Workout Locations: Anywhere!!!

Hello!
I am missing my daily blogging so much but June is just the busiest month for our family! We were in Tofino and then off to Vancouver to look for a place to reside for five months (we found a cute lil' character house), and are leaving tomorrow for Winnipeg to visit with our family! So it's been busy to say the very least! So I've mainly been blogging in my dreams but thought that I would take the last bit of Noah's nap to write about my love and appreciation for ME time!!! For me, that's having a great, sweaty workout!!! I have learned since having Noah that you have to take advantage of those 'me' moments whenever they present themselves! You have to create opportunities to workout and a workout doesn't have to take place at the gym; in fact, I would say that 99% of my workouts now occur in my home or on the roads or trails! I have mentioned before my love for running and I run a lot to relieve stress, think, and reach my personal goals! I have found the best 'secret' trails and seen the most beautiful nature and scenery while exploring the neighborhoods or new areas. I am running as part of a team in the upcoming Manitoba Marathon which will be so exciting! Even though I was born there and have been back several times for visits, I still don't feel confident in finding my way around Manitoba. Running part of it will be a new and exciting way to explore a new province! I dream of running in Hawaii or other beautiful destinations. To run and travel would be combining two of my passions into one beautiful package!
Anyways, for those that can't relate to my love for running, I thought that I would share a few other favorites of mine. Ally has been visiting me and we took Noah for the first time to 2 drop-in gymnastics classes at Falcon Gymnastics! They have drop-in gymnastics for toddlers/pre-school children on Tuesday and Thursdays (unfortunately they won't have this again until September), but we thought that we would check it out! I have always dreamed of being a gymnast but I have ZERO experience in gymnastics!!! I am proud to say that I can do a mean cartwheel and somersault but that's the extent of my gymnast abilities! I used to listen to my good friend Jessica tell me about her warm-ups and gymnast routines and long to have had that experience as a child! It sounded like so much fun! Little did I know how AMAZING this drop-in class would be! It's basically an hour of FUN for everyone! Parents are encouraged to get down and dirty and test their tricks and abilities with the kids! Of course Noah was super shy at first and unsure of the giant foam pit but before long, Ally, Noah and I were running up ramps and jumping into this huge foam pit (don't ever wear your socks...you'll lose them for sure)!!!! I couldn't believe how much fun we were having! There was this long trampoline and we would run and jump onto this big mat and somersault away! Oh, how fun! The balance beam was cool too! Of course Noah is only 22 months so he has a long time to enjoy the fun of gymnastics if he chooses! He loves it so much so far and I thought that it would be great for his fine and gross motor skills development. I know that they have gymnastics for adults and beginners so that's something to look into if you're interested!
Another way to have fun while being fit is to go to your neighborhood playground with your child or friends and monkey-around!!!
While in Tofino (we do this whenever we're at any park really), Ally, Dan, Noah and I hit the park there and we had a BLAST! We climbed the monkey bars and went backwards around the entire thing, ziplined, swung from bar to bar, performed dips and ran around tons! We were working our core muscles, triceps, biceps, back and legs while having a blast! We were also showing Noah that a playground really is for kids of all ages and sizes and not just sitting on the sidelines. We got down and dirty, made some mean 'sand stir-frys' using our imaginations and just had TONS of good ol' fashioned family FUN!

Another great activity to do if you are feeling adventurous and have a passion and appreciation for the water is to try surfing! If you've never been before, it's a good idea to take a lesson or two or go with someone who is willing to take the time to show you, teach you proper etiquette and will be close in the water in case you need them!

Ally went for her first time while we were in Tofino and we had a blast! I'm sure she has a much deeper appreciation for the ocean after being in those powerful waves! We had a great time and MAN is it a great workout! You are having so much fun though and focusing so much you don't really think about it or feel it until the next day! I love surfing so much! If you don't live near good surf, you can always just go for a paddle in the ocean (or lake)! I used to go out for paddles with my friend Jesse on his surfboards and we always had so much fun, surf or no surf! It's a great way to build your trapezoid muscles, along with your core, arms and help you with balance!
You can also have a great work-out ON the beach instead of IN the water! I love walking, running, lunging, and doing some yoga poses on the sand! You get great resistance training and breathtaking scenery to connect with your inner-self!

Lastly, I wanted to share with you yet another way to workout where you don't have to leave the comfort of your home! If I can't get away (like this afternoon while Dan and Ally were out and Noah was napping, I was feeling the urge to workout but had nowhere to go), I pop in a workout DVD (usually Jillian Michaels), and get my ass kicked in my own living room! I used to think that workout DVDs would never deliver but MAN was I wrong! I first tried the Jillian Michaels' DVDs after Noah was born and I couldn't believe how sweaty I was afterwards and how sore I felt! I now incorporate her workout DVDs into my routine whenever it's rainy or I just can't get away and I always relieve stress and feel results from them! She has several different DVDs and my all-time favorite if I'm in need of a great sweat and burn is her Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. I've also tried and love her No More Trouble Zones because it uses light weights and you really do a lot of super-sets with light weights and an increased heart-rate. If you don't have a lot of time there is her 30 Day Shred which has 3 twenty minute levels (easy-moderate-advanced).

My bf Erin gave me an old MTV Pilates DVD too and if I'm feeling like stretching but also want a little extra oomph to my stretch, I'll put in that and I'm always enlightened and happy afterwards!

I would love to hear what your favorite fitness routines are and anything else you would like to share! I am always inspired by any comments that are written and just love sharing my joys with you! xo