04/30/2015
Fitness and Nutrition Experts Provide Year-Round Tips for Super Moms
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Throughout the year on-the-go moms across America skip meals, miss workouts and never find the time to take care of their needs, which can have a negative impact on their health and wellness. This year, Herbalife's fitness and nutrition experts offer ten wellness tips to make Mother's Day truly special and make it last more than one day.
Here are ten fitness and nutrition tips from Samantha Clayton, Herbalife director of fitness education, and Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD, director of nutrition training, to ensure mothers pamper themselves all year long.
Start the day with a healthy breakfast. Busy days can mean unpredictable eating, but if you try to start your day off right, it could set you on the right track for the rest of the day. Protein and some healthy carbs will keep you energized until lunch. Try a protein shake with fruit - it's quick, it's well balanced and it's portable.
Set a fitness goal. Improving your overall fitness level can positively impact you and the children you love so much, because the fitter you are the more easily you will be able to keep up with them and their busy schedule. Set a personal goal; do you want to be stronger, faster or have more endurance, or do you simply want to improve your energy level by being active? If you set a goal and write it down, taking the action steps to achieve it will be much easier.
Pack a lunch for yourself. Busy moms sometimes nibble throughout the day, without making time for a healthy lunch. If you're packing lunches for your kids, why not make one for yourself, too? When there's something healthy to eat waiting for you, you'll be less likely to turn to the wrong foods when you're hungry and tired.
Treat yourself to a fitness gadget or app. Now that you have set a goal for yourself, think of a way that you can monitor your progress. Investing in a simple gadget such as a pedometer or heart rate monitor may help keep you motivated and enable you to celebrate your improvements. There are several free apps for smart phones too, so spend some time on Mother's Day exploring what technology will suit your needs.
Cook once, eat twice. Whenever you're cooking, make a habit of making extra. As long as you're chopping vegetables or washing salad greens, make extra so you'll have ingredients ready for another meal the next night. Cook extra protein, too. Tonight's roasted chicken can be turned into tomorrow's soft chicken tacos.
Look for a weekly or monthly event to participate in with a friend. Having something active to look forward to with a friend will help keep you on track with your fitness plan. There are so many fun fitness events to consider, a 5K run, a charity fitness event, or even checking out a local dance class with a friend. Treating yourself to a special occasion is a great way to reenergize after a long week.
Mini breaks. Find time everyday for a mini fitness break, a five-minute workout on your busy days is better than doing nothing at all. Every second counts when it comes to getting fit and relieving your stress level and with so many mini workouts on line to choose from you have no excuses.
Keep your freezer stocked. It's easy to work more fruits and veggies into your day if you keep your freezer stocked with frozen fruits and veggies. They're just as nutritious as fresh, and super-convenient. Fruits can go into smoothies or on top of cereal or yogurt, and veggies can be tossed into omelets, soups, stews or pasta dishes.
Cook and shop family-style. Rather than taking on the entire burden of shopping and preparing foods, try to make it a family event when you can. Not only does it make your workload lighter, but spending time together while preparing meals is a great time to talk as a family about the benefits of a healthy diet.
Schedule some M-"OM" time. By ‘OM' we mean yoga, stretching, breathing and meditation. Its great if you can do some every day before bed or whenever you are feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. It's amazing how refreshing taking five deep breaths can be, especially when little ones are testing your patience. A little stretch out session before you go to bed may improve your sleep too.
"Stress and inactivity are two health risk factors that you can make a conscious effort to eliminate from your life. So for Mother's Day this year give yourself the gift of wellness all year long," concluded Clayton.
