Want to embrace the idea of micro-goals and kick some serious fitness butt in the process? Check out these simple ways you can up the ante when it comes to your fitness goals with Pilates exercise program, Body Beyond Birth!
Embrace the powers of water-
Get yourself a fantastic Frank Green water bottle and choose water as your drink of choice. Not only will you be saving the planet, you’ll be saving the unwanted calories of juice and soft drink entering your system.
Change habits out gradually –
Overhaul your diet in small ways for sustainable change. Maybe this week is not buying chocolate at the petrol station. Maybe next week is adding more leafy greens to lunch. Small changes can and do make big impacts over time.
Start growing your own food and herbs –
Inspire yourself and the kids to eat and cook healthy foods by growing your own. You can grow a variety of leafy greens and vegetables simply and easily with limited space. Or pitch in at the local community garden and meet friends in the process.
Make cooking healthy foods simpler –
Look for ways to make cooking healthier simpler. Check out the great range of easy, quick and family-friendly recipes on Body Beyond Birth. You can also invest in a slow cooker and join neighbourhood batch cooking chapters at MamaBake.
Swap ‘n’ drop when eating out –
Ditch sauces and mayonnaise. Opt for the entrée size over the main. Up the salads from side to main. Substitute wine for water. Choose wholemeal or wholegrain for breads and grains. Eat the fruit platter instead of cake.
Look for moments of incidental exercise –
We love well placed incidental exercise! Apply it to the housework. Turn it into an opportunity to spend quality time with the kids. Make the DIY adventures into a gym alternative.
Up your self-care –
Treat yourself to me time and enjoy the difference. Taking moment to de-stress and focus on getting what you need out of each day will improve your productivity. Plus, it can help increase your grace under pressure while making you feel great.
Make 20 minutes for Body Beyond Birth –
Take us to the beach, your hotel room when away for work, see us first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Make 20 minutes for Body Beyond Birth a regular part of beating boredom and see how easy it becomes.
It’s Netflix and exercise –
Move the coffee table and do some Pilates stretches. Place hand and/or leg weights near the couch and do a few curls to get you through the tense moments. Watch a comedy as you test out your pelvic floor exercises to see if they are truly working!
Leave the car at home –
Walk the kids to school and back, grab the bicycle out of the garage and ride it to the shops, choose the venues closer to home to meet up with your girlfriends so you can walk, ride and more. Why not dust off the skateboard, rollerblades or roller skates and see where the adventure takes you?
Streamline where possible –
Look at ways to make time for you. Pick the kids up later with childcare and after-school care. Hire a cleaner once a week, month or quarter to help carry the load. Do grocery shopping online to make it less time-consuming and stressful. Value your time and energy.
Reorganise the pantry –
Put naughty foods on notice. Set up a shelf in your pantry for the naughty foods that won’t be replaced. Stock the others with new, healthy alternatives. Watch temptation disappear from your daily life item by item.
Discover black coffee and tea –
Drink black coffee and tea or replace them for herbal tea. The simple act of removing dairy and sugar from your regular beverages is a small but mighty turn.
Practise your Pilates on the commute –
Standing on the bus, ferry or train? Grab a pole and start doing some leg lifts and other exercise. Balance, stretching and even squats are all possible when you have enough room. Might even start a commuting movement!
Go meat-free-
Want to up your vegetable intake? Try Meat-Free Monday or Bowel Cancer Australia’s meat-free week challenge. If it’s good enough for Sir Paul McCartney and helps reduce your risk of bowel cancer plus reduces the risk of heart disease, what have you got to lose?
An apple a day –
Apples are a fantastic source of fibre, vitamin A and C. Apples also help regulate blood sugar, making them an ideal snack for the 3pm pick-me-up during a busy day. Plus, you can take them in your handbag without any worries. Neat!
Get the kids and pets involved –
Have you ever noticed the kids and the dog have a fantastic inner alarm clock that tells them exactly when play time is? Why not use it to your advantage? Taking the kids to the playground or the dog for a walk can be a great way to spend quality time and squeak in some fresh air and exercise.
Stand up for your rights –
Try a standing desk to help reduce how much you sit at work. You could even incorporate some light Pilates stretches into the mix for good measure.
Use Pomodoro technique–
Pomodoro is a great time management and productivity hack used by busy people to boost energy and focus. When the timer directs you to stop work, why not take a 5 minute walk or do some stretches to help re-energise?
Adopt mindful eating –
Think about how and what you eat. Ditch the TV and computer eating. By focusing on what you eat and doing it away from screens and distractions, you increase your enjoyment and notice when you are full faster.
Choose portion control –
Choose the entrée over the main and look for small, healthy meals throughout the day instead of big nightly thumpers! Look for ways to break from old eating habits.
Chart your success-
Use your calendar as part accountability partner, part demonstration of your good work. Note down the exercises you do, the times you took a bike ride with the kids, how many Pilates sessions you’ve completed, the apples eaten and more.
Exercise self-compassion –
Sometimes, things won’t go to plan. Don’t punish yourself. Instead, reset the clock and begin again. The kinder you are to yourself, the more you’ll feel connected to your overall fitness mission in a positive way.
Look for a challenge –
In addition to incidental exercise and Pilates why not try a marathon, hill climb, charity sports events or join a local sporting team? That way, you can up the motivation.
Involve your girlfriends –
Nothing quite says fun times and accountability rolled into one than involving your girlfriends in your fitness journey. Share the story, invite them along and support each other to reach your individual goals!
