Tag: mom

A Flow for All Moms

Happy Mother’s Day! In honor of mothers everywhere, we created a short sequence that is accessible to women of all ages and levels of fitness. Each pose can be modified so that it is appropriate for varying levels of strength and flexibility. We encourage you to share your practice with your mother, grandmother, or other special mom in your life. Give the incredible gift of yoga today with this all-levels flow. Start with a few rounds of sun salutations, and then remember to hold each posture for five full breaths (about 30 seconds). Practice the sequence on both sides of your body, and have a beautiful Mother’s Day!

Downward Facing Dog
Although the traditional posture looks like a perfect upside down letter V, your pose may look a bit different. Depending on your level of flexibility, your knees may be bent, and your heels may be lifted from the mat. These modifications are perfectly acceptable, and are welcome, as they offer a safe, full-body stretch.

Revolved Downward Facing Dog
Shift your weight into your right hand, and place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh. If you would like a deeper stretch, slide your hand to your calf or ankle. Twist your torso to the right, and gaze up under your right armpit. Don’t forget to engage your core, as this Downward Dog variation is a balance pose!

3-Legged Downward Facing Dog
From Revolved Downward Facing Dog, untwist your body and return to Downward Facing Dog. Extend your right leg high into the air for 3-legged dog. Flex the foot on your lifted leg, and rotate your right hip so that all five toes point down toward the mat. If this requires you to lower your leg, go ahead and lower it. Your leg does not need to be particularly high to reap the benefits of this pose. Make an effort to keep your shoulders equidistant from the mat and avoid sinking into your left shoulder.

3-Legged Downward Dog Variation
Bend the knee of your lifted leg, drawing the heel of your right foot in toward your body. Open your chest toward the right by stacking your right hip over your left hip. For a deeper stretch, slowly lower your left forearm to the mat.

Lizard Pose
Lower your lifted leg, returning to Downward Facing Dog. Step your right foot to the outside of your right hand. Walk your hands forward a few inches, and then lower your forearms to the ground for Lizard pose. If this hip stretch is too intense, lower your back knee to the mat for a more comfortable variation. Feel free to experiment in this pose by rocking onto the outer edge of your foot and then back down onto the sole. Maintain length in your spine, and remember to breathe!

Side Plank Variations
From Lizard Pose, lift onto your hands, and roll onto the outer edge of your left foot for Side Plank. Choose the variation that challenges you while allowing you to maintain your form. Keep your hips lifted and your core engaged.

Forearm Plank
From Side Plank, roll into plank pose (top of a push up), and then lower onto your forearms for Forearm Plank. This pose will strengthen your shoulders and core muscles. Your body should create a straight line from head to heel, and your shoulders should be stacked above your elbows. Feel free to lower onto your knees to maintain proper form.

Dolphin/Forearmstand
From Forearm Plank, begin to walk your feet in toward your elbows for Dolphin pose. Rise onto the balls of your feet or even your tippy toes to test your strength. Keep your feet together, and challenge yourself to try to stack your hips above your shoulders. Breathe deeply as you hold this intense posture. If inversions are a regular part of your practice, move into a Forearmstand.

May 10, 2015
It’s Never Too Late

“It is never too late to be what you might have been,” George Eliot.

It’s never too late. If you’ve been following Two Fit Moms since we launched our website, you know that this is our mantra.

We are committed to inspiring everyone — but especially moms, like us, that it’s never too late to be your best self. Regardless of your age, you can achieve your fitness goals, your career goals, your life goals. You can change direction at any time and realize your potential.

This motto is one that can be applied to many aspects of life. And, we think it’s worth repeating.

Remember. It’s never too late to be your best self. It’s never too late to be fit. It’s never too late to achieve your wellness goals.

Has this quote inspired you too? If so, let us know how.

April 26, 2015
Make Ahead Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake

Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning — especially as the weather starts to get a bit chilly? But, who has the time to prepare oats in the morning — aside from the instant ones that tend to be full of sugar? If you want to get your oatmeal fix, but have little time to prepare them in the morning, consider making an oatmeal cake. You can make it in advance and enjoy it throughout the week. All you need to do is pop it in the microwave to heat it, and voila, a healthy breakfast is served!

I got this idea from Cooking Light that offers a baked oatmeal recipe. However, the Cooking Light recipe includes butter and brown sugar. I wanted to lighten up the recipe, so I swapped out the butter and the brown sugar, replacing them with safflower oil and maple syrup.

By now, you probably know that I use maple syrup a lot as a processed sugar replacement. Maple syrup is a natural sugar, and I find that I can easily replace an equal amount of white sugar (or brown sugar) with maple syrup. It works really nicely in this oatmeal cake recipe.

You can flavor the oatmeal cake any way you’d like. I decided to make a pumpkin oatmeal cake, because it’s fall, and I love pumpkin! You can also use mashed banana or applesauce in place of the pumpkin puree. If you don’t consume dairy products, try making the cake with almond or soy milk. I added raisins to the Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake, but you can throw in cranberries or currants or chocolate chips! You can also top it with a little extra maple syrup for some additional sweetness. It’s really a very versatile recipe. It’s also a great recipe for the non-oatmeal lover in your life.

If you happen to follow a gluten-free diet or have a gluten allergy, make sure to use oats that are labeled as gluten-free. While oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often cross contaminated with grains containing gluten during the growing process.

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake
Yields nine servings

2 cups of oats (not quick cooking)
1/3 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of maple syrup (grade B)
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons of safflower oil
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8 inch square pan. Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, add the milk, maple syrup, pumpkin, oil and beaten egg. Mix to incorporate and then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Stir well. Pour the oat mixture into the greased pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until firm. Serve warm or refrigerate it and enjoy throughout the week!

Helpful hint: You can make the oat mixture the night before, store it in the refrigerator and bake it in the morning! I found the cooking time remained the same, but all ovens will vary.

September 25, 2014
My Morning Routine

Just like other moms out there, I always feel like there is never enough time in the day to get everything done! It’s hard enough to get yourself ready, but throw two kids into the mix, and the mornings are chaotic, to say the least. I have never been a morning person. If I had my way, I would stay up late and roll out of bed around 11am! Once you become a mother though, that plan quickly exits the building. So here is a glimpse into my morning routine and how I get my day going!

5:30 am: Wake on up!

No…I do not jump out of bed for joy when my alarm goes off. There is usually some grumbling and moaning involved, and maybe a snooze button or two. But for the most part, my day starts around 5:30-5:45am.

6 am: Get my yoga on!

I do yoga everyday…EVERYDAY. Some days it’s for 30 minutes, other days I spend nearly two hours throughout the day. My main practice though happens in the wee hours of the morning before my minis get up. It’s just easier that way, and I don’t feel like a bad mommy for not paying attention to them later on in the day.

As for my yoga practice itself? Some days I wing it, some days I make up my own flows (such as the Two Fit Moms Good Morning Flow!). Other days, I take classes online so I don’t have to think too much. Unlike what most people think, my practice is done in the middle of my living room in peace and quiet. I do not practice out on my deck with a camera clicking away.

7 am: Make myself presentable!

I can’t lie, I love makeup! I will not leave my house without it! I know that probably sounds ridiculous to some people, but I feel completely naked without makeup. I do not pack on tons, but it’s a staple in my daily morning routine…foundation, powder, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner and lip gloss!

After my face is on? It’s time to quickly curl my hair with a 2″ curling iron. I get a lot of questions about my hair…I do not do anything special to it at all. I wash it every other night, and I never blow dry it because it takes like 30 minutes to do that.

7:30 am: Picture time!

It’s usually about this time that I’ll sneak out onto my deck and snap some pictures or videos for Instagram. Contrary to popular belief, I do not spend all day taking pictures of myself out on my deck. I usually have a list of what I want to shoot to make it easier and quicker. I use my trusty iPhone to take videos and my Nikon D5000 for the pics.

7:45 am: Coffee Break!

I like to save about 10-15 minutes in the morning to sit down and have my coffee and breakfast. I drink one cup everyday with agave and Vanilla Coffeemate. Yes, I know the creamer is not healthy…but it’s the only way I’ll drink my coffee. 🙂 Breakfast is usually in the form of a muffin and fruit.

8 am: Wake the minis up!

I’m pretty lucky right now. In my town, my kids do not start school until 9 am. My kids are sleepers too…so I usually have to wake them up around this time. This is where my rushing begins! I drag them out of bed, feed them, get them dressed and ready, and then get myself dressed and ready.

8:40 am: Out the door!

I leave my house, drop the minis off at school and head to the office on the days I work. Things will shift a bit once I am done with my office job, but for now, this is how my day begins.

XOXO

September 22, 2014
Falling off the Wellness Wagon

Running a health and wellness website like this one has its unique challenges. We want to post as many articles as we can to keep you motivated and on the path to wellness, but in the process, we don’t want to paint an unrealistic picture of our lives. We are busy mothers, and sometimes, that means skipping a workout to care for a sick child or ordering a pizza on a particularly busy night. Our diets aren’t perfect, our exercise schedules aren’t perfect, and our willpower isn’t perfect. Our goal is to inspire you and to encourage you, NOT to overwhelm you and make you believe that we live perfect lives that you should try to emulate.

Yes, we want you to join us in our daily quest for wellness, but when life gets in the way, and it will, we want you to know that it’s okay. You are normal. You can recover. Don’t throw in the towel. Just acknowledge that life isn’t perfect, and get right back on track the next day. “Healthy” does not mean perfect.

We are ALL human, and falling off the wagon is just part of life. Yes, it would be wonderful if all of our meals were organic, all of our snacks were unprocessed, and all of our cravings were for cauliflower rather than cake. The fact of the matter is, life just doesn’t work that way, and we all slip up.

Everyone has an “off” day. You know the kind of day that I’m talking about. You bolt out of bed and race through your morning routine after realizing that you slept through your alarm. No time for a healthy, home-cooked breakfast. No time for a morning workout either. You start your day with a cup of coffee and large muffin that you buy at the convenience store on your way to work. You end up feeling annoyed and defeated because you ate the muffin and skipped your workout. You decide that you’ve ruined your clean eating plan for the day anyway, so you say yes to the piece of cake being offered at work. You then choose the sweetened chai tea latte instead of the chamomile tea during your break. You eat multiple pieces of bread out of the breadbasket at dinner, order Fettuccine Alfredo instead of grilled fish, and finish off your meal with ice cream for dessert. At this point, you are defeated and disappointed and the self-loathing begins. Maybe you’ll even head home to binge on cookies and chocolate later.

Why will the hypothetical scenario described above resonate with so many readers? It will resonate because it is truly that common. You are not alone. Whether you fall off the wagon for a few hours or a few days, there is no need to feel defeated and angry. Remember that you are in this for the long haul. What you do over the course of a few hours or a few days or a few weeks has no significance in the long run. What matters is the trajectory of your life over months and years. Long-term habits matter, not short-term slip ups. Allow yourself to have an “off” day from time to time. It cannot break you if you maintain a long-term perspective. Forgive yourself for not being perfect, and move on.

July 8, 2014