Category: Health

Workout – Week 5 of Focus T25 Challenge

Today marks the end of the Alpha round for Focus T25.  I have completed the first 5 weeks of the challenge.  Now we are on to the Beta round.  I am excited and looking forward to the new workouts in this round and the challenges they will bring.

The following are some photo collages of the past week – week 5:

Week 5 Day 1 of Focus T25 Challenge group - KimberleesKorner
Week 5 Day 1 of Focus T25 Challenge group – KimberleesKorner

My cat is in the above collage because he had the grumpy cat face.  My workout schedule had to change the past week because of the kids starting school and early marching band practice for my oldest son.  The cat hangs out with me every day when I workout and he seemed upset about the time change – cats seem to be creatures of habit.

Week 5 Day 2 Ab Intervals KimberleesKorner
Week 5 Day 2 Ab Intervals KimberleesKorner

 

Last day of Alpha round - this was a double workout day doing Total Body Circuit and Lower Focus - very sweaty at the end of this  KimberleesKorner
Last day of Alpha round – this was a double workout day doing Total Body Circuit and Lower Focus – very sweaty at the end of this KimberleesKorner

This past week we had to do Total Body Circuit three times – it was tough!  I was pretty strong on Monday getting through most of those push ups on the toes but by Wednesday and Friday I had to do some of them on the knees toward the end of the workout.  Tons of sweat on those three days!

Also, I got a new fitness watch at the beginning of the past week.  It is a Timex Health Touch watch.  It has a heart rate monitor, stop watch, timer and and activity setting to see your calories burned.  It also has 2 time zone settings.  The instructions it came with are kind of vague.  It is easy enough to set the time and operate I just was not sure how the calories burned – activity setting and heart monitor setting worked until I used it for a couple of days.  I don’t think it measures the calories you burn per workout but rather for the entire duration of a day.  For example I set it on Thursday in active mode and it ran for 17 hours, from 6 am to 11 pm (it was a long day!) and it said I burned 2700 calories.  I kind of like the fact it calculates overall daily calories burned not just during your workout.  This is the first health watch with a heart rate montior I have had so I have nothing to compare it to.  Also, you do not have a chest strap to wear with this watch.  In the photo below it shows the activity setting for 6 hours and 8 minutes – I have burned 957 calories – this was my double workout day (Friday) so I really burned a lot of calories that day – it was amazing!

Health Watch has a heart rate monitor, stop watch, timer and calories burned setting KimberleesKorner
Health Watch has a heart rate monitor, stop watch, timer and calories burned setting
KimberleesKorner

I created another smoothie recipe this week using the Spectrum Decadent Blend with chia, flax seed, cocoa and coconut.  This one also has spinach in it for added greens and vitamins along with chocolate almond milk and peanut butter.  If you click on the below link it will take you to the ziplist link for the recipe or I have added it below the photo.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Protein Smoothie with Greens

peanut butter & chocolate protein smoothie with greens from KimberleesKorner
peanut butter & chocolate protein smoothie with greens from KimberleesKorner

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Protein Smoothie with Greens

  • Handful Spinach
  • 2 Tbls Spectrum Decadent Blend – chia, flax seed, cocoa, and coconut
  • 1 Tbls peanut butter
  • 1/4 c. peanuts
  • 1 scoop whey protein powder
  • 1 c. chocolate almond milk
  • 1/2 c. crushed ice

Place all of the above ingredients in blender or nutribullet and blend 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth.   Sometimes I forget to add the crushed ice so I just serve it over ice as seen in photo.

I hope everyone had a great week of working out.  Click on the Leave a Reply to let me know what workouts you are currently doing.  To receive future updates please subscribe via bloglovin, by email or RSS fee by clicking on any of the icons in the side bar.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!  photo 6cf2f16b-878e-4b05-bc30-12064a57b997_zpsa7a5e8ef.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Workout – Week 4 of Focus T-25 Challenge

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Week 4 of of Focus T-25 – Nailed It!  The alpha phase of these workouts is almost through – only 1 more week to go then we go into the 5 week beta phase.  I can tell the workouts are getting easier for me and notice how much more stamina I have getting through them.  Especially on Friday – the double workout day.

Here are some highlight photos of the week.  I got into making photo collages this week with my pictures.  I got the idea from another person in my challenge group.

Photo collage of week 4 day 3, Lower Focus - T-25.  Me & my workout buddy + acai, blackberry protein smoothie  www.kimberleeskorner.com/blog
Photo collage of week 4 day 3, Lower Focus – T-25. Me & my workout buddy, the cat + acai, blackberry protein smoothie
www.kimberleeskorner.com/blog
some photos doing T-25 Total Body Circuit on week 4, day 4.  Tough workout for sure www.kimberleeskorner.com/blog
some photos doing T-25 Total Body Circuit on week 4, day 4. Tough workout for sure
www.kimberleeskorner.com/blog
Week 4, day 5 - double workout day - Speed 1.0 & Ab Intervals done - the cat was waiting for me in front of the TV when I got downstairs ready for the workouts - look at all the sweat I am pointing to after both were completed - feeling totally energized! www.kimberleeskorner.com/blog
Week 4, day 5 – double workout day – Speed 1.0 & Ab Intervals done – the cat was waiting for me in front of the TV when I got downstairs ready for the workouts – look at all the sweat I am pointing to after both were completed – feeling totally energized!
www.kimberleeskorner.com/blog

Also, I made up 2 new smoothie recipes and have those to share:

Acai, Blackberry, Spinach smoothie recipe copy

Cashew Butter & Chocolate Smoothie Recipe

I also created a new salad recipe.  The salad made quite a bit so I had half for lunch and the rest with dinner.  Here is the recipe:

Cucumber, Red Pepper & Onion salad recipe

I placed all the ingredients except lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl and chilled them for about an hour then put the last 2 ingredients on just before eating it for lunch.   This was a really good salad – I thought – a change from a normal lettuce based salad.   Note:  It is strong with the onion and garlic – best to have some gum or breath mints after eating.

To read previous posts on this T-25 journey you can click on the exercise tab in the above menu.

What workouts have you done this past week?  I would love to hear about them – click on the Leave A Reply to let me know.

You can subscribe to my blog via bloglovin, email or RSS feed by clicking on any of those icons in the sidebar.    Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 photo 6cf2f16b-878e-4b05-bc30-12064a57b997_zpsa7a5e8ef.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Workout – Week 2 of Focus T-25 Challenge

My second week of the ten week Focus T-25 challenge group has been completed.  I am feeling very energized and confident at the end of this week.  I even did the bonus workout today, Saturday, the Core Speed dvd.  That workout is fast paced and has you sweating a lot in 25 minutes.

The workouts this week were:  -Cardio, -Total Body Circuit, -Speed 1.0, -Cardio again, and double day on Friday  -Lower Focus and -Ab Intervals.  I then chose to do the Core Speed bonus dvd today, Saturday.

T-25 week 2 of challenge group - Keep Calm and Exercise
T-25 week 2 of challenge group – Keep Calm and Exercise

This is week 2 of my challenge group but actually my 5th completed week of the program.  I started over for this challenge group.  I am really liking these 25 minute workouts and the results I am seeing from them.  I am not trying to lose weight as I was already pretty fit due to my daily workout regimen but I can tell my clothes are getting a little loose and my core is really getting tighter.

The most challenging workout is the alpha round – which you do for the first 5 weeks, then go to 5 weeks of beta – is the Total Body Circuit for me.  That one has me sweating a ton.  There are quite a few push ups in that particular workout.  I am able to get through at least 1/2 to 2/3 of them on my toes but have to do the rest on my knees.  It is tough!

Also included in this workout program is an eating plan with recipes.  I forgot to mention that in my week 1 post.  I am personally not following that part of the program as I feel I already have a pretty healthy diet.  Also, with 3 kids it is hard to cook something different every night for yourself.  I find it easier to make us one big healthy meal.

One thing I am doing with this program is having a protein shake, or smoothie, every morning for breakfast instead of eating.  I have also been trying to add some greens to my smoothies like kale or spinach.  This way I figure I am getting at least 1 or 2 fruits and 1 vegetable serving at the start of the day.  I also think this helps to influence me to eat better the rest of the day.  A new protein smoothie I created this week has a raw beet in it.  It it very refreshing and gives you energy.  See the recipe in the photo below:

Beet & Berry Smoothie - made with a raw beet, spinach, frozen berries, frozen cherries, protein powder, chia seeds and cranberry juice
Beet & Berry Smoothie – made with a raw beet, spinach, frozen berries, frozen cherries, protein powder, chia seeds and cranberry juice

Well, tomorrow is the Stretch dvd day for the program.  It is a great 25 minute total body stretch that feels great after all the hard workouts.  Monday will start week 3 of the challenge group for me.  I’ll update you at the end of next week on how that goes.

I hope you enjoyed this update.  Please subscribe to my blog via bloglovin, email or RSS feed by clicking one of the icons in the sidebar to receive future updates.  I hope you have a great weekend!

My faithful morning exercise partner - all wore out after week 2 of T-25
My faithful morning exercise partner – all wore out after week 2 of T-25

 

 

 

 

Water Noodle Workout

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Lately I have been trying to swim laps or workout in our pool at least 2 or 3 times per week.  I get tired of swimming traditional laps so I decided to create my own workout using a water noodle – a long foam tube.

 

Water Noodle Workout - 15 - 20 minute workout by Kimberlees Korner
Water Noodle Workout – 15 – 20 minute workout by Kimberlees Korner

If you click here Water Noodle Workout you can view the pdf file and print it if you would like to use the workout I designed.  There are 13 different exercises in this workout, using the foam water noodle.  The workout takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

Water workouts are a great way to tone up without a lot of impact on the body or the joints.   This workout will tone your whole body with a focus on the core and the legs.  I hope you enjoy it.

water noodle workout by kimberlees korner
water noodle workout by kimberlees korner

Note:  I designed this workout on my own and took and the photos.  I am not a fitness expert but a mother of 3 who has been working out regularly, on my own or with books and dvds,  for the past 10+ years.  User of this workout assumes all risks when using this workout.

Proactive Health and Fitness Plan

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First off, let me start this post by saying I am not a health or fitness expert.  I am a mom of 3 boys, ages 15 and two 12 year olds, who has developed a plan for maintaining good health and working out regularly.  I do this on my own, mostly, by reading books and magazines and using various fitness dvd’s  to work out.  I have never belonged to a gym or been on any type of diet plan.

The following is my guide to being proactive with health and fitness:

Exercise – 4 to 6 times per week for at least 20 to 45 minutes each workout.

  • plan your workouts in advance, for the week – see this workout schedule table by kimberlees korner – it is what I use – it is a blank table that you can fill in your schedule for the week
  • Do your workout at a convenient time – like before your kids get up – get up 30 to 45 minutes earlier each day.  It will be hard at first but you get used to it and then your workout is done for the day.
  • Rotate your workouts for variety.  I like to do a variety of different types of exercise.  I do cardio one week then yoga the next week then maybe strength training alternating the strength workouts with biking outside or swimming laps.  Variety keeps you from getting bored and it keeps the metabolism going strong.  There are tons of different dvd’s available – check your local library.  That is how I started with yoga and pilates 10 years ago by checking out books and dvd’s from my local library and then I started buying them.

Meal Planning – a must for anyone who has a busy family or a busy life

  • Plan meals at the beginning of each week so you will know what you need to buy to cook and you won’t have a last minute excuse of not having the right ingredients to cook a meal and have to go out to eat.
  • Find healthy recipes via books, blogs, pinterest or from friends.  There are lots of blogs that feature easy to prepare meals that are healthy.
  • Try to eat only fresh food and not pre-packaged food that is filled with things that you don’t want to be eating – I know sometimes this is hard to do with a family and a busy schedule.

Keep a Food Journal

  • Keep track of what you eat throughout the day to see how many calories you consume – see what you need to adjust.  Personally I don’t keep a journal but I think it is helpful if you are just starting a fitness and health plan to do this for a while.

Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand

  • Get rid of all junk foods items and pre-packaged snacks that may tempt you  
  • Keep lots of fresh fruits and vegetable around for snacks
  • Look on pinterest or the internet for tips and ideas of healthy snack items
  • Do not drink any soda

Don’t Deprive Yourself of Things You Like 

  • Have dessert 2 or 3 times a week – a reasonable portion!  Personally I eat ice cream with my kids at least 2 or 3 nights per week for dessert after dinner – but only 1 or 1 1/2 scoops, not 3 or 4.

Don’t Eat Late at Night – I try to never eat anything past 7:30 pm at night.

Don’t Skip Breakfast or Any Other Meals 

Drink a Protein Shake Every Morning for Breakfast

  • This is a great way to start your day right with some fruit and protein and some added fiber to keep you full.  Personally I think this gives me a lot more energy each morning than eating a big breakfast.
  • Here are 2 of the shakes-drinks I have been making lately and really enjoy.  Both recipes make a pretty large shake so I often save some to drink a couple hours later for a mid morning snack.
    Chocolate Cherry Protein Smoothie from Kimberlees Korner blog
    Chocolate Cherry Protein Smoothie from Kimberlees Korner blog
    cina-cranberry protein drink from kimberlees korner blog
    cina-cranberry protein drink from kimberlees korner blog

     

 Drink Plenty of Water Throughout the Day

  • Add lemon slices to water for a little flavor and cleansing of your insides
  • Add a splash of cranberry juice or make cranberry ice cubes from the juice to detoxify the liver

Take a Quality Multi Vitamin Every Day

The above information are the things I do daily to take care of myself and be fit and healthy.  I began my fitness and health journey over 10 years ago when my twin boys were about 2 years old.  It really helped me with my energy and keeping up with 3 children when I started incorporating healthy habits with regular workouts.

Discipline is the key in making a fitness plan work.  I discipline myself each week to write down my workout schedule and hold myself accountable to it each week.  Most research and experts agree it takes 21 days to form a new habit but you have to get started and stick with it.  Eventually it will just be part of who you are and part of your daily routine.  My daily workout is one of the best parts of my day.

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