exercise Archives - The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+

HIIT Workouts For Women: Strength Training and Cardio in One Quick Exercise Session

Holly Smith, M.D. — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Variety is the spice of life, and HIIT workouts for women are a great way to add variations to your weekly exercise plan!

Whether you have time to get to the gym or not, the hectic schedule of a busy mom means you need an efficient workout that will hit multiple muscle groups and burn calories in a short period of time.

There are a number of HIIT workouts for women, from beginner to advanced, that can be done at home, or even in your backyard.

High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is a great way to maintain both your cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength. Performing these exercises at your highest capacity with minimal rest has been shown to result in a high level of aerobic and anaerobic fitness gains.

Plus, you can target all of your major muscle groups with exercises like push-ups, squats, and plank workouts. This allows you to combine both strength training and cardio in one quick workout.

While HIIT may seem intimidating at first, these workouts can be tailored to any level of fitness. So get started today with some of these awesome HIIT workouts for women!

This 15-minute HIIT workout for women can be done at home with no equipment!

The Benefits of HIIT Workouts For Women

Studies have shown that high-intensity interval training had a greater impact on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. This is why HIIT training has become so popular.

It dispels the myth that you need to work out for hours on end to improve your cardiovascular fitness. As long as you really push yourself to your limits during these shortened interval workouts, you can still see substantial gains.

There is more to HIIT training than just cardiovascular benefits. You can do pretty much any exercise you choose during the intervals! This lets you train multiple muscle groups while you gain strength and lean muscle.

Any workout is going to burn calories; however, the higher the intensity of the workout, the more calories you will continue to burn, even after the workout has ended. This is called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, or EPOC for short.

So if you are short on time, the key is to really up the intensity. This ensures that even a workout that is low in minutes will be high in strength building.

One study showed that two minutes of sprint intervals produced similar post-exercise oxygen consumption compared to 30 minutes of continuous running at a lower intensity. This is important when you have minimal time but want to achieve the same fitness goals.

HIIT Workout Warmup

Perform each move for 30 seconds.

Rest for one minute, then repeat for a quick five-minute warm-up.

High Knees

Stand upright and place your feet hip-width apart.
Place your hands near your waist with your palms down.
Drive your right knee up to meet your right hand, then bring the same leg back to the ground and immediately bring the left knee up to meet your left hand.
Continue to alternate knees with a hopping motion, staying on the balls of your feet.

Jumping Jacks

Stand with your feet together and arms at your side.
In one motion, jump your feet out to the sides and raise your arms above your head.
Immediately reverse the motion back to the starting position.

Butt Kickers

Stand up straight with your legs slightly wider than your hips.
Bring your right heel off the floor toward your glutes.
At the same time, match this movement with your left hand coming up towards your shoulder like you’re running.
As soon as your right leg comes back to the floor, bring your left leg up in the same manner.
Continue alternating this running motion.

High Knee With Oblique Twist

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Bend your elbows and bring your fists up near your chin.
Drive your right knee up while twisting your torso to the right, bringing your right knee to meet your left elbow.
Immediately repeat with the left knee meeting your right elbow and do this in a hopping motion while staying on the balls of your feet.

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Beginner HIIT Workout

If you are just starting out on your fitness journey, you want to begin at a lower intensity and with simple movements to avoid injury. Since this is a beginner HIIT workout, the intervals will be shorter with longer rest periods.

But, make sure that you are pushing it as hard as you can go to still challenge yourself. For each exercise, perform the movement with as many reps as possible for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds.

Burpees

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Squat down and place your hands on the floor.
Kick back into a push-up position.
Do one push-up.
Jump your legs back to a squat and jump up, throwing your hands above your head.
Land and repeat.
You can perform these with or without a push-up. As your fitness increases, try adding in the push-up.

Squat Jumps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Hinge at the hips to push your butt back and lower down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Explode off the floor and jump as high as you can.
Allow your knees to bend 45 degrees when you land, and then immediately drop back down into a squat, and jump again.

Flutter Kicks

Lie on your back and extend your legs up to a 45-degree angle.
Keep your arms straight and in line with the floor, palms facing down.
Lift your upper body off the ground.
While keeping your legs straight, begin alternating each leg up and down in a flutter motion.
Try to maintain this motion for the entire 30 seconds.

Push-Ups

Start in a plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists and legs out behind you.
Contract your abdominal muscles and keep your back straight.
As you lower and exhale, bend your elbows outward to the sides.
If you cannot do these on your feet, you can start on your knees.
Eventually, you will be able to perform the standard push-ups as your strength increases.

After completing this circuit, rest for a full minute. Then repeat the circuit two more times.

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Intermediate HIIT Workout

Once you have mastered the beginner HIIT workout, you can move on to this slightly more intense workout. With these exercises, perform the movement again for 30 seconds, but decrease your rest time to 20 seconds before moving to the next move.

Alternating Jump Lunges

Start in a split stance position with your hands on your hips and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle with your right leg forward.
Lower your left knee down while bringing your right thigh parallel to the floor in a lunge position.
Push off the ground, jump, and switch the position of your legs while in mid-air, landing into the lunge position with the left leg forward.
Repeat, switching legs on each jump.

Side to Side Push-Ups

Start in a push-up position.
Move to the right with your right arm and right leg while bending at the elbows to lower your chest to the ground in a push-up.
Extend your arms to return to the top.
Then repeat to the left side.
Continue alternating sides.

Lateral Skaters

Start with your legs slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and arms at the sides.
Bring your left leg at a slight angle into a reverse lunge with the right knee at a 90-degree angle.
Swing the arms in front of that bent knee and leap the back leg forward in a skating motion.
Alternate your arms and legs as you switch sides like a speed skater.

Mountain Climbers

Start in a push-up position.
Bring your right knee forward under your chest, then return the leg back.
Switch legs, bringing the left knee forward.
Keep switching legs and pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.

After completing this circuit, rest for a full minute. Then repeat the circuit two more times.

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In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Advanced HIIT Workout

If you have been working out for years and want to really challenge yourself with some heart-pumping HIIT, then look no further than this advanced HIIT workout for women. Not only are the exercises a bit more advanced, but you are also going to increase the interval time and decrease the rest time.

Tuck Jumps

Hold your hands in front of you at chest height with your palms down.
Dip down into a quarter squat and immediately jump upward.
Drive the knees towards the chest, attempting to touch them to the palms of your hands.
Then land by re-extending your legs with knees slightly bent.
Repeat as quickly as possible for 30 seconds.

Side to Side Plank Abs

Start in a plank position.
Hop both feet up to the right, trying to bring your knees to the outside of your right elbow.
Hop back into a plank position, then bring your knees to the left.
Continue alternating sides.

V-Push-Ups

Start in a push-up position and then lift up your hips up so that your body forms an upside-down V.
Keep your legs and arms straight.
Bend your elbows and lower your upper body until the top of your head nearly touches the floor.
Pause, and then push yourself back up until your arms are straight.

Russian Twist

Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt while holding a dumbbell in both hands.
Lean slightly back without rounding your back.
Twist slowly to the left, bringing the weight to your left side.
Then rotate to the right with the weight.
Continue alternating sides.
Make sure you are using your abs and not just swinging your arms.
You can do this with your feet on the ground, or hover the feet above the ground for a challenge.

After completing this circuit, rest for a full minute. Then repeat the circuit two more times.

Cool Down

After all of these HIIT workouts, you want to be sure to include a five to 10-minute cool-down that includes some static stretches that focus on the upper and lower body.

This HIIT workout for women without weights is one of our favorite quick workouts to burn fat and build muscle!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on HIIT workouts for women.

The post HIIT Workouts For Women: Strength Training and Cardio in One Quick Exercise Session appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Menopause Belly: What Is a Meno-Pot and What Can You Do About It?

Holly Smith, M.D. — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 01:00:21 +0000

As women get older, it gets harder to shed stubborn belly fat. Metabolism decreases as estrogen levels fall around menopause, leading to what has been called a menopause belly or meno-pot.

There are a number of reasons why it’s important to lose weight around your midsection.

Obviously, you want to improve your body image — but losing a menopause belly goes far beyond just looks!

A study from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that abdominal fat is related to a higher death rate in postmenopausal women — even in women who are at a normal weight! It also showed that central obesity was correlated with a higher risk for cancer mortality as well as all-cause mortality.

That means your lean body mass and body fat distribution play a huge role in your health — it's much more than just a number on a scale!

This makes losing that menopause belly all the more important.

In this article, we'll teach you:

What you need to know about weight loss as you age.
Strength training exercises that go beyond endless crunches.
Cardio exercises — and not just slogging it out on the treadmill.
Nutrition tips to help you drop pounds — and keep them off.
And more!

Check out these tips on how women can lose belly fat fast!

Getting Started On Your Weight Loss Journey

Let’s start at the beginning — to lose weight; you will need to burn more calories than you consume.

You may think that cardio is the only way to burn enough calories to lose body fat, but that is far from the truth. Both cardio and strength training are essential to get your weight under control, and resistance training is essential for weight loss and decreasing fat mass.

Not only do these strength-building sessions burn calories, but they also increase your lean body mass and metabolism. This keeps your body burning calories even when you are at rest, which enhances your overall weight loss.

This is especially important for women.

After the age of 30, your metabolism starts to drop as your lean body mass decreases. These decreases in muscle mass can be combated with strength training.

Many women skip strength training, thinking it doesn’t burn as many calories as aerobic exercises. However, this really depends on the type of exercise you are doing.

If you go to the gym and curl a couple of two-pound dumbbells, you won’t get your metabolism revved up. On the other hand, a full-body resistance workout can burn a significant amount of calories, and the benefits of fat loss don’t stop there.

By building lean body mass, you will increase your metabolic rate at rest to burn more calories throughout the day. Step one to losing that menopause belly!

Strength training should include full-body workouts and workouts specifically designed to hit the core muscles.

While you can’t spot-reduce belly fat, a good core and abdominal workout is essential for overall fitness.

Plus, this type of strength training will make your abdominal muscles more prominent once you shed some of that menopause belly. Just like fat anywhere else on the body, you can’t just spot-reduce belly fat. You can’t lose weight from specific places no matter how much you work the muscles in that area.

This means countless crunches and side bends are not the answer here.

While core exercises are a necessary part of any training program, it is only one component. In order to lose your menopause belly for good, you will need to follow a comprehensive fitness routine that incorporates strength training, cardio, and a quality nutrition plan.

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Improve your mindset & Discipline
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5 Great Strength Training Moves To Lose Your Menopause Belly

These great strength exercises will build overall lean body mass while strengthening your midsection and decreasing your menopause belly. You may be surprised to find this doesn’t include laying on a mat doing a bunch of crunches! These are all compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups to burn some serious calories, all while engaging your core.

1. Farmer’s March

Hold one dumbbell in each hand with your arms by your sides.
They should be heavy enough that you need to engage your core, arms, and upper and middle back muscles to hold them.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together while contracting your abs.
Bring your left knee up as high as you can, keeping your foot flexed.
Step forward and repeat with the right leg.
Walk 50-100 feet forward, then turn around and walk back to complete one set.
Do three sets to start.

2. Dumbbell Squat and Press

Grab either a light barbell or a lightweight aerobic bar.
Stand slightly wider than shoulder-width with your hands even wider, almost to the ends of the bar.
Hold the bar overhead.
Squat down until your upper legs are parallel to the floor (or slightly lower).
Drive through your feet to stand back up, keeping the bar overhead.
Repeat 8-10 times.
Aim to do three sets of this move.

While this may seem more like a lower body exercise at first glance, this is actually a killer core move. Holding the weight overhead places your center of gravity much higher, making this an intense abdominal workout. The tension in your deep core muscles is also enhanced by keeping your upper body elongated throughout the exercise.

3. Spider-Man Push-Ups

Start in a plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists and legs out behind you.
Contract your abdominal muscles and keep your back straight.
As you lower and exhale, bend your elbows outward to the sides while you bend your right knee to your right elbow.
Press back up, then repeat the push-up, but this time bring your left knee to your left elbow.
Continue alternating sides for 10-12 reps total.
Aim for three sets.

4. Curls to Bent Over Rows

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand.
Curl the weights up, then lower them back down.
Now, lean forward and bend both knees while keeping your back flat.
Extend your arms so they are straight.
Pull the dumbbells straight up to chest level while you squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps.

5. Reverse Lunge With Twist

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
Hold a five- to 10-pound medicine ball with both hands with your arms outstretched in front of you.
Contract your abs and take a big step back with your right foot.
Plant your foot and lower your body into a lunge.
As you sink into the lunge, twist your torso to the left with the medicine ball still stretched out in your arms.
Then twist back to the center as you straighten your legs.
Bring your feet together, then step back on your left leg, twisting to the right.
Repeat 8-10 times on each side.

These exercises are great because they are all compound movements that work multiple muscle groups — your back, legs, arms, shoulders, chest, and core are all being targeted. That means you are burning more calories, increasing lean muscle mass, and strengthening your core all at the same time! That also means bye-bye menopause belly!

Find out why strength training is vital to combat muscle loss and promote longevity!

Cardio Training

Compound resistance training exercises are a great way to burn calories and build lean muscle mass at the same time. But you also need to incorporate cardio if you want to really lose stubborn belly fat.

By raising your heart rate through aerobic exercises you will be burning calories at a high rate. Cardio will also increase how many calories you burn after your workout, such as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).

The higher the intensity and duration of your workout, the better your body will be at burning calories hours after your workout has ended.

Research shows that continuous cardio and interval training produce similar calorie-burning effects; however, interval training can be done in a shorter period of time with the same benefits. For example, one study found that running sprint intervals increased aerobic capacity, peak running speed, and fat-free mass in women.

So if you are short on time, a quick 20-minute HIIT workout will burn some serious calories. But if you would rather do a lower intensity 50-60 minute cardio session, this is still an excellent option to aid in fat loss.

When choosing cardio exercises, picking activities you enjoy is important so you stay motivated to stick to your workouts.

Anything that gets the heart rate up is going to help you burn weight and shed that menopause belly. Biking, swimming, running, rowing, and HIIT intervals are great aerobic exercises. These workouts will burn calories and also force you to engage your core. This will strengthen those core and abdominal muscles to give you a toned midsection.

If you are unsure of where to start, here is an example of a great HIIT workout to help rid yourself of your menopause belly.

Warm-Up

Perform 30 seconds for each of the following moves:

Jump Rope
High Knees
Butt Kickers
Squat Jumps

Do this twice for a total of a four-minute warm-up. Rest for one minute, then start the main set.

Main Set

Perform each exercise as quickly as you can for 30 seconds, then take 30 seconds of rest and immediately move on to the next exercise. After the circuit, rest for one minute. Then repeat two more times. Each exercise will burn calories while forcing you to engage and contract your core.

Mountain Climbers
Burpees
Russian Twists
Side to Side Push-Ups
Kettlebell Swings

Cool Down

Do some light jogging in place for 1-2 minutes. Follow with some upper and lower body stretches to make sure you have cooled down completely.

This is just one example of a cardio workout you can add to your weekly schedule. You can always mix it up, and remember to choose things that you will enjoy doing!

Learn about the best types of cardio for fat loss and the science behind cardio for women!

Shed That Stubborn Menopause Belly with Healthy Eating

If you really want to get rid of your menopause belly, you have to take a good hard look at your nutrition.

No matter how much you work out, you can't out-exercise a bad diet!

Making smart food choices throughout the day is essential if you really want to shed that belly fat. You need to limit foods that contain simple carbs and added sugars. These types of foods will spike your insulin levels and will make your body more prone to storing weight around the midsection.

You also want to be sure to get an adequate amount of protein after a workout to help rebuild broken-down muscle tissue.

It’s also not helpful to think of foods as “bad” or “off-limits.” If you start depriving yourself of what you love, you likely won't follow your nutrition plan for long.

Fitness and health are about lifestyle changes, not quick fixes.

In the end, it’s all about smart nutrition decisions. Simple things like drinking water instead of sugary drinks and eating fresh whole foods instead of processed, packaged foods are little things that can make a big difference.

You should also make it a habit to keep a food journal and keep track of your calorie intake throughout the day. There are great nutrition apps that even allow you to scan labels or quickly look up a food's nutrition content, so there is never an excuse not to know what you are putting into your body!

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Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Menopause Belly: What Is a Meno-Pot and What Can You Do About It? appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

New Year’s Fitness Goals: Lifelong Habits, Not Quick Fixes

Holly Smith, M.D. — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 01:00:49 +0000

We have all heard the saying “new year, new you,” and the beginning of January is notorious for people trying to hit lofty New Year's fitness goals.

More often than not, this is quickly followed by dwindling numbers as the year progresses, and these same people give up on their fitness aims.

A big reason that people don’t follow through is that they set unattainable goals from the beginning and quickly burn out when they don’t see instantaneous results.

The key is to set sustainable fitness, workout, and exercise goals.

Follow the tips below to build healthy habits that will help you crush your New Year's fitness goals — and stay healthy for years to come!

This muscle-building workout for women over 40 contains five of our favorite exercises!

Tips For Setting Realistic New Year's Fitness Goals

There is nothing wrong with setting the bar high. However, choosing short-term, realistic goals along the way to reaching your long-term goals can be helpful.

Exercise, at times, can feel like a chore! And it can be especially daunting when you set lofty long-term goals. By changing your mindset, you will be able to stay motivated as you reach new, smaller, everyday goals.

You may have set a goal to lose “X” amount of pounds or drop three dress sizes. However, as much as being lean and fit is important for long-term health, fitness is not just about weight or clothing size.

Exercise and fitness have numerous overall health benefits. Exercise is important for overall physical health and can help decrease the incidence of a number of chronic diseases, like diabetes and hypertension.

On top of that, exercise itself can improve your mood, decrease stress levels, and help you feel empowered as a woman. This is why your New Year's fitness goals should be something you can sustain as lifelong goals, not just quick fixes.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Make Performance Goals Instead of Just Weight Loss Goals

While weight loss always seems to be the top priority for women looking to get into shape, performance goals are even more fun to achieve.

Knowing that you can achieve physical goals based on strength and endurance is one of the best feelings out there. This is great not just for your physical health but also for your mental and emotional well-being.

So, instead of just focusing on the scale when planning your workouts, you should also include performance goals to motivate your body and mind.

For example, if you are an avid runner or are just looking to start from scratch, you can make it a goal to enter a 5K race. As you train, you can focus on other performance goals, like trying to run non-stop for 5 minutes or improving your mile time by 10 seconds.

If you prefer working out in a group, make it a goal to go to two exercise classes a week or to meet up with a friend every weekend for a workout.

These are just a few ideas to set small, performance-related goals. By attaining these small victories, you will also gain muscle, build endurance, and reach weight loss goals. This will all get you closer to your long-term fitness goals.

Learn to effectively achieve your goals by starting to simplify your weight loss journey!

Set Reasonable One Week or Daily Goals

Setting the bar high with your New Year's fitness goals is great, but sometimes, your long-term goal may seem too challenging. So, instead, set some short-term goals to reach along the way!

For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds, set a goal to lose one pound a week.

Research has shown that even moderate weight loss can decrease your risk for chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. So you don’t have to drop a ton of weight to see numerous health benefits.

If you have a lofty performance goal, you should also set short-term goals for these as well.

For example, if you want to increase the amount of weight you can squat by 50 pounds, try adding just five extra pounds every couple of weeks. If you try to hit your goal too quickly, not only do you increase the risk of injury, but you may also lose motivation if you don’t see immediate improvement.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Schedule Your Workouts

It's easy to make a New Year's resolution and say you are going to work out more. However, you are more likely to achieve this if you actually schedule your workouts.

Otherwise, you may fall back into the habit of saying, “I'm too busy to work out,” at the end of a long day.

If you know that you have a busy schedule after work or in the evening, make it a habit to get up early and work out before your day starts.

Or you can even schedule a midday workout if you have a long lunch break.

If you put it on your schedule, you make it a daily task that needs to be checked off just like anything else.

This video will help you create your own home workout plan for weight loss and toning!

Try New Activities

The new year is a great time to vary your workouts with new exercises and routines.

By adding variety to your workouts, you can become re-engaged in a new fitness regimen. This will also help you not to fall back on old habits of skipping workouts.

You can try out a class at your gym, like a boot camp class or barre class. You could even join a run or bike group so that you will have other people to motivate you along the way.

Expand your horizons and try new activities outside of your comfort zone. You may be surprised how much you enjoy these new workouts!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Build Power With Plyometrics and HIIT Workouts

If you aren’t already incorporating HIIT and plyometric moves into your workouts, then the new year is the time to add these exercises to your fitness arsenal.

Some women avoid high-intensity exercises due to fear of worsening knee or joint pain. However, even if you suffer from joint pain, you can modify HIIT and plyometric moves to enjoy all of the benefits of these workouts.

What is HIIT?

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a great cardio option to burn calories in a short amount of time. HIIT involves doing intervals of an exercise at the hardest effort you can sustain for a given period of time.

You can do pretty much any exercise you choose during these intervals. This gives you the opportunity to train multiple muscle groups so that you will build lean muscle while you simultaneously burn fat in a short period of time.

For example, one study showed that two minutes of sprint intervals produced similar post-exercise oxygen consumption compared to 30 minutes of continuous running at a lower intensity.

This is important when you have minimal time to workout but want to achieve the same fitness goals.

This HIIT workout is one of our favorite quick workouts to burn fat and build muscle.

Combining HIIT and Plyometric Workouts

Plyometric training involves explosive compound movements that are typically done with just your body weight or very light weights.

Exercises include moves like plyometric pushups, box jumps, and jump lunges.

The goal is to train for maximum force production in the smallest period of time, so reps are kept low, and the intensity and effort are high, similar to HIIT workouts.

This makes HIIT and plyo workouts a perfect combination.

Plyometric training focuses on increasing the strength and efficiency of the fast-twitch fibers.

This will carry over to all of your other workouts through gains in speed and strength.

For example, a study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that a combination of squat and plyometric training provided a significant increase in hip and thigh power production, resulting in a greater increase in vertical jumping ability than could be achieved from training solely with one program or the other.

During plyometric movements, you are trying to perform each movement as explosively as possible, which normally means leaving the ground.

However, you can modify how high you jump based on your current fitness level and underlying knee or joint limitations.

You can dedicate one of your workout days to doing strictly plyometrics or add plyo exercises into your other routines.

If you want to try out a great HIIT-Plyo Workout to aid with your New Year's fitness goals, add this routine to your weekly workouts.

Fit Mom New Year's HIIT-PLYO Workout

With these exercises, perform the movement for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before moving to the next move.

Alternating Jump Lunges

Start in a split stance position with your hands on your hips and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle with your right leg forward.
Lower your left knee toward the ground while bringing your right thigh parallel to the floor in a lunge position.
Push off the ground, jump, and switch the position of your legs while in mid-air, landing into the lunge position with the left leg forward.
Repeat, switching legs on each jump.

Plyometric Push-Ups

Start in a plank position with wrists directly under the shoulders and body in a straight line from head to toe.
Lower your chest to the floor, push up with enough force for your hands to leave the floor for a second, and then land softly and repeat.
You can also do this move on your knees.

Lateral Skaters

Start with your legs slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and arms at the sides.
Bring your left leg behind at a slight angle into a reverse lunge with the front right knee at a 90-degree angle.
Swing the arms in front of that bent knee and leap the back leg forward to switch sides in a skating motion.
Alternate your arms and legs as you switch sides like a speed skater.

180 Jump Squats

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and begin to lower your body into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Jump up while turning your body 180 degrees mid-air so that you land facing in the opposite direction.
Immediately lower into your squat again, and jump and turn in the opposite direction so you land in the starting position.
Repeat as quickly as possible.

Broad Jumps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and begin to lower the body into a squat.
Jump up as high as you can forward, and focus on landing softly on your feet.
Immediately return to the quarter-squat position and repeat.

After completing this circuit, rest for a full minute. Then repeat it two more times.

This 15-minute HIIT workout can be done at home with no equipment!

Keep Track Of Your Progress

Sometimes, it can help to see your progress in writing.

Seeing all of the strides you are making in your fitness makes it easier to stay motivated and accountable to your goals.

You can even leave yourself little notes on post-its or even as alerts on your phone to remind you of the goals you have achieved so far.

Another idea for the new year is to keep before and after photos from the start of your journey to reinforce how hard you have worked along the way.

You should also keep a fitness journal and write out your workouts to keep yourself accountable for your fitness.

If you exercise regularly, it helps to keep track of how you are improving along the way.

If you have set a weight loss goal, monitoring the scale seems like the obvious thing to do.

But again, there is much more to health and weight loss than just that number.

If you gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously, your weight may stay the same or increase slightly even if you are healthier.

This can be discouraging to see and can cause you to lose motivation.

This is where you can track things like body fat percentage. Your body composition is an important determinant of health

You should also track the weight or reps you do during resistance workouts to monitor your strength gains.

During cardio workouts monitoring your heart rate during similar workouts will allow you to see how your endurance is improving over time.

These things will keep you motivated as you see how much you progress over time.

These five actionable tips teach you how to create a healthier lifestyle and body!

Stay Positive!

Everyone has ups and downs in their fitness journey.

So, even if you have a setback or two while working towards your New Year's fitness goals, that’s OK!

Instead of completely giving up on your resolution, work on smaller, attainable goals while you get back on track.

Sticking to New Year's fitness goals can be tough if you don’t see immediate changes or progress.

This is why your New Year's fitness goals should be about making lifelong changes and not just quick fixes.

Being a Fit Mother is about seeing your health and fitness as something to continually improve on, not just for yourself but for your entire family.

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post New Year’s Fitness Goals: Lifelong Habits, Not Quick Fixes appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Family Workouts: Get Off the Screens and Get Active!

Holly Smith, M.D. — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 01:00:26 +0000

Trying to get your kids off their screens and more active? Try a family workout that will get your whole household moving and grooving!

As a mom, maintaining your health and fitness is more than just looking great — it’s also about staying healthy for your kids and setting a strong example for them.

Teaching your kids the values of fitness can be started at a young age and continued throughout their lives.

Physical activity is essential for kids for a number of reasons. Exercise will build muscle, improve cardiovascular endurance, and help prevent chronic diseases starting from an early age. Plus, being active helps aid in balance, coordination, and agility.

And your kids will get numerous benefits from exercise that go beyond just gaining strength and endurance. Physical activity in children has also been found to boost mood, cognition, and sleep. These benefits will carry over into their school and personal lives as well.

On top of these benefits, being physically active is also linked to improved self-esteem in children. For example, one study from Pediatric Exercise Science found that sixth-grade students who were physically active had considerably higher levels of self-esteem.

Keep reading to learn more about keeping your kids healthy and active, and check out our awesome family workout ideas!

This backyard family workout will improve strength, cardio, flexibility, and mobility — and it doesn't require any equipment!

Keeping Your Kids Motivated

The enjoyment of physical activity and social support by parents, teachers, coaches, and peers are all cited as essential influences on physical activity in children and teenagers. This is important to note because, in order for kids to want to continue staying active and healthy, they need to view exercise as something to be enjoyed.

So get involved with working out with your kids!

By teaching them exercises, you will not only ensure that they are doing the moves properly, but they will also see how much you enjoy working out. This will keep them engaged and motivated to continue staying physically active.

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Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Building Mental Toughness

In all areas of life, mental toughness is a great tool. This can be taught through challenging workouts.

By utilizing timed circuit-type workouts or requiring a certain number of reps, you can teach your kids to push through even when they are reaching their physical limits.

This mental toughness will carry over into their other sports and is a great life lesson that can be useful in all aspects of their lives.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

An Awesome Family Workout Everyone Will Love!

Just like with any workout routine, you want to include all aspects of fitness. This means incorporating strength training, cardio, coordination, and flexibility exercises.

Just like you would start any workout, you want to teach your kids the value of a good warm-up. The warm-up will get your kids' muscles and connective tissue primed for exercise, help improve coordination, and get them in tune with their bodies.

After the warm-up, this is a great time to introduce your kids to interval training by setting up safe bodyweight exercises. These workouts are awesome because they can be done anywhere and will improve your child’s cardiovascular fitness, strength, agility, and balance.

Push-Ups

Push-ups are the ultimate bodyweight move to teach your kids. This exercise will engage their chest, triceps, shoulders, and core. Always be sure that your kids maintain good form while doing this exercise.

Don’t let their hips sag or their backs bow. They can start on their knees first until they gain enough strength to do a full push-up on their toes.

Bear Crawl

This awesome move will build the core along with upper and lower body strength. Plus, you will be increasing balance and stability.

Bird Dog

This yoga-like move is another great balance exercise that engages the core and glutes. Again your kids will be building core strength while also improving coordination.

Bear crawls develop body awareness, trunk strength, shoulder stability, and motor planning. Just like with all of these exercises, really monitor your child’s form during this exercise and make sure they are really engaging their core throughout the move.

RKC Plank

We all know that planks are one of the ultimate core strength moves. For kids, this may be a bit challenging at first.

Demonstrate the correct form and make sure that your kids know that their form is much more important than how long they can hold the position. Even if they can only hold for 5 seconds at first, that’s fine! They will continue to improve on this the longer they train.

Side Planks

Similar to the RKC plank, be sure to emphasize form while they squeeze and engage the core and obliques.

Ice Skaters

This lower body and cardio move isolates one leg at a time. It will not only build leg strength but will also improve balance and coordination.

Air Squat Jumps

This amazing lower body move will build power and quickness in the lower body. Your kids will build leg and glute strength while enhancing their lower body and cardiovascular endurance.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Be a Fit Family!

This awesome workout routine can be done 1-3 times a week. Try to challenge your kids each time to improve on the time before. This may mean doing one more push-up in the allotted time or holding a side plank for 10 more seconds.

By keeping track of their progress, your kids will be more excited to come back the next time to keep improving. You can challenge yourself too and do these exercises with your kids. You could even do the moves first so that they can see the proper form.

They may even want to beat your time or one-up you on the number of reps you did of a certain exercise. This can become a fun competition that keeps everyone engaged in the workouts!

Being a fit mother is great, but being a fit family is even better. Teaching your kids to adopt a healthy lifestyle is one of the greatest gifts that you can give them. This awesome home workout routine for kids is the perfect way to get your kids working out and feeling great about their health!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Family Workouts: Get Off the Screens and Get Active! appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Workouts for Busy Moms: Finding Ways to Fit in Fitness

Erin Coleman — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 01:00:50 +0000

Tied up with work, family, and life commitments? You can still keep up with your fitness with some great workouts for busy moms!

Quick workouts you can do at home or at the office with minimal equipment can help you achieve or maintain the tight, toned figure you desire.

Squeeze in mini exercises at your desk at work, when doing house chores, or while running errands to add extra physical activity to your daily routine.

Keeping your body moving is simpler than you think!

The key is to stay active as often as you can each day, even if it's not a planned workout.

Aim to exercise for at least 20 minutes daily (or most days of the week).

Keep your body moving for at least 45 additional minutes a day and add mini exercises to your everyday tasks.

Work physical activity into your routine based on what your busy schedule allows!

Get started today with these great workouts for busy moms!

These 4 tips will get you on the right track toward your weight loss goals!

Sample Workouts for Busy Moms

If you're looking for highly effective workouts for busy moms, consider the sample exercise plans below!

Circuit Training

To tighten and tone, as well as burn body fat, try this simple circuit training workout for busy moms:

2-Minute Warm-Up

Jog in place or do jumping jacks for 2 minutes to get your muscles warm.

First Circuit

1 minute of rope jumping
15 seconds of rest
1 minute of burpees
15 seconds of rest
1 minute of squat jumps
15 seconds of rest
1 minute of mountain climbers
Move on to the second circuit

Second Circuit (with Dumbbells)

1 minute of squat to press
15 seconds of rest
1 minute of biceps curls
15 seconds of rest
1 minute of triceps extensions
15 seconds of rest
1 minute of standing dumbbell lunges
15 seconds of rest

Repeat Circuits 1 and 2

Repeat the first circuit
Repeat the second circuit
Repeat the first circuit again (optional)
Repeat the second circuit again (optional)

2-Minute Cool Down and Stretch

Jog in place slowly and stretch your muscles for 5 minutes.

Join our 6-Week Program...
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In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

To complete high-intensity interval training, choose from the following list of aerobic exercises:

Walking
Jogging
Stair climbing
Swimming
Cycling
Rowing
Elliptical machine workouts

To complete HIIT workouts, simply:

Exercise at low intensity to warm up for 2 minutes.
Stay at a low intensity or bump up your intensity level to medium for 1-2 minutes.
Switch to a high-intensity pace for 30-60 seconds.
Alternate between low-intensity and higher-intensity bouts of cardiovascular exercise for at least 20 minutes (or longer if you have more time to designate for planned exercise).

HIIT helps tighten and tone your body, as well as burn fat and improve cardiovascular endurance!

This 15-minute HIIT workout can be done at home with no equipment!

Longer, Lower-Intensity Cardio Workouts

On days you may have additional time for workouts, such as when you have alone time or on the weekends, complete lower-intensity, long cardio sessions to enhance fat burning.

Your longer cardio days might be 40, 60, or even 75 minutes in some cases, depending on your time commitment and fitness level.

Keep your pace at a low to moderate intensity, which allows your body to finish longer workouts without “hitting the wall.”

Strength Training Exercises

On resistance training days, or if you'd like to combine strength training with aerobic workouts, consider adding strength-training exercises into your weekly routine.

Use dumbbell weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight as resistance to complete some of the following muscle-specific exercises.

Legs, butt, and calf exercises: narrow-stance squats, wide-stance squats, walking lunges, standing lunges, calf raises, squat jumps, wall squat holds, squat to press with dumbbells, squats with overhead medicine ball throws, resistance-band standing leg raises, and squat kicks
Upper and lower back exercises: dumbbell deadlifts, bent-over reverse flys, bent-over one-arm dumbbell rows, and back extensions
Shoulder exercises: standing upright rows with dumbbells, dumbbell shoulder press, lateral raises, front raises, and resistance band upright rows
Arm exercises: biceps curls with dumbbells, biceps curls with resistance bands, triceps extensions with bands or dumbbells, triceps dips, and triceps kickbacks with dumbbells or resistance bands
Chest exercises: Dumbbell chest press, pushups, dumbbell flys, and resistance band flys
Abdominal exercises: crunches, sit-ups, V-ups, leg raises, oblique crunches, planks, plank jacks, side planks, and shoulder-touch planks

Complete at least two sets of 10-20 repetitions for each muscle-sculpting exercise you choose.

Work each major muscle group at least twice weekly to maximize muscle toning.

You can do abdominal exercise daily, or at least most days of the week, to keep your midsection trim.

Find out why strength training for women over 40 is important to combat muscle loss and promote longevity!

Yoga Workouts

Doing yoga is the perfect addition to weekly workouts for busy moms.

Yoga helps strengthen, tone, and stretch your body.

It reduces stress, minimizes muscle tension, and helps improve your overall fitness level.

Check out these highly-effective yoga workouts and get started today!

Kickboxing Exercises

To change up your usual workout routine and have fun while exercising, try kickboxing at least once or twice a month.

This type of workout tightens and tones your entire body and improves cardiovascular fitness at the same time.

Add a variety of kicks and punches to your kickboxing routines, such as uppercuts, speed bag punches, jabs, hook punches, front kicks, side kicks, and back kicks.

Try an in-person or online kickboxing class to participate in structured kickboxing programs or create your own routine.

Whether you have just 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or an hour, kickboxing is one of the best toning workouts for busy moms.

Peloton Workouts

If you have a Peloton bike at home (or any type of stationary bike) add at-home cycling to your busy weekly routine.

Peloton offers a variety of cycling workouts to choose from that match your fitness level, time frame, and schedule.

Having a built-in cycling class available to you at home makes it easier for you to avoid skipping workouts.

If you don't have a Peloton, choose apps or online cycling classes to get your blood pumping, tighten, tone, and increase cardiovascular fitness and strength.

Bike outdoors or at a local gym if you don't have a stationary bike in your home.

Pilates Exercises

Pilates is a workout you can do from the comfort of home when it's most convenient for you.

Pilates combines of variety of stretches and toning exercises that elongate and strengthen muscle fibers.

It helps keep energy levels high, tones your body, and aids in healthy weight management.

Try these Pilates exercises once a week or every two weeks as your busy schedule allows.

Join our 6-Week Program...
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In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Activities of Daily Living

Add at least 45 minutes of activities of daily living into your day-to-day routine to keep your calorie expenditure and metabolism as high as possible:

Cook at home
Grocery shop
Do the dishes
Mop the floors
Vacuum the floors
Wash windows or mirrors
Do laundry
Walk the dog
Play outside with your kids
Mow the lawn
Rake leaves
Shovel snow
Garden, pull weeds, or trim shrubs
Organize closets
Clean the garage

The key is to keep your body moving as much as possible and sit down less often.

Doing so keeps your metabolism high and reduces the risk of unplanned weight gain.

Mini Sculpting Exercises

Do mini exercises throughout the day to get or stay toned, as well as boost your body's energy expenditure.

Whether you're at work, at home, or running errands, do the following mini-workouts whenever you have an opportunity to do so!

Squeeze your glutes
Flex your abs
Climb stairs
Do traditional squats
Complete wall squats or sits
Do leg raises
Complete plank holds
Do calf raises or holds
Do pushups
Hold a V-up pose

You can do these exercises periodically throughout the day, not just during scheduled exercise sessions.

Squeeze them in when you're at your computer, while watching television, or when waiting in line at the grocery store.

When combined together, adding mini exercises into your routine here and there can really make a difference in your physique.

Here are some more mini workouts you can do throughout the day at home or work!

Workouts for Busy Moms: Tips for Success!

Workouts for busy moms can make staying in shape simple!

Try the following tips to ensure that daily workouts, activities of daily living, and mini exercise sessions happen every day!

Stick with a Routine

Develop a daily routine based on your schedule and add plenty of exercise and other activities to it.

Go to the bed at the same time each night, wake up about the same time each morning, and exercise at the same time each day (preferably in the morning soon after you wake up).

Set regular mealtimes and schedule specific times of the day to complete activities of daily living (house chores, shopping, cooking, walking the dog, etc.).

Keep a daily journal to track workouts and other activities.

Doing so keeps you accountable for meeting activity and wellness goals!

Change Your Mindset

Changing your mindset can help you stick with doing workouts for busy moms long term.

Prioritize planned exercise and get creative about ways to keep your body moving.

Stand up, climb stairs, do squats or pushups, do crunches, or go for walks every chance you get to keep your metabolism and calorie expenditure high.

Get Plenty of High-Quality Sleep

Sleep is just as important as completing highly effective workouts for busy moms.

Sleep helps keep your energy levels high. It also reduces the risk of weight gain linked with sleep deprivation, since poor sleep can alter hunger hormones in the body and decrease satiety.

In addition to setting a regular sleep schedule, sleep in a cool dark room, keep stress levels low, and avoid alcohol and caffeine late in the day.

Use a white noise machine if you're a light sleeper to improve sleep quality and see a doctor if you struggle with sleep apnea.

Try this simple technique to fall asleep and relax your mind before bed!

Break Workouts Into Smaller Sweat Sessions

If you're too busy to complete 30-minute workouts, break up exercise sessions into smaller 10-minute bouts.

Reorganizing exercise sessions into three or four mini-sessions spaced apart throughout the day is just as effective for improving health and wellness as one longer sweat session.

Track the total number of minutes you exercise in a journal to ensure you complete at least 20-30 minutes of planned exercise most days of each week.

Track minutes spent doing activities of daily living or mini exercise sessions too!

Exercise in the Morning

One of the best ways to start off each day is to get your body moving and your blood pumping.

Even if you just have 10-20 minutes in the morning to spare, sneak a quick workout for busy moms into your morning routine.

Set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier than usual to complete a quick sweat session before you start the rest of your day.

If you have additional time later in the day, such as during a lunch break, after work, or during kids' activities, add additional workouts or activity breaks in bouts of 10, 20, or 30-minute increments.

Stay Active During Your Lunch Breaks

If you work full time, stay active during your lunch break — even if you have just 10-15 minutes to go for a walk, climb stairs, or do squats.

If your workplace is within walking distance to a healthy restaurant, consider walking to lunch and back to the office to burn extra calories and keep your body moving.

Recruit coworkers to join you!

Stand Instead of Sit Down

Despite a busy schedule, stand up instead of sitting down whenever you have a chance.

Whether you're at work (try a sit-stand desk), watching kids' sports games, or simply hanging out with friends and family, stand up vs. sitting down if possible.

Alternate between periods of sitting and standing often.

Doing so regularly also keeps your blood vessels healthy and reduces the risk of varicose and spider veins in your legs.

Is sitting the new smoking? Learn about the negative effects of sitting and how to reverse them!

Join the Fit Mother Project

The Fit Mother Project is a healthy living program specifically designed for busy moms over 40, so it's the perfect resource for obtaining additional workouts for busy moms.

Upon joining you also receive custom meal plans, recipes, weekly newsletters, health coaching support from medical experts, social support from other fit moms, and more!

The Fit Mother Project has helped millions of busy parents achieve their goal weights, stay healthy, gain confidence, and set a good example for their kids.

Try a Fit Mother Project free meal plan and workout for busy moms to get started on your health journey today!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Erin Coleman

B.S. Nutritional Science, R.D., L.D. Writer, Fit Mother Project

Erin Coleman is a registered and licensed dietitian with over 15 years of freelance writing experience.

She graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in nutritional science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed her dietetic internship at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Prior to beginning her career in medical content writing, Erin worked as Health Educator for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Internal Medicine.

Her published work appears on hundreds of health and fitness websites, and she’s currently working on publishing her first book! Erin is a wife, and a Mom to two beautiful children.

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Workouts for Busy Moms: Finding Ways to Fit in Fitness appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Full Body Workouts For Women: Shape Up In 30 Minutes Or Less!

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 01:00:26 +0000

Looking for the most efficient way to tone yourself from head to toe? All you need are 30 minutes and a full-body workout for women!

I don't know about you, but one of my top goals at the gym is efficiency. Between work, kids, and life, most of us don't have the luxury to spend more than 30 minutes to an hour working out.

This can be discouraging if you're under the impression that it takes hours at the gym to look toned and tight.

But the truth is, all you need is 30 minutes and the right full-body workout for women!

Anyone who tells you that in order to fatigue your muscles, you need to dedicate yourself to leg days, arm days, and so on, is just wrong … and probably doesn't have kids!

When you engage all your muscle groups in one gym trip, you're able to leave with the confidence that you've completed a thorough workout. With full-body workouts, you're able to work out your muscle groups more frequently throughout the week. Much more than if you were segmenting your workouts.

Let us show you how full-body workouts for women are the most efficient way to tone yourself from head to toe!

This full-body workout for women can be done at home with no equipment!

What Makes a Good Full Body Workout?

The exercises that make up full-body workouts for women actually look a bit different than other workouts. The secret to full-body workouts is compound movements, which are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at one time.

Compound Movements

Compound movements are the darling of the fitness world. Compound movements tend to be more natural movements that you use in your daily life, like squats and deadlifts.

How many times do you squat or bend down to pick up clothes or toys? Point made.

Aside from being natural movements, compound movements have the added benefit of getting your heart rate up and allowing you to lift heavier weights.

Additional benefits of compound movements include:

Better coordination and sense of balance
Burns more calories
Strengthens you for real-world activities
Decreased time to complete a full-body workout
Increased joint health
Reduces the chances of sports-related injuries
Provides cardiovascular benefits
Builds strength faster

Isolation Exercises

Isolation exercises are the opposite of compound movements. These intentionally work one muscle or muscle group at a time. The majority of gym machines are meant for isolation exercises, like the leg extension machine or the fly machine.

While isolation exercises would not be our choice when building a time-efficient full-body workout for women, they do have their benefits!

Isolation exercises let you focus and burn out specific muscle groups, allowing you to really hone in on the perfect form, use incremental weights, and perform reps to muscle fatigue. In fact, isolation exercises are often used in physical therapy so that the user can rebuild strength in specific areas.

Try this full-body dumbbell workout for women — all you need is a set of dumbbells and some floor space!

Full Body Workouts For Women

Now that you know the benefits of a full-body workout for women that includes compound movements, we'll take you through some of our favorites. You'll notice many of the classics here. When it comes to working out, it can be tempting to try the latest crazes and contortionist-like movements. But in reality, the staples really do the best job.

Squat

Squats help to strengthen the hamstrings, quads, glutes, and lower back.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower your body as if you were sitting in a chair, butt first.
Do this by thrusting your hips back with bent knees.
With weight in your heels, push yourself back up to standing and squeeze your glutes at the top.

Once you've mastered a basic squat, hold dumbbells in both your hands. When you come up from a squat, push both palms to the ceiling to complete a shoulder press.

Deadlift

Deadlifts strengthen your hamstrings, quads, abs, and back.

Take a barbell or two dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing your quads.
With your feet at a shoulder-width distance and your knees slightly bent, bend your hips with a straight back.
Keep bending slowly until your chest is almost parallel to the floor.
Once at your lowest point, slowly return to your initial standing position.
Remember to keep your knees slightly bent the entire time and to keep your back straight, with your shoulders back and down.

Once you've mastered this, after completing a deadlift, pull your barbell or dumbbells up from your thighs to your upper chest, completing a standing row.

Bench Press

Bench presses work your chest muscles, triceps, and shoulder muscles.

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor for balance.
Your back can have a slight arch to it as long as you feel comfortable.
Grab either a barbell or two dumbbells in your hands with your knuckles facing the ceiling and your upper arms at a 45-degree angle from the body.
When ready, push the weights to the ceiling so your arms are extended.
Lower the weights back down above your chest and repeat.

If you're feeling well balanced, you can raise a single leg so that it's parallel with the floor during bench presses. This introduces a bit of core to your chest workout.

Bridge

Bridges allow you to tone your upper back, glutes, and hamstrings with a low-impact movement.

Begin by lying on your back on a mat.
Bend your knees so that your feet are less than a foot in front of your glutes.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Press into your feet so that your glute comes up into the air and your weight is distributed evenly between your heels and your upper shoulders.
When you lift and squeeze your butt in a bridge, extend your arms and push the dumbbells towards the ceiling.
Bring the dumbbells back towards your ears and lower your glutes.

Once you've mastered the bridges, extend one leg straight while you come up into your bridge. This will focus your weight on one leg.

Curtsy Lunge

Lunges tone your glutes, hamstrings, calves, and inner and outer thighs.

Step your right leg back and towards the left, landing with your right knee bent and your weight in the ball of your right foot.
Bend into your right knee and straighten, bringing your right foot back into a regular standing position
Repeat on the other side.

Once you've mastered the curtsy lunge, repeat the movements but with dumbbells in both hands. When you come back into the standing position, curl the dumbbells in front of you for a bicep curl.

Check out this full-body resistance band workout!

Maxing Out Your Workout

The compound exercises that we listed are all great introductions to a full-body workout. In order to make sure you max yourself out, pay attention to the weights that you're using.

It's essential to be able to do the exercises with proper form, but it is good to become fatigued by the end of your sets. This means that you're at a challenging weight, and gives your body something to work toward.

Knowing that our intention is to provide you with a time-efficient and challenging workout, try to time yourself on how long it takes you to get through these workouts.

If you spend over an hour at the gym, you may be doing your reps too slowly or resting for too long between sets. Pay attention to how you feel at and after the gym to make sure that you're working at a pace that is both challenging but also safe.

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi

Founder, Fit Mother Project & Fit Father Project

After watching his own Dad lose his health and pass away at the young age of 42, Dr. Balduzzi founded The Fit Mother Project and Fit Father Project to help busy moms and dads get and stay healthy for their families.

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi holds dual degrees in Psychology & Nutrition from the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine, and is also a former national champion bodybuilder. He’s is most proud of the fact that he’s helped over 40,000 families in over 100 countries lose weight and get healthy for life.

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Full Body Workouts For Women: Shape Up In 30 Minutes Or Less! appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Respecting Your Body: Episode 9 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 12:00:53 +0000

Episode 9 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast is all about respecting your body and how you can lose weight, tone up, build muscle, and transform your body at any age!

In this episode, you’ll meet Robin, a 50-year-old mother of two and the winner of our 2021 Transformation Contest.

In early 2020, Robin lost her brother, who had just turned 50, to heart disease.

That, and the onset of the pandemic, led Robin to let herself go, and she was overeating and drinking too much.

As the year rolled on and she was nearing her own 50th birthday, Robin knew she needed to change.

She had a family and a career. She didn’t want to die of heart disease like her brother.

She needed to need to snap out of her unhealthy spiral.

She found the Fit Mother Project on YouTube, signed up for the Fit Mom Jumpstart, and she hasn’t looked back since!

In this episode you’ll learn:

How Robin’s health journey started in the kitchen.
How to dial in on your own nutritional needs.
How to have a health regimen and structure that’s not ‘boring.’
Why it’s OK for moms to focus on themselves and put their health first.
How to lead your family by example.
How to stay focused and motivated.
And so much more!

So, if you want to get the most from your health and fitness efforts, listen to this episode on respecting your body, take some notes, and check out FM30X!

What is FM30X?

FM30X is a simple, sustainable, and specific weight loss program that is designed especially for busy women over 40. With short metabolic training workouts, an easy-to-follow meal plan, and an accountability team that is there for you at every step, FM30X can help you lose 30, 40, or even 50+ lbs — even if you’ve never picked up a weight in your life.

Click here to see what you get when you join the FM30X program today!

If you loved what you heard on the Fit Mother Project Podcast, please follow, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts.

REVIEW GIVEAWAY! WIN ONE MONTHS SUPPLY OF SUPER FUEL WHEY OR VEGAN PROTEIN

To take part, simply write a review at Apple Podcasts, post a screenshot of your review on your IG stories, and tag us (@fitmotherproject) along with two of your friends!

You can also listen to the show on:

And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

Click here to listen to Episode 9 and subscribe to the
Fit Mother Project Podcast!

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi

Founder, Fit Mother Project & Fit Father Project

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Respecting Your Body: Episode 9 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Sitting Is the New Smoking: Episode 8 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Episode 8 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast is all about why sitting is the new smoking and how sitting for long periods of time negatively impacts your health.

In this episode, you’ll meet Dr. Stefan Zavalin, a doctor of physical therapy and the owner of Love to Move, a company that helps companies redesign their workplaces in order to encourage physical and emotional wellness.

Sedentary behavior and sitting for long periods of time increase the risk of some types of cancer by up to 68 percent and the risk of diabetes by up to 112 percent.

Too much sitting can negatively affect your cardiovascular health, spinal health, blood sugar, and even lead to muscle loss.

In this episode, Dr. Zavalin explains why this happens and, more importantly, how we can fix it.

In this episode you’ll learn:

The dangers extended periods of sitting.
What we can do in our daily lives to readjust our desks and anywhere else we sit.
How to stand more.
How much you should be sitting vs standing each day.
Some great stretches you can do to combat the negative aspects of sitting.
And so much more!

So, if you want to get the most from your health and fitness efforts, listen to this episode on why sitting is the new smoking, take some notes, and check out FM30X!

What is FM30X?

Click here to see what you get when you join the FM30X program today!

If you loved what you heard on the Fit Mother Project Podcast, please follow, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts.

REVIEW GIVEAWAY! WIN ONE MONTHS SUPPLY OF SUPER FUEL WHEY OR VEGAN PROTEIN

To take part, simply write a review at Apple Podcasts, post a screenshot of your review on your IG stories, and tag us (@fitmotherproject) along with two of your friends!

You can also listen to the show on:

And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

Click here to listen to Episode 8 and subscribe to the
Fit Mother Project Podcast!

Additional Links Mentioned in This Episode

Love to Move website

How to book Love to Move at your organization

Dr. Zavalin on Instagram

Dr. Zavalin on Facebook

Dr. Zavalin on LinkedIn

Warm-Ups, Stretches, and Mobility Routines

Stretches for People Who Sit All Day

10 Stretches For Normal People That You Should Do Every Day

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi

Founder, Fit Mother Project & Fit Father Project

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Sitting Is the New Smoking: Episode 8 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Easy Resolutions: 40 Achievable Goals For the New Year!

Erin Coleman — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:00:32 +0000

Have you made your new year's resolutions? Or have you already broken the ones you've made? Either way, make this year easier by settings some easy resolutions!

That doesn't mean resolving to eat more ice cream, it means setting goals you know you can keep!

Setting achievable goals is the best way to feel a sense of accomplishment and stay on track with your health and fitness goals.

By setting easy resolutions and tracking the little things, you can really make a difference in meeting your overall goals.

No resolution is too small! Start little to ensure you maintain each goal all year long!

The easy resolutions that are right for you depend on your lifestyle, health, and overall wellness.

Take into account your schedule, food and exercise preferences, and mental ability to stay on track and meet targets.

Don't set expectations that are dramatically different from your usual lifestyle and choose goals you feel excited about!

Here's how to set easy resolutions that will lead to positive changes.

Learn the key behind the motivation to work out and how to sustain your diet and exercise plans.

15 Easy Resolutions for the New Year

When deciding which targets to set this year, use the following easy resolutions as a guide!

1. Work Out at Least 4 Days a Week

You don't have to exercise every single day. An easy new year's resolution is to exercise at least four days of each week.

Keep track of the days you complete a planned exercise, such as jogging, cycling, stair climbing, using an elliptical machine, or lifting weights.

Use an exercise journal so you don't forget which days you've exercised!

2. Exercise at Least 20 Minutes Most Days

Exercising for at least 20 minutes most days of the week is an easy resolution that many parents find ways to fit into busy schedules.

If you have the time, work out more than 20 minutes per day.

However, if your schedule doesn't allow for longer workouts, 20 minutes is often plenty of time to achieve health, fitness, and body weight goals.

3. Walk Every Day, Especially After Meals

On non-workout days, or even on days you complete a planned exercise, schedule in time to take walks — even if it's just 10 minutes here and there or walking your dog every day.

Doing so keeps your body moving, can give you a boost of energy, and keeps your metabolism going strong.

If weight loss is your goal, studies show that walking briskly for 30 minutes soon after mealtime enhances weight loss.

If you have a desk job, take periodic walking or stair-climbing breaks every opportunity you get to reduce the number of hours daily you spend sitting down.

4. Eat 3 Servings of Vegetables Daily

Many people don't consume the amounts of vegetables needed to meet daily vitamin, mineral, and fiber needs.

Consuming a wide array of vegetables on a daily basis helps you manage a healthy weight, keep cholesterol levels in check, and reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.

Aim to fill half of each plate of food with vegetables during meals.

Even during breakfast, add vegetables to your plate, drink vegetable juice, or add veggie powder to protein shakes.

Sneak vegetables into omelets or scrambled eggs whenever possible.

If you're unable to eat veggies for breakfast, add an extra vegetable portion to lunch, dinner, or between-meal snacks to ensure you consume at least 3 vegetable servings daily.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

5. Drink 12 Cups of Fluids

To maintain exceptional health, women should aim for at least 12 cups of fluids, particularly water, each day.

Other healthy drinks that count toward daily fluid goals include milk, plant milk, plain kefir, 100% fruit juice, coffee, tea, and vegetable juice.

If your new year's resolution is weight loss, drink about 2 cups of water before meals to help you feel full with fewer calories.

Keep track of your fluid intake throughout the day by drinking out of water bottles that hold known amounts.

As a frame of reference, one cup of fluid equals 8 fluid ounces.

6. Lose 1-2 Pounds per Week

If your new year's resolution is weight loss, make your weight-loss goal attainable and a number you can maintain for a lifetime.

Losing 1-2 pounds per week is a safe rate of weight loss that boosts your chance of keeping lost weight off long-term.

In comparison, losing weight rapidly puts you at risk of weight regain.

Step on the scale each day to ensure you meet daily and weekly weight goals.

Let the Fit Mother Project 30X (FM30X) weight loss program guide you!

7. Do at Least 2 House Chores Daily

If you don't keep up with house chores on a daily basis, they can quickly build up over time and become overwhelming.

Easy resolutions often involve house chores or organizational strategies that help you keep your home in order.

Chores are also calorie burners, which can make healthy weight management easier.

Consider doing at least two chores each day, such as doing the dishes, folding laundry, grocery shopping, doing yard work, washing your windows, washing your car, vacuuming, dusting, or cleaning the floors.

Cooking counts too and is an excellent way to keep your body moving!

Add chores to your resolution list based on your household needs.

8. Weigh Yourself Every Day

Weighing yourself daily is an easy resolution that's simple to complete this new year.

Studies show that daily weigh-ins are highly effective for weight loss and adopting healthy habits.

They also reduce your risk of unplanned weight gain.

Step on the scale at the same time each day to get the most accurate results!

Find out how to track your weight loss in the most effective ways!

9. Eat Protein Foods During Every Meal

Knowing which nutritious foods are rich in protein helps you achieve the easy resolution of consuming protein at each meal. Why is this a good idea?

Consuming protein frequently throughout the day helps you maintain lean muscle mass, minimize body fat, and achieve healthy body weight.

It enhances your metabolism, boosts satiety, and keeps your hair, skin, and nails healthy.

Pick some of the following healthy foods to ensure you consume plenty of protein at each meal: chicken, turkey, duck, very lean red meat, eggs, fish, and seafood, as well as nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu, or seitan.

Milk, plant milk, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, plain kefir, and reduced-fat cheese are also excellent protein-rich options.

Low-sugar protein shakes and bars count too!

10. Eat Fiber-Rich Foods at Each Meal

Like protein-rich foods, foods high in fiber offer a variety of wellness benefits.

Examples include healthy weight management and a low risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

An easy resolution is to consume high-fiber foods during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and when eating snacks if possible!

Pick fruits, vegetables, whole grains (quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, whole-grain bread, oatmeal, etc.), avocados, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Examples of legumes include lentils, peas, black beans, pinto beans, and other dried beans.

11. Schedule Time for Relaxation

Relaxation doesn't come easy, especially for many busy parents.

But scheduling time to relax is one of the best things you can do for your body to keep stress levels low and reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.

An easy resolution to keep this year is to set aside at least 15 minutes of relaxation time every day.

During this time, you might choose a cat nap, reading, getting caught up with current events, meditation, getting a massage, or doing yoga.

Get your body into a relaxing position, take deep breaths, don't think about stressful thoughts, and allow yourself to unwind.

12. Sleep at Least 7 Hours Each Night

Studies show that sleeping soundly for at least 7 hours each night reduces the risk of adverse health outcomes, such as obesity, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, depression, and all-cause deaths.

An easy resolution is to sleep at least 7 hours every night or most nights of each week.

Keep a sleep journal to ensure you get the amount of rest needed to maintain exceptional health and wellness.

To maximize sleep quality, sleep in a cool dark room, set a regular bedtime, and avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.

Try this simple technique to fall asleep and relax your mind before bed!

13. Take Vitamins

Make it a new year's resolution this season to take a multivitamin or other vitamin supplement as directed by your doctor every day.

Doing so can improve your overall health, boost energy levels, and lower your risk of nutritional deficiencies and chronic diseases.

Ask your doctor about taking additional dietary supplements, such as joint health or heart support supplements, omega-3 supplements, probiotics, protein supplements, or other supplements that meet your individualized needs.

14. Take Care of Your Skin

Taking good care of your skin enhances its appearance and reduces the risk of dry skin, aging skin, acne, and other common skin issues.

Things you can do to improve the health of your skin include cleaning it often, keeping it moisturized, using sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun, and consuming the vitamins and minerals needed to give your skin a healthy glow.

Wash your face at least twice daily using water and a facial cleanser.

15. Work Out Your Abs Daily

While it's usually best to avoid working the same muscle groups day after day, abdominal muscles are an exception.

You can do ab exercises every day of the week, or most days of the week if you prefer.

Change up your ab routine often to reap the most benefit from regular ab workouts.

Do combinations of plank jacks, side planks, other oblique exercises, shoulder-touch planks, mountain climbers, sit-ups, crunches, leg raises, and other favorite ab exercises to keep your midsection slim and toned.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

25 Additional Easy Resolutions for the New Year

In addition to the 15 easy resolutions above, consider trying setting some of the following this New Year's season!

If you're a smoker, stop smoking
Drink alcohol no more than one time per week
Find an active hobby
Be on time for all events
Spend more time with family and friends
Keep a gratitude journal
Go on weekly date nights with your spouse
Make a budget and stick to it
Take time to yourself every day
Keep a daily planner
Stop eating fast food
Dine out no more than 1-2 times per week
Set career or income goals
Set a regular bedtime and stick to it
Do yoga at least once per week
Sit down less often (at least 1 hour less)
Limit screen time/look at your phone less often
Limit social media activity
Read one book per month
Start gardening
Eat more organic foods
Lift weights at least twice weekly
Volunteer at least once a month
Stop drinking soda and diet soda
Cook at home more often

Don't overwhelm yourself with new year's resolutions this season.

Start by choosing just a few that best fit your lifestyle and preferences.

You can always add more targets after effectively achieving your initial goals!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Get Started with Easy Resolutions

Take plenty of time to consider the feasibility of easy resolutions this new year, and which are best for you and your family.

Make a list of your top ten ideas and narrow them down if needed.

Strive to attain at least 2-3 easy goals for an entire year and add to your resolution list if needed based on your motivation level and success rate.

Trust the Fit Mother Project to help you achieve health and fitness goals this New Year!

Upon joining this highly effective healthy living program for busy moms over 40, you have access to:

Online health coaching from medical experts
Social support from other fit moms
Custom meal plans and menus
Fat-burning workouts
Weekly newsletters
Nutritious recipes
Much more!

In addition to setting feasible, easy resolutions this new year, try a free FMP meal plan and workout to continue on the road toward better health for you and your family!

Erin Coleman

B.S. Nutritional Science, R.D., L.D. Writer, Fit Mother Project

Erin Coleman is a registered and licensed dietitian with over 15 years of freelance writing experience.

She graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in nutritional science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed her dietetic internship at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Prior to beginning her career in medical content writing, Erin worked as Health Educator for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Internal Medicine.

Her published work appears on hundreds of health and fitness websites, and she’s currently working on publishing her first book! Erin is a wife, and a Mom to two beautiful children.

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Easy Resolutions: 40 Achievable Goals For the New Year! appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

New Year’s Reflections: Episode 7 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 01:00:14 +0000

Episode 7 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast is all about new year’s reflections and what it takes to really succeed with your health and fitness resolutions.

It’s that time of year. People are having new year’s reflections and setting all kinds of resolutions.

To lose weight, to be more consistent with exercise, to achieve more at work, or to be a better spouse or partner.

All of this is amazing. It is such a beautiful thing that we have the ability to use intention and vision to create goals and start to put energy behind them.

But the sad truth is, most people don't succeed long-term with their resolutions.

Mostly, this is because there's a specific process for setting goals, getting yourself aligned to those goals, and creating the environment that's going to help you.

And that's what we talk about in this episode.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How to turn your new year’s reflections into real goals.
What it takes to succeed with any goal.
How to to get clear on what you truly want to achieve.
How to find your “why power” to stay motivated and consistent.
How to shape your environment to ensure that there's less friction and you can be successful.
And so much more!

So, if you want to get the most from your health and fitness efforts, listen to this episode on new year’s reflections, take some notes, and check out FM30X!

What is FM30X?

Click here to see what you get when you join the FM30X program today!

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REVIEW GIVEAWAY! WIN ONE MONTHS SUPPLY OF SUPER FUEL WHEY OR VEGAN PROTEIN

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Click here to listen to Episode 7 and subscribe to the
Fit Mother Project Podcast!

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi

Founder, Fit Mother Project & Fit Father Project

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post New Year’s Reflections: Episode 7 of the Fit Mother Project Podcast appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

exercise Archives - The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+

HIIT Workouts For Women: Strength Training and Cardio in One Quick Exercise Session

The Benefits of HIIT Workouts For Women

HIIT Workout Warmup

High Knees

Jumping Jacks

Butt Kickers

High Knee With Oblique Twist

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Beginner HIIT Workout

Burpees

Squat Jumps

Flutter Kicks

Push-Ups

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Intermediate HIIT Workout

Alternating Jump Lunges

Side to Side Push-Ups

Lateral Skaters

Mountain Climbers

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Advanced HIIT Workout

Tuck Jumps

Side to Side Plank Abs

V-Push-Ups

Russian Twist

Cool Down

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program. You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Menopause Belly: What Is a Meno-Pot and What Can You Do About It?

Getting Started On Your Weight Loss Journey

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

5 Great Strength Training Moves To Lose Your Menopause Belly

1. Farmer’s March

2. Dumbbell Squat and Press

3. Spider-Man Push-Ups

4. Curls to Bent Over Rows

5. Reverse Lunge With Twist

Cardio Training

Warm-Up

Main Set

Cool Down

Shed That Stubborn Menopause Belly with Healthy Eating

GET YOUR FREE “FIT MOM” JUMPSTART (MEAL PLAN + WORKOUT)

GET YOUR FREE “FIT MOM” JUMPSTART(MEAL PLAN + WORKOUT)

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program. You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

New Year’s Fitness Goals: Lifelong Habits, Not Quick Fixes

Tips For Setting Realistic New Year's Fitness Goals

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Make Performance Goals Instead of Just Weight Loss Goals

Set Reasonable One Week or Daily Goals

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Schedule Your Workouts

Try New Activities

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Build Power With Plyometrics and HIIT Workouts

What is HIIT?

Combining HIIT and Plyometric Workouts

Fit Mom New Year's HIIT-PLYO Workout

Keep Track Of Your Progress

Stay Positive!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program. You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Family Workouts: Get Off the Screens and Get Active!

Keeping Your Kids Motivated

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Building Mental Toughness

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

GET YOUR FREE
“FIT MOM” JUMPSTART
(MEAL PLAN + WORKOUT)

GET YOUR FREE
“FIT MOM” JUMPSTART
(MEAL PLAN + WORKOUT)

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Click here to listen to Episode 9 and subscribe to the
Fit Mother Project Podcast!

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.