Playground Quickie | Werkit Out Wednesday

You guys hear me say it all the time. You don't need fancy equipment to make a workout happen. 

Shit, you don't even need a sitter! 

(but it would be nice i'mma right?!)

It warp speed ... I kid. But seriously, here's a 20 minute workout in a few seconds.

I ran to the nearby park with my two youngest kiddos and did this as one napped in her stroller and the other played.

15 standing pull-ups using playground equipement

20 step-ups (10 each leg) using playground stairs (or bench)

10 elevated push-ups using bench

25 v-ups using bench

20 bicycle crunches

Repeat 3 times

Get out there and Werkit Out Peeps!!!

As always, I am not a trained exercise coach. I am not a doctor. I assume no liability to any injuries you may endure. You should seek medical advice if you are planning on starting a new exercise regiment. I'm just here to show you there are options to get in a workout while being a busy mom. 

A Picture Doesn't Lie | "Werkit" Out Wednesday

I have a confession to make guys.

I don’t see the point of eating healthy and working out regularly.

I mean, if I'm working out I feel like I should be able to eat anything I want.

Makes sense right?

However, I'm getting - ahem -  older and it’s much harder to work off the food that I've just inhaled.

AKA - cookies, hamburgers, tamales, tacos, cake ... I could go on and on. 

My pants weren't fitting like they used to and I knew I had to do something about it.

I decided to do a two month challenge with a group of people who shared the same goals as I did, including my husband.

And you know what? It wasn't horrible. 

It was nice because I wasn’t the only one being held accountable for what I consumed. I had to be held accountable to my group because we wanted to win. We weren’t winning anything personally for ourselves - meaning money for us. We were actually going to be winning the right to choose which charity we wanted our "buy-in" money to go to.

Not only were we helping ourselves get healthier, we were also helping a charity of our choice. 

If I cheated on a meal or I cheated on a work out, it wasn't just me I was cheating on but the entire group as well. And that appeared to be the consensus throughout the group.

I suggest getting with a group and try to earn towards a goal together. Especially if you really, really, really want to meet your goal. 

Anyway, we had to take pictures every week to show the scale number and also pictures of our body. It was not a pretty sight because I couldn't look at myself, let alone show others what I looked like. My body has been so stretched over the years that it is really hard to be proud of what the body can do. It truly is amazing that three children were MADE inside me and I'm so proud of that. 

Confession - Though, a part of me will always grimace at the sight of the stretch marks or the sagging skin. (I'm really working towards loving myself the way I am.)

Let me tell you though, taking pictures every so often to show your progress is what everyone needs to do to visually see what is happening to your body. It's not all about the number on the scale!

I told my coach that I wanted one of those awesome before-and-after pictures that I see all the time on TV or through health groups. Even though my change wasn’t significant within those two months of the challenge, I could see a difference and that’s what kind of pumped me up. 

I ended up losing quite a few inches around my waist and some pounds. I was (and still am) pretty proud of myself. I was proud of my husband. I was proud of my team. We had all done really well. (even though we didn't win)

What really got me was when a Facebook memory showed up. It was a picture of me holding my six week baby girl at one of my recent workout groups. Yes, I had just been cleared to workout and yes, I just had a baby. But I quickly scrolled over to another recent picture of me at one of my running group meetups. The change was amazing.

It was crazy. I could see the difference. I was rounder in the before and I had defiantly thinned out in the more recent image. 

The weekly pictures from the challenge showed my slow progress. But the year difference photo showed my success!

Take your progress pics guys. It will pump you up! 

A picture doesn't lie!

Make it Work | Werkit Out Wednesday

I went to Fort Bragg for a (almost) month long TDY. I was staying in a hotel that had a gym ... but the  "gym" had a treadmill, a stationary bike, and a mat. 

That's it.

I was like, "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?!"

I did run the treadmill a couple times. But I hated it. Yes, there was a TV but you can only stay content running in one place for so long. I think the longest I ran was 2 miles on that thing.

I tried the bike ... but meh. Same thing. I'm not cut out for stationary workout equipment. I'm just not that person.

I was in NC when Hurricane Florence decided to rear her ugly head. We had odd clouds, sprinkling ( and later drenching) rains but for the most part. We got lucky. 

There was flooding after the storm due to overfull rivers and low lying lands. 

BUT leading up to the storm and during ... it wasn't so bad.

I say this because ... this is another excuse used a lot when it comes to not working out. 

The weather.

(and lack of equipment)

Welp, ladies (and gents) - I made a good 30 minute workout using only this:

and these:

How you may ask??

I sprinted the length of the hotel parking lot.

Did tricep dips off the tiny curb ...

"Kettlebell swings" with this concrete block thingy ...

AND REPEATED x4.

Until it started to rain on me ... and then I headed indoors to the echoing stairwell and ran these 8 steps multiple times. 

I was sweaty and I was tired and I burned about 200 calories. 

Guys. It's possible.

Weather was against me. The equipment wasn't there.... 

But I did it! You can too!

Werkit out!

Involve the Kids | ‘Werkit Out Wednesday

I know, I know, I haven't been posting my workouts on here for you guys. I've been sucking at that lately. But never fear -- I have been working out and just wanted to give you guys some words of encouragement.

Plus, one tip.

I don't want to workout everyday. And so I don't. 

Sometimes I feel bad about it. Sometimes I'm like, "That was a good choice." 

The kids are cranky. I'm tired. The television is very welcoming. The phone's glow is intriguing. 

I mean there are numerous excuses I can tell you why I didn't workout.

The kicker though? What am I reflecting upon my children by making up these excuses .... and mostly because I use them as the excuse the majority of the time.

I'm not being the best role model I can be. And I mean, I can have rough days. Sick Days. Mental Days. I can, but one turns into two turns into a week turns into a 3 month cookie binge. 

This is MY personal experience. You know you best. But for me - excuses get the best of me. (turning  me in the worst of me)

Here's the most important part of this post though, you don't have to blame the kids make excuses.

You can be a great role model AND get your workout on!

How?

GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED!

What are you saying Shari?!

I know, it sounds counterproductive. I know my kiddos drive me nuts when I'm trying to workout. They magically want every snack in the house that they CAN'T reach. They need their butt wiped. They want my to read to them. I have become their personal jungle gym. I mean, I could go on and on.

But the number one reason why moms don't work out (in my non-statistically/non-fact checking brain logic) is that they say they have no time because the kids take up all their free time.

Well, get them involved! I mean it!

You guys know already, that I push mine in the stroller all the time. But sometimes they just wanna workout with you and that's okay! You may not be doing as heavy a lift. Or as many rounds/reps you wanted - but you're moving. You're bonding.

That's what a postpartum (ANY) workout is all about!

I know my middle boy always wants to work out (to some extent) with me and I know my little girl is always curious as to why mommy is all sweaty! ;) My eldest runs 5ks with me and even though he complains 80% of the way, he loves crossing that finish line and earning that medal.

1st place in his age group during the El Paso/Mexico International Run!

You're teaching them the importance of self-love and perseverance. You're teaching them to take care of their bodies and to be strong both physically and mentally. You are being the role model they deserve and need.

So get them involved!