Baby"Boo"Camp: Lunge with a Twist

Don't stop the momentum you've got going, and hey! Step away from that Kit-Kat, slowly, easy, set it down, walk away . . . that's it, easy now . . . now go pick up that hefty pumpkin for some:

Lunges with a Twist

To begin your lunge, bring pumpkin up over your head, making sure you have a firm but comfortable grasp  on the pumpkin (or any other weight you choose)

As you lower into a lunge keep your weight in the heel of your front foot, as you bring the pumpkin down and across to the outside of your ankle as demonstrated here. 

Firmly plant the heel of the front foot and drive the weight down through your heel and bring the pumpkin back up and lift over your head as come to standing again.

Lower and repeat, alternating legs, as you sing "The Ants Go Marching" to your little one. 

Baby "Boo" Camp: Wall Squats & Whole Body Alphabet

I know, you just had to have another Kit-Kat (those things are like crack, I swear. I mean . . . I've heard . . .), so if you're feeling a little guilty about over-indulging, pick up that spare pumpkin you have from your front porch, and take a seat against the wall for some good old fashioned Wall Squats. And if you're baby is fussy, use him/her instead of the pumpkin (and use your discretion on raising baby up and down like you would the pumpkin). 

 

 

Lower body down at wall with knees at 90 degree angle and back against wall. Push through heels and extend arms straight out holding pumpkin.

Slowly lift arms straight up and return to start position. Make sure to not swing arms!

While you do this sing the itsy bitsy spider to your child as you slowly raise the pumpkin up and down, take a break at the end of the song, and do it two more times.

 

I don't have pictures for this one, but its too fun not to include. 

 

Whole body Alphabet

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, slight bend to knees. Hold pumpkin with both hands straight out in front. Draw navel to spine and use pumpkin to "draw" letters. Use your entire body. For A, start down at your foot by squatting low and then reach up with pumpkin with hands over head to engage shoulders, then back down squatting to your other foot and twisting to reach your feet, back up and cross over your body across your middle to complete the A. Continue with each letter, making sure to use your entire body when making the letters. Don't forget to sing along to your child the Leapfrog Learning Alphabet song, that goes something like this: "Every letter makes a sound, the A says "Ah!" and so on and so forth through the alphabet.   

Baby "Boo" Camp: Squats with Pumpkin Raises

Keeping with the Halloween themed exercises here we have squats with forward pumpkin raises to help burn off all that Halloween candy that you just had to "confiscate" because they weren't safe for kid consumption ;) . 

Raise pumpkins above overhead, making sure you have a comfortable but firm grim on the gourds.

Sink your bottom as low as you can, pushing back on your heals, and bringing the pumpkin down as you see the mom's demonstrating here, then back up again lifting with your toes for an added challenge.

For those of you doing these at home: do 3 sets of 15 repetitions each, and just tell me that you don't feel the burn!

Baby "Boo" Camp: Tricep Presses with Pumpkins

Happy Halloween moms!  This holiday season, don't take a break from exercise, incorporate your decorations, or your child's craft into your exercises as we did in our Baby "Boo" Camp class this past Wednesday and Saturday.  The pumpkins may not look intimidating, but by the end of class none of the moms could look at pumpkins the same again! And neither will you.  Stay tuned, as I will post several different exercises in different post.


Tricep presses with pumpkins while squatting:

Hold pumpkin comfortably with both hands overhead, remembering to keep elbows in. 

The pumpkins (or other festive weights) should be lowered slowly until the elbow forms a ninety degrees angle,  then raise the weights slowly.

Try them out for yourself and you won't be disappointed. These were smaller than I was hoping to get (they were donated to our class, but beggars can't be choosers), and even still they added just enough extra weight through each of our sets that we felt the effect of those pumpkins still in the days that followed.
For those of you that can't make it to class, try this exercise with 3 sets of 15 repetitions each.

The Best Headphones for Your Workout

I don't know about you, but those earpieces never stay in properly when I work out. I hate wasting time fiddling with keeping the headphones in my ears, or having them fall out completely while my hands are otherwise occupied.  Check out this piece from Fitness Magazine to find out which earpieces will help keep you from fiddling with your ear pieces and so you can keep pumping that iron.

These camouflaged headphones are just one of the top picks

Foods that Help Fight Illness

Cold season is upon us, bringing its runny noses, congested chests, achy bodies, and too-tired feelings with it. Your best defense? Try to prevent yourself from catching a cold by washing your hands frequently (don't be tricked by the antibacterial gels, which may kill some germs, but leave them all over your hands still. Hand washing with soap and water is key), getting enough rest, drinking lots of fluids, and staying active. But when you catch a cold, you need more immediate relief. That's where these snacks come in. Each of them is packed with cold-fighting vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that may help make your cold less severe. Read on for our six feel-better snack picks:

Vegetarian Chili

A spicy veggie chili made with onions, garlic, kidney beans, and tomato paste not only warms up a cold-afflicted body, it may also have medicinal properties! Onions and garlic have antiviral effects, beans have good-for-the-immune-system B vitamins, and the spices can actually help clear sinuses!
Recommended serving size: 1 cup canned vegetarian chili
Calories: 160

Fresh Clementines

Despite all the controversy surrounding vitamin C's effect on colds, recent research shows that while this powerhouse antioxidant can't prevent them, it can help cut down on the duration and severity of colds. Clementines are a great source of vitamin C -- two fulfill 100 percent of your RDA. What's more, clementines are easy to pack and eat (no sticky fingers, since their skins peel off effortlessly).

Recommended serving size: 2 clementines

Calories: 138

Half a Roast Beef Sandwich

Another mineral that can help stop a cold: Zinc. It plays a big role in immune system functioning and has been shown to stop the growth of microorganisms in the body, including some bacteria and viruses (and a virus is what causes colds). Both roast beef and whole grain bread are great sources of zinc; put them together, and you've got a powerful cold-fighting snack.
Recommended serving size: 2 ounces lean roast beef on 1 slice whole wheat bread
Calories: about 210

Chicken Soup

Believe it or not, your grandmother was right: Chicken soup is the perfect snack when you've got a cold! Not only is the warm broth comforting and soothing (essential when you're feeling run down and uncomfortable), research at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha showed that chicken soup helps control the production and spread of inflammation and congestion-causing neutrophils (white blood cells). A cup of this soup gives you the perfect "dose."
Recommended serving size: 1 cup
Calories: about 190

 

Tuna Salad

Packed with glutamine, an amino acid that helps step up your immune system's efficiency, tuna is a great pick when you're sick. Research at the University of Oxford showed that athletes who ingested glutamine after workouts were less likely to get an upper respiratory infection than those who didn't; for regular folk, glutamine could have the same beneficial effects. Mix your tuna with a tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise and serve it on 6 whole-grain crackers for a healthy mini-meal.
Recommended serving size: 1 6-ounce can of tuna packed in water with 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise and 6 whole-grain crackers
Calories: 290

Ginger Tea with Gingersnaps

Ginger helps relieve congestion and has a soothing, spicy taste. To make a throat-calming, congestion-busting tea, steep chopped raw ginger in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Make your teatime a little sweeter by adding a teaspoon of honey to the brew and two crunchy gingersnap cookies on the side.

Recommended serving size: 1 cup of tea with 1 teaspoon honey and 2 gingersnaps
Calories: about 85

Originally published on FitnessMagazine.com, January 2006.

BabyBootCamp® Conference

This last week I was able to attend the Baby Boot Camp conference in Sarasota Florida! I have so many new moves and programs I can't wait to share with all of you!

First of all become a follower of our facebook page.   And if you haven't yet, come to one of our classes!  You won't regret it!

A little peak at a push up "Karna Camp" style on the beaches of Sarasota. The sand? Yeah, not nearly as glamorous as it might first appear.

 Karna Camp, in case you were wondering, is small group training  for women.If you already love Restore the Core, just wait for Karna Camp - high intensity interval training - coming to Lodi this October! 

Restore the Core is mat-based pilates sytle core classes, and nutrition solutions is four weeks of intensive nutrition. Learn more about Karna Camp by checking out our facebook profile page

So many good things coming your way this October, stay tuned!