As the Saints-Colts match up draws nearer, there’s just one question on everyone’s mind: are you in shape for the Superbowl?

OK, OK, so maybe you’re not quite ready to be put on a roster. That’s okay! The American Physical Therapy Association, tongue planted firmly in cheek, has outlined 6 exercises that will fit right in with your game viewing. What better way to get a workout without even realizing it?

1. Watch warm-ups while lying on your side and lifting your top leg up, keeping the knee extended. Hold for 5 or 10 seconds and wish for many touchdowns. Repeat on the other side.
2. When your team makes a completed pass, hold your arms out at shoulder length with palms up to the sky. Move your shoulder blades toward one another until the next snap!
3. During commercial breaks, make like a player in the locker room and do some quick wall sits. Press your back flat against the wall. Slightly bend your knees to slide down the wall and hold. Repeat until the game comes back.
4. Grab a couple cans of soda (or, you know, your game watching beverage of choice) and hold one in each hand. Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart. Bent at the waist towards one side and bring the can up under your opposing arm.
5. When the ref makes a bad call against your team, shake your head in disbelief, making sure to tuck your chin to your chest. You’ll stretch and exercise muscles on the back and sides of your neck.
6. If the game comes down to the last few minutes, relieve the tension by lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bend one knee toward your chest, grab the back of your thigh with both hands, and stretch your leg from the knee.

For more detailed instructions and diagrams, check out the “Couch Potato” pamphlet here!

Give the squash some post-Thanksgiving love.

Gourds get a bad rap. The pumpkin gets big play on Thanksgiving and then gets ignored the rest of the year–and it’s the most popular of the winter veggie family! When’s the last time you bucked the trend and enjoyed pumpkin or squash when it wasn’t Thanksgiving?

It might be time. Gourds deserve the limelight after December ends. A squash or pumpkin dish can be hearty, warming, low in calories, and is chock-full of crucial vitamins like A & C. You can even buy squash pre-peeled at most grocery stores, eliminating most of the prep work. Try this spicy, warming squash soup from allrecipes.com:

Directions

What’s your favorite squash dish?

Since we’ve last convened on the topic of fitness… not including yesterday’s “Get Moving!” Little Luxury Gift Guide or, well, Fit Mom’s “how to find time for fitness” (okay, it’s an important topic), I’ve  had two workout sessions at Equinox on 19th street and Broadway in NYC with two very different yet equally awesome trainers, Tom and Rich. I left feeling fantastic both times and had just the right amount soreness the next day. Heyyy endorphins.

The #1 takeaway that has helped firmed up the NO EXCUSES attitude that’s so vital to success: You do NOT have to kill yourself to get an incredible workout! In fact, if your heart rate is too high and you’re pushing yourself too hard, you’re not going to be burning the right calories to get the results you desire. Take it from those grannies… they’re doing the best they can with what they’ve got, and so can you. I’ve had a few one-offs with trainers at different gyms in the past, and every single one of them (who hadn’t first assessed my condition) made me believe that the “I’m gonna pass out” sensation is they key to dropping a dress size. Not the case. It’s important to test your limits, but if you ever feel like you’re working with a bully, it’s time to find a new trainer.

On a similar note, I’d like to address another common gym problem that many, including myself, encounter (beyond “getting there”). If you’re not an avid exerciser, there’s a good chance you’ll get dizzy when you begin to test your limits. Dizziness is not to be confused with your limits in ability or physical endurance or, in my case, exercise-induced asthma.

The misconception was cleared up by both Tom and Rich: Dizziness occurs simply because not enough oxygen is getting into your bloodstream, a problem that will lessen as your heart opens up, literally and figuratively, to a regular exercise routine. If you feel lightheaded, BREAK for a minute. Sit, have some water, let the dizziness pass, and don’t pass out. Be excited knowing that your endurance will strengthen not only because your muscles will, but because your body will learn how to accept more oxygen and make you WANT to keep going.

Phew! Check back over the next few months as I get into more specifics, and please let me know your fitness questions and concerns so I can address them too. I have so many of my own so I could probably write for days, but if there’s something specific I can talk about that could help point you in the right direction, that’s my ultimate goal here! Well, that and looking SLAMMIN in a bikini in 13 days and then living until I’m 107.

But baby steps.

As you know, we’re currently very interested in how to make fitness a part of an everyday routine. That’s a hard enough task during the year, but it can seem near impossible during busy times like the holidays–and for families and parents, carving out time to hit the gym or the running/biking trails can seem like a joke. But it doesn’t have to be! To figure out how to fit it all in, we consulted with an expert. In addition to being a teacher,  Rachel of Fit Mom’s Blog is a mother of 2 who still finds time to make fitness a part of her family’s daily routine. She very nicely agreed to let us in on her tips for making fitness part of every day, during the holidays and all year round!

Rachel makes fitness a family affair!

What was your fitness routine before you became a mom? How did it change when you become one? I was both a runner and a cyclist competing regularly in events. I had run 2 marathons prior to my first child and raced competitively as a road cyclist in local criteriums. After baby number 1, I signed up and trained for my third marathon within 6 months of his birth. I run San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon with Team in Training. I finished in 4 hours 11 minutes and had to leave to breast feed immediately after finishing!

With baby number one, I was still able to run (with a jogger) and cycle in the garage on the trainer (I pulled his pack n’ play into the garage so that I could get a quickie workout.) But, my training was “on the go” and minimal at best. 30 minutes here or there…

What was the best fitness advice you ever received from someone else? Just do what you can!

What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever given? Do what you love.

What do you do to make sure you take time for yourself during busy times of year? I am now working out with a trainer at my local Cross Fit gym. We start at either 5 or 6 in the morning and I’m out the door in one hour. On off days, I continue to practice yoga, trail running or cycling. When you love so many things, it’s hard to give up a day for rest!

Tell us about your favorite fitness activity the whole family can do together. We bike ride together or we (the kids and I) do yoga together. My oldest is now six and can ride his own bike and I can carry my youngest (at 3) in a Burley.

Describe your favorite quick exercise! If I only have 15 minutes to work out, I can do a high interval workout using only a kettlebell and my body weight. I will alternate squats, swings with pushups or burpees!

Do you have any advice or tips for moms hoping to keep their fitness schedules on track during busy times like the holidays? Make fitness a priority in your life and make huge efforts to have it on your calendar before any other event can take it’s place. Have a “go to” workout buddy to keep you accountable. Work hard during the workout so you can relax at the party later!

Earning the party…good advice if we ever heard it. Thanks, Rachel! You can follow her on-the-go advice on her Twitter, and be sure to check back with us for more on Michelle’s fitness journey with Equinox gyms.

 In the comments, let us know how you find time for fitness during busy times of year!