Do you have a list of home projects to tackle, but keep avoiding?  My list of home improvement projects keep piling up.  As I’ve been redesigning how to balance work, family, health, and home, one of my goals has been to incorporate them into one as often as possible.   This week, with the wonderful promise of spring and warm weather, the kids, Grams and I ventured out to the yard to clean up, start a new shade garden, and roller skate/blade (well, the kids anyway).

What did we do for this workout?

1.  The night before I involved the children in picking a shade garden plan that would fit the space and we dug out their roller skates and roller blades.  I love Better Homes and Garden’s online plans.  When it comes to putting plants together and knowing which ones work in what conditions, I’m pretty hopeless.

2.  In the morning, we went to Home Depot and picked out everything we could find:  lawn seed, plant fertilizer, compost, mulch and plants that were part of the plan (we could only find 1).  Grabbing and lifting the bags are  a great functional training exercise, too!

3.  The Garden Preparation.  Here’s where the bulk of the workout resides.  The kids helped rack and bag up leaves.  My focus was on breaking the ground and mixing the fertilizer/compost.  After twenty minutes of solid garden preparation, I was working  up a great sweat.  The kids, in the meantime, were skating up and down our sidewalks (I love all the sidewalks in our back yard).

4.  The First Planting.  We planted our 3 little plants, washed down the side walk, watered, and ordered the rest of our plants online.  In a couple of weeks, we’ll get to complete this little corner with our arrivals, add a few outdoor pieces of furniture and be ready to enjoy the colors of spring!

Next week,  the plan is to tackle the garage which will be quite the project.

 What home improvement projects have you been putting off that can also serve as a great workout?

General:

• Keep holiday planning in one folder to work on during spare moments.

• Complete a major planning session (20-30 min) to define holiday tasks.

• Use your main calendar or planner as you schedule your tasks.

• Steadily complete tasks in manageable steps.

• Review Daily Routine for E.P.I.C. (Eliminate, Postpone, Isolate, Consolidate) Results.

• Prioritize Fitness, Food and Self.

• After the holiday, review your plan. Note what worked, time estimates, and ideas for next year.

• Put the folder away until next October.

Time Management:

• Brainstorming is not a waste of time. It allows you to “brain dump” all the unconnected thoughts roaming your head. Those roaming thoughts and inability to process where they fit in an already busy schedule is the basis for a majority of holiday stress.

• When scheduling tasks, place a time beside the task. It’s important to give yourself a time estimate because you’re more likely to dedicate your efforts to the task’s completion as outlined.

• Every morning and evening between now and the end of the Holiday season, take 5 minutes to review your tasks, adjust your calendar, and find a spot to complete one or two holiday tasks. When the evening arrives, check off your list, highlight your accomplishments and prepare for the next morning. Breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy your well earned sleep.

Food & Events:

• Enjoy bite size portions.

• On a day a large meal is planned, eat smaller and lighter portions for other meals. Maintain a balance in the meals and don’t skip eating to make up for the big one.

• Have healthy, high energy foods on hand for snacks (ex. hard boiled eggs, fruit, cheese, vegetables, cut meats).

• Schedule one day a week as a splurge day. Focus on healthy choices the rest of the week.

• For weeks that have multiple events, pick and choose your weaknesses selectively. For instance, Mary Jane has a fantastic sweet potato pie at the annual office party. Indulge with a slightly larger portion than the other bite size portions.

• Test new, healthier recipes two to three weeks prior to it’s debut.

Exercise:

• Keep to your routine as regular as possible. Make this a priority and work other tasks around it.

• Missed a workout? Complete a shorter session at home.

• Take advantage of 5, 10, 15 minute windows to complete short workouts. You’ll be surprised with what you’re able to accomplish. Intense, short sessions reap amazing results. Your body is your priority.

• Revisit your fitness goals daily!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

What tip would you add to surviving the holidays?

The past few months have been another set of restructuring months in our home. I decided to leave the gym and partner with another trainer to establish a business in bootcamps, in-home personal training sessions, and corporate programs. Our home balance is shifting as my husband and I gear up for the school year as we are homeschooling our children.

In the mist of these changes, workouts have slipped. Where I would workout 4 to 5 times a week, these last few weeks have only consisted of one or two workouts a week. I can feel the drop in energy and increase in stress. With these factors, I have also seen a change in eating habits.

So, I know it’s time to reestablish the consistency of working out. It’s important to keep health a priority, and yet, I find myself slipping into the ease of “I just missed today, I’ll make it up tomorrow.” Until tomorrow becomes next week!

Here are the mantras that I’m repeating to myself and so far it’s worked out.

• Just do it, Cindy! — As a runner, I really dislike the first day or two after missing runs for several weeks. I have to remind myself that in a couple of days, I’ll feel so much better and energized to tackle the day. It’s just a matter of getting through those first 2 to 3 runs…
• More muscle means faster metabolism– I’m an eater. I really have a hard time shifting my diet. I’m working on it and continue to make better and better choices in food, but I see real results when I strength train. Feeling stronger really is empowering and I know that my body is burning calories at a higher rate when I strength train.
• It feels great to sweat. Yep, I love the high after a hard workout. It motivates me.

How about you? What are your mantras when you find yourself slipping?