I am sharing these great fitness tips as part of a sponsored post. All opinions, images and recipes are mine.
Being a mom is a lot of work. From the time I wake up in the morning to the time I go to bed I am responsible for not only myself but the survival oftwo children every single day. Besides keeping everyone fed, cleanand entertained Ialso have to fit in house cleaning, my work and somewhere in there a little “me” time. When life is this busy there are just some things that don’t make the cut, and sometimes the last thing I want to do is exercise. You already know that staying fit and healthy is important to me, but life can get in the way. So you know what? I decided to make a list for myself of some sneaky ways to squeeze fitness into my daily routine thatdon’t take a lot of extra effort because I need that activity to function properly both mentally and physically. Plus I can do most of them with my kids! Read on and be inspired for yourself, but firstcheck out my brand new protein packed recipe for pumpkin almond and Soymilk smoothies to stay fueled and ready to take on anythinglife throws my way!
Pumpkin Almond Smoothies
My husband and I don’t drink cow’s milk,but we do keep the fridge stocked with soy, almond or coconut milk pretty much all the time andyou already know that my go-to brand is Silk. I use itas a base for all of my smoothies, and the vanilla flavor is perfect for adding in sweetness since I don’t like to use sugar in them.
For this smoothie recipe you will need:
- 1/2 can pumpkin
- 2 cups Silk Soymilk
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup almonds (these will be very finely crushed)
- 1 cup ice
All you need to do to make these is combine all ingredients into a food processor or powerful blender and pulse for about 2 minutes. You are going to want to make sure your almonds get very finely chopped, so if you are worried about the texture make sure to do this before hand. I have a great blender so I didn’t have to do that. And then once you are finished just pop it into the fridge for at least 15 minutes to chill and then serve! How easy was that?
These smoothies are great for starting your day, as an after workout refreshment or really any tine you want a tasty, healthy treat and the kids even love it! And now that you’re ready for the day, it’s time to get moving! There are all kinds of ways to work fitness and physical activity into your daily routine without having to take time out for it, but here are just a few of my favorites!
Yard Work
The other morning I stepped outside and saw something that I haven’t seen in almost a year. You know what it was? Leaves on the ground. I am completely NOTready for this, but with next week being the first official start of the Fall season it means there will be a whole lot more where that came from. I am going to start burning the calories by pulling out the rake and going old school instead of using our blower. If you have ever raked an entire yard before then you know how big of a workout that is! Judah loves helping out with yard work so he can get in on the fun too!
Besides raking leaves, another way to get in my daily activity quota is to mow the grass. No, we don’t own a riding lawn mower. I wish we did, but at least this way I can burn through calories and work up a sweat! There’s also end of season gardening, which basically consists of gathering whatever is left in my garden to harvest, clipping my monster basil and rosemary plants to dry and save the leaves, raking it and overall maintenance. I know it isn’t much, but when every minute of the day is accounted for, it is something!
House Work
My kids, whew. I love them but they make HUGE messes. I know that I’m supposed to be teaching them to clean up after themselves and what not, but most of the time waiting/asking/begging them to clean up their toys is just more annoying and time sucking than doing it myself. Sometimes I like to play “how fast can I clean this” and zip around the house putting away toys, clothes and whatever else is laying around and work up a good sweat. I can totally jog from room to room like a crazy person and nobody cares. And guess what? I am being active. I am working my muscles, getting my heart rate up and getting that exercise in without having to take time out for it. The kids aren’t big on helping me with laundry, so I have started clearing off my big dining room table and folding it all there while doing squats. After 15 minutes of that I definitely feel the burn! Other great heart pumping tasks that I can do around the house are sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and more!
Yoga
When I do have time for a workout, Yoga is my go-to. It is incredibly calming and it helps me de-stress. I only have time to do it around once a week,but my kids have started doing it with me and they love it! There are tons of videos out there to get you started on a Yoga program, and there truly is a style for everyone! I have found that YouTube is a great free resource for finding Yoga routines – I just turn on our smart tv, head to YouTube and check out some of my favorite fitness channels!
Stay Fueled
Before you start your day, fuel up with something protein packed like the delicious and healthy pumpkin almond smoothies I made with Silk Soymilk. I am a big fan of smoothies and milkshakes, and since the first day of Fall is coming up very soon I decided to take my usual Summer fruit smoothie recipe and give it a rich, Fall inspired twist!
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
