As a mom constantly on the go, finding time to squeeze in a workout can feel like an impossible task. Between work, endless after school activities, and household chores, exercise often falls to the bottom of the to-do list. But that doesn’t have to be the case with quick workouts tailored specifically for busy moms. So if your here to help jump start your routine with some quick workouts to boost your energy and get those workouts in, you’re in the right place. In this post, I’ll provide you with some quick and energizing exercises that fit into even the most hectic schedules.

The Importance of Staying Active for Moms

I preach about self-care regularly on this blog and cannot stress enough how crucial regular exercise is, especially for moms. Prioritizing working out, even with quick exercise routines, has so many health benefits. Plus it makes you feel great! And let’s not forget about the incredible mental health benefits, offering a natural way to combat stress. I mean, having 30 minutes to yourself is enough to release tension, imagine the endorphins you’d get weight training, too!

Understanding Time-efficient Workouts

There’s nothing better than a good HIIT workout. Time-efficient workouts like High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can maximize your workout benefits without spending hours at the gym. HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief rest periods, making it a perfect fit for a quick workout session. Tabata, a form of HIIT, is a great way to get an intense and quick workout in. It consists of 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 4 minutes.

Incorporating Workouts into Your Daily Routine

Finding a great HIIT or Tabata class at your local gym is a great way to incorporate workouts into your routine. They are usually only 45 minutes and create a great full body workout with an amazing sweat. You can also create a workout schedule that sticks by waking up a bit earlier in the morning, or walking around the soccer fields at practice. In this blog post, I talk about 5 super easy workout schedule tips you can try to fit exercise into your routine. You can also integrate exercise into daily tasks, like walking around the house while folding laundry or doing squats during commercials.

Five 10-Minute Workouts to Jumpstart Your Day

If you’re feeling ready to kick start your day with an energizing workout, here are some quick 10 minute workouts to get you started. These can be done with or without weights, but challenge yourself as you begin to build a routine.

Monday Morning Energizer: Start your day with a full-body wake-up routine. 15 jumping jacks, 15 high knees, 10 walking lunges, 20 arm circles. Repeat two times.

Tuesday Midday Boost: Get up and out of your chair. Take a brisk 10-minute walk around the neighborhood. You can build up your walks over time for longer workouts. Walking is also a great habit to start daily.

Wednesday Quick Core Circuit: Focus on your core to improve balance and posture, and shoot for that six pack abs. Start with 20 basic crunches, then add in 20 bicycle crunches, 20 Russian twists and end with a 1 minute plank. Repeat two times.

Thursday Lower Body Tabata: Ready for a quick Tabata workout to get your heart rate up and legs burning? Do the following exercises 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off each, and repeat it 4 times. Jump squats, curtsy lunges, hip thrusters, mountain climbers, plie squats.

Friday Upper Body Fix: Tone your arms and shoulders with 10 push-ups, 15 tricep dips, 10 bicep curls, 10 shoulder presses. Repeat two times. If you don’t have weights, use a couple of cans of soup or other household items.

Keeping Motivated and Tracking Progress

Now that you’ve got a super easy week of quick workouts, you’ll have a kick start to achieving your goals. Stay motivated by being consistent and celebrating when you accomplish small tasks. Tracking your progress will help you visualize your accomplishments, no matter how small. Apps or a simple journal can help you track your progress. Remember, consistency is key, even if your workouts are brief. Some of my favorite apps for tracking are the Apple Health / Fitness apps that are tied to my watch for tracking steps or My Fitness Pal for tracking workouts.

For extra motivation for creating a busy moms fitness schedule, check out this post about what a typical week looks like for a working mom.

Quick Workouts for Moms

The most important thing to remember, is that quick workouts for moms are a great way to incorporate fitness into your day-to-day. You can still feel accomplished and energized even if you only workout for 10 minutes a day. When you start with these quick workouts for moms, you’ll discover that fitness is a part of your routine, and you’re already getting stronger.

Looking for more fitness tips and exercises to keep you energized? Subscribe to my newsletter and never miss an update. Share your own quick workout victories in the comments below and inspire fellow moms on their fitness journey!

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The post Quick and Energizing Workouts for Busy Moms appeared first on Jane Erica.

Alright, superhero moms, let’s face it: life in the mom lane can be like a rollercoaster ride with no off switch. From carpooling to dinner prep, and everything in between, I’m sure your to-do list is longer than a CVS receipt. But guess what? Mindfulness is here to save the day, cape optional! This blog post is all about how to reduce stress for busy moms.

So read on to learn how you fabulous mamas can kick stress to the curb and rock the crown of well-being by incorporating the power of mindfulness in your daily routine.

Embrace Your Inner Zen Warrior

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment, without judgment. It involves paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings in a non-reactive way. It isn’t about becoming a meditation guru on a mountain top (unless you’re into that kinda thing). It’s about tapping into your inner zen warrior while changing diapers or battling Lego minefields. By cultivating mindfulness, you can learn to manage your reactions to stressors and enhance your overall emotional well-being. To embrace mindfulness, try to be in the moment, minus the judgment – even if your living room is more like a battlefield.

Stress-Busting Benefits, Mama Style:

Interested in adding to your super powers, mamas? Mindfulness has been shown to reduce the body’s stress response by promoting relaxation and calming the mind. So you can turn down the dial on chaos and enjoy your coffee (while it’s still hot). As you start to practice mindfulness, enhance your aura with these amazing benefits.

Improved Mental Health

Regular mindfulness practice is associated with decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression, so you can maintain a positive mental state, even through those “Mom, where’s my [insert lost item here]?” meltdowns.

Enhanced Patience

Mindfulness encourages you to respond to situations with patience and understanding, rather than reacting impulsively in stressful moments. This is extremely beneficial when helping your kids with their homework.

Better Emotional Regulation

Rule over mood swings by acknowledging emotions, without the drama. Mindfulness can equip you with the tools to recognize and manage your emotions, turning you into the Queen of Calm.

Increased Self-Care

Mindfulness encourages self-care practices, reminding you to prioritize your own well-being without feeling guilty. It also reminds you that sanity matters too.

Magic Mindfulness Practices to Try:

If your excited to reap the benefits of mindfulness, but have no clue where to start, try some of these techniques that you can add to your routine.

Mindful Breathing

Taking a few minutes each day to focus on your breath can center your thoughts and induce relaxation. Where ever you can find a quiet place, choose your favorite yoga position and put away the cell phone to focus.

Body Scan Meditation

Turn your focus inward and say goodbye to tension. Imagining an invisible scan going over each part of your body, from head to toe, can help release tension and promote a sense of physical awareness.

Mindful Moments

Engage fully in everyday activities, like cooking or playing with your kids, by giving your complete attention to the task at hand. Being mindful while eating can also help you understand your body, let you know when you are full and help you make healthier choices.

Gratitude Journaling

Keep a journal of what rocks in your world and reflect on the positive aspects of your day in a journal. Banish negativity from your life with gratitude.

Mindful Parenting

Practice being fully present when interacting with your children, listening and engaging without distractions. Even when your kid’s trying to explain why unicorns are cool.

Integrating Mindfulness into Mom Life:

Taking things step by step can help make mindfulness a routine for you. As you discover the practices that you enjoy the most, integrate them how and when you can. Try some of these ideas to get you started.

Tiny Steps, Big Wins

Start small, like hiding in the pantry for two minutes. Gradually increase the duration of your practice as you become more comfortable.

Schedule Mommy Minutes

Dedicate specific times during the day to incorporate your mindfulness practice. Whether your sneaking away to your secret lair – aka the bathroom – or your little ones turn their imaginations in for nap time, a few minutes can be all you need.

Be Kind to Yourself

Mindfulness isn’t about perfection, it’s a skill that takes time to develop. So embrace your inner yogi, even if you can’t touch your toes.

Utilize Apps and Resources

There are so many mindfulness apps and online resources that offer guided sessions, making it easier to incorporate mindfulness into your routine. Now that’s magic.

Lead by Example

Teach your kids about mindfulness by practicing it together, creating a calming and connected environment for the whole family. Just pretend you’re at Hogwarts thinking up the next spell.

How to Reduce Stress for Busy Moms

Ladies, you’re the wizards of your realm, balancing strollers and laundry detergent like a boss. Mindfulness isn’t about adding more to your plate; it’s about savoring the feast of life and enjoying every step of the way. So, wave your wands, embrace the chaos, and let mindfulness sprinkle its fairy dust over your epic mom journey. Remember, every superhero needs a trusty sidekick, so make mindfulness your mantra and you can conquer anything – one breath at a time.

Namaste, my undercover heros.

The post The Power of Mindfulness: How to Reduce Stress for Busy Moms appeared first on Jane Erica.

Sometimes I get into a grind ’cause life is coming at me from all different angles and prioritization on my own health and wellness is what gets sacrificed. Oh, I can’t blame outside forces fully for all the decisions I make—I’m a huge part of the problem, too. I’m a planner. And when I don’t have time to plan, accomplishing my goals seems impossible. That’s when everything else I need to do takes the front row seat in my life, and my exhausted self turns into a lazy, unmotivated person who would rather veg out in front of the TV then do anything productive.

So I need a little help and guidance to get shit done, the right way!

Get shit done, the right way!

When I say the right way, I mean it’s easy for me to go into the pantry and grab a bag of chips or some leftover Chinese food and call it lunch. (Mmm… orange chicken!) But that doesn’t achieve my goals of eating really healthy and taking care of my body during the week. And without a plan, let’s face it—work gets tough, kids get sick and the next thing you know, it’s 2 PM, I still haven’t eaten lunch and I’m hittin’ up the Wendy’s drive-through.

So where do I turn for help getting on the right track? There’s so many resources out there for finding inspiration and meeting goals, like blogs, podcasts, books or signing up for newsletters.

Get Inspired

When I need some inspiration for getting on track, my go to is Kelly Leveque and her book, Body Love Everyday.

She’s got a great approach to eating right and taking care of yourself, mentally and physically, with well-rounded meals, a non-dieting approach and really explains the science behind food, which I find interesting.

This week I started her 21 day plan to boost me into healthy habits in time for summer.

I am on day two so far and I’m really loving the recipes, so I thought I’d share some of them and how it’s going. Day one surprised me when a kale salad was on the menu. I thought to myself, “I’m going to have to choke this down.” But it was actually really good, and filling.

For breakfast today I had a Green Fab Four Smoothie.

• 1/4 Avocado
• Vanilla Protein Powder
• Chia Seeds
• Spinach
• Almond milk

I added one packet of stevia to sweeten it up a bit… and some ice to remind me of the avocado margaritas I get at Epcot… and it was really good.

Not only is this plan helping me with my meal planning, but it’s inspiring me to get creative in the kitchen too, which is fun!

Today’s lunch included some ingredients that I couldn’t get at the store this week, so I improvised and used some of the same ingredients from a salad to make this homemade hummus platter. Bam!

It so much easier to get inventive when you have the healthy ingredients on hand.

The post 21 Days to Kick Start a Healthy Habit appeared first on Jane Erica.

Every year I like to start off fresh, take a moment to reset and set up a healthy routine. Ever since Covid-19, I started working from home, which has been a change to the routine I lived for years, and I’m still getting used to it. It takes work to stay healthy, even when working from home and it’s a balance I’m still working on. I started a great routine back in 2021, when my company went fully remote, and I stuck with it pretty much all year. With planning it’s totally doable, so here is how to plan a healthy daily routine that sticks.

How To Plan a Healthy Daily Routine That Sticks

Step #1: Think about your goals and what you need to do to accomplish them

You’ve likely set up your goals for the year and are excited to get going on them. Well, have you put into action how you’re gonna make it happen? Or a better question, how are you going to get them to stick? Most goals need smaller actions taken daily to achieve. So let’s make it a routine!

For example, if one of your goals is to drink 90oz of water daily, you might want to think about ways to make this happen throughout the day. One way to get a jump start on achieving this goal, is to make sure you drink 16oz of water right when you wake up, and make this part of your morning routine.

Another example might be to get better sleep. Make it part of your routine to put away your phone on the charger at least one hour before going to bed, to help you wind down and make falling asleep easier.

And a final example of using goals to set your routine, is aiming to achieve 6,000 steps a day. It sounds easy enough to accomplish, but with a desk job, it takes planning. So pencil out an hour for lunch and take a walk around the block. This should help you reach your daily goal, but without making it a routine, chances are, you’ll miss the opportunity.

Step #2: Plan Your Day Starting With The Night Before

There are some factors that can throw you off course when you wake up in the morning, ready to take on the world and conquer your new routine. Some worthy of mentioning are distraction and procrastination. So make sure you end the day set up for success in the morning.

In my example below, there are a few things I know I have to do the night before, or my entire day is derailed. Because my morning minutes are precious, it’s important that I don’t get distracted with other things.

Thinking through how to start your day off on the right foot, by identifying the things that will make it easier the night before is key to sticking to your new healthy routine.

Nightly Routine Examples

Step #3: Write Your Routine Down

Ok, the hardest part is done. You’ve thought long and hard about how to connect achieving your goals with your daily routine. Now it’s time to write it all down and make sure it’s achievable for yourself and fits within all your current daily commitments.

Head out to the store and pick up a planner or journal. There are so many amazing ones out there, and there’s nothing more fun than opening up a brand new planner. One of my favorites is the Legend Planner. It really puts your goals and aspirations front and center while updating your calendar and to do lists. There are so many great pages and templates to help you in your planning journey.

Currently, I’m using the Happy Planner that I use to categorize all the different aspects of my life. I’m able to print my own printables or buy filler packs to create my very own custom planner. I have sections tabbed for my goals, weekly planner, parenting, blog, school, and health & fitness.

Step #4: Track Your Progress Every Day

Alright, I hope you are feeling accomplished because the hard part is over! You are on the right track learning how to plan a healthy daily routine. You’ve thought about your goals and what you need to do to accomplish them. And you’ve written it down in a safe place to refer back to when needed.

Now it’s off to the races! Make sure you keep track of your progress in your journal or planner every day. You can use printables, like this goal planning bundle that includes routine trackers, where you can check off your items daily.

This is especially gratifying when you are participating in a cleansing Dry January goal for instance. Every day checking this off is a sense of accomplishment.

My Current Healthy Daily Routine

If your curious about what my healthy daily routine looks like, check it out below. Keep in mind, that this contributes to a few daily goals I’ve set for myself which include:

• Drinking 90oz of water daily
• Starting mornings with 10 minutes of Yoga
• Walking at least 5,000 steps per day
• Reading for at least 20 minutes nightly
• No Alcohol!

6:00am – Wake up and make bed

I am a snoozer so I set my alarm for 5:30am and let myself snooze a couple times to wake up at 6am.

6:15am – Drink 16 ounces of water and take probiotics.

6:20-6:45am – Morning Yoga Challenge, Fill up 16 more ounces of water

A part of my plan is to get moving right away in the mornings. I found this great 30-day Morning Yoga Challenge on YouTube. There’s a new video each day that is only 10-15 minutes and they are great for first thing in the morning. Plus, Kassandra chooses a different affirmation each morning to boost your confidence and set you up with a positive mindset.

6:45am – Coffee Time

After yoga, I reward myself with a delicious 10oz coffee with vanilla almond milk and stevia. Sometimes I add MCT powder for an extra energy boost. I’ve also allocated enough time here to freshen up a bit, blow dry/curl my hair, do my morning facial care routine and finish my second glass of water.

7:00am – Kids start to wake up

The kids set alarms for themselves to wake up at 7am, so I’m usually checking to make sure they are getting dressed and brushing their teeth.

7:30am – Cook Kids Breakfast, Make Fab 4 Smoothie

“Cooking” the kids breakfast typically consists of me making two plates of frozen mini pancakes or waffles and serving with fresh strawberries that I washed and cut up over the weekend (major time saver!) Other ideas are cooking up some quick oats, serving cereal and milk, or if I am feeling really spunky, making eggs and toast.

At the same time, I’m prepping and blending my Fab 4 Smoothie of the day. I recently tried this one with turmeric and it was so delicious!

8:00am – Leave to drop kids off at school

We live pretty close to the school, so I can leave the house at 8am and drop the kids off in time to get back home for work.

8:30am – Log on for Work

From here I am pretty much in the office all day long until lunch. I try to get up every hour, just walking into the laundry room, out to the mailbox or walking around the house while taking a phone call.

12:30pm – Lunch Time + Take Vitamins

One thing I knew I wanted to implement was a lunch time. It’s so easy to work through lunch and into the night when you are working from home, so I blocked off an hour on my calendar everyday. It’s still hard for me to break away so I am trying at this. And after lunch, I’ll take a walk around my neighborhood to get some steps in towards my goal.

3pm – Pick up Children

School is out at 3pm, so I make sure I’m available to pick the kids up when needed. I usually split this responsibility with Brett and my mom to relieve me on some days.

5:30pm – Workout

When I log off for work, I either go for a run on the trail or take a HitFit Class. When the kids have their activities at night, I try to find ways to stay standing or get more steps in, like walking around the soccer field during practice.

7pm – Dinner

Dinner is at 7 if we can make it home in time from activities, which definitely fluctuates based on what our schedule ends up being.

8pm – Kid’s Bedtime

We start the bed time routine for the kids at around 8pm, so they are usually in bed by 8:30pm. Brett and I typically will have an hour to unwind from the day, watch a favorite show or try to catch up on anything.

9:30pm – Time for bed and a little reading

We’re usually in bed around 9:30pm. I like to go in at this time with Brett because he needs to wake up super early in the mornings for work, so while he passes out, I read a few chapters of my book before falling asleep.

How To Plan a Healthy Daily Routine That Sticks

And that is my advice for how to plan a healthy routine that sticks. Make sure you are documenting everything, and checking things off as you achieve them. And feel proud of yourself when you do. Sticking to a healthy routine means thinking about it consciously every day. Let me know how your healthy daily routine is coming along in the comments below!

The post How To Plan a Healthy Daily Routine That Sticks appeared first on Jane Erica.

Let’s get into it!

What is Trello?

Trello is an online project management tool that helps visualize and plan projects in a KanBan-like format. There’s multiple pricing options, but the free version is all you need to set up this simple menu planning board.

Setting up your Trello Board

After signing up for the free version of Trello, the first thing you’ll need to do is set up a Trello board.

There’s several ways to create a board—on the home screen or by using the small plus sign near “Your boards” on the left hand column. Once you create the board and name it, have fun picking out a pretty background. Trello is a KanBan board so the next step is creating lists. These are going to be where you keep your recipe cards. Make sure the first one is called “This Week Dinner.” Then, organize the rest of the lists by protein. For example, Chicken/Pork, Meatless Meals, Seafood, Beef, etc. These lists are going to be how you assemble your menu and will give you more control over the variety of meals each week.

Check out this step in action in the video below:

Set up Automations

The next thing you need to do, is set up your automations within the board so that each week, the menu will be planned for you automatically.

1. The first automation is going to make it easy to populate the cards with ingredients when you start adding recipes, so that after the week’s meals are planned, you can create a shopping list in one click. It’s going to automatically add a list to every card added to the board called “Ingredients.”

To do this, click on Automations > Rules > Create Rule. The Trigger is: when a card is added to the board and the action is: add an empty checklist named “Ingredients” to the card.

Check out the video below to see it in action:

2. The next automation is going to be the one that selects your meals for the week. Go back up to the “Automations”, but this time click on Calendar > Create Command. For the trigger, pick a time of the week when you want this automation to run, creating your menu.

Sundays are usually the days I am meal planning or grocery shopping so I want the trigger to go off early in the morning. This trigger goes off: Every Sunday at 8:00 am. For the action, this will depend on how many meals you want planned each week and what type/protein. For instance, under “Move Cards” you can: copy 2 randomly-selected cards from list Chicken/Pork to list “This Week – Dinner”, copy 1 randomly-selected cards from list “Beef” to list “This Week – Dinner”, copy 1 randomly-selected cards from list “Meatless Monday” to list “This Week – Dinner”, copy 1 randomly-selected cards from list “Seafood” to list “This Week – Dinner.”

IMPORTANT: Make sure your trigger says “Copy” and not “Move.” Otherwise you’ll be archiving all your cards at the end of the week when this resets, and you want to keep your board full of delicious recipes.

You can add as many selections as you want within this trigger. Check out this video to see it in action:

3. The last automation is going to clear out your menu list automatically each week so you can start fresh every Sunday. To set this one up go to Automations > Calendar > Create Command. The trigger is: Saturday at 8:00 am. Make sure you set this time before the previous trigger takes place so that it clears last week’s items only. The action, under Move Cards is: archive all the cards in list “This Week – Dinner”

Add Power-Up

Now that all of the automations are set up in your Trello board, it’s time to add the Power-Up that will help you create your shopping list for when it’s time to head to the store.

In “Show Menu” in the top right, click Power-Ups. Type “Merge Checklists” into the search bar and add to your board. It will become a button at the top of your board for easy access. Check out the video below to see it in action:

Populate the Board with Yummy Recipes

Okay! You have set up your Trello board! That was super fun. But it’s about to get even more fun. The next step is to populate your Trello board with lots of yummy recipe cards.

Set up Recipe Cards

Collect all your books and favorite online recipes because you’re about to see your board come to life! I like to keep set up simple and easy, so I only include the basics:

• Recipe Name
• Link to Recipe
• Picture
• Ingredients

Recipe Name: This is the Name of the card. Easy.

Link to Recipe: If the recipe is online, link to the page within the description of the card. If it’s one of your favorite recipes from a book, you can reference which book and page number in this same location. That way it’s easy to find when it’s time to cook.

Picture: It’s so easy to grab a picture from the online source, and drag and drop it to your card. It adds a cover photo and makes your board really visual. (Screen shot example below)

Ingredients: You can copy and paste these from the recipe page in bulk and it will create items in the checklist. Don’t forget this step, as the power-up is going to pull from it to create your shopping list.

Check this process out in action in the video below:

Once you’ve added a good amount of recipes, your board will be gorgeous and look something like this:

Merge Grocery List

Ok, so it’s Sunday morning, around 8am, and your Trello board has automatically created this week’s menu. Yippie! Review the selections and make sure you’re happy with everything. If you’ve recently had something, or don’t need as many meals this week, archive the card and find something new to replace it. If you are replacing though, don’t forget to copy the card, not move it, so that when the card gets archived, you still have the recipe available for future.

Once you are happy with your menu for the week, it’s time to create your grocery list. Click on the “Merge Checklists” power-up at the top of the board. Select the list you want to combine, name the card to “Groceries” or “Shopping List” and click “Merge Checklists.”

It’s going to create a new card, in the same list with all the ingredients in one checklist. Check it out below:

Tip: Download the Trello app to view your checklist on your phone and check off items as you find them in the store. Talk about productivity!

How to automatically plan weekly meals using Trello

And now you know how to automatically plan weekly meals using Trello! I hope you’ve learned a lot in this post and have so much fun creating your board. It’s like an online recipe book that you can keep adding to forever, and helps you each week by spending a lot less time planning and a lot more time enjoying meals as a family.

If you are looking for a few recipes to kick start your board, check out this yummy Honey Soy Broiled Salmon or Easy Skirt Steak and homemade Chimichurri

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The post How to automatically plan weekly meals using Trello appeared first on Jane Erica.

I always love a good full body kettlebell cardio workout. It’s a great way to switch things up and make the workout more interesting and dynamic. Using a kettlebell for a full body workout is also super easy, compared to heading to the gym and wondering what machines you should do or where to find them. Machines at the gym can also sometimes be monotonous or intimidating, and not very exciting in my opinion.

What is a Kettlebell?

A kettlebell has one large spherical weight with a thick handle on top, versus a dumbell which has the handle between two weights on either side. They can be used interchangeably, but the great thing about a kettlebell is that they are perfect for explosive, ballistic moves, targeting multiple areas of the body while improving stability and boosting endurance.

Most gyms have plenty of kettlebell weights to choose from, or you can get some for your home, like this colorful set or this Bowflex adjustable kettlebell (super cool, I want one now!), and do this workout from there.

How to choose the right kettlebell weight

Depending on your experience in the gym, it’s important to choose the right weight to get maximum results and stay safe.

Choosing your kettlebell weight can also depend on the type of exercise you are doing, ballistic or grind, defined below.

Ballistic Exercises: These are fast, explosive moves exhibiting high velocities over a short period of time, with a wide range of motion. Because these are usually high-intensity cardio moves, I go with lighter weight, but enough to keep the tension strong.

Grind Exercises: Slower, controlled moves using tension throughout the movement to focus on a specific muscle group. I go heavier on these exercises to challenge myself and build strength.

Learn more about ballistic and grind exercises in this article.

Make sure that you are practicing the proper form as well. Some kettlebell exercises can be bad on the back if they are not performed correctly. (Since I am not a certified personal trainer, make sure you are listening to your body and seeking out professional help at the gym or online if you have any questions before beginning.)

Why I love this kettlebell workout

Kettlebell workouts have so much to love. But the main thing I love about this full body kettlebell workout is that it’s a mix of cardio and strength. The transitions are easy to get from one to the other keeping the supersets quick and intense. And there isn’t a lot of moving around. Whether you’re at the gym, or at home, you can set up in a small space to accomplish this workout. It’s also a great way to switch things up, keep things fun and dynamic, and give you an amazing full-body, cardiovascular workout.

This particular workout is fast-paced, with very little breaks, making each block into a superset. It has a mix of cardio and weight-training exercises to keep your heart rate up throughout the workout.

You can choose the intensity of the workout by going heavier with weights on some of the exercises, or repeating each block 2-3 times. It’s great to do this workout with an assortment of weights so you can keep perfect form while also challenging yourself.

What is a superset?

A superset is a set of two or more exercises that are performed back-to-back without any break. With these kettlebell exercises, it keeps the heart rate high, making it a more intense, sweat breaking workout.

The Workout

During this workout, each block of exercises (or superset) includes 4-5 moves that should be performed one after the next. The only “breaks” being getting into the proper form and choosing the right weight. Block one focuses more on lower body, while block two focuses on upper body, and the final block focuses on core.

Repeat each block at least two times before moving on to the next one.

Block 1

Repeat 2x:

• 12 Kettlebell Swings
• 12 Squat to Shoulder Presses
• 12 Lunge Cross Throughs (alternating)
• 20 Mountain Climbers
• 20 Jumping Jacks

Block 2

Repeat 2x:

• 12 Kettlebell One Arm Snatches (both sides)
• 12 Kettlebell Deadlift + Upright Rows
• 12 Bent Over Row with Tricep Kickbacks (both sides) Tip: Go a bit lighter on this one to start
• 20 High Knees
• 20 Star Jacks

Block 3

Repeat 2x

• 20 Russian Twists with Kettlebell
• 10 Kettlebell Straight Arm Sit Up (both sides)
• 12 Hip Raises with Kettlebell
• 1 Minute Plank

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If you loved this workout….

Check out this 15 Minute HIIT workout, you can do with no equipment.

The post Kettlebell Workout: Challenge yourself with this Full Body Cardio Workout appeared first on Jane Erica.

No matter the age, this no equipment family workout is great to do as a family to get a quick sweat going at home, in the backyard or even at the park.

We love working out as a family, and teaching the kids new ways to move their bodies. Rylee and Reece see Brett and I workout each week and have always been interested in learning how to do so themselves. Whether they jump in during an at home workout video or join me on runs on the trail. I’ve loved encouraging them from a young age to find joy in working out and moving their bodies. And they’ve really been into it. Both of the kids love going to the gym with us and workout with our dumbbells at home, too. Reece keeps them in his room actually! They even ran their first 5k with me at the Bubble Run!

No Equipment Family Workout

The moves in this workout are a mix of aerobic and body-weight exercises and are well rounded for a great full-body burn. So even the adults can feel good and build a sweat with some of the more intense exercises.

It starts with 10 reps each exercise to keep the kids interested. If you want to go longer, you can repeat all of the exercises for another set.

What you’ll need:

• Water
• And your enthusiastic Family!
• Optional: A mat would be helpful, but it’s not necessary

The exercises in the no equipment family workout are also really easy to transition from one to the next. Try this our next time you are in the need to get active with your kiddos! And if you want to try another no equipment workout that is sure to get the sweat flowing, check out this 15-minute HIIT Workout.

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After reading Carrie Underwood’s book Find Your Path, I learned about her unique workout idea that includes a deck of cards. I wrote a blog post about the Fit52 workout and how it works.

And now there is a Fit52 App, so you can literally have access to the workout wherever you go, even without a deck of cards. This takes the thinking out of it completely and provides a variety of different workouts you can try, lots of challenges and a community to engage with.

Why I love the Fit52 App

I am a big fan of switching things up when it comes to my workout routine, and like having options with different workouts to choose from.

It’s really great for all levels, and I love that you can update the settings if you are a bit more advanced. I recommend turning off “Transition Time” so that the workouts have a faster pace. Lots of these moves you can jump right into especially if you already know them.

You can find your own path in the Explore tab and choose your level to switch things up. And there is a section for Nutrition featuring some of Carrie’s go-to recipes.

You can also track your workouts and progress in the Profile tab as well as achievements and people you follow. I also love that it gives you a track, or path, to follow which motivates you to keep going each day.

If your looking for something different to try, check out the Fit52 app. And if you click on this link, you can get 30 days of access for free.

Let me know what you think!

The post Stay Active During the Holidays with the Fit52 Workout App appeared first on Jane Erica.

1. Start with 10 minutes of Yoga Every Morning

Starting the day with just 10 minutes of Yoga can help set your intention for the day, allowing you to start off with a clear and positive mindset, and giving your body a healthy morning stretch. Earlier this year, I shared my healthy work from home routine, where I incorporated just 10 minutes of Yoga into my mornings. It was a game changer for me mentally, and it’s only 10 minutes. That is not that bad and makes getting up slightly earlier a breeze.

2. Amp it Up at YogaSix

Find a studio like YogaSix to amp up your traditional Yoga classes. I recently discovered this and it is such an amazing workout. There are multiple types of classes all in different levels of a heated room. My personal favorites are the Power Yoga and Sculpt & Flow, which mixes Yoga, cardio and weight training. Talk about a serious workout that leaves you feeling so good and super sweaty. YogaSix offers bulk classes at a discount so you can add it into your routine on your own schedule to mix things up.

3. Try Unique Yoga Experiences with Friends

There are so many unique Yoga experiences to try with your friends. Take Baby Goat Yoga for one. Practicing Yoga in a barn full of the cutest baby goats ever is not only a good reason to get moving in the morning, it’s also a fun and memorable experience to have with your friends.

Check out some other Yoga events in your community. There are usually some fun outdoor events at local breweries, parks or gardens.

4. Practice on Vacation

Most places these days offer free fitness classes as part of their amenities. The kids and I even caught an early morning Yoga class at our family vacation at the Great Wolf Lodge.

Always bring a pair of workout clothes on vacation and check with the property to see what their schedule is like when you arrive so you can plan it out during your stay.

5. Try a Class at Home

Right now the options for at-home workout videos are endless. There are so many great apps, both paid and free, with tons of videos and programs you can start from the comfort of your home. Some of my favorites are the Nike Training Club app (free) and the Alo Moves app ($18/month). And YouTube has so many options to choose from. Some of my favorite channels for Yoga are Yoga with Kassandra and Tone It Up.

I hope you find Yoga as exciting and beneficial as I have and can take advantage of these super simple ways to incorporate Yoga into your life.

The post 5 Simple Ways to Incorporate Yoga into your Life appeared first on Jane Erica.

Because of Covid-19, I started working from home in March of last year and it felt temporary until the end of the year. Now, in 2021, it’s clear that working virtually is sticking around for the long haul and I can confidently say that I now work from home full time.

I learned a lot about working from home since we started, so I really wanted to come up with a routine that helped me find balance, feel healthy, and relieve stress.

Below is the routine I have been following for the past few weeks. I’ve stuck to it and it’s really working for me. I’ve also been doing Dry January this month, so it’s part of my routine, but just not listed in the below.

The Night Before

To start this routine, there are a few things that need to be done the night before in order to stay on track. This will make more sense as I get into the details of the routine, so keep reading.

My Healthy Work from Home Routine

6:00am – Wake up, Get Ready for the day

I am a snoozer and I knew it would take me a while to wake up right at 6am, so I set my alarm for 5:30am and let myself snooze a couple times.

6:15am – Drink 16 ounces of water, take probiotics and Biotin supplements.

6:20-6:45am – Morning Yoga Challenge, Fill up 16 more ounces of water

A part of my plan is to get moving right away in the mornings. I found this great 30-day Morning Yoga Challenge on YouTube. There’s a new video each day that is only 10-15 minutes and they are great for first thing in the morning. Plus, Kassandra chooses a different affirmation each morning to boost your confidence and set you up with a positive mindset.

6:45am – Coffee Time

After yoga, I reward myself with a delicious 10oz Coffee with Vanilla Almond Milk and Stevia. Sometimes I add MCT powder for an extra energy boost. I’ve also allocated enough time here to freshen up a bit, blow dry/curl my hair, do my morning facial care routine and finish my water.

7:00am – Wake kids up, make sure they brush their teeth and get dressed for school

This is usually me coming in, opening the blinds and telling them to wake up again while their alarm is still going off. They know where their clothes are but it helps if I pull it out for them and have it ready.

7:15am – Cook Kids Breakfast, Make Fab 4 Smoothie

“Cooking” the kids breakfast typically consists of me making two plates of frozen mini pancakes or waffles and serving with fresh strawberries that I washed and cut up over the weekend (major time savor!) Other ideas are cooking up some quick oats, serving cereal and milk, or if I am feeling really spunky, making eggs and toast.

At the same time, I’m prepping and blending my Fab 4 Smoothie of the day. I recently tried this one with turmeric and it was so delicious!

7:45am – Leave to drop kids off at school

Since Brett also works from home most days, we divvy up the drop offs in the mornings, which is so nice. We try to rotate each week who starts on Monday and always communicate with each other so we know. Otherwise… it becomes a thing. If it’s not my day to drop the kids off, I finish getting ready for the day, drink the rest of my smoothie at the island, work on the blog, or log on a bit early for work.

8:30am – Log on for Work

From here I am pretty much in the office all day long until lunch. I try to get up every hour, just walking into the laundry room, out to the mailbox or walking around the house while taking a take a phone call.

12:30pm – Lunch Time

One thing I knew I wanted to implement was a lunch time. It’s so easy to work through lunch and into the night when you are working from home, so I blocked off an hour on my calendar everyday. It’s still hard for me to break away so I am trying at this. Even if I am on a roll at work and decide to plow through, I like having the uninterrupted focus time, which has been really nice.

4:30pm – Pick up Children

The kid’s school is right up the street, so I like to pick them up around this time so they aren’t sitting in after care for so long and are able to come home and play outside with the neighborhood kids, which seems to be their favorite thing right now.

5:30pm – Workout

When I log off for work, I either go for a run on the trail, jump rope, or do a HIIT workout in the music/playroom. My mat is already set up so it makes the transition easy.

We cook dinner for us and the kids and afterwards I’ll have a small piece of really dark chocolate or make tea and honey. Then it’s bedtime at 9:30pm. Trying to make it to bed at this time, but it’s been more like 10:30pm! Still working on it!

Download My Daily Routine Worksheet Printable

I was so inspired by coming up with my Routine and sharing it with you all that I created this Daily Routine Planner FREE printable! I couldn’t decide which design I liked better so there are two options to choose from.

It includes a daily schedule, nightly to-dos, workout, water goals, meal planning and a notes and ideas section for each day! Sign up below to download!

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