schedule – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Stay-cation or vacation, just make it an active one!

By Jenna Jamieson | January 7, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment

Sorry for the almost-a-month long hiatus. I took a short break to spend time with family over the holidays, enjoy some relaxation, and go on vacation with my boyfriend to Europe. Our time in Europe was quite lovely and what I liked most about it was that it was an active vacation! After walking mile after magnificent mile going from place to place in Europe I realized how much I absolutely love it there. I have always dreamed of having a job where I can either walk, bike, or bike/walk to work. That is something that was a majority in Europe (biking and walking everywhere and by everywhere I literally do mean everywhere, everywhere, everywhere 😉 ) and is probably one reason why you don’t see many, if any, obese people there. I would say Americans could learn a thing or two from them! I found it to be refreshing and fun, and a little exhausting, too! My point is that whether you go on a vacation like me or enjoy a stay-cation at home remember that you can always make it an active vacation, which is my favorite kind! You can go to Europe where staying active will not only be easy, but also unavoidable 😉 You can go on a beach vacation and take walks or jogs along the beach or you can go on a mountain vacation and go skiing. Just remember that when you go on vacation, don’t just throw your workout out the window. Consider small workouts, walks, and exercise routines that will keep you moving. If you’re enjoying a stay-cation, consider hikes, organizing and cleaning to keep you busy, or other small routines that keep you active.

Once I got home and gave myself a few days to recover from the vacation and get back into the correct time zone after the jet lag, I got myself right back into my workout routine. The week I would be starting back my workouts just happened to be Christmas week, but after taking 9 days off it was important to get myself back into the groove of life. I got up Christmas morning and decided to hit the workout room before any Christmas festivities got under way. Plus, all my Christmas fun is typically on Christmas Eve. Anyway, back to this Christmas workout when my mom decides to semi-jokingly and semi-sarcastically say, “You just have to workout, don’t you?” As if somewhat sickened, yet proud that I hold the will and motivation to workout on Christmas Day when many people do not hold the same discipline or expectations. I know she knew in her mind that either way no matter what that I was going to workout because we had no plans or restrictions that would prevent me from fitting in a quick 30 to 40 minute workout. Not to mention, for me, it is important to stay true to myself and my health, meaning I make it a priority even during the holiday season. As I expressed to my mom, it’s the time of year when we all tend to eat a little more, eat a little less healthy, and eat until we feel like we might pop because we are so full.

My point? Remember that you should try to keep the promises you make to yourself and goals you have for yourself, even during the holiday season. That means sticking to your workouts, taking walks, and doing short exercise routines in-between holiday parties, festivities, etc so your friends and family understand that health is very important to you. This keeps you in your normal routine and rhythm so that come January you are already in your same workout routine and schedule rather than taking a long hiatus from Thanksgiving through the New Year when you eat more calories and can easily slip into the winter slumber of not working out. If you take a hiatus be prepared for a difficult time when you start back up again. It makes it that much harder to get back into the swing of things, get your body and routine back in sync, and fulfill new resolutions that you should have never given up or done away with for a month to begin with. Don’t feel guilty if this is what you did, but consider making changes next year to keep your healthy lifestyle routine all year round!

So whether you are going on vacation, enjoying a stay-cation, or intertwining the two as I did during my holiday season, make it an active one that keeps you moving, gets you going, and helps you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the process!

Happy New Year, may 2015 be the year for exercising, good eating, and healthy lifestyle choices for you and yours!

~jj

How would you describe your workout?!

By Jenna Jamieson | November 10, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

It’s sometimes hard to convey how important working out and exercising regularly really are for your mind and body. Everyone is busy and has hectic schedules as well as lots of commitments, which impact how much “extra” time the day allows to do other things. One thing that should be found in that “extra” time is exercise. It is not only very important to exercise, but equally as important to stay committed to it. It should be something that is automatically built into your lifestyle and schedule rather than a spare hobby if time allows for it. Exercise is needed to de-stress, reduce your risk of heart disease, decrease your chances for Type II diabetes, and to promote overall health and well-being. If you have kids, exercise and play with them. After all, they need to be playing and moving around, too!

Think of exercise a as a part of your personality to encourage yourself to get off your butt and get moving. Why part of your personality? The thought is that if you think of exercise as part of your personality you are more likely to think about it. If someone were to ask you, how would you describe your personality? You might say fun, exciting, adventurous, etc. Now, think about what you might say if someone were to ask you, how would you describe your exercise routine? You don’t want to respond with weak, boring, non-existent, etc. You might want to say fun, exciting, challenging, exhausting, etc. The point isn’t that your personality should equal your exercise traits, but that you should have cool, exciting words to describe your workout kind of like you have cool characteristics and traits to describe your personality and life.

Moral of the story? Don’t let your exercise be described as non-existent, boring, or weak. While people may not be asking you to describe your workout, your mind can still be asking yourself that on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis and do you really want to let yourself down? After all, if you accept that your exercise routine or workout is non existent, boring, or easy than the only person you are hurting is yourself. Make your workout fun, vibrant, challenging, and exciting so that your workout becomes as important to you as your friends, family, and other things in your life are when you are talking about them to others.

~jj

Pack a lunch & make ahead dinners…saving time, calories, and money!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 18, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

I actually knew exactly what I wanted to talk about this week. I am an avid lunch taker because I don’t like eating out during the week. There aren’t enough choices (especially for someone with a food allergy) and it is so expensive to eat out. I can buy a package of crackers, cheese, and lunch meat, carrots, apples, and other miscellaneous lunch items that will last me a week or more for the same price of what many people pay for eating out for one lunch! Not to mention, it is much healthier and I can save some calories that will later allow me to indulge my sweet tooth with a sweet treat (if I so choose)!

The number one complaint I hear from people who eat out constantly? I don’t have time to pack a lunch and there isn’t enough time for me to make a dinner in between school ending and after school practices and activities beginning. My response? I do NOT buy that as a viable excuse! Sorry to all those who find that offensive. We ALL have very full schedules and lead very busy lives, but making a lunch takes about 30 seconds to 2 minutes (and yes, for those who do not believe me, I have timed it out)! You can pack a lunch and do 10 or more jumping jacks during the commercial of your favorite show in the evening! 😉

The next complaint is how to make dinners even when your life seems so crazy that nothing more feels like it can be squeezed in. Some wise words my mom once told me are, “You can always find a way and have the ability to put more on your plate. There’s always a way to do more and fit more in no matter how busy you are.” The solution for all the busy parents, educators, workers, and people in the world? Make a plan for the week on Sunday by sitting down and making a menu for the week as well as making some dinners ahead of time, too. For example, make crock pot meals, make ahead casseroles (there are plenty that can be made in healthy ways, if you need some inspiration feel free to ask me or visit Pinterest and the hundreds of other recipe websites online), and consider eating leftovers at least one day a week which can be an ultra time saver if you are in a huge hurry! You can make frozen dinners that can be pulled out of the freezer, prepare chicken, steak, or other meats over your weekend that can be thrown in salads, quesadillas, casseroles, fajitas, etc. and can make dinner a cinch to pull together at the last minute.

I understand time is often precious and there never seems to be enough of it…ever…even when you get up 25 minutes before your kids, go to bed 30 minutes earlier, etc, but I do know that you will thank yourself if you prepare your meals for your family. They will not only be healthier, but you will save money, time, and calories by making food ahead. Further, and maybe most importantly you will also be bringing your family together for a meal, which is one of the most precious memories you can make for you and your kids. Memories at the dinner table are often some of the greatest memories you can give to your family, friends, and others! P.S. Remember that you will also have more luck with your weight loss and fitness goals if you pack your lunch and make your dinners because you can control the portions and what’s in the meal (sodium, fat content, oils, etc)!

~jj

Penciling in your workout!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 10, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the trials and tribulations, chaos and exhaustion that life often throws at people since fall semester often means going back to school, preparing lunches again for kids, and after school sports and activities. Further, people have surgery that you need to help take care of, you start a family, and you have unexpected work obligations and travel. While all these tend to throw a curve ball, it doesn’t give you the excuse to skip your workout. Working out helps reduce stress and relieve the tension that gets built up from the day. When life gets busy, change your workout or rotate the days you do certain workouts so that a recovery workout might fall on a busier day, but still allows you to workout in some capacity. Many, if not all of us, hold very busy lives and feel as though we never have enough time in the day, let alone time to set aside for exercising. That’s everyone, right?! We may not all have children, aging parents, a house to take care of, pets to walk, etc, but we do all have obligations and priorities to balance.

While you may not have a half hour, an hour, or even an hour and a half to dedicate to exercising or personal wellness each day, you do have small increments of time that can be used to exercise. For example, you may have a 15 minute break at work where you can take a walk, do some jumping jacks and push-ups, go up and down the stairs, or sit at your desk and do leg lifts and weights (keep a set in the office to make it easy on yourself). Two 15 minute breaks will allow you to get at least 30 minutes of exercise in each day. Don’t get any breaks at work or it isn’t something that is consistent? Stop spending so much time on Facebook, Twitter, Pineterst, and other social media websites every single day, every single hour. I hear people say all the time, “I am so busy I barely have time to keep up with my house, my friends and family, my pets, and still sit down and relax.” This is a huge pet peeve when most people spend hours on Facebook ad social media or watching television. If you have time to look at random Facebook statuses all day, then believe me, I promise you have time to set aside 30 minutes to take care of your mind and body. And guess what? All those Facebook statuses, Twitter feed updates, and Pinterest projects will still be waiting for you when you are done! Remember your health is more important than sitting for 3 or more hours on social media sites, so rather than skip a workout, delay it if you need to!

With unexpected work obligations and travel, consider a workout that can be done using only your body and can be done almost anywhere with a small amount of space such as in a hotel room. For example, crunches, push-ups, jumping jacks, and other 20-30 minute workouts can be done doing repetitive sets of exercises that only require using your own body weight! These exercises are not only convenient, but also tend to be less intrusive on your joints than machines. For me, using my body weight versus using machines is the best change I have made in my life to improve my workouts and make me feel so much better! I try to remind everyone, we are all different, so what works for me may not work for you, but I do hope my tips and tricks may provide guidance and encouragement!

Your workout should fit your schedule and lifestyle because this is what helps you stay on track, prevents you from skipping workouts, and from giving up. If that means yoga and a walk at 6:30am so that you can get your workout done before work then you should do that. A workout could be two 15 minute breaks during the day or over your lunch, a group fitness class or club that meets 3 times a week, it could be working out with your kids during the day, taking your baby and a jogging stroller to your gym and running on the track, yard work, doing exercises every time you get up to make copies at work, etc. Your workout can fit into any small windows of time that you have rather than feeling like you need to have a block of time set aside. If you “pencil in your workout” at the beginning of each day, it has been shown that you are more likely to exercise and meet your fitness goals.

~jj