My Struggles with My Body and My Self-Image

I have a confession to make…I absolutely hate to have my picture taken. So I will avoid it at all costs. In fact, every time I am tagged in a photo on Facebook, I immediately untag it. I don’t appreciate being put out there without permission. Okay, that’s not really what it’s all about. It is my inability to accept my body image. Because of my extreme disliking to having my photo taken, I have bypassed two opportunities in the past several years for my family to receive a free 8×10 portrait, compliments of the church I attend. You see, … Continue reading →

Benefits of Exercise When Pregnant

With three teenagers, having a baby is the last thing on my mind. But with so many women I know around me carrying a child, I was thinking about how differently I might have felt nearly 18, 15 and 13 years ago when I was pregnant if I had been more active. Exercise may be the last thing on earth you feel like doing when you are pregnant. You may be dealing with nausea and a lack of energy. You may feel big as a house. But many of the aches and pains that come along with pregnancy could be … Continue reading →

Using Faith in Fitness

I am very excited about next Monday as I will be posting a blog on a review I am doing for a book called “Made to Crave” written by Lysa TerKeurst, who is President of Proverbs 31 Ministries. Until then I wanted to give this little teaser. Lysa TerKeurst was recently a guest blogger on CNN’s Belief blogs called, “My Take: When the Fat Girl Got Mad at God.” I can’t recommend the blog enough. Lysa gets real about her struggle with food and how her faith has helped her to overcome unhealthy eating habits. The blog stirred some controversy. … Continue reading →

Women’s Athletica: A Great New Online Resource for Women

Always on the lookout for helpful fitness resources, I just recently read about something new online. It is Women’s Athletica and is something definitely worth checking out. Women’s Athletica is a health, fitness and lifestyle blog and ezine. It covers virtually every topic related to women. Here is an idea of some of the topics available: fitness, nutrition, weight loss, yoga, running, health, emotional health, anti-aging and sports. It is then broken down into more specific categories that again, are all related to women’s issues such as sex and sexuality, fashion and injuries. It has so much information that I … Continue reading →

Fitness for Busy Moms

If you are a busy mom you know that finding time to exercise is not easy to come by. Now that my children are older, I have more time but I do recall those days when they were younger and how difficult it was to squeeze in. Right now exercising in the morning is best for me. But that doesn’t work for everyone, especially moms who are oftentimes tending to children even before the crack of dawn. So don’t get too wrapped up in what time you exercise. As long as you get some exercise in, it really doesn’t matter … Continue reading →

Menopause Will Not Win This Battle

I have recently learned that menopause and losing weight don’t exactly mix. While I am striving to change my lifestyle a little here and a little there, I am also battling another war waging within my body…menopause. Unfortunately, with menopause oftentimes comes weight gain. Some statistics say that about 90% of menopausal women can expect to gain weight between the ages of 35 and 55. And many experts believe that women are not to blame for this, that it is related to shifting hormones more than overeating. I guess that gives me some comfort but at the same time, does … Continue reading →

A Review of Tracy Anderson’s “Post- Pregnancy Workout ”

Tracy Anderson is a trainer to celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. I read about her success with her star clients and was very eager to try her “Post-Pregnancy Workout.” However, I have tried a lot of videos in my day, and was very skeptical about Anderson’s. Still, I only heard great things about her exercise method and decided to give it a try. Anderson combines dance aerobics (sold separately) with toning exercises (“Post-Pregnancy Workout”). She incorporates small weights (2-3 pounds) in an attempt to sculpt long lean muscles and to avoid the bulky look. I took dance as a … Continue reading →

Safety Tips on Jogging With a Stroller: Part II

Jogging with your baby is great exercise for Moms. It will help you to lose any weight that you might have put on when you were pregnant. It will help to tone your muscles and enjoy the company of your child while you exercise. In Part I we discussed safety tips while jogging with baby. Other additional safety tips include: * Be sure to strap your baby in the jogging stroller completely to avoid any injury. If your baby is not strapped in he or she may fall out of the stroller while you are jogging. Little fingers also have … Continue reading →

Safety Tips on Jogging With a Stroller: Part I

Jogging with your baby in tow is a great exercise workout. The additional jogging with the stroller will result in more calorie burning and set a good example for your growing child that fitness is important. When jogging with a stroller there are some important safety rules that you should always take note of: * Read up on and review the jogging strollers before you buy. Make sure that you are buying the right jogging stroller for you and your baby. Remember that safety is the most important issue when buying a jogging stroller. * Packing your supplies requires thinking … Continue reading →

Biggest Fitness Mistakes

If you are a female looking to lose weight as expeditiously as possible, a new study says you need to kick up your fitness routine. Researchers say that one of the biggest mistakes women make at the gym, is thinking their available workout time is best spent completing cardio exercises — often at the same pace the entire time. However, studies show rather than doing 45 minutes of cardio work at a steady (and relatively easy) pace, women can burn more fat and calories if they complete intense cardio work, and also incorporate some strength exercises. Bottom line: Women, who … Continue reading →