You know you’re raising a fit family when...

You know you’re raising a fit family when...

1. Everyone in the family has clothing made with DriFit.
2. The kids request protein shakes for breakfast.
3. Creative play includes working out, races and going to the gym.
4. Your kids greet the childcare staff at your gym with as much affection as they give their favorite aunt. 
5. There is a laundry basket for darks, for whites and for sweaty workout clothes.
6. There is a designated workout area in the house (and the playroom doubles as a workout area when necessary).
7. Everyone in the family has a “finishers photo” on the mantle.
8. When you and your partner work out at the same time you consider it a date.
9. Your gym bag doubles as a diaper bag and vice versa.
10. Hearing “you stink” isn’t intended to be derogatory, but rather a statement of fact, even a badge of honor.

Mindfulness on the Road

We  have a few more days on our virtual road trip before we take a break for the Thanksgiving Holidays. If the stress of the season gets to you, head on over to the Hot (Sweaty) Mamas website. Today's book tour stop is at Ms. Mind Body, the website of Kate Hanley, author of The Anywhere Anytime Chill Guide. I interviewed Ms. Mind Body herself and she offers infinite wisdom for the stressed out mama.

I know you know you need it and I know you know I need it. So go read it!

Then, if you want some insight into how me and my co-author, Laurie Kocanda, deal with stress click on over to Ms. Mind Body, where we speak our mind on mindfulness.

Plus there are all kinds of chances to win: Enter to win a copy of the Anywhere Anytime Chill Guide, with your comment on Hot (Sweaty) Mamas, get another chance when you sign up for Kate Hanley's Weekly Vegimental, and you can also win a copy of Hot (Sweaty) Mamas over at Ms. Mind Body.

On Tuesday join us at Fit Bottomed Mamas and Wednesday we'll be at Happy Healthy Hip with more chances to win a copy of Hot (Sweaty) Mamas. Who needs Black Friday?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Getting Noticed

This weekend The Boy joined me in my office. He likes to steal all the credit cards and business cards he can find to "play mail" by slipping them through the handle on a desk-top file box. Occasionally I read his mail and unbeknownst to me he was "reading," my computer screen. When I opened the Hot (Sweaty) Mamas website I heard him murmur the words, "Hot Sweaty Mamas."

His little voice speaking those words floated around in my brain like a magic carpet for a few seconds.

You all know this is much neater depiction
of the real thing. I love the boxes. Indeed
there are boxes of books on the floor.

I know that my most important job on the planet is to wipe bottoms and noses, make healthy meals and snacks, keep the kids dressed for the elements, read to them, play with them, snuggle with them, and on it goes. There are other things this mom does, too, so when they acknowledge that--say by coming home with artwork like this--the recognition means more than a photo of me in People Magazine. Only a mother knows I speak the complete truth.

But my son, he's only two. I don't expect him to know or care what mom does outside of playing trains (or in his words, "frains,") and building Lego towers. Even when I take him on a run with me, I'm pretty sure he thinks we're out there for his amusement.

So as his little voice swooshed around my head, saying the title of the book that has been part of my consciousness long before he was even conceived, I thought I hadn't really heard it, that I just linked his physical presence to what was before me somehow. To be sure, I asked, "What did you say?"

Then he said it again, to my face.

Just so you know, I just heard him say his own name out loud a few days ago, which was pretty exciting, too.

I got excited all over again. So excited that I grabbed my Flip camera and asked him to repeat the title for my enjoyment. Just so you believe me, I'm sharing it with you below.

When I say "thanks" at the end it's as if I'm thanking my supervisor after a good job review.

I'm hoping Hot (Sweaty) Mamas will be on the lips of others this week as we kick off our Virtual Book Tour. We will be visiting a blog a day from now until mid December. We have a list of all the bloggers who will be hosting us on the tour. Many of them will be doing give-aways, which is a nice way to snag a copy for yourself or someone else (it's gift-giving season!) The first five stops this week are:

11/14 Chubby Chicks Run Too 11/15 Step it Up with Steph 11/16 Fit Knit Chick 11/17 Bump Life11/18 The Well Mom

Check it out and join us on our "road trip."

Do your kids know what Mom does when she isn't changing diapers or making lunches (after washing her hands in between, of course)?

Family Fitness: Motivating Tweens to Move

She's not a tween yet, but wearing a tee like the this, 

which Larysa Didio kindly sent to all of my daughters, 

will keep them motivated through Tweendom and beyond!

A few months back I got a question from reader Bethanie. (Bethanie, remember when you emailed me? I never emailed you back because my computer crashed this summer and I lost my email. That goes for anyone else out there who wonders why I’m such a stank for not responding. Please resend if you haven't heard from me!) 

I surmise there might be a few other Hot (Sweaty) Mamas dealing with this same issue. Here’s what Bethanie had to say:

Hi Kara!

I've been a reader of your blog for a few years, and have a question that I'd love to hear your thoughts about.  I'm getting married in the fall and my fiance and I both want to be more active and model this lifestyle for his 11-year-old son.  However, there is very little physical/athletic activity that his son likes to do--but he really, really needs to. We are both working on increasing our activity level and watching what we eat more, and I'm keeping a careful eye on consistently serving nutrient-rich meals and snacks, but I'd really appreciate any suggestions on how to get kids who are reluctant to get active to do exactly that.

Sorry this is wordy and rambly, but I'm stuck for more ideas on what to do!

Sweatily ;)

Bethanie

Sweatily! Love that, can I steal it?

Bethanie, first congratulations on the wedding and welcome to instant motherhood! I am a few years out from tweenland, so I contacted Larysa Didio for some help. Larysa is a celebrity personal trainer and fitness expert for numerous magazines. She’s also the co-author of Sneaky Fitness: Fun Foolproof Ways To Slip Fitness Into Your Child's Everyday Life (Running Press, 2009). Here are her tips to motivate tweens: 

• Tween kids still love to do things as a family or group so anything that you can plan to do together is great. Sign up for a walking event, charity race or plan an active day that includes fun things like hiking, bowling, etc. Involve a friend or a group of his friends and he’ll think the event is even “cooler.” Let him help you pick which event the family will do. Tween kids love having a say and love the prep work that’s involved. 

• Every child can be motivated to move, you just have to find what interests them. To get a child to run on a treadmill may be fruitless but if you see he likes watching martial arts movies or playing judo video games see if he’d like to try a class. Or if he loves watching American Idol and listening to music perhaps he can sign up for some drum lessons (the most active band instrument out there). 

• It’s also important to note that traditional fitness options aren’t the only ways to get fit. As long as your child’s body is moving and active, he’s burning calories. Give him chores (that you agree on compensation for) that cause him to be more active like taking out the garbage or raking the lawn. Or you can have a "family car wash" and have fun spraying each other in the meantime. 

• One of the best ways to get your family to move more every day is the family stroll after dinner. Studies have shown that exercise after dinner is the most effective at keeping blood sugar levels stable. Take the dog for a walk, pick different routes and bond while you walk. This will also limit after dinner screen time which has been contributed to inactivity and obesity. 

Bethanie, if you’re reading this, I’d like to send your stepson a Polar Activity Monitor. You probably already know how much I love mine. My kids have them too and they’re a fun way to track your activity. I’ve seen first hand how these watches motivate kids to move!

Do you have any more advice to get tweens up and moving? I’ll bet you do. Let’s give Bethanie some more tips. I’m giving away a copy of the Larysa’s book, Sneaky Fitness: Fun Foolproof Ways To Slip Fitness Into Your Child's Everyday Life. Leave us a comment and be entered to win!