Category Archives: Fitness

Stroller Strides: Driven by Motherhood

Stroller Strides: Driven by Motherhood

Lisa Druxman’s fitness franchise has grown even faster than her children.

By Aliza Sherman

From Entrepreneur Magazine Online

What’s the difference between a mompreneur and an entrepreneur? According to Lisa Druxman of Stroller Strides, the difference is defined by the qualities of businesses women start.

“Either the type of business they create has something to do with kids or the way they run their business is supportive of family,” explains Druxman, who did both when she started Stroller Strides in the fall of 2001.

After a decade working in the fitness industry, Druxman became a mom and wanted motherhood to come “first and foremost” in her life instead of returning to 10-hour workdays. Rather than dropping off her infant son at a gym day care, she came up with an exercise routine she could do with him, much to her son’s delight. But something else led her to turn a personal exercise routine into a more formal class for other moms.

“I knew nothing about motherhood,” says Druxman. “I was having sleep issues, breastfeeding issues, identity crisis issues of leaving my career. I realized I needed to connect with other new moms.”

Druxman found working from home to be a blessing but not without its challenges.

“The thing about working with baby in tow is that you can never depend on your schedule,” she explains. “Any day can change because a nap is missed, the baby is crying, etc. I had to remain flexible, knowing that babies’ [schedules] are [sometimes] not dependable.”

To offset the unpredictability, Druxman hired a nanny part time for specific hours so others could depend on her for meetings or phone calls.

Within a year, her San Diego-based fitness class for moms with stroller-bound infants took off. The following year, Druxman knew she was onto something when requests poured in from moms across the country asking to take classes in their area. After consulting an attorney, she created a beta license to test her business idea nationwide. She offered only 10 licenses that year despite additional requests.

Working with consultants and franchise attorneys, Druxman turned Stroller Strides into a national franchise in 2004 while still basing the company headquarters out of her home.

“I bought my house because I knew I wanted it to be my home office,” says Druxman, who had five workstations custom-built into her home and 12 employees with keys. She established rules for the home-based office so her family could retain their privacy; however, at any given moment, there might be an employee sitting in her children’s room taking a call. Druxman refers to the home-based company days as “crazy” but also recalls them fondly.

Today, Druxman works from an office. Her children are in school full time with after-school activities so she is able to work more “traditional” work hours.

Says Druxman, “I still make up extra time in the wee hours of the morning. Of course I’m always connected via my iPhone.”

While the power of moms continues to drive Druxman’s business forward, she also acknowledges that motherhood is a challenge to her businessgrowth because it’s a constant challenge to balance work and home life. As both children and companies grow up, says Druxman, they each present daily sets of challenges that can be tough.

“There are never enough hours in the day, so you need to be super focused on what will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of time,” Druxman advises. “When you are working on your business, give it 100 percent [of your] attention. When you are with your kids, give them 100 percent. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.”

Druxman recommends saying no more and delegating when possible. “And keep a sense of humor when it all falls through.”

How to Avoid Menopausal Weight Gain

Jennifer Morris with Howdini interviews Elizabeth Somer a Registered Dietician and author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet. Starting in our 30’s we begin trading muscle for fat.  Good news is you always have the ability to lose weight.  Increasing exercise throughout your 30’s and 40’s and of course keeping it up, is the key to not noticing the weight gain while menopause starts.  An hour of exercise a day with some weight lifting is very important to maintain muscle mass.  This will boost your metabolism and get you through it without unwanted weight gain.  Get movin’ girls and don’t blame Menopause for your weight gain.

The Benefits of a Kids Fitness Club

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

The Benefits of a Kids Fitness Club

By Dave O’Sullivan

Many cities around the country have a kids fitness club where they can go for exercise. These clubs are beneficial for kids that have no exercise in their lives, or if they are having problems with their weight. There are so many benefits to having a child participate in a club of this type. The lack of fitness and exercise that they might be experiencing can result in an overweight child or even a child that has no energy at all. Besides proper exercise, a child needs a good diet, which can be just as hard to monitor.

Group Activities

The kids fitness club offers kids a chance to participate in group activities that are more to their liking. They can play soccer, volleyball, basketball, and other games. Although these games are a form of exercise, kids have fun and do not see it as exercise. Making kids think they are having fun is the easiest way to having healthy and fit children.

Training for Team Sports

The clubs offer performance training that kids need if they are going to try out for team sports. A child that has been sitting on the couch for years, and decides that he or she wants to participate in a team sport will have a problem. Their bodies are not conditioned to perform the moves needed to play. Their muscles need training and conditioning before jumping into the game. At a kids fitness club, they will receive all the training they need to condition the body and prepare it for the team sports program they choose.

Fitness Training

Fitness training is another benefit of the kids fitness club. Whether it is strength training or a cardio workout, kids need to have a fitness routine to stay healthy. There are even yoga classes for kids to participate in. Staying fit is not hard work, but it is something that must be done every day. Whether it is at a club or at home, kids need more to do that moves the body and gets the blood circulating.

First Things First

Kids that have little to know exercise or body movement should start out slow. Yes, kids are resilient, but even the healthiest child cannot start doing strenuous activities if the body is not used to it. The kids fitness club can be very useful for families with children who need to find alternatives to video games and television. However, jumping off the couch and running around a soccer field without any prior exercise or warm ups can result in some painful muscles and possible health problems.

The kids fitness club is a place for children to learn how to exercise, warm up before playing team sports, and for little ones that need some fun games to play with others. They will have a place to exercise and have fun doing it. The clubs also have a pre-school program, which means that you can start your kids out when they are young. This is the best time to start learning about fitness and staying active.

Written by Dave O’Sullivan Co-Creator of Team NutraFun. For more information visit them at http://www.nutritionalfun.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_OSullivan

Feeling a Little Blue? Exercise as a Mood Lifter.

Phot by Flickr
Phot by Flickr

Feeling a little blue? Many studies have shown that exercise is a great way to improve your mood and fight symptoms of depression. There are several reasons exercise has psychological benefits. On a purely chemical level, when you exercise your body releases endorphins, which are known to block the sensation of pain and also to make you feel good. Exercise over time also raises self esteem.

It’s hard to avoid becoming fit when you exercise on a regular basis and being fit can help you feel better both physically and mentally. Exercise is probably the single most underused treatment for depression. Group exercise can have yet another positive effect for those with depression: socialization. Many people who have mild to moderate depression need more social interaction in order to begin feeling better.

One of the most important tips to keep in mind as you get started is to choose an activity that you enjoy. Your exercise plan should not be torture. If you detest the treadmill, try walking outside instead. You may also want to try new activities like yoga or a spinning class if those are things you haven’t done before. If doing exactly the same thing bores you, try something different each week. You should also aim to exercise for at least 20 minutes, three times a week in order to see the symptoms of depression decrease. As you become more fit, work up to 4 or 5 times a week for 30 minutes.

Besides raising self-esteem, having those extra endorphins and allowing you to socialize a bit, exercise improves health overall. Your heart is healthier, you are less likely to have diabetes or be overweight, your bones are stronger and the quality of your sleep improves. What good reasons are there to not exercise?

Sammie Clemmons
Fitness Coach
Click for more information about healthy workouts.

Get Long, Sexy Legs

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

Get Long, Sexy Legs

The best DVD program to achieve longer leaner legs is to the Tracy Anderson Matt Workout. She helps women with naturally bulkier legs to trim down and reconstruct your legs to look longer and leaner.

LEG LIFT FOWARD

Stand straight with and abs pulled in and both feet facing forward. With the chest lifted, kick your right leg forward first (bringing up to a 90 degree angle). Flex the foot and hold for two counts.

Slowly lower the leg keeping while keeping a flexed foot. Do 3 sets of 10-15 on each leg. For a challenge, turn leg out.

THE LEG LIFT SIDE ADDUCTION

Begin standing tall and straight and control breathing by taking slow breaths inward. With the chest lifted, exhale and raise your right leg forward diagonally crossing the body (no larger than 45 degrees).

With the foot flexed, hold the leg in the lifted position for 2 counts. Slowly lower leg back to starting position. Do 3 sets of 15.

HOW TO BULK AND SHAPE UP LEGS

Do squats using heavier weights along with lunges. Calf raises help strengthen the calf muscles and give those calves incredible shape.

HOW TO BULK AND SHAPE UP LEGS

Cycling, a form of anabolic exercises is actually great for women wishing to bulk up thin legs. What happens is that by biking on rugged pavements (like at a bike trail) and shifting your bike into a more challenging gear, you are forcing you leg muscles that may be under develop to work harder.

With women who particular have a hard time shaping up their legs, after you get a good leg work out that is mainly weight bearing, massage your legs afterwards to stimulate leg growth. Also, make sure you rest up the following day to give your legs time to heal and the leg muscles to grow.

Help Gaining and Turning Thin Legs Into Curvier, Shapely Legs, go to www.gaincurves.com

Best Weight Gain Resources:

http://www.gaincurves.com

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES
The Woman’s Easy, ‘Smeasy Guide to Gaining Weight and Fabulous Curves
FIT Magazine
Her’s Magazine

By Losing Fat you Gain Muscle

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

There are, quite literally, many millions of people in this country today with a primary goal of losing weight. Unfortunately, they think that by going on fad or crash diets, or eliminating a significant amount of calories from their daily food intake, or even just by doing a few exercises here and there that they will achieve all of their weight loss goals. Sadly, this is simply not the case.

In order for a body to truly be healthy and to begin losing your weight and any excess body fat in earnest, you need to have a physical fitness routine that is geared towards actually burning fat while maintaining muscle strength and building lean muscle in the process. When you burn fat gain muscle, you are definitely going to be on a proper path to ensuring your overall fitness levels and health.

There are many ways you can burn fat gain muscle, but the most efficient is by eating a diet rich in protein — like red meat, chicken, poultry and fish — and making sure you get the proper amount of fruits and veggies every day, too. In addition to eating a more healthy meal, you will want to begin an exercise routine that is geared specifically towards burn fat gain muscle.

This will include an aerobic workout that will actually help you speed up your metabolism to burn more fat, but at the same time you will also want to add in a weight training program so that while you are burning your fat, you are building your lean muscle.

Additionally, there are some everyday activities that can help you achieve your goal of burn fat gain muscle; primarily, you want to make sure you drink plenty of fluids every day — exercising can take a lot out of your body and in order for you to be healthy, you need to stay well hydrated– and secondly, by getting plenty of sleep everyday, you will allow your body to become fully rested which in turn will help you burn more fat.

By beginning a physical fitness program that will help you incorporate all of these tools in an effort to burn fat gain muscle, you will see in a few short weeks, how amazing your body can look just by focusing on making yourself a healthier, more fit you.

Also pay close attention below…

Building muscle can be done without dangerous steroids, expensive supplements, conflicting advice or long hours at the gym. Follow the No Nonsense Muscle Building and get the body you only wished you could have.

Click here to learn how to build muscle starting today.

Warning! You won’t be able to build muscle if you stay on the fence and never take action. Learn to do it the right way (it’s fast too…)

Don’t know where to begin?

Where do I start?Fitness Girl by Francis Red Flickr

Photo by flickr
Photo by flickr

By Heather Brunk

So you’ve been thinking about starting an exercise and weight loss program, but don’t know where to begin. Here are five tips to get you on your way.

  1. Set goals. You should set your self some long term and short term goals. There is nothing better than setting a goal and achieving it. When setting these goals you should use the SMART principal; Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timed. Once you know what you want to do and have your time table for these goals, you are ready to get started.
  2. Schedule your workouts. More people say that they don’t have time to exercise because they are too busy. I am here to tell you that if you want it, you will make time. One way to make time is to schedule your workout just as you would schedule a meeting or any other appointment. Once it is scheduled, you will have the reminder that you have a task to complete.
  3. Get a workout buddy. When people lack accountability, it makes it easier to sway from the original goals set. Schedule a time to meet your workout buddy at the gym, at a local track or any other designated area. You don’t have to have a gym membership to get exercise. Get outside. Get creative. Be accountable to someone other than yourself!
  4. Log your food. There are studies out that prove that people who keep a daily log of their calorie consumption are 80% more likely to achieve their weight loss goals. If you do not know how many calories you are consuming, you will never know how much exercise you have to do or where you need to cut back. 3500 calories = 1 pound. To lose a pound a week, you must either consume 500 calories less a day or move to burn 500 calories more a day, or a combination of the two.
  5. Get a personal trainer. If you have tried all of the above and still have not been successful, you should consider hiring a personal trainer. They will not only keep you accountable for your exercise, but your nutrition. They can guide you on how much you should be exercising, how much you should be eating, and set up a plan designated to your needs.

Now that you have the tools, what are you waiting for? Today is the day to begin!