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Do you ever just sit back and watch your kids do “dangerous” stuff? Of course, I’m not talking about playing with fire, but I’m just about the furthest thing from a helicopter parent because I believe kids are capable. One of the many reasons we moved to a 7 acre farm in the countryside with trees and fences and animals was to get away from city park jungles where all the hovering parents constantly croon, “Don’t do that! Get down! Don’t climb on that!”

Newsflash!!! Kids are designed to climb, and it’s GOOD for their upper body strength, core and pelvic floor!

Just the other day, I looked out my window to see this…

That’s “TeeTee” our cat just hanging out with my boy! Strengthening his grip, stretching his back… so awesome!

Another blogger expert who has written about climbing and hanging {much more so than I} is Katy Bowman, founder of the Restorative Exercise Institute and Aligned and Well. She wrote this wonderful, detailed article about adults hanging, and this one about child development and hanging

… and of course TeeTee needed pettings and lovings, too! He’s peering down into her face! Cute!

The next thing I know, he’s jumped off the fence (yes, we let him jump… gasp!) and he’s pulled a long board out of his daddy’s scrap pile – a board that is no doubt heavier than him!

That is no particle board. It’s a water-logged 2×6 and he hauled it for 40 feet at least! Strong 4 year old!

Did I yell at him to “put that back before you hurt yourself!” Nope. What I did do was open the back door and ask him what he was going to do with it. His answer: I dunno, Mom, but I like this big board, and I have strong muscles to pull it, so watch ME, Mom!!

Still dragging his heavy board… If he drags this now, what will he be able to drag when he’s ten?? And isn’t that the idea? Don’t we want strong kids?

You can’t imagine how tickled I was when he set up the board onto a bench and proceeded to practice his balancing. Shortly after this, he called his older sister over to join him, and I had the pleasure of watching un-prompted fitness taking place in my children.

See me balance this way, Mom! I’m good at balancing. Yes, you are, baby. Yes, you are!

I love just watching my kids explore their world. They’ve taken a couple tumbles here and there, and they seldom make the same mistake once they fall. I learned that if I constantly told them they would fall, and they didn’t fall, then they wouldn’t trust me. I had to learn to trust them. Children usually know their physical boundaries better than adults. Adults tend to push their limits and get injured more often than kids do. When kids are allowed to safely test their physical strength in a natural environment, I believe they’ll be stronger and LESS prone to injury. It’s the kids who live in padded cells of homes and playgrounds with hands always outstretched to catch them that don’t understand gravity and their own limits. But maybe that’s just my own not-so-humble opinion. What are your thoughts?

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

I’m so excited to partner with Charity from The Homegrown Family, as well as a few other bloggers, to bring you this awesome giveaway!!! An Ergo! If you have a diastasis, the best way to wear your baby is on your back or on your side, and this carrier allows that. You don’t want the baby’s weight resting right on your tummy, pushing on your damaged abdominal wall, and the belt on the ergo – if worn right – will aid in splinting your gap, in my opinion because it helps the transverse abdominus do its job while reducing pressure in the core.

I’ve owned many baby carriers over the years and the Ergo carrier is one of my favorites! I especially like that I can carry my children, even my strapping toddler, on my back, in front, or my hip comfortably.

I can work hands-free while still mothering and keeping my little ones safely nearby.

When I’m out shopping, I can tuck them into the Ergo, where they can comfortably sleep next to mama’s heartbeat.

And on windy days, I can fasten the head cover to protect their delicate skin.

As for other benefits, read this info, straight from the site:

ERGObaby’s baby carrier design supports a natural sitting position for babies, eliminating compression of the spine and hips that can be caused by unsupported suspension. The baby carrier also balances the baby’s weight to parents’ hips and shoulders, and alleviates physical stress for the parent.

Not only does The Homegrown Family offer this fabulous product, but they also offer awesome kitchen tools, such as The Wondermill Grain Mill (a favorite of mine), Bosch Mixers, and the Excalibur Dehydrator (another favorite).

She even carries high quality coconut oil which I use for everything from my goat’s udders while milking, to diaper rashes, to cooking, to smoothing out scratched in our knotty pine paneling. 

Check out her fabulous items and help support a homeschooling mama to many! Her family is beautiful! Here’s more about them: 

Due to shipping restrictions, this giveaway is only available to our US friends.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

This is a guest post written by Allison Morris, co-creator of an enlightening graphic that shows how children who exercise are smarter. Allison found this article on Fit2B Studio’s blog, and she wrote directly to me to see if I’d like to carry this educational piece on our site. Of course I said YES! Here’s the graphic, and you can see what she wrote about it below!

Attribution to OnlineCollegeCourses.com

Allison writes: With only 12% of students getting the recommended daily amount of exercise, it’s no wonder there’s a national push to keep our kids active. From early childhood through college, kids who exercise score better on intelligence tests, enjoy a higher quality of life, and are generally better students and happier young people. 

Video games, television, and computer time alike are doing our kids a disservice, as only one in four children gets at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. With the average elementary aged child watching 28 hours a week watching television, it’s obvious that sedentary activities are hurting our children. Half of all young people ages 12 to 21 don’t participate in any vigorous physical activity, and that takes a toll on both the body and the brain. 

40 minutes of daily exercise caused an average IQ increase of 3.8 points

Exercise stimulates brain cell growth, and the younger you start your child’s exercise routine, the better. In a study of elementary school children, 40 minutes of daily exercise caused an average IQ increase of 3.8 points, whereas their inactive counterparts enjoyed less IQ growth. And in a study of sixth graders, the students who were more fit scored 30% higher on tests, while less fit students scored 20% lower. Studies show similar correlations between school performance and fitness as students get older, as well. Staying fit is an important part of adult life, and children need to learn this as early as they can. 

An adult employee who exercises is 15% more efficient, which saves companies and workers both time and money. An average employee’s 50 hour week is the same as a fit employee’s 42.5 hour week, and — while this doesn’t affect children today, they will be the workers of tomorrow. Children must learn active habits to easily grow into active, happy adults. Limiting video games, television time, and computer hours, as well as family or group physical activity, is a great first step to a healthier, happier child. Children need to start out active, and stay that way. Your child’s brain is a part of her body, and it must develop along with other muscle groups and systems. 

When kids have an exercise routine from a young age, it makes it easier for them to continue this as young adults. And studies show that college students who work out before class improve their test scores an average of 17%. Encourage your child to exercise, for the sake of their brain and body, and check out this graphic provided by OnlineCollegeCourses.com to learn why a fitter body does in-fact lead to a fitter brain.

Bethany responds: Wow! Did you catch that fitter 18 year olds were more likely to go on to higher education? Did you see the pull-quote about higher IQ’s in more active kids? Due to working in corporate wellness, I’ve known this intuitively for a long time, but to see it visualized this way is so powerful! Please share on pinterest and facebook, and comment with your thoughts!

CLICK HERE to visit our special section of workouts just for Kids!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

My daughter spent a healthy amount of time this weekend with her cousins while I did the Portland to Coast Walking Relay. We ended up having a spontaneous aerobic dance party in the car after I retrieved her and my sister’s kids from my parents. Later we looked those silly songs up on youtube and worked out another impromptu dance party in my sister’s kitchen! Here’s one video that got us all bee-bopping and laughing! Mahna Mahna!

So I got to thinkin’ how stringing them together in a blog might help other parents have something to do that gets their kids moving and grooving in a positive and fit way. Then I realized that sometimes blogs get buried, and I should turn it into a workout resource in our Fit2B Kids pathway of exercise videos. So CLICK HERE to find the whole FREE dance party!

How does bopping around help you get or stay in shape? Well, if you keep your belly button drawn inward and bounce a little, it’s a great way to wake up your core and whole body. People think they need to pay big bucks at a gym to workout, but you don’t. You just need to move. Right where you are. Dance and bop around and giggle and wiggle. Don’t even worry about hitting the beat. Just go with your own flow and enjoy your body’s ability to be athletic in its own way.

JOIN TODAY to GET FULL ACCESS to ALL OF OUR WORKOUT VIDEOS!

CLICK HERE FOR MEMBERSHIP INFO!

(they’re not available on youtube)

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

We launched our facebook fitness page just shortly before we launched Fit2B Studio. The name “Fit to Be Us” is based on our domain name. We wanted a dot-com name, but we couldn’t afford one at the time. When fit2b.us popped up as a possibility, and we said it out loud to each other, we instantly loved it! You decide you are “fit to be us.” Anyone can be “fit to be us.” As a human race, there are no exclusions; anyone can get into better shape. Some pages use a lot of ads to build their fan base, and we did a minimal amount of that, but we would rather build by word of mouth and pure reputation. If you like us, like us!

We did a giveaway to celebrate our 1,000th facebook fan. We posted a particular status as soon as we got to 1,000 likes. People who liked that status were entered into a drawing. The above link takes you to a video showing my son saying congratulations and trying to read the winning numbers. I have a video of him actually doing the drawing, but it took way too long and made the file too large, so we had to condense it to the best part. So congratulations to…

Tara of Epidavros Center for Wellbeing who won a small tub of our luxurious organic “YoCoCo Mint Creme” body butter!

Jessica Mar of MomVantage who won a free DVD!

Michelle Brown who won 3 free months of membership to Fit2B Studio!

By the way, my nails were done yesterday by LaFleur Nails & Spa. They just launched their own facebook page, so go give them a like if you live in the Portland, Oregon area

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

“I cooked dinner last night. I need a padded room now.” Even though dinner turned out great, and my kids (3 & 6) both asked for seconds, that was this mom’s facebook status last night. Having a glass of wine while I cook seems to help counteract the rise in blood pressure that happens when the sauce splatters, and the chicken threatens to burn, and my son pulls my pants down in his desperation to get my attention. It’s all worth it, though, when my daughter wants more of something that is totally good for her.

By using whole grain tortillas, cultured sour cream, and beet puree in this recipe, the "health" factor is exponentially increased!

Here’s the recipe, but you should know that I cook like my mother which means that anything in the fridge is fair game. Last night’s cous-cous? Sure why not! Some pureed beets that will go bad tomorrow if I don’t use them today? Yup! Don’t worry no one got food poisoning, and if you use enough cheese …

Healthy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas 

2 frozen chicken breasts, whole grain tortillas, 16 oz. cultured sour cream (Nancy’s), Enchilada sauce packet, 1/2-cup beet puree, 1 cup cous-cous, 1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts, 1 cup chopped cabbage, 2 cups rough-chopped kale, grated cheese. THIS WILL MAKE TWO LARGE PANS OF ENCHILADAS!!! Woohoo! 

Directions: Cook the chicken, duh! I put the frozen breasts in the microwave for 2 minutes, making them super easy to chop up. A child will likely come in and need something urgent (like a cookie… NO, I’M MAKING DINNER!) while I’m chopping the raw meat, so keep your antibacterial wipes handy! After you chop the chicken, throw it in a pan and cook it with a little pepper and garlic until it’s not pink anymore. Then add the kale, cabbage, cous-cous, sauce, and whatever else you want to sneak in there.

Make the sauce according to the packet directions. Mix in almost all of the sour cream and the beet puree. Add some of that resulting sauce to the chicken/cabbage/kale mix for flavor. Pour half of the rest into the bottom of your pans. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mix and some cheese into a tortilla and roll it all up. Line up as many wraps in each pan as you can, but leave a little breathing room for the rest of the sauce that you will now pour over everything and smear around with a spatula. Top with a LIGHT layer of cheese, cover it with tin foil, and toss it in the oven. Bake one at 350 for 45 minutes and freeze the other or take it to a pregnant mom or someone who just had a baby.

“Her poor family” … That’s what you’re thinking. I swear it was soooo good! Now, keep in mind, half of this stuff was already prepared and lurking in my fridge. So it was really just throwing it together. I have “steaming days” where I process sweet potatoes, beets, spinach and other normally unlikeable stuff, pureeing it and freezing it for opportunities to sneak it in to various meals. My kids LOVE sweet potato or beet on their oatmeal. Don’t even ask me what I made them eat when I was pregnant…  And I probably shouldn’t tell you that I dolloped my sour cream with a spoon that I pulled out of that morning’s coffee.

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

As creators of our own yoga and pilates workout videos for kids, it could be a conflict of interest for us to review other kid yoga DVD’s. But unlike other exercise business owners, we don’t believe we are THE ONLY ONES with ALL the answers. So we don’t see the Storyland Yoga DVD as a competitor, but as one more resource toward which to point fellow parents who are looking for creative ways to keep their kids active.

Scroll down and leave a comment to win a copy of StoryLand Yoga!

I found a lot of things to like in this fresh approach to making children move, but I also saw some red flags. Of course, as a mom blogger who has had to get creative with workouts during my own pregnancies and the early toddler years, I appreciate any opportunity for me and my hyper kids to burn energy at home. So I jumped at the chance to review Playful Planet’s Storyland Yoga DVD for free through tomoson.com which is a service that connects bloggers with products that match their interests. And you all know I am VERY interested in keeping moms and little ones connected to doable workouts through pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth and beyond.

I love the personal notes from the makers of products to build that personal connection! Hi Karen!

Like most busy mums, I ignored the advice on the cover to watch the special features and instructions on the front cover of the DVD. I was having a nutty morning after rising early to teach step at a local athletic club, wrestling everyone through breakfast and dressing, fitting in a shower for myself, hauling my girl to school … I had work to do right after dropping her off, so I did what many American parents do in a moment of such crisis: I popped in a movie for my toddler son and just clicked the first option.

The first routine was the Condor Workout, and I purposefully did NOT encourage my son to pay attention or do any of it, so I could see how he responded to it without my guidance. Meanwhile I just sat nearby with my laptop and jotted down my initial impressions and thoughts.

Playful Planet uses some technology with cartoons that Fit2B Studio doesn’t. We film in a home environment while the two Playful Planet workouts workouts featured in Storyland Yoga  are filmed outdoors, one in a field and one on the beach. The video quality is quite good with multiple camera angles and a crew of kids with gorgeous backdrops. However, as fun and gentle and beautiful as this video was, some of the imaginative wording might irritate conservative parents who don’t want endangered species, wizards and “thanking the moon” to play a role their kids’ fitness routines.

… and my son was not engaged. He mostly just sat and watched or tried to play his piano along with the music. Perhaps this was because my son is quite musical and decided to engage with the music more than the movements. Or perhaps it was because the show host focused mostly on the circle of kids he was working with and not much on talking to kids who might be watching. Perhaps this was because the pace of the workout was so gentle and slow, that it couldn’t hold a three year-old’s attention. Perhaps this was because each of the child-participants was doing something a little different, and he wasn’t sure who to follow.

My hooded little guy just sitting and watching…

Later, I did the workout that was all about saving the whales with both of my kids. When I did it WITH THEM, they both engaged in more of the motions. I’ve heard that our kids yoga and pilates workouts here on Fit2B Studio don’t require much parent involvement, but some might argue that more parent interaction facilitates health role modeling. This video needs some parent interaction and guidance, but that might be difficult for pregnant moms who can’t and shouldn’t do all the  moves that the kids do.

Which brings me to another thing I noticed. As story-based workouts, the actual names of the poses were seldom used. For example, cobbler pose was “opening a book,” but that’s okay with me because the kids were still doing the movements, and that’s what matters! However, very few safety queues were given regarding knee alignment, pulling the navel to the spine during difficult moves, or spinal protection. The instructor had good form, but many of the moves (like the bicycle) could cause future diastasis (separation of the abs). The story seemed to take precedence over safety, and no child’s form was ever corrected.

All of that said, I think I’ve offered a fair and balanced look at this kids yoga dvd. I’m a very environmentally aware parent, and I am raising my kids to care for the earth God made for us to enjoy, and this workout will help with that. The only two things I really didn’t appreciate was the use of wizardry and the lack of tummy-safe queuing. Overall, though, I liked “Storyland Yoga” and would recommend it to parents who have time to engage in it with their kids so they can discuss the imagery used in the stories and remind their kids to be safe, breathe and tighten their transverse to support all the moves by tucking in their tummies.

If you would like to win a complimentary copy of Playful Planet’s Storyland Yoga DVD for kids on October 1st, you can enter by commenting on this blog. Contest ends 9/30 and each comment is worth one entry. You may …

1. Comment once if you “like” Fit to Be Us on Facebook

2. Only comment again if you follow @fit2bmama and/or @Fit2b_Us on Twitter

3. Only comment again if you follow @playfulplanet on Twitter AND TWEET the following: @playfulplanet ”Storyland Yoga” kids workout dvd #review and #giveaway by @fit2bmama http://wp.me/p1zx71-Bv #free #fitness #parenting #yoga

4. Only comment again if you are a member of Fit2B Studio!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

I remember being pregnant with my daughter and how she’d tumble in my tummy so vigorously. Nowadays she’s no less active, and she loves to act like a dog, or a cat, or a horse … and if I’m being honest, sometimes it drives me nuts! I’ve been known to say, “No dogs at the table!” I’m talking about my daughter barking while she eats spaghetti. Nonetheless, her animal antics were the source of my recent inspiration to film a short “Animal Acrobats” workout for children. This children’s workout is full of yoga poses like downward dog where kids can bark to their hearts content!

Watch it here via vimeo or watch it on our site, so you can get a feel for how it works. We film live with our own kids, and nothing is rehearsed or staged … so be prepared to laugh and have fun! Also, be sure to read our disclaimer before rounding up your child(ren) for this fun, easy exercise routine. Always be sure you and your child have been approved for physical activity by your physician(s), and that your area of exercise is clear and free of any sharp objects.

Many of our members tell us it’s hard to find time to workout at home. Even though they don’t have to drive anywhere or put on their exercise clothes, it’s still difficult to carve out time to take care of their physical self, especially if they are pregnant or have kids who want to climb all over them while they are working out. Playing a short workout video for you kids prior to your own workout video satisfies their child(ren)’s curiousity and helps them burn off some energy so they can do a puzzle or some bookwork while you focus on your own fitness.

Not a member yet? Click on the membership tab above for more info!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Guest Post by Nisha Riggs of Healthy Mom’s Kitchen.

Summer activities are in full swing. We are outside in some form of water – sprinklers, pools, etc. – nearly every day, attending ball games and active-playing outside together with the neighbor kids. With all this time spent outside, as a mom, I need quick, fun fuels for my kids. There is nothing worse than coming in from a long day outside and having the kids totally cranky because they’ve exhausted themselves and haven’t taken time to hydrate and eat. I have some simple recipes to make fun fuels for you to provide for your kiddos.

My kids know that anytime we eat, we’re looking for protein and fiber. One treat they all love, obviously, is Popsicles. There are two different ways we make homemade Popsicles healthy. Start with an unsweetened plain Greek yogurt base or make your own yogurt. Yogurt, particularly Greek, is high in protein and probiotics. Mix in your favorite healthy sweetener (we use a few drops of stevia) and then stir in your favorite fresh or frozen fruits. Blueberries work well and give them a fun purple color my daughter loves! We also love adding mango and strawberries.

Let your kids decide what to mix in and let them help. My kids are great helpers in the garden picking strawberries that we use in Popsicle. They’ll be more excited to take a break during playtime to give their bodies what it needs if they helped with the process.

The other way we make homemade Popsicles is to freeze any leftover green smoothies from that morning’s breakfast. Blend up your favorite fruits along with tons of spinach, Greek yogurt, and healthy sweetener and pour into your Popsicle molds. Your kids won’t mind if it’s green – call them Incredible Hulk Popsicles!

No matter what, while you’re out having fun this summer, don’t forget your kids’ nutrition and make it fun while you’re at it!

***
Nisha lives in Utah with her husband and two small children.  Nisha facilitates virtual weight release groups for busy moms and is passionate about moms getting back in the kitchen to provide healthy nutritious meals for the family.  Her family-friendly weight loss menu plans and recipes are pleasing to the average American family who have relied a little too heavily on processed food for far too long.  You can find out more about what Nisha’s cooking up at Healthy Mom’s Kitchen.

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Last week my daughter, who will be six soon, had a huge epiphany. We were driving in the car, going through our usual routine on the usual days when she said, “Life is just circles, Mom.” In the moment, she really wasn’t too happy about these “circles” because she was craving a change. But we went on to talk about the rhythms of our life, and the people within our community, and she started getting excited as she realized who and what is already in her own, young circle of influence.

Bethany with "Moochie"

As a business, Love Drop is a part of our circle. We love what they do, and we give on a monthly basis to support their efforts to “pay it forward” in communities across America. Last month they gave over $5,000 worth of cash and goods to their recipient, the Aubin family, who was struggling financially after the passing of their dad, and this month they’re ready to do it again and help out another person They’ve given out over $45,000 in the past 6 months, and show no signs of stopping.  Here’s how last month’s Love Drop #6 went down.

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!