Time is to enjoy…
/Kaya turned 5 (on the 24th)! That means it has been 5 years since I became a mom for the first time. So much has changed in life and it still felt like the years flew by too fast. When did my little baby boy became one smart kid? On his birthday, I said “please don’t grow up too fast” and he responded “ but, this is life!”. Really??
Well, he has a point. This is life and the years will move on no matter what. I always wished to have the power of pausing time but didn’t get it. :) Therefore the best I can do is to enjoy it as I live it. However , sometimes it is hard. For example, when it is close to 3pm on Sundays, I get sad that the weekend is over - even though it is still NOT. (Unfortunately this was the gift of my Middle School years.). At least I am much better than my grandma - whenever we arrive to Turkey for a 2-week vacation, she gets happy to see us and then immediately she says how sad she is that we will be leaving in 2 weeks!!! There are also those super hectic days where I pick up the kids from preschool and daycare, rush home to join a work call and then head to the kitchen to come up with dinner. In between all that running around, I hear the kids say that they would like to play with me and I feel like I can’t.
And that’s why I came up with this month’s topic... Time is to enjoy, because it flies by, because we cannot pause it, because it will give us the pleasure of life, because it will bring us closer with our loved ones, because we don’t know how close or far from the end we are...
With all that above said now I have a new rule... “ 5 minutes to spare”... I will always have 5 minutes to give to my kids if they want to play with me even in the most hectic times (unless we are truly late for a flight!). I will always have 5 minutes to pause to listen to my husband without reacting to whatever he has to tell or say (I haven’t been so good at that over the last 5 years).
Since the focus is on enjoying the time and having more time to ourselves, 15-minute workout routines make even more sense. Don’t you think? I would like those 15 minutes to be spent well - effectively and in a fun manner. This month’s routine drills down to your upper body. And the cool thing is that you only need 15 seconds of jumping jacks to warm up. :) If you would like to incorporate these 15 minutes to your longer workout, please do not do any big cardio work. Always keep in mind, if you combine an aggressive cardio workout with a strength workout you are actually diminishing the benefits that you are getting from either of the workout.
For this month’s workout you do need some dumbbells. However you can always be creative if you don’t have any dumbbells. You can fill ziploc bags with pennies or batteries. You can also find some rocks if you have a yard. :) Pick weights that you can repeat the move 20 times. For your reference, I used a set of 15-pound dumbbells for the first and the third moves. And I used a single 15-pound weight for the second and the fourth moves. Do 15 seconds of Jumping Jacks before you start and please make sure to perform all moves with correct form :)
Laying down Triceps overhead: For this move, you will need a bench, or a foot part of an ottoman, or a coffee table that can carry your weight. :) Please note that you can’t use a sofa or your bed because your feet will need to be on the floor and your hands will need to be able to drop behind your head. Move - Lay on the bench facing towards the ceiling, feet on the floor with legs bent at 90 degree angle, butt at the same height as your knees, head rested on the bench. Extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling with your palms facing each other. Then bend your arms at 90 degree angle while keeping your elbow right over your chest. You weights should be right over your forehead. This is your starting position. From there, keeping your elbow at 90 degree angle, move the dumbbells lower down (passing your head) and then back up to the starting position where the dumbbells will be right over your forehead. Continue the move for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, move to the next move.
Chest Pull: Keep the same laying position. Drop one of your weights and hold on to the single weight with both hands. Bring your arms to straight position over your head, which means your arms will be parallel to the floor with your upper arms hovering right around your ears. This is your starting position. From there, keep your butt squeezed and your arms straight, move your arms from behind your head to all the way over your legs (don’t touch your legs) and bag to the starting position. Continue the move for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, and back to the first move. Repeat 1&2 2 more times (total of 3 times)
Upright Row: You don’t need the bench any more. Stand up with feet about hip width apart as a comfortable stance. Hold each dumbbell on each hand. Palms should be facing towards your upper legs (quads). This is your starting position. From there, bring the weights up to your shoulder level, always keeping your palms facing your body and keeping the weights close to your body. Once the weights are at your shoulder height, your elbows should be pointing up (higher than your shoulders). Bring the weights back to the starting position. Continue the move for 1 minute, rest for 10 seconds and then move to the 4th move.
Forward Push: Drop one of the weights and hold the single dumbbell from either side. Keep your starting position from the previous move. Bring the weight up to your chest (keeping your elbows low) then push the weight out parallel to the floor with your arms straight but not locked. Bring the weight back to the chest and down. Continue the move for 1 minute, rest for 10 seconds and then move back to the 3rd move. Repeat 3&4 2 more times (total of 3 times).
If you have hard time understanding the moves, please feel free to reach out to me via email (hifivenes@gmail.com) and I can clarify whatever is needed.
Let’s all deserve a good high five for sparing 5 minutes for our loved ones! Looking forward to hearing your stories on enjoying the time...
Be healthy and strong...
Here is how we enjoyed our time last night after school!!! :)
