Where does your city rank on the fitness scale?

I read an article in USA Today that named the top cities with the highest fitness rankings. I was really surprised that Washington D.C. was ranked #1! I had to keep reading to find out what was the criteria for this fitness ranking. Here is the fitness criteria below:

Fitness Criteria

• Availability of parks, walking and bike trails and public transportation.

• Percentage of people who exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight and eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

• Percentage of people who have access to health care and have health insurance.

• Percentage of people who don’t smoke.

My city is ranked #30, however, I live 40 miles north of Los Angeles. My actual city, Santa Clarita, is doing an awesome job with providing a number of parks, walking and bike trails. This is the 2nd year that this report has been released. I’m sure that Santa Clarita will make its way to the list one day. Here is the list of cities:

How Fit is Your City?

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul
3. Denver
4. Boston
5. San Francisco
6. Seattle
7. Portland, Ore.
8. San Diego
9. Austin
10. Virginia Beach
11. Hartford, Conn.
12. Sacramento
13. San Jose
14. Cincinnati
15.Atlanta
16. Pittsburgh
17. Milwaukee
18. Buffalo
19. Baltimore
20. Raleigh, N.C.
21. Kansas City, Mo., Ks.
22. New York City
23. Tampa
24. Cleveland
25. Chicago
26. Nashville
27. Philadelphia
28. Jacksonville
29. Columbus, Ohio
30. Los Angeles
31. Miami
32. Phoenix
33. St. Louis
34. Charlotte
35. Dallas
36. Indianapolis
37. Memphis
38. Louisville
39. San Antonio
40. Riverside, Calif.
41. Houston
42. Las Vegas
43. Birmingham, Ala.
44. Detroit
45. Oklahoma City

Some cities that were not ranked because community/environmental data were not available: Orlando; Providence; Richmond, Va.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Salt Lake City.

Is your city on this list? What do you think is the main reason for being on or not on the list?

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
QuickMomWorkouts
Club FYM

Michelle Obama expresses importance of Exercise

It is great to see and hear the First Lady, Michelle Obama, sharing the importance of health and exercise on Sesame Street. We should be examples to our children so they will develop healthy habits. I’m sure that Sasha and Malia are very aware that their parents get up every morning at 5:30 am to workout. Michelle obviously has the arms to prove it! Here is a short video of Michelle Obama expressing to Elmo the importance of health and exercise.

Michelle Video w/Elmo

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
QuickMomWorkouts
Club FYM

I just finished this holiday 10 min workout!!

Super set A
1. Dumbbell Swings – 10-20
2. T-Ups – 6-10

Super set B

1. Reverse Lunge – 6-10
2. V-Ups – 8-15

Intervals with Burpees

Perform sequence of burpees for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds, repeat for a total of 4 to 6 minutes. Yes, it is intense and yes that is all you need to do for “cardio” for your holiday workout.

OMG! This workout is awesome! I’m sweating bullets in only 10 mins. You gotta love Holly Rigsby’s workouts for busy moms! I have 3 holiday parties this weekend and these workouts are the best for my busy lifestyle.

I’m a Fit Yummy Mummy

Exercise: An Excuse to Clean Your House

Everyday chores burn plenty of calories. Moms, the things you do each day-washing clothes, dishes, mopping, and vacuuming (to name a few) provide resistance training and cardiovascular benefits. Performed in moderation, these activities add up to a ton of exercise opportunity.

How about mopping and sweeping the floor? Sweeping works the oblique abdominal muscles and the hips. Sweep the floor the first time using either the left or the right side of your body.

As you sweep, keep your hips stationery and move from the waist. Sweep the floor a second time using the opposite side of your body. I bet you didn’t think you could sweep your way to a slimmer waistline.

Vacuuming works the upper body and the legs. Increase the length of your stride as you sachet across the floor. Bend at the knees to pick up objects on the floor. Actively vacuuming for fifteen minutes can burn forty or more calories.

Washing windows and tubs provides a power-packed workout. The circular motions work the chest area, shoulders, and the triceps. To keep from getting fatigued, use the circuit training method of cleaning. Wash the surfaces of the bathroom and then clean all the windows in a room. Clean the next bathroom and then clean another room of windows.

If you need to mow the lawn, think of it as an exercise activity and make it fun. To work the lower body, take longer strides when pushing the lawn mower. Pushing the lawn mower works the chest and triceps muscles.

Mowing a lawn can burn several hundred calories per hour. If you have any hills in your yard, the extra exertion means more calories burned. After a few weekends of this, you’ll be ready to buy that little black dress you’ve been wanting.

Yard work in itself is a total body workout. You dig holes, pull up weeds, plant flowers, and spread mulch. Be sure to drink plenty of water and not to overexert yourself. Take a rest and re-hydrate before continuing.

When doing yard work and chores remember to protect your back. Lift objects from a squatting position. Instead of bending over to pull weeds, kneel on a soft pad. Use proper posture whenever possible to avoid injury.

I hate cleaning the house. This is a time where I love the concept of outsourcing! My housekeepers are my favorite people. My house is 4,000 square feet so that is a lot of house to clean with my various job titles, a hubbie and 3 kids. So I will stick to my normal exercise regimen.

Who knew housework could put curves in all the right places? Have fun with it. Turn on some tunes and boogie to the music as you clean the house.

Are You a Fit Yummy Mummy?

Exercise & Spend Time with Your Kids

Want a way to get some exercise without feeling like exercising? Try bike riding. You can workout, talk, and take in the scenery all at the same time. What’s more, the kids can enjoy a ride, too.

Busy moms find it hard to find time to exercise. If you are a working mom, childcare may be the issue. If you are a stay at home mother, the reason may be the same. Who will watch the kids while I take the time to exercise?

Don’t worry. There are some physical activities that can be done with the kids along no matter what their age. Younger kids don’t have to pose a problem for moms who want to lose baby weight but didn’t have the means to join a gym.

Invest in a jog stroller. These strollers are designed for physical activity with young children. Moms can walk, jog, or run with the stroller with ease. The design accounts for a runner’s stride and the jerking motions. Kids, especially babies, like motion. Sitting, in a stroller, while mom makes her way around the neighborhood is like extra play time to them. Oftentimes the motion will put a baby right to sleep.

If the kids are school age, buy them a good pair of walking shoes and hit the nearest park. Use the time to discuss your child’s day at school or to answer the millions of questions young kids always seem to ask. As a bonus, you are getting a chance to spend time with your child in a healthy way.

For longer distances, try bike riding. Bike riding works better with children who are at least a year and a half to two years old. They have better motor control to sit up in the carrier seat and can tell you if they have a problem. That just leaves finding a helmet to fit their little heads.

Older kids can ride their own bikes along side of you through the neighborhood. Make sure they have the appropriate pads and helmet in case of accident. Bicycle riding works the muscles of the lower body so mom can work on her weight loss as she spends some time with the kids.

Teenagers may not want to bike through the neighborhood with mom. Introduce them to mountain biking. Both of you will see it as a challenge and the teens won’t mind being seen with you. You may not be able to sit down for the first few days, but it’s all good to get your teen to spend time with you.

Walking and bike riding are two activities that can be done with the kids. They provide much needed exercise for busy moms and kids. I plan to get a bike very soon maybe for Christmas. I will have to add a seat carrier for my 3.5 yr old girl if I really want a workout.

My 7 yr old boy will be able to keep up with me pretty well. The picture above is my 7 yr old son Jayden when he was 2 yrs old. I’ve been reflecting on old pictures lately and just love this one. My 14 yr old boy will probably leave us in the dust but that’s ok. As long as he gets out there. At times they join me in my home workouts so this can be a new way to get some fresh air at the same time.

How I Lost 12 lbs in 2 weeks!

Who Says Moms Can’t Coach?

Dads are not the only ones that want to stay active. Moms do too. More and more women are taking part in sports as a way of staying fit and making friends.

Moms are no longer housebound women. Stay at home or working mothers want to divide their time between family and outside interests. Those interests at times include sports.

Friendly competition is healthy. Community sports teams give adults a chance to explore new and under used talents. Women, specifically moms are coming out of the stands and joining the team.
Guess what? Moms are finding out that they are pretty darn good athletes.

Even their children are cheering them on as they cross that finish line or slide into home plate. The new self confidence can fuel new romantic sparks with dad as well.

Moms are also getting involved in sports where they are a team of one. Some of these activities include rock climbing, mountain biking, and swimming. The one-on-one competition is good for mom and the kids. They learn that giving up is not an option and to keep going until they reach success.

Sports can range from the tame to the rigorous. Moms are taking up basketball, volleyball, bowling, and softball. Intramural sporting events create bonds between women that last beyond the game.
What are some benefits of Sports?

Friendship. Moms form friendships with other moms. This is therapeutic especially for the single mothers. These friendships represent a greater network of support for themselves and their children.

Confidence. Moms are exploring a new side to their lives. Increased confidence in the sporting arena leads to increased confidence in other areas of their lives. This includes on the job and within the home.

A Positive Example. Getting older doesn’t have to mean that life is over or going down hill. Kids will be able to see that motherhood doesn’t have to stop them from accomplishing goals. Having children is an honor not a hurdle to be overcome.

Challenge. Moms test their own fortitude when they get involved in sports. The main competition is against one’s self. We strive to better ourselves with each new task we take on. Sport creates success in life and health.

Stress Reduction. Participating in sports reduces stress. Through healthy competition, moms can work off their frustrations from the day. By the end of the game, match, or run, mom feels better and better able to handle what comes next.

Women in sports view taking care of themselves as a priority in life. Without a strong mind and body, they are no good to their families. Their kids will draw strength from the strength they gain through sports.

I personally have played sports all my life. I have been involved with bowling, T-ball, softball, gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, basketball and track and field. I plan to coach some of my kids teams which will be a great way to incorporate exercise especially when I make it a point to do the drills with them.

Sports has built a solid self-esteem for me as well as a healthy conscious way of life. I’ve been lean and mean most of my life with the most weight gain being during my pregnancies. I’m working on losing that extra baby flab (mostly on my belly and thighs) but I’ve lost 12 lbs so it’s a work in progress.

 
How I Lost 12 lbs in 2 weeks!

I’m Losing Inches!

I really need to keep track of how many inches that I’ve lost. I have certain pants that were really, really tight that are fitting great now. I have some pants that are literally sagging off my waistline. There have been many times where I’ve done the wrong excercise for a certain area of my body.

I have the leftover pregnancy belly pooch and I would do a bunch of crunches with no result. I’ve finally been reading and doing my research that I’ve gotta work my core to start losing in that area. I want to share the core workouts that I’ve been doing for the past month that have brought drastic results to my waistline and my belly area. I hope these videos can do the same for you:

Cardio Core  (10 minutes)

10 Minute Mommy Core Workout

Total Mommy Tone Up (20 minutes)

Cardio Sport (20 minutes)

Major Metabolism Booster (20 minutes)

Fat Burn (20 minutes)

These videos are perfect for the on-the-go mom or just the on-the-go person.  I usually combine a 10 minute workout with a 20 minute one. However, I have to admit that there are times when I’ve been totally exhausted after a 20 minute workout and I just move on to my next busy agenda item for the day. I’m having fun in my personal home gym and look forward to my weigh in tomorrow.

How I Lost 12 lbs in 2 weeks!

Which Fitness Exercise Do You Find Effective?

Losing fats is not an easy thing to do. You will have to make sacrifices with the food you eat or the food that you do not have to eat. You will also have to make changes in your lifestyle. However, following a food plan doesn’t have to be as hard as most plans. There is a computerized plan that allows you choose from a number of items that you buy from your local grocery store.  The plan encourages you to follow the plan for 11 days with 3 days of anything goes within portion moderation. Then you can choose another plan of different items for your next 11 days. I personally have been losing weight at surprising rates so far. I lost 7 lbs my 1st week and 5 lbs the 2nd week.

You also need to work hard with the exercises you have to go through to lose all the unwanted fats you have in your body. In 1999, Billy Blanks, a former tae kwon do jin, developed Tae Bo, which is now regarded as one of the most effective fat loss exercises. Tae Bo is actually a combination of two sports, tae kwon do and boxing. Blanks has also made an acronym about this exercise which went, Total Awareness Excellence Body Obedience (a little cheesy, but it is what you will get as you get into this program). Movements in Tae Bo involve most of the movements you will see in other martial arts such as throwing and grappling. Although it took inspiration from two combative sports, tae bo should not be mistaken as something you can use during a fight. It is purely for exercise and fitness purposes. Tae Bo is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise and it tones your muscles. You sweat a lot while doing the moves in this exercise and you burn your fats. Shaquille O’Neal, Goldie Hawn, and Paula Abdul have attributed their great bodies partly to tae bo. And well we all know how great they look.

Another one of the better-known fat loss exercises is resistance training, which makes up most my workouts. You can do this with the help of friction machines, hydraulic machines, and most importantly, weights. Weights are very essential in this exercise and they should also correspond to your own body weight. As you do resistance training, you develop more muscles, you sweat a lot, and you burn calories and unwanted fats. You also develop better metabolism since you have more muscles in your body now. If you are a female, you do not have to worry about looking like some bodybuilder because of doing resistance training. You will drop the fats, gain some muscles, but the muscles will not be exaggerated in your appearance. Aside from building muscles resistance training has other benefits including lowering blood pressure and build bones, and saving you from osteoporosis.

Definitely one of the most popular exercises is aerobics. Dr. Kenneth Cooper of the San Antonio Air Force Hospital is regarded as the father of aerobics. He developed this exercise to tackle coronary artery disease. He even published a book on this exercise and it became an instant success. It is a fun workout to do, and is enjoyed by a number of people all around the world. It has even become a pop culture phenom as different media like television, movies, and music videos have drawn inspiration from this activity. It has also developed into other forms like dance aerobics, step aerobics, water aerobics, and the most recent, hip-hop aerobics which is my personal favorite. There are even aerobic competitions that are held annually. Which fitness exercise program has worked the best for you?

Who Needs a Gym Membership?

What’s your biggest excuse for not exercising? Let’s hear it! I’M TOO BUSY! There is work, children, homework, laundry, house cleaning and dinner to make. Who has time to work out? I’ve found the perfect solution. It has been working so well for my family. My solution is Exercise On Demand on Cable TV. I specifically have Time Warner Cable but I hear Direct TV has a similar channel.  I’m sure other providers have one if you call your local cable provider.

I can choose the specific areas that I want to work on and change my routine every day. I can also download my favorite workouts on Exercise TV. My kids have fun with it too and work out with me. This is so good for them to understand the importance of exercise. It also gets them away from the TV and work off some energy.

I have 5 lb dumbells, a small ball to use for core workouts, a jump rope and 3 different size stretch bands. I haven’t had to go into a gym and I love it! I hate leaving my kids behind so I’m enjoying the best of both worlds. Fat loss is definitely easier with a great exercise program. Start your program today.