If you find yourself complaining about the small things in life,  I highly encourage you get the book Rodeo in Joliet.   I must warn you though, you will need to get a Costco size box of tissues on hand while you are reading.

Rodeo in Juliet is a memoir by Glenn Rockowitz, who was diagnosed with cancer just days before the birth of his child.  He was given ‘three months at best’.   Glenn chronicles his story with such honesty and raw emotion that you will literally be hanging onto the edge of your chair.  I could not put this book down even though at times I wanted to throw it out the window.   I’ve watched someone die from cancer and this book brought all of those emotions and memories right back up to the surface.

Sometimes it’s a reality check we all need.   Life is about living.  Take time every single day to love, cherish, hug and thank those around you because you never know what tomorrow might bring.

Glenn’s story will help you put all the small things in life into perspective.

So get up and get out of your chair today.  Log off from that computer and go spend time with the people you love.
Life is so very short.

You can find Glenn’s book on Amazon.

Get $10 off

your first order of diapers

use code workoutmom$49 min. total order

Disclosure:  I received his book for free but with no obligation to review it.  I read it in one day because I simply could not put it down. I highly encourage you to put it on your reading list.

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Perspective

Here are my workout tools for the day. (kettlebells and Lauren Brooks’ DVD)
Very simple, yet very challenging.

Still not sure if  kettlebells can get you into awesome shape?  Watch this video of Lauren demonstrating the Turkish Get up.   Aside from her amazing strength, I love the fact that her daughter is in the background.   She is definitely one fit mommy!

Be sure to visit On the Edge Fitness for more about Lauren and her workshops and DVDs.

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Mommy workout with Lauren Brooks

I love to wear hats, especially my beat up old Nike hat.  It’s my go to accessory when I am running out the door and haven’t had time to brush my hair. (pretty much every single day!)

It doesn’t work well during my workouts at LA Boxing though.   The hat sometimes gets in the way.  Or falls off.  Or just makes my head too hot.   And when you have big fat gloves on, it’s impossible to readjust the hat.

So I came across the website for Sweaty Bands and decided to try them out.  I now have a new love!    They are perfect for working out or just wearing around.   They come in tons of different colors and styles and they do not slip off while you are working out.  They keep both my hair and my sweat from getting in my eyes!

I love wearing them outside of the gym as well.   Not only do they not slip but they don’t hurt your head after wearing them all day, like my other headbands.

Don’t believe me?  Check out what all these other women had to say about them.

So I definitely give Sweaty Bands a big thumbs up.    Want one of your own?  I have one sweaty bands to give away to a lucky reader!   Leave me a comment below telling what was your favorite post (of mine) from the month of June.

Winner will be chosen at random on Friday, July 30th at 9pm EST.  This contest is open to US addresses only.

Can’t wait for the contest to end?  Click the image below and use code ‘buy-now’ to get 5% off your order today!

Disclosure: The featured product for this review was provided to me, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. I was not paid for this post, this is my honest opinion.

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Sweaty bands

Today’s guest post is courtesy of Nolan O’Brien, who lives in San Francisco and works for Healthline.com.  He is an avid cyclist (doesn’t own a car), an urban gardener and passionate about active living and eating healthy and local veggies.

When I consider taking the stairs instead of the escalator, biking to work, checking out a yoga class, or walking to the grocery store, there is always that devil on my shoulder telling me to choose the “easy” way out: “Take the escalator; drive everywhere; watch a movie; order delivery.”

It’s a daily battle of choices.  For this reason (maybe you’ll agree with me) “active living” seems less a “lifestyle”, and more a “state of mind”.  It takes discipline, control and often times inspiration.   It’s easier to find time to walk when a friend or family member accompanies you, isn’t it?  Why is that?  Peer pressure, or (maybe) is it a little dose of inspiration?

I think it’s the latter.  That’s why essential for my “active living” are people who inspire me to be greater and healthier.  When faced with those (seemingly) simple decisions – to walk or to drive – I look to the people in my community: what are my friends choosing to do; (or often more powerful) what are strangers choosing to do?

Lately I’ve been learning a lot of fibromyalgia inflammation.  If you are not familiar with Fibromyalgia, here is a quick synopsis; it is an invisible illness that has no known cause and is identifiable by its symptoms: long-term and chronic joint and muscle pain.  What do I mean by “invisible”?  We don’t know why people with fibromyalgia feel pain.  Physically everything (even when examined by doctors) looks OK: there are no strained muscles, bruises, bone fractures or physical stresses of any kind.  In fact, many people suffering with fibromyalgia are told by doctors, “nothing appears to be wrong with you”.  It has only been recently that some studies are finding that the cause may pertain to neurological or chemical problems in the brain – but nothing is yet certain.

Let’s return to those simple decisions: to drive or to walk; to yoga or to “t.v”.  If faced with fibromyalgia, the decision becomes even more difficult.   Yet for people suffering with fibromyalgia, the decision is even more important.

There are no cures for fibromyalgia – only opportunities to reduce pain.  And while there are a few drugs out there for medicating pain symptoms, the more effective treatments are physical: stretching, physical therapy, exercise and yoga.  It sounds evil, doesn’t it?  The best way to reduce physical pain is to engage in physical exercise – astounding!  Yet every day, thousands and thousands of people suffering from fibromyalgia wake up and make that tough choice: to walk.

And they get the other benefits of active living too: active living prevents disease; improves mental capacity, memory and focus; helps maintain healthy body weight; builds appetite (and presents an opportunity to eat well); reduces stress; and many other benefits.

So next time you’re battling a decision, look to your neighbors, friends and community.  That’s what I do.  See that person biking by on their way to work.  What are they struggling with?  What decisions are they battling?  It’s impossible to infer the battle, but you know which side won.

photo credit: earcos

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Fibromyalgia and Active Living

It is time for another installment of “One Fit Mommy Daddy”!  As I surf around the blogosphere, I come across fit moms (and dads too!) who inspire me to fitness. From there, I hunt them down and force them to tell me their secrets, which I then share with you!

Today’s fit dad is Tony, who blogs over at The Anti-Jared. Tony is a busy dad who has lost over 200 POUNDS thanks to healthy eating and exercise. If you are not a reader of Tony’s blog, you must go (now!) and start reading. I love his no-nonsense approach to getting healthy and his tweets always crack me up.

Please read on for more about Tony and why he is definitely “One Fit Daddy!”

Q: What inspired you to live a fit lifestyle?

Well, first off let me tell you how much I love Workoutmommy.com. Lisa, I have known you for some time, and I love your dedication to being a great mother and workout enthusiast.

I guess I was inspired by my family. When I hit my heaviest weight, it was not about being fat anymore, but being healthy. I started to work out and fell in love with it. It is so much fun! I know my eating portions will need some discipline, but I feel with my workouts, I can be the “total package” when it comes to health.

Q: What advice do you have for parents who claim they don’t have time for exercise?

Find time. Make time. Do whatever! Most gyms have a little daycare. There is a Wii, a park, a neighborhood to walk around. Take your husband, wife, kids. I work 65 hours a week. I “parent” my son and do a lot for my wife. I workout at least two hours a day. But I sacrifice. i make time.
Q: Are you more of a strength training dad or cardio dad?

Good question! I think I am a little of both dad! I love cardio, but I am not a runner. I use the Stairmaster or the Arctrainer. I also work out with free weights. I do not believe in machines. But if I had to choose, I would say i am a strength training dad!

Q: What is your favorite exercise and why?

Squats! I love working out my legs. I love the feel of the weight on my back (no pad). I have strong legs. Plus, it works out my abs!

Q: How about your least favorite?

None! I love it all.

Q: Do you have any mental tricks that you use when you just don’t feel like working out?

This is a funny question. I hear how people dread the gym. They hate it. They have a love/hate relationship with it. I love going to the gym. I love listening to music. I do a little Twitter and Facebook while I do cardio  (Real fun, and I ask great questions!). Work out with a friend, maybe think about it as alone time.

Q: What is your favorite snack food?

Hard Boiled Eggs!

Thank you Tony for being an inspiration for everyone!

Ok gang, it’s time for YOU to get up and get moving!  NO excuses!

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The Anti-Jared is one fit daddy!

This is a guest article from Lauren Brooks, a Russian Kettlebell Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Clinical Nutritionist based out of San Diego, California. She offers online nutrition and workout programs. You can contact her at Lauren@socaltrainer.com or visit On the Edge Fitness

Whether you just had a baby or have been enjoying motherhood for many years, we all have something in common. We put our children first and tend to neglect ourselves. The biggest complaints I hear from moms are, “I can’t seem to get the fat off my midsection,” “I just don’t have two hours a day to spend in the gym.”

Well, I’m here to give you some wonderful news. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to get rid of the fat that you accumulated during your pregnancies. You can start by training with kettlebells which takes no time at all. Here are some of the reasons why kettlebell training is perfect for a mom.

Kettlebells kill two birds with one stone
With kettlebell exercises you are able to get your heart rate up, more than any machine in a fancy gym, while strengthening and sculpting your entire body.

Get in and get out
Workout sessions can be effective anywhere between 10 and 40 minutes. Efficiency is everything with being a mom, since time is so limited. Being able to do 1 single work out session in such a short amount of time that targets all of your fitness goals, is enough of a reason to start using a kettlebell. You can sneak 10-20 minutes before your kids wake up, during their nap, or right after they go to bed. No excuses not to give yourself that small amount of time!

A kettlebell is a complete handheld gym
You can bring them on any trip and never be stuck without your home gym. You can use it outside at the park, on the beach, in a hotel room, or anywhere you want.

Kettlebell training will help tighten up your stretched out stomach muscles
After pregnancy the stomach muscles are left weak and stretched out. The transverse abdominus muscles, which are the muscles that wrap around your midsection, get stronger and tighter with kettlebell exercises.

You will lose the junk and tighten your trunk
The mommy flat butt will start to reshape into more of a muscular and firm rear end. You will start feeling amazing when you put your old jeans on and your butt is higher up. (Beware: your firm butt may start attracting eyes and hands!)

Kettlebells are fun
Kettlebell workouts can vary so much you never get bored. You can keep them short and intense without getting that burnout feeling you do from being inside of a gym for several hours at a time.

You will not look like a bodybuilder!
When working with kettlebells you are using all of your muscles. You are strengthening your entire body, not isolating one muscle at a time. This is a much more functional way to train than the typical bodybuilding style. When you start isolating a single muscle and break down the muscle fibers, you can get the bulky muscles that body builders strive for. With kettlebell training that will not happen! You will get stronger, leaner and denser.

Your metabolism will increase
When you start working out with kettlebells your body starts turning in to a fat burning machine. You are developing dense muscles which require much more energy. In addition, more and more studies are showing that short bursts of intense exercises, such as interval training, will have your body burning for up to 24 hours after the workout. So just because you are finished with your short workout does not mean you stop burning. That’s a huge plus for anyone.

So what are you waiting for?
Working with kettlebells has changed my life. I have very little time during the day, so incorporating them in to my life has allowed me to keep a very lean and healthy physique, without putting in too much time. People are shocked when I tell them I hardly workout.

I do want to highlight the fact that I have clean eating habits. No matter what type of workout you have, if you don’t eat correctly you will find it nearly impossible to reach your final goals. Email me at Lauren@socaltrainer.com for a free workout to get you started.

*This post was originally posted in July 2008

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Why Kettlebells are Perfect for Mommies

No excuses gang!  Have an active weekend!

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Motivation

Please read that title with sarcasm!  I have a tendency to let a few curse words slip out when my kids are around, especially when I am driving.  (it was pretty bad, actually)

So I cracked up during this new video commercial from EvenFlo.

I was definitely this mother!  Until my oldest started to yell at me from the backseat “Mommy, you can’t say that, it’s a bad word!”
Yikes.
I was busted by my 4 year old!  These days I try to be much better about my choice of words.

How about you?  Ever have a “teachable” moment like in the video?

Evenflo has just released the Momentum 65 DLX Convertible Car Seat, with features that help make safety, installation and use as easy as possible for parents.  Evenflo andJuiceBoxJungle sponsored me to write this post.

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Cursing around the kids? Never!

I don’t get a chance to read many books but this one–Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving–and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity– I could not resist.  I’ve only just started reading it, but I wanted to share a few lines that made me say “YES!” out loud.

“For an overstressed, overtired, overextended mother there are few other sensations that rival a delicious run. Once the sweat starts running down my temples, I daydream, analyze, smile, wonder, channeling something cosmic. I feel alive, and most importantly, like myself again.”

This is precisely why I love running.  No matter how uncomfortable running might be these days, it is the only time of my day where I get to feel like ME again.  (not a mom, wife, servant, etc.) but just ME and MY thoughts.   It’s pure heaven. 

Now I’m off to continue reading and to hopefully get out there and run today.  How about you?

photo credit: Sangudo

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Run like a mother

There are many, many days when the last thing in the world I want to do is workout.

I am exhausted from head to toe and feel like exercising is just one more chore that I don’t want to get done. What gets me in my sneakers and out the door? Well, the fact that it’s the ONLY break I get from my kids (don’t judge!) and that I KNOW I will feel 100x better after I am done.

It is also helpful to have peer pressure from my blogging friends to help get me off the couch and motivated!
On the way to boxing class last month I was going through my shopping list in my head and figured that I could always skip class and go to Target instead. Who would know, right? Just as I was approaching Target I got a text from my bloggy friend Jen.

It read: “I don’t want to go to class tonight, please make me go”

And there it was—just the KICK IN THE PANTS that I needed! I called her back (no texting because I was driving) and simply said that since I am going to class,  so she must go as well. And so we both did. And yes, I felt much better and that Target trip would have to wait for another day.

So what’s your secret to getting off the couch and into your sneakers? Crystal Light Pure Fitness is having a sweepstakes where you have the chance to win some awesome prizes just for answering this simple question!

Please click over to Workout Mommy Reviews for all the details!

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What’s your secret to getting off the couch and into your sneakers?