WRITTEN BY
Rick Court, Total Body Fitness and Nutrition
What are the benefits of moms and dads working fitness into their lifestyle?
• Increase productivity
• Improve self-esteem
• Enhance sex drive
• Increase energy
• Reduce stress
• Fewer sick days
• Improve/increase metabolism
• Improve/increase bone density
• Improve body composition (more lean muscle/less fat)
• Lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels
• Lower risk of diabetes
• Chance to spend more time with family (exercise together)
• Set example for kids
Kids who are active will:
• Have stronger muscles and bones
• Have a leaner body
• Be less likely to become overweight
• Decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• Have a better outlook on life
Besides enjoying the health benefits of regular exercise, kids who are physically fit sleep better and are better able to handle physical and emotional challenges. Healthy, physically active kids also are more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful.
What better gift can one pass down than the desire to lead a healthy lifestyle and the enhanced quality of life that goes with it?
In addition to influencing your children, this can apply to friends, parents, co-workers and employees. The reasons are many but the end result is still the same. Your healthy way of life will inspire others around you to take better care of themselves.
What is the amount of exercise needed each week to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
The Total Body Fitness definition of “healthy”:
The ability to complete everyday tasks vigorously with energy to do more with a resting heart rate of 60 bpm or less.
Vigorous Lifestyle - 5 times/week hard core strength training and cardio training
Average Person (Adult), Healthy Lifestyle - 3 or 4 times/week, 1 hour/day min.
Children, Healthy Lifestyle - 1 hour/day min.
For kids, exercise means playing and being physically active. Kids exercise when they have gym class at school, during recess, at dance class or soccer practice, while riding bikes, or when playing tag.
Where do you spend your time? Just like keeping a food journal can be eye-opening, try tracking your time over the next few days. How much time do you spend on the computer, watching TV, etc.?
We have 168 hours in a week. Your priorities are where you choose to spend those hours. Make the most of them! It’s amazing how much time you can find when you minimize the things that aren’t important to make room for the things that are.
Total Body Fitness & Nutrition is owned and operated by Rick Court. Rick Court is accredited by: (i) International Sports Sciences Association, (ii) National Federation of Professional Trainers, (iii) Specialist in Performance Nutrition, (iv) A member of Toast Masters International and (iv) Over 30 years nutrition and exercise experience. You can contact Rick at 647-838-7778.
Okay stop. In fact, stop two sentences ago. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that no mom ever wants to hear anything past “you look good”.If in fact someone says this to you, you must move away immediately to avoid the unavoidable follow up sentences.(I’ve discovered that slamming your hand over their mouth can result in a more unpleasant situation than simply being mildly offended.)
I’m not saying that having kids doesn’t do something to our bodies (unless you are Gisele Bundchen), never mind your face (worry wrinkles, bags under our eyes), but it’s not as if you can’t enjoy some of this same abuse without the pleasure of having borne children. I know loads of women, and men, who have never gone through a 30+ pound pregnancy, who could still do with some serious gym and diet time. And let’s face it, kids aren’t the only things that give us stress in our lives, or deprive us of our sleep.
So, instead of saying “…for someone who has X number of kids”, and focusing on the obvious body and face changes, it would probably be more appropriate to focus on these particular things that happen only if you are a mom.
You look good! For someone who:
·Has spent an unnatural amount of time waiting for things which have already been done, to be redone, in a far less efficient way. For example, toddler shoe putting-on, pre-school hair brushing, and seven-year-old face wiping.
·Visibly flinches and scratches at the mere mention of the words lice, rash, and pinworm.
·Enthusiastically volunteers to go to the grocery store, garbage dump, or to stand in line to pay a tax bill, as all involve leaving the house without minor accompaniment.
·Feels no conflict at all in judging some moms for bad parenting decisions, while totally defending others doing similar things, if they’re friends.
·Has sat through approximately 1,473 hours of school concerts, plays, karate testing, hockey practice, dance recitals, fencing demonstrations, assemblies, unnecessary graduations and countless episodes of Phineas and Ferb. Each hour in real time is the equivalent to five hours of “mom time”. There should be an award, but she would never willingly sit through a ceremony to get it.
·Can’t advise you with any accuracy as to whether there isn’t a child inflicted stain or tear someone on their clothing, at any time.
In fact, the next time you’re the victim of the “You look good…” backhanded compliment, do what I do – up the number of children by at least two, raise your age by at least five years, and let them think you look more than just “good” for a woman who has that many kids, at such an old age.
Read “Funny Mummy” every month. Follow Kathy on Twitter @KathyBuckworth, and visit www.kathybuckworth.com
Let’s face it, if you’re a Mom with a newborn you may as well give in and embrace the world of Twitter, and chat online at 2am instead of watching those info-mercials. If you haven’t entered the world of Twitter yet, make 2012 the year to get online and in the know.Worried about what to expect? I’ve prepared a handy round up of all the Tweets you’ve been missing this past year, as they relate to kids, house, home, and husband, so you’ll be caught up.Ready? Here we go:
·Moms don’t sleep, and the first thing they do when they’re not sleeping is to Tweet out the fact that they’re not sleeping. Which causes them to stay awake longer. Which they will also Tweet about the next morning. And occasionally throughout the day, as they’re also not napping.
·None of us exercise enough, according to our outside voices on Twitter. And the ones that do work out, as a rule, we don’t like. They’re just bragging about it. It’s not motivating at all. (You might want to go back to watching late night TV ads for Thigh Masters if the “Fitter Twitter” Tweets get to be too much for you.)
·If you want reinforcement to have that next glass of wine, eat that extra piece of chocolate, to blow off the lunch date with that Mom down the street you really don’t like, or to prove once and for all your husband can’t do anything right, you’ve come to the right place. Vent ladies, vent. For support and for that extra piece of chocolate. (Just don’t expect any virtual pats on the back when you try to work it off the next day.)
·People really don’t Tweet about what they had for breakfast. Unless they take a picture of it first.Don’t even get me started on dinner. Or snacks during Glee, Real Housewives, or The Biggest Loser.
And because the New Year always has us thinking about resolutions – things we will stop and start doing to have a better year – I’ll let you learn from my mistakes and share my own personal twi-resolutions on what to stop:
1Tweeting out any remarks, photos, or comments that in any way suggest a nine year old boy is still “cute” or “adorable”. He’s a Jedi Warrior (awww how cute is that?).
2Tweeting out any type of bodily function that any children have. It’s really not necessary. This type of things goes on ALL THE TIME. (The functions, not the Tweeting.Ok, both.)
3Tweeting out something that describes a situation that is unfortunate, but happens to all of us, and then ending it with “That.” For example “You know when it takes you 8 hours to make dinner and the kids eat it in 2? That.”I know, right? Boring. That.
Run out of things to say? No worries. You can always Tweet about what you just bought on the Home Shopping Channel at 2am. A “Tweep” will then back you up on it, and convince you to grab a glass of wine while you’re doing it.Because that’s the way we Tw-roll.
Kathy Buckworth is an award winning humour writer and television correspondent on parenting.Read Funny Mummy every month, visit
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When I think of number 5, the first thing that comes to my mind is the 5 senses.. they are a very important aspect of our daily lives and directly affect us in many ways.
The 5 senses are touch, taste, smell, sight and sound.
Do you like popcorn? What better food to use for your investigation into the 5 senses. Make some popcorn with your family and then ask yourselves the following questions…
1. What sound does it make when it cooks, and when you eat it (sound)?
2. What colour is it before and what colour is it after (sight)?
3. How does the popped corn feel (touch)?
4. How does it taste (taste)?
5. How does it smell (smell)?
There are other foods that can be investigated using all five senses, for example: celery, chewing gum, apples, potato chips, ice cubes and most breakfast cereals.
Take the time to explain to your children that there are many people out there that do not have the ability to experience all 5 senses. People that are blind are not able to see. They rely heavily on their other four senses to help them out.
Take a few food items and place them on a plate. Loosely blind fold your taste tester and allow them to use their other four senses to guess the food items. Good items to use are…broccoli, cheese, chocolate chips, peanut butter (unless you have a child with a nut allergy), olives, pickles, pizza, tuna, bananas, raspberries and lemon.
The month of May is named after the Greek goddess Maia. In her honour, I have included a traditional Greek cookie recipe that is sure to be enjoyed by adults and kids alike.
A kouloura (koo-LOU-rah) is the Greek word describing a round twist. Koulourakia are traditional butter cookies with a name that derived from their circular twisted shape. These cookies are found in all Greek bakeries where they are also shaped into small braids or the letter “S”. Koulourakia are delicious dunked in milk, tea or coffee and are considered the traditional Easter cookie.
Ingredients:
2 cups buttered, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup milk (or ouzo – optional)
2 additional eggs for brushing the tops of the cookies
Sesame seeds (optional)
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a food processor, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla extract and ouzo and mix well. While the processor is running, add the eggs one by one and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture little by little.
5. The dough will be soft and pliable but it should not be sticky. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
6. Place dough in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, to allow the dough to firm before rolling it into shapes.
7. To shape the cookies, pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a walnut. Roll out a thin tube of dough about the length of a dinner knife. Fold in half then twist two times. You can also make a coiled circle or an “S” shape.
8. Beat the remaining two eggs in a bowl and add a splash of water to the egg. Brush the cookies lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
9. Bake cookies on parchment paper or on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until they are nicely golden brown.
Lastly, but equally as important as the 5 senses and baking cookies… May 8th is Mother’s day!
Here are some great ways to show a mom (or specifically, your mom) how much she means to you:
• A homemade card is always a great way to bring a smile to a mom’s face!
• Surprise your mom with her favourite breakfast in bed, don’t forget to ask for an adult’s assistance
• Take your favourite photo of you and your mom and place it in a frame that you have decorated.
• Make your mom a colourful bookmark or paint her a picture.
• Show your mom how much you appreciate everything she does for you by helping out, you can make your bed, clean your room or set the table.
• Nothing says “I love you” more than a bag or box of her favourite Candies! (mine just happens to be Jube Jubes!)
A poem for mom’s everywhere:
Mothers are the people that always try to be there,
To hold a hand or with a reassuring smile to share,
They provide warmth and support wherever they can,
They know what to do and always have a good plan,
They are always needed, throughout our lives,
No matter our age, we consider their words wise.
We thank our Moms for all that they do,
And hope that their wishes and dreams all come true.
Shelley Sefton is a chef, recipe developer & creator of “Yummy in my Tummy” - classes for kids thatoffers them the opportunity toexperience exciting adventures in the kitchen – combining education, art,food and most important of all FUN! Contact: (905) 597-0672 or sdsefton@rogers.com.
A newly released book about “Tiger Moms” is causing quite a stir in the parenting community. I’m not going to name it, because then you might buy her book instead of mine, and frankly, I think she’s doing okay. And it would just prove that HER mother was right, if she’s more successful than me.
Basically the premise of the book is that the ultimate Autocratic parenting style works best in terms of producing the most successful child. Successful in terms of progressing to higher education, ultimately leading to a better, well-paying job.
I support this. I support children getting out of the house, away to school, and making some money of their own. What I don’t support is the methods which are being recommended in order to achieve this.While Tiger Mom might try to convince you that she rules the roost and what she says goes, the fact of the matter is, if you’re spending 99% of your leisure time forcing your children to practice the violin and to do their homework for three hours a night, I’m pretty sure at this point the kids have taken over your entire life.After all, post-school time and evenings are prime Mommytime that can be spent doing many other things that would in fact enhance the lives of mothers far more than having to sit through boring violin concerts and excruciating valedictorian speeches at high school graduations in the future.(Hey, if it’s your kid up there, you really have to look like you’re listening, not like us carefree texting Moms in the back row.) I’m not sure she’s thinking things through here.
What else could we be doing?Things like, I don’t know…here’s a thought – maybe drinking some wine and HAVING A LIFE of our own.
My youngest daughter took up violin a couple of years ago.Ha! I say HA! Because the joke was totally on me. Not only did it not immediately make her more successful at school, (I’m the product of an instant gratification society, or at least the time it takes me to uncork a bottle), I had nightmares about cats being tortured on the rack, with the sound track to this provided to me by her lovely string stylings.The minute she eked out a version of Happy Birthday to her Dad, I began talking her out of playing it.This particular period of time may have unfortunately dovetailed with the enthusiastic recorder playing by her younger brother. There’s only so much a good glass of Chardonnay can do, folks.
Should kids do their homework? Absolutely.Should a parent have to monitor it for three hours a night? Absolutely not.Unless said monitoring can be done with glass, bottle, or can in hand, from across the room, or preferably, in a different room.Besides teaching children to learn independently, it just gets downright embarrassing when you can’t tell them which of the triangles is hypotenused.Being a Lager Mom takes the pressure off. If that’s what qualifies me for an Inferiority Complex, so be it. Cheers.
Kathy Buckworth is an award winning humour writer. Please remember this when you’re reading this column.Against all odds, her first child is actually attending University.Email me your thoughts Kathy@kathybuckworth.com or follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/kathybuckworthI won’t be busy forcing kids to do homework or replacing violin strings, so I’ll probably answer you.
As a child I remember longing for the day when I would have enough money to buy my parents their birthday presents. The idea of something wrapped up in fancy paper with a bow seemed so appealing. Yet my parents insisted that they preferred our home-made cards and artwork and that it was not necessary to buy anything.
I didn’t believe them. Now I do!
The excitement on my kiddies’ faces as they presented their cards, coupons and artwork this morning (made on their own) for my own birthday felt truly priceless.
Citrus Silver
The Second City’s Miracle on Mercer St.