Hi. My name is Tamara. I am a Christian and I am a registered yoga teacher. This is a topic that I have never really spoke about with anyone in depth. I have felt the judgment from other Christians because I teach and "practice" yoga. There have been several times over the last few years that I have struggled trying to figure out if what I was doing was dishonoring God. A few pastors have even brought the topic to their congregation and also to their blogs to much mixed reviews. Check out what Pastor Mark Driscoll has to say on the subject. His post starts out by saying: "There is nothing wrong with stretching, exercising, or regulating one’s stress through breathing. But when the tenets of yoga are included, it’s by definition a worship act to spirit beings other than the God of the Bible. By way of analogy, there is nothing inherently wrong with intimacy, sex, and pleasure. But when the tenets of adultery are included, it’s a sinfully idolatrous worship act. A faithful … [Read more...]
Core & Burpees
I love core work! You can be sure if that if you work out with me we will spend plenty of time focusing on improving and building core strength. Your core muscles help support your entire body. Try not to limit your thinking of the core to just your abdominals. When you train your core you are also training your back, glutes, and all the muscles that run along your spine. When training this area you want to be sure and focus on the front and back side of your body and not confine yourself to crunches and sit-ups. Core training is a must. The younger you are when you start training with your core in mind the easier it will be maintain it as you age. I want to be around as long as possible for my family, especially my son Caden. He has made me even more motivated to stay active and to fuel my body with nutrient rich foods. Thanks Caden! Meet your exercises! (I did not include pictures for Burpees or Bicycle Crunches because I am fairly certain you all know how to rock those … [Read more...]
CrossFit Inspired Cardio
I have a super fun workout challenge for you today! All you need is yourself and a pair of running shoes. I like to do this workout at the track but it can be done anywhere. If you are running outside and not on a treadmill you can use MapMyRun to route your mile. But before I share the workout I want talk about this kid for a second... Oh Caden I love you so much, and you never cease to amaze me with your super human baby strength. Seriously, this little guy is going to put both myself and Josh to shame. We have one cabinet in the kitchen that we did not baby proof that contains our tupperware. Caden loves to play with the lids and containers so we left that cabinet open for him to explore. This past weekend I was shocked when he took the biggest lid we have and proceeded to do this... He made his own push sled! He tried to roll the weight on top of the lid but couldn't get it on his own so I helped him and then he took off. Up and down the hallway for 20 minutes. I … [Read more...]
Home Workout Must Haves
It is so important to invest in yourself and have a few pieces of exercise equipment at home. We all know that as much as we would love to get to the gym everyday sometimes that is just not a reality. These are just a few of my at home favorites. Splurge Item! The TRX Suspension Training Kit is the most versatile piece of training equipment. If you are looking to invest in a home gym this little black and yellow bodyweight suspension system is your best buy. Just under $200 it is the most expensive item on my list of must haves but it is my top go to workout when I am at home offering a total body workout that includes cardio, strength, and flexibility options. I love having options with my workouts! My medicine balls, kettlebells, and stability ball are always a nice addition to any workout and range in price from $14-$50. Staying hydrated is super important which is why I love the Brita water bottle. I can fill it up anywhere if I am out and about or straight from the … [Read more...]
30 Minute Incline Walking Treadmill Workout
Since I am on a cleanse right now and have ZERO motivation to do any type of exercise I thought this would be the perfect time to start sharing more workouts on my blog. I am still exercising, just not at a super high intensity, but everything seems so much harder and I am sweating buckets. Toxins be gone! Words can not even describe to you how excited I was yesterday to eat actual food again! Green juice is awesome but I missed chewing my food. I will be doing a recap of my first 7 days on this cleanse Friday with a photo and measurement update. Stay tuned. As my husband pointed out to me the other day, I have very few workouts posted on my blog. That is changing today! Get ready to walk up some hills and sweat. If we were going to the gym together today we would do this incline walking workout on the treadmill. This cardio workout is perfect if you are cleansing or needing a low impact option. There are 3 phases plus a 5 minute warm up and 3 minute cool down. So really the … [Read more...]
Playground Workout
I hope you all are having a great week! The weather here has been amazing in Arizona and we are loving being able to take long family walks to the park. It is so fun! Plus Caden loves the swings. And so does Josh. Most of us live within walking or running distance from a playground. The next time you head to your local swing set try out this workout. For any of you mama's who regularly frequent the park with your little ones this workout is for you. Get ready to get sweaty! Complete 1-3 rounds of this workout, reps for beginner, intermediate, and advanced are listed below each exercise. Rows Targets: Shoulders, Traps, Lats Beginner: 10 Reps Intermediate: 15 Reps Advanced: 20 Reps Hold on to low monkey bars, parallel bars, or any piece of playground equipment. To increase the difficulty of the exercise walk your feet forward and come onto your heels with your toes pointing upwards. Elbows should be pulled in close to your sides and chest should be very close to … [Read more...]
