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Cardio Workout: Lindsay Gee’s Super Sweat Sesh!

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I’ve wanted to create a killer cardio workout for you all for awhile now and I figure why not start the week off with a great workout?! So…I created the “Lindsay Gee’s Super Sweat Sesh”.

You’re welcome!

What do you need? Well, first and foremost, you’re going to want to get into the right frame of mind. Meaning, I want you to mentall prepare for a really good, quick, down and dirty sweat sesh!

The workout is 24 minutes long, not including your warm-up and cool-down.

Choose a piece of cardio equipment to conquer this workout, OR, fi you’re able to, take it outside on a road bike or while you run.

When I write “ON”, I mean that I want you working at a “9” on your Rate of Perceived Exertion scale. 1 being at home in bed, sleeping. 10 being maximal effort. So a level of “9” is just below your maximum effort and should be very uncomfortable. You should not be able to hold a conversation at a level 9.

When I write “OFF”, I mean active recovery. Please do not completely stop your feet and flop to the ground. Hop off the treadmill but keep your feet moving. Or, if you’re on a bike, cycle your legs uuuuuuber slowly. Recover. Your next set needs you back at a 9, so give your body a chance to recover and your mind a chance to recover and prepare for the next interval.

Are you ready?

Here’s the workout:

Fun, right? YAY!

Are you going to give it a whirl? I’d recommend writing the timings out for yourself and sticking them in a place that you can see clearly. If you’re out on a run or an outdoor cycle, set your intervals on an app and get to work. I like Interval Timer for these types of workouts.

Let me know if you try this! I’d love to hear how it goes for you! YAY! Sweaty fun

The BEST Mother’s Day Gift Ever – You Need One Right NOW!

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I know Father’s Day is next weekend and I don’t mean to steal the thunder from any of the Daddies out there, but my Mother’s Day gift arrived this week and it is The. BEST. EVER.

When I find something I really, really love…I share it with my peeps. You’re my peeps, so I’m sharing it with you.

A little back story – I’m a cold person. Not a “mean” cold person, but a cold-cold person. I am always cold. Freezing. I used to have to wear a fleece jacket and a toque to meetings when I worked outside the home. And, because I’m cheap and refuse to have the heat cranked, working from home, I wear about 5 layers and a blanket while I work at my computer.

Freezing.

A few weeks ago I went to a good friend’s house for a fire. I’d spent the day at the ball diamond, I hadn’t eaten all day, I got sunburned and I was freeeeezing, even with the fire. She said “WAIT…you need my Comfy!” and grabbed me the best thing ever! The Comfy.

I raved about it to my family, so my son decided that was what he wanted to get me for Mother’s Day! I have worn it all week. It’s about 24 degrees celcius here…so it’s warm and beautiful but, in my office, it’s the North Pole.

But…not anymore!

Everyone, let me introduce you to THE COMFY!

It’s a blanket YOU WEAR!

I wear it working.

I wear it to snuggle my kids.

I even wore it to pick my kids up from school because I didn’t want to get cold from being outside. That wasn’t super popular and I probably shouldn’t do that again.

I wear it first thing in the morning while I’m writing and I’m no longer freezing. In fact, I get HOT and have to take it off!

I wore it to bed one night until my husband laughed and said I looked like Grimace from old school McDonald’s days…so I decided maybe The Comfy should stay out of the bedroom. Ha!

via GIPHY

I will take it to hockey and not freeze my hiney off at the rink for months on end. It’s going to be amazing around the campfire this summer on our camping trips.

It’s so super snuggly I never want to take it off. Except when I have those stupid mini perimenopausal hot flashes (more on that in another post…but seriously…wtf, body?!).

You need one of these. I don’t work for The Comfy people, I just seriously love The Comfy and I think everyone needs to get super snuggly and cozy. There are lots of colors to choose from! So, get yourself one and then we can have a The Comfy party and be a big blob of snuggly warmth and coziness.

*This post contains affiliate links.*

5 Days Of Health & Fitness Tips: Day FIVE – Energy Adjustment Required

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As most of you know, my son battles mental illness. Hard. This week has been particularly hard and I find myself exhausted, depleted, a little bruised and in need of a regroup.

While his panic attacks are not at all about me, as his support warrior, the energy required to help him is incredible. While I wouldn’t change who he is for an instant, even this shitty illness we’ve waged war on, I find myself searching for a way to fill up my bucket.

So, these tips are selfish tips. These are things I am going to do over the weekend so I can recharge and be ready for baseball on Sunday – an anxiety trigger, for sure.

Childhood mental illness is hard. These are the faces of two people who are over it for the week.
How we feel about his anxiety this week.

If you’re feeling a little blue, a little down, a little defeated right now…please join me and let’s energize together for a few days.

Here are 5 ways I’m going to rest and recharge:

#1 – Sleep. My days are very, very busy. And although I work from home, the demands are incredible. I am a “stay-at-home” Mom but I also have a full-time job. In order to fit both titles in, I start working at 5 am (sometimes earlier) and typically don’t go to bed until about 10:30 pm.

That’s not enough sleep. I know that. Don’t lecture me. LOL.

So, this weekend, I’m going to sleep. Although I won’t be able to sleep in, I wake automatically at 5 or 6, I will go back to bed when I’m tired. This usually comes at about 10 am. So I promise myself to go back to bed and have a nap this weekend.

I’m going to nap!

#2 – I need some time with my bestie. No one knows me better than my best friend and no one makes me laugh and relax better than her. We’re going to get together, let the kids do whatever the heck they want, catch up on the Bachelorette (mindless tv that makes me cringe is my jam) and have a glass of pinot grigio (or 3).

I will laugh. I may cry. But at the end of our time together, my soul will be lighter and happier. That is the magic of my best friend. She’s mine…you’re going to have to get your own.

#3 – I’m going for a run. Running is a meditative time for me. Not on purpose, it just happens. I put my earbuds in, crank my country music (judge away, I grew up with it and it makes me happy) and I let my mind rest. T

This weekend I will do a nice little 8k run. More often than not, I come up with my next idea for my business on my runs because my mind opens to all the things. Or, sometimes the opposite happens and it totally shuts down and I just run and run. When I’m done my body, mind and soul sigh with relief and joy.

#4 – I’m eating the damn peanut butter cups. During the week I don’t eat sweets and I watch my sugar intake. So, peanut butter cups are off the table. Well, as of 4 pm today, I’m on “Fill Your Bucket” time.

Fingers crossed the peanut butter cup fairy shows up…otherwise, I’m off to the store to stock up. Hello, Big Cups! I’m eating them up and there will be zero guilt and all the yums.

#5 – I’m refusing to go to baseball tonight. My son adores playing sports but it is definitely the leading cause of his panic attacks. I’m not saying he has anxiety because of sport, in fact, I believe sport helps kids with mental illness in many, many ways. I’m just saying it triggers his anxiety to take over his body.

As his support warrior, the prep is most difficult. More on that in another post. Just know it’s a lot of energy expended to ensure I’m ready to support should he need me to guide him through a panic attack. It’s a lot.

So tonight, I’m saying “no”. He’s exhausted from the week. I’m exhausted from the week. So, we’re going to our friend’s house and we’re skipping ball.

Now, you may not have a sport to say “NO” to, but I bet you have something planned that you could eliminate and feel better for getting rid of it. Do that, do what’s right for you and eliminate the source of anxiety. Enjoy your time not doing the thing…at least that’s my plan.

There ya go. That’s what I’m up to this weekend. One of you asked how i re-charge and I think I have a pretty solid plan here. Will you join me? What are you going to tackle this weekend so you can rest your body, mind and soul and get back to you.

Because, you’re important. Your energy is important. Time to fill up!

5 Days Of Health & Fitness Tips: Day FOUR – Self-Care

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We all know self-care is important. It’s such a huge buzz word(s??) and I’m sure you’ve seen post after post about how important it is. You’re important, so you need time to do things to fill up your energy and love bucket (haha…that could be dirty…love bucket) and take time for you.

You know that. I know that. We both know that. But, most of us aren’t doing it.

Why?

Time and guilt, I think. At least that’s what it is for me. Time and guilt. Life is scheduled up the wazoo (yes, wazoo) and finding time to take care of me seems daunting. Then, I always think “I could be doing this with the kids, they’d love this”…and then I spend time feeling guilty I’m not sharing the experience.

Some of you may not feel like that and I bow down to you. Truly.

I was trying to think of a good tip for self-care for this post while driving in my car with my son yesterday and he was playing DJ. He turned on Steve Miller Band’s “Take the Money and Run“(linked there for you, click it and listen while you read this post!). My son started smiling immediately and bopping his shoulders (not dancing, he “doesn’t dance”) and said, “This is the song Daddy plays when he makes pancakes”. He was immediately taken to that moment and was happy. I thought, “Holy smokes, music is a powerful tool” and told him that any time he hears that song forever in his life now, he’ll think of his daddy making him pancakes.

And, it’s true.

Aren’t there songs that take you back to a moment in time and make you smile and remember the good?

So, my self-care tip today isn’t a tip at all, it’s an idea.

Put together a playlist (for you super cool 40+-year-olds…it’s mixtape time, baby!) filled with songs that bring on a strong, happy, positive response. Not sad and hard moments, only songs that remind you of your youth and happy times.

Think about the songs you heard as your played Midnight Ghost Hour until the street lights came on. The songs your parent(s) played on road trips. The song your Mom played while baking cookies. Or making pancakes. Go waaaaay back. Then, work your way through the years. Songs from elementary school. Middle school. The song you had your first slow dance to. The song you heard at a beautiful moment in your life…maybe your wedding song.

Who knows…but go back in your life and think of the moments and the songs that trigger joy and happiness. Add them all to your playlist.

Have it at the ready. Call it something fun. I think I’ll call mine Lindsay’s Happy Happy Joy Joy Mix. Play this playlist any time you’re feeling a little blue, stressed or simply need an energy boost. I hope you’ll do this, it really is fun to reminisce and put it together. And that is the self-care practice…the benefit is you’ll have a bombass playlist that brings true joy to you.

Oh, and feel free to edit and switch out songs as you remeber them. Or, if you add a song but when it comes on it, if it doesn’t elicit a happy memory or joy, get rid of it! Add and edit until you have the best mix ever.

I’d love to hear what song is your number one song on your list. Mine is Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks. Oh yeah, I’m a country girl and my Daddy and I scooted around the dance floor to that song at my wedding wearing trucker hats and smiling up a storm.

Ah…I will remember it always. Thank you, music.

5 Days Of Health & Fitness Tips: Day THREE – Hydration

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Put down the margarita and wine glasses and let’s talk hydration. That means fluid entering your body to help you maintain hydration levels, not dehydrate them. That’s right, we’re talking water, not wine. Sorry, my friends.

Did you know:

Often times when you’re feeling hungry, you’re actually dehydrated? Yup, signals can get a little crossed, so if you’re ravenous but it’s not meal or snack time, have yourself a glass of water and see how you feel in a few minutes.

Did you know:

75% of Americans (I know I’m Canadian, but apparently we don’t do hydration stats up here in Canada) are chronically dehydrated. Although most people are taking in the required amount of water to maintain hydration, caffeine, alcohol and sodium intake offset hydration leaving you parched, thirsty and dehydrated. Bummer.

Did you know:

There’s a simple way to see if you’re dehydrated? It’s called the pinch test. Simply use your pointer finger and thumb and pinch the back of your opposite hand. If the skin bounces back quickly, you’re a-ok! If it takes a while to settle back into place…GO DRINK YOUR WATER, YO.

Do it. Right now. You’re doing it, right? So…how’d you do. Want some water?

*Not a medical test, obviously, but it’s a quick way for you test assess how you’re doing, hydration-wise”.

Hydration is so important and I don’t think a lot of people understand just how important it is. Dehydration causes fatigue, foggy memory, irritability, increased feelings of anxiety and is one of the most common risks for kidney stones.

Being hydrated, on the other hand, clears your mind, may help boost your metabolism and helps with focus, energy and overall physical performance. Yay water!

With all that being said:

Lindsay’s TOP TIP for hydration:

Get a jug that measures 3L. Fill it each morning and ensure it’s empty by the end of your beautiful day. You don’t need to carry 3L of water around (though some do), it’s a little heavy. I keep mine in the fridge and pour it into a smaller water bottle throughout the day.

Add frozen fruit for natural flavor if you find water to be boring. Or add lemon and mint and let it sit overnight. Seriously yummy.

Having a physical reminder of how much water you need to drink it great. It will help keep you on track and if you get a bottle like I have, there are friendly little reminders about how awesome you are for being a hydrating superstar!

THIS is the bottle I like to use:

There ya go! I mean, I can’t make hydration super sexy, but I can reiterate how incredibly important it is and provide you with an idea to help ensure you’re hydrated.

Get yourself a fancy water botter and get drinkin’! Water. Drink water. Not wine. No…not wine. NOT. WINE.

You’re welcome. xo