are in bed. After a long day spent with two tiny humans, it can be hard to get the motivation to go. 

Once you’ve thrown on those runners and headed out the door, you need to keep that motivation up while you’re in the gym. I’ve got a few little things I like to do to pass the time.

1. Music! If I forget my headphones, you can bet your bottom dollar I will turn around and go home. I need something loud and fun and upbeat to kick my arse into gear on that cross-trainer. 
2. TV shows on your phone. Take your latest Netflix obsession and watch it on your phone! It’s a small screen but sits nicely on the little ledges on any of the cardio equipment. If you gym doesn’t offer wi-fi, make sure you download an episode or two before you go so you don’t kill your data. Until recently, I was binge-watching The Vampire Diaries (which I have sadly finished watching now). At 42 minutes per episode, it was the perfect amount of time to spend sweating on cardio equipment.
3. People-watch. Seriously. While I’m a big advocate for not making other people feel silly while working out, I will admit that I love people-watching. I would never outwardly laugh at anyone or blatantly stare. I just like to see what other people are doing. I check out the awesome gym clothes some people are wearing. I get ideas for new ways to use equipment, both cardio and weights. Have you seen the video of that guy on the treadmill doing choreography to Uptown Funk? If not, you need to see it. I wish people would do that at the gym. 
4. Read a book or magazine on your tablet or phone. Or bring along a paper copy. Nothing sucks me into a mind vortex more than a celebrity magazine. You won’t even notice that you just spend 30 minutes sweating away on that treadmill. 
5. Try new settings on the cardio machines. Add some incline, crank up the speed a little bit. I’m notorious for just hitting the quick start buttons on the machines at my gym, GoodLife Fitness, but sometimes it’s fun to push yourself and try out some of the other programs. 

This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program; however, all opinions expressed are my own. 

Summertime. Spending days by the pool and heck, evenings too. We spend all winter hiding indoors that it’s a welcome relief to get outside in the summer. So why spend it inside in a gym? I’ll give you a few reasons why you should include the gym in your summer schedule.

1. Air conditioning. Need I say more?
2. Empty gym = free run of of the equipment. You’re pretty much guaranteed your favourite treadmill will be empty. For me, there’s a particular cross-trainer I’m quite fond of at my local Goodlife Fitness.
3. Summer music. Nothing gets you pumped up more than the latest upbeat summer hits.
4. Catching up on missed episodes of your favourite tv shows this summer? Put one on your phone or tablet and watch a 30min show while on your favourite cardio equipment. Nothing passes the time quicker!
5. An empty gym means there are more personal trainers with fewer clients than normal. They will most likely be willing to spare 10 minutes of their time to help you with a specific piece of equipment.
6. The fitness classes won’t be as full during the summer months meaning you can have a wide open space to do your moves. The instructor will also be able to help you perfect your moves even more. 
7. It’s an excuse to get out of the house and get some me-time. Socializing is key in the summer but it’s nice to reconnect with yourself once in a while.
8. Summer = oodles of frozen treats. Get to the gym to work off those extra calories so you can have more the next day!
9. No bugs, no humidity, no sunscreen. 
10. Trying a new piece of equipment can be daunting, especially if you fear people are watching you struggle. With the gym typically being empty in the summer, you can try that new equipment without feeling silly.
11. People typically have more free time in the summer. Enlist a gym buddy. You can learn new moves from each other and also do some friend bonding time.
12. Haven’t joined a gym yet? The summer is usually when you will find excellent deals at your local gym. Get out there and sign up! If you’re already a member at your local gym, now would also be a good time to score some deals on a personal trainer.

This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program; however, all opinions expressed are my own. 

For many of us moms, going to the gym is something we do to keep in shape. It’s not always something we enjoy but we do it anyways. As a result, we start dreading the gym and stop going as often as we feel we should. That’s when it’s time to shake things up!

I do the same old cardio + weight machines routine every single time. I do it because I feel I get the best results from it and it’s generally quick but it does get a bit boring, even with my headphones blaring some awesome tunes. I was starting to get bored with the routine. I decided to change it up and get out of my comfort zone. Taking classes makes me a bit nervous – I have always been a scaredy cat when it comes to trying new things. I don’t want people watching me make a fool of myself but let’s be honest: half the people in the room are probably making fools of themselves but when is the last time you actually paid attention to anything other than what you were doing? 

I’m a member at Goodlife Fitness where they have an abundance of fitness classes. I went to the website to read all the descriptions. I decided the best approach for me was to dip a toe into the world of fitness classes and start out with something I felt a little more comfortable with. There’s no need to throw yourself into a spinning class if bikes aren’t really your thing. 

I opted to try out BodyFlow, a combination of yoga, pilates and tai chi. It’s a low-impact class which is a great way to start out with fitness classes. My gym supplies yoga mats but I prefer to bring my own. I simply walked in and looked around to see what others were doing. They were finding a spot to lay out their mat and doing some stretches. I laid down my mat, pulled off my shoes and socks and joined in with some simple stretches. You can check out my previous post on the importance of stretching here. 

I throughly enjoyed the class, especially the 10 minutes of relaxation at the end! It was a wonderful way to end my day. I highly recommend checking out a class like this one or even simply a yoga class. It’s a great beginner class but I can see myself getting better and better the more I take it. 

I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and try something new!

This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program, however all opinions expressed are my own. 

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? 

I bet you have a nice big stretch. And I bet it feels awesome and your muscles thanked you.

Your muscles will also thank you if you stretch them before and after a workout.

Those muscles need to be warmed up before they are put to work. Think about a brand new hair elastic. Do you pull it out of the package and pop it into your hair? Or do you give it a good stretch first to get it all limber and ready to do its job? You need to treat your muscles just as nicely. 

Taking the time to stretch both before and after a workout will help reduce injury. It will also help you be able to move the next day! If you’re just getting back into the gym like I am, it’s very easy to feel a great amount of pain the day after you’ve visited the gym. Since getting back at it, I have not once woken up the next day feeling stiff and sore. I credit this to the fact that I limber up my muscles and also that I don’t push myself too far during my workouts. 

Any fitness facility will have an area to do your stretching away from equipment. I prefer the Women’s Only section in my local GoodLife Fitness. There is an area with blue mats with room for four people at once. Not once have I had to wait to use the mats. I also make use of the pillars on either sides of the mats to support myself when doing stretches while standing.

Make sure you are stretching all major muscle groups. I like to spend a little bit more time on the groups that I know tend to cause me the most trouble. This includes my hamstrings, quads, calves and shoulders. You shouldn’t rush through your stretches; however, you can easily shorten the amount of time you spend doing them with one simple tip:

Stretch multiple muscle groups at the same time.

These are just a few ideas that can help you incorporate both arm and leg stretches all at once. There are a multitude of resources available on the internet and from your local gym to help you learn some fantastic stretches. Focus on your key areas but don’t skip out on the rest of them! I’m sure once you’ve finished your workout that you are tired and ready to go home. Take 5 minutes to complete your stretches again before you leave. You will thank me in the morning!

This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program, however all opinions expressed are my own. Please note that I am not a personal trainer nor a doctor, simply a mom sharing some tips for the gym. Please consult with a professional if you have any questions or concerns.

You may recall from a previous post that I have decided to get back into the gym. My main goal is to gain back some energy but there are so many more perks than just that. Once a month I’ll be bringing you a little update on how I’m doing at the gym as well as giving you some tips, tricks and advice from my experiences at the gym.

This month it’s all about the dreaded weights. I’ve worked in a few fitness facilities over the years and have picked up a lot of great info from personal trainers. One of the facilities was a women’s only gym where training for all staff included a broad range of topics related to women’s fitness. This was more than 10 years ago but some of the points that stuck with me the most were all about the weight circuit equipment.

Ladies, say it with me:

I Will Not Be Afraid of the Weight Circuit Machines

A lot of women have a number of excuses as to why they won’t use these machines.

1. “I don’t want to bulk up and be one of those muscle competition women.”
2. “I don’t understand how they work.”
3. “I don’t want to look like a weakling with the tiny amount of weights I lift.”
4. “All of the men around me are intimidating.”
5. “I don’t know which machines to use and it takes too long.”

Well I’m here to debunk all of these excuses. 

1. “I don’t want to bulk up and be one of those muscle competition women.”

Do you know how much time and energy goes into looking like that? I bet it’s a heck of a lot more than the 45 minutes you’re spending at the gym two or three days a week. These women could also bench-press you. They are dedicated to honing their craft. You, my darling, are just dedicated to toning your post-baby belly and that arm-wing you’re rockin’. There is no shame in either of these things but if you want to tone them, running on a treadmill isn’t going to help. You are going to have to use some weights. Repeat it with me now: I Will Not Be Afraid of the Weight Circuit Machines.

2. “I don’t understand how they work.”

Weight circuit machines are not as difficult to use as they might appear at first. I’m a member at GoodLife Fitness and their machines are so easy to understand. Each machine shows you exactly how to position yourself on the machine and how to adjust it accordingly. If you still can’t figure it out, ask someone! GoodLife has Ambassadors for this exact purpose – they will even give you a tour of all the machines and show you how to use them. Don’t be a scaredy cat. Everyone working at your gym is there to help you get the best experience and to do things safely.

3. “I don’t want to look like a weakling with the tiny amount of weights I lift.”

Are you spending your time at the gym judging what the other women are doing? If you’re anything like me, you’re too busy huffing and puffing and sweating to pay attention to anyone else. So are most other women in the gym. They are not paying any sort of attention to how much weight you are lifting. So don’t worry yourself with what other people think. Adjust the weight so it’s comfortable for you and in the coming weeks you can work your way up! Because I’m just starting out at the gym, I usually lift the smallest amount of weight as you’ll see in the photo below. Just pull the pin out and put it wherever you want.

4. “All of the men around me are intimidating.”

If your gym has one, use the women’s only section. I prefer to use my weights in that area because I don’t want to be around a bunch of meatheads either. You will probably never lift as much weight as those guys and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. No women’s only section? Find a cute guy and get him to show you how to use the machine 😉

5. “I don’t know which machines to use and it takes too long.”

Each machine should clearly state which specific muscle or group of muscles that it targets. Basically, use any machine that works with your trouble areas and any area around it. Or stick with my philosophy: Use them all. Or at the very least, try them all once. You may find that some of the machines just aren’t for you or you may need to work your way up to them. You’ll see in the photo below that there is a yellow area showing exactly which muscle or muscle group the machine targets.

As for time? You do not need to be doing 50 reps on each machine. I do anywhere from 10-15 on each machine. That’s it. That will take you all of 2 minutes per machine, if that. In the photo above you can see that I did 10 reps and it took me 33 seconds! (I actually did 20 reps but took a break between sets). The main idea of the weight circuit is that it is quick and efficient. As you get used to how each of the machines work and how much weight you prefer on each, your time will speed up and it will just be another one of your routines at the gym. If you’re working out with your phone to listen to music, put a note on there with the details of each machine so you can refer to it next time you’re using the machines.

So ladies, get out there. Try that weight circuit on for size! I bet you will be impressed with the results. Just make sure you stretch all of your muscle groups before and after your workout. Your body will thank you the next day.

This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program, however all opinions expressed are my own. Please note that I am not a personal trainer and if you have questions about proper use of equipment, please consult an employee of your local fitness facility.

As you may recall from my past posts, I am pretty drained being the mother of two tiny humans. I am constantly exhausted, I don’t eat well and I’m always sore. 

Regaining energy when you’re a mom can be hard. You are constantly changing a diaper, preparing a meal, putting in another load of laundry and reheating your morning coffee for the third time in hopes of actually finishing it. Sometimes that cup of coffee is the only thing you have all morning and you’re hoping the caffeine jolt will help you get to that second load of laundry. Caffeine is my go-to. I never let that cup of liquid gold go to waste. I will slurp it down steaming hot if that’s all I have time for but I need that caffeine to get me through the day. 

Isn’t that sad?

I wish I could wake up in the morning ready to greet the day. Instead I drag myself out of bed, schlep into the baby’s room to get him ready for the day, then I go to the toddler’s room to get her ready. I always, always take time to make that cup of coffee while getting Miss O’s breakfast ready. I am not human until I do. I wish that were different. I wish I could wake up ready to go. I’ve come to realize that there is only one way to do this: Go to the gym. When I used to work out fairly regularly, I found myself less tired and more motivated to get things done. This was pre-kids when I never drank coffee to function so clearly staying fit and active was working well back then.

I decided it was time to get off the couch and get back into my old stomping grounds at GoodLife Fitness. I was a member there many moons ago in my pre-mom days and I always loved it. So one night after the kids were in bed, off I trudged with my worn out sneakers and my iPod, determined to gain some energy and if I was lucky, a little bit of sanity. As an added bonus, I hope to tone up this flabby post-baby belly I’ve got going on along with the after-30 “arm wing”. 

 I fell right back into step. It’s been a while but not too much has changed at the club and for that I am thankful. Kelly was a fantastic host and was happy to answer all of my questions and refresh me on the location of everything in the club. I put on my workout clothes, popped in my headphones, did some wonderfully refreshing stretches and got on that cross-trainer. I started small, only going for 15 minutes but I can honestly say that I ENJOYED those 15 minutes sweating away to the beat of the tunes I had cranked in my ears. For those 15 minutes I felt energized. I didn’t think about anything. And you know what? I actually felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. Who knew you could feel relaxed at the gym? 

After my bit of cardio, I continued my way around the Fit Fix weight-training circuit. This is a great circuit – the machines are easy to use with detailed diagrams on them. They’re also quick which is very important to me during my workouts. Each machine targets a specific muscle or group of muscles and I can choose exactly which area to focus on. The ab machines are usually the most popular in the women-only section of the gym – I guess other moms feel the same way about their bellies! After spending about 20 minutes on the circuit, I did my final stretches and I headed home. It was a short trip but I didn’t want to burn myself out; that was the opposite of my reason for going in the first place.

Did I wake up the next morning with a spring in my step? Well, no. But do I plan on going back again? You bet. You have to build up that energy one step at a time. But one day I will wake up ready to face the day and that cup of coffee can wait. For a little bit anyway.

 Disclaimer: I am a member of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador program. All opinions expressed herein are my own.