NHTSA Announces New Car Seat Recommendations

In case you hadn't heard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has changed their guidelines for car seat restraints for children. We have been hearing much of this information for some time from AAP, so it's no surprise, and it's still worth sharing. Below is a post from the SafeMama website that details the changed NHTSA guidelines very well.

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Repost from SafeMama website.

I’m not sure why this hasn’t happened sooner, especially since it’s been the ongoing recommendation of many car seat manufacturers. But today the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its guidelines for car seat restraints for children. In the new guidelines, NHTSA is advising parents and caregivers to keep children in their appropriate seat restraint for as long as possible before moving up to the next style seat. This includes rear-facing, forward-facing and booster seats.

In “keeping pace” with the latest scientific and medical research, NHTSA is following the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommends parents keep children in “rear-facing restraints until two years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer.” The AAP indicates that there should be no rush to move kids up to the next level of seat restraint if not absolutely possible.

NHTSA’s new recommendations aim to help parents in choosing the right seat for their child by selecting seats based on the child's height, weight AND age:

Birth to 1: Children under the age of 1 should always ride on a REAR-FACING car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in 1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

Age 1 – 3: Keep your 1 to 3 year old children in a REAR-FACING car seat for as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep them safe. They should remain in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once outgrown the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a FORWARD-FACING car seat with a harness.

Age 4 – 7: Keep your 4 to 7 year old children in their FORWARD-FACING car seat with a harness until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once they outgrow their forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel on a BOOSTER SEAT … but still in the rear seat.

Age 8 – 12: Keep your 8 to 12 year old children on their BOOSTER SEAT until they are big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. Seat Belts – For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.

Please visit the NHTSA website for more information about the new recommendations and to find a Certified Car Seat Inspection location near you.

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By the way, SafeMama is a great website! They call themselves "the original one-stop child safety, product recall, healthy, well-being, non-toxic, eco-conscious resource, for parents" and I have to agree with that (been a follower for three years). You can sign up for emails so you don't miss any posts, or if you follow other sites, you can sign up through google friend connect, networked blogs and also RSS feeds. Or, you can like them on facebook where they also feed their posts.

Creating a "Guide to my Hometown" book with your children

CMOTC mom Kathleen P. offers a great idea to make spring break (or any time) right here in Columbus a lot of fun! She suggests having your children create a "Guide to my Hometown" book full of the fun things you do that week. Thank you for this great idea Kathleen!

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As spring break draws near, it reminds me of how Columbus has so much to offer families. The March issue of Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine lists all the one-of-a-kind attractions our great city offers.

Yet for kids to understand how wonderful their city is it will take some reflection. Asking them to create a “Guide to my Hometown” is a great avenue for them to express their point of view of their corner of the world. The book can include what they love – their local parks, restaurants, museums and stores. This book can be part travel guide, scrapbook, or diary formats – including all three. Also listing what other places they would like to visit and why.

To Get Started:

• Make a list of all the places you would like to visit or things you would like to experience.


• Get a binder (3 ring) with clear plastic sheet protectors and tabs if they would like divide up the areas of interest.


• Gather some basic scrapbook supplies (i.e. markers, glue stick, tape, stickers, and paper for the binder/scrapbook).


• Ideas for some great items to collect are brochures and pictures of families/friends at the location.
  

Putting It All Together

At the end of the week (or throughout the week) set up a work space to organize their experiences. When making the book, add as much detail as they would like…dates, times, addresses. Make sure you let each page dry completely before putting your book together.

Ideas for the books:

• As a special feature, have them look into the history of one of the locations they visit.


• Try new restaurants, and add to the fun by having each family member “rate” the local establishment and tell what their favorite meal was. (For a dinner idea, try to duplicate the menu items.)

A few great places to visit:

• Parks and playgrounds offer a day of sun and fresh air (and are great for fun nature activities, like scavenger hunts - see some ideas here).
• Culture and Arts, this is where your budding artist can express themselves. Possibly copying their interpretation of classics at the art museum or being the author of their own storybook as a reflection of the Thurber House.
  
• Go on an African Safari or to the Outback at the zoo. Children can have fun pretending to be explorers, capturing photos and learning facts about the animals.
  
• Visit the North Market for a flavor of some fun cultural treats and support of local merchants.
  
• Go back in time, through the Progress exhibit, or schedule to build something cool as a family at the Gadgets Cafe at COSI.

Ideas for other books:

• Have them create books about their sporting events, or what is going on in their favorite sports during the summer or throughout the year.
  
  
• Create a favorite holiday tradition book, this one looks at the whole year and what children love most about family time together.

This can be the start of a great tradition of collecting memories of family trips that they will always cherish, as well as the time together with you.

Also, Groupon's special (until Thursday 3/17) is an 8" X 8" photobook from Shutterfly for only $10. These are great for spring break photos!

Enjoy!
Kathleen

A Fun St. Patrick's Day Healthy Snack

This is a repost from last March that we thought you would like to see again.

Here's a really neat idea for a St. Patrick's Day (or any day) rainbow fruit platter that is not only fun to make, but also healthy!

From the March 2010 issue of Family Fun Magazine:

Anyone else have great snack ideas for all of the preschool/elementary classroom parties?

Random Recipes - Cherry-Almond Breakfast Bake

Here's a great recipe for an oatmeal bake that is not only delicious and good for you, but it will also keep your kids (and you) fueled all morning. An added bonus: you can cut the leftovers in squares and freeze for other breakfasts!

Cherry-Almond Breakfast Bake
(Recipe from August/September 2010 Kiwi Magazine)



Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats (I use multi grain cereal sometimes)
• 4 cups 1% milk
• 1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dried cherries (I've used many different types of dried fruit, it's all good)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (I've used vanilla extract when I was out of almond)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 baking dish.


2. In a blender, combine the ground flaxseeds with water. Blend on high for 1 minute, until the mixture is frothy. Set aside.


3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, milk, almonds, cherries, maple syrup, cinnamon, almond extract, and salt. Stir in the flaxseed mixture.


4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve with additional milk and maple syrup, if desired.

The oatmeal bake will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can microwave individual servings for 1 to 2 minutes to reheat, or heat in the oven until desired temperature.

You can also cut the left over oatmeal bake into squares (or scoops) and freeze for a later date. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and heat up in the morning for a great quick breakfast.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you would like to share? Please send us an email.

Katie's Nutrition Nook: Dealing with the Picky Eater

Does one (or worse--both) of your children make meal time miserable by refusing to eat anything except for macaroni & cheese…OR pizza…OR worse? If so, here are some tips to help you teach them to try and like new foods--even the healthy ones!

Limit liquids.

• Far too often children carry around sippy cups full of milk, juice & juice drinks. Remember that children (and adults) only need about 24 oz milk/day and 4-6 oz 100% fruit juice/day (no more than 8 oz for adults). Other beverages are just empty calories filling your child up with zero nutrition and loads of sugar, which makes them less likely to eat the food you offer them. Watch how much you’re giving your kids to drink and offer only water the hour before meals.

Try, try again.

• Sometimes kids won’t eat a food the first time it’s offered, but don’t give up. It may take 10 or 20 times before your child finally decides to try that food, but they will eventually try it and they just might like it too!

Disguise if necessary.

• If you’re worried about your child’s overall nutrition (especially when it comes to vegetables), it never hurts to hide healthy options in sauces or casseroles. Find a food processor-it might become your new best friend.
  

Offer with familiar food.

• If you put a plate full of new foods in front of your kids, they are less likely to try all of it. If they’re stuck on macaroni cheese, pair the new food along with the old.

Let them help.

• Whether shopping at the store or preparing dinner, if they help, they may be more interested in trying it.

Be a good role model.

• As much as we wish it didn’t matter what we ate, it does. If they see you eating or NOT eating a certain food (or beverage) chances are the child will want to model their parent’s behavior. If you want your child to eat their peas, be sure you eat yours too!

Encourage, but don’t force.

• Encourage your child to try the food, but don’t require them to eat the entire portion. One bite is better than none and the next time around, they may try more.

Limit TV time

• Or any other distractions during mealtime. If the TV is on, so will be commercials for sugary cereals and other unhealthy foods that are targeted at children, making the vegetables on their dinner plate look much less appetizing.

So the next time your twins scream about wanting junk food or throw their vegetables across the room, take a deep breath and remember these tips. Hopefully they will ease some of your mealtime stress.

Feel free to comment below or email me with any questions you might have. Whether the questions are about weight loss, specific plans for you, general nutrition needs for you and/or your children, or whatever, I am here to help you!

As well, if you have suggestions for topics you would like me to discuss in Katie's Nutrition Nook, please let me know.

~ Katie
CMOTC MoM and Nutritionist

Family Spotlight: Featured MoM's family - Sara W.

Today we are spotlighting CMOTC MoM Sara W. and her family. Sara, who describes herself as having a dry sense of humor and not your "typical mom", says being a working (outside the home) mom helps make her a better mom. Their family tradition is a big family vacation every year, and her sanity saving tip is taking that mommy moment when needed and repeating to herself "there is only one of me." Her biggest joys are watching her twins interact... and moving past another milestone. She also has some questions for you MoMs who have boy/girl twins! Enjoy getting to know Sara and her family.

Tell us a little about yourself


I’ll start by saying I have a pretty dry sense of humor and I’m very sarcastic . . . so take this all with a grain of salt {please}.

I am the girl who never wanted children. If you had told me 5 years ago I would be writing this blog post I would have died of laughter. And maybe cried a little bit, too. I’ve never been one of those people who goes gaga over a baby or who had this deep maternal urge to have a child. Don’t get me wrong, I love my children very much (and have grown to love children of friends too!) and I realize how amazingly fortunate I am to be blessed with two healthy, smart, beautiful children. Just know this wasn’t want I thought I wanted. I am not someone who will gush about how wonderful it is to be a mom and how magical everything is – I’m all about keeping it real and honestly, this “mom” gig is the freaken hardest thing I’ve ever done.

With that said, I’m not your “typical mom”. My just-turned-three year old twins have seen an episode (or five) of “Family Guy”. And they may or may not know all the words to a few Dave Matthews Band songs. I left them overnight when they were 5 weeks old and I’ve been away from them so many nights since then that I’ve totally lost count.

To get to what most people seem to want to know, twins run in my family. My mom is a fraternal twin and there are at least 4 other sets of fraternal twins on her side of the family. So while my pregnancy was a total shock, the fact that I had twins isn’t necessarily as much of one (though if you ask my college roommates, I used to joke that because I never wanted children I’d be the one in my family to end up with twins. That Karma has one sense of humor, eh?).
I grew up in Northeast Ohio and went to high school in Tennessee. I moved back to OH to attend the University of Dayton and then started a whirlwind of relocations thanks to mine & my husband’s career (I’ve lived in Nashville, Dallas, Columbus, Huntington Beach, CA , Chicago and back to Columbus, in that order in the span of 10 years). We made the decision to move back to Ohio almost 5 years ago and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise – although we weren’t planning to expand our family, having the grandparents so close to us has been a life saver more times than I care to admit.

I’ve worked in Human Resources my whole career. At the moment I’m an HR Business Partner for a technology company. Staying home with my children was never an option I considered for a nano-second – I like to say I’m a better mom because I work. Full-time. We’ve been lucky to have two wonderful nannies work for us in the 3 years we’ve had B&K and keeping them in our home has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Personally, I’m already starting to dread the day B&K start going full-time somewhere outside of our home . . . our current nanny Ashley is the glue that keeps me sane these days!

In my “free time” I like to craft (you can check out some of my crafty antics on a blog I co-author with fellow CMOTC member Jenn Murray here). My husband and I like to travel and last year we took B&K on their first trip out of the country (though technically they were still in the US – we went to St. Croix). This is where, again, I’m not your typical mom – my husband and I are very fortunate to have a great support system of family & friends who will watch B&K for us so that we can get away (and trust me – we do. Whenever and wherever we can!). I also like to entertain. Back in the “pre-B&K” days we used to throw frequent parties and honestly bought our house because it would be a good “party house” (and thankfully in hindsight it has turned into a good family home as well).


What are your children’s names and ages, as well as your spouse’s name?


My boy/girl twins are Bennett Michael & Kendyll Samantha. They turned 3 on 2/13. My husband is Tim and we’ve been married 6 ½ years.


Can you tell us a little about each of your children

My twins were born at 32w6d after nine very long, very stressful weeks of bedrest (you can read our story here) . . . oh and this was on top of a very hellish pregnancy (so to answer the other question people always like to ask me – YES WE ARE DONE! No more babies for me).

Bennett is smart, funny and quite an actor. He loves to climb, something I’m actually very proud of considering he didn’t walk until he was 22 mo old (I like to say he lived up to the “lazy white boy” persona from the NICU. After spending a year in denial that he would “catch up”, he started intense physical therapy at 16 months and eventually caught up). He is VERY attached to a blue crochet blanket a dear friend made him and he has inherited my love of all things Peanuts (like in “Charlie Brownie” Peanuts, as he would say). He is very caring and quick to laugh at himself. Plus I think he could be a Ralph Lauren model (I would seriously give my right pinkie for his perfectly straight and gorgeous smile).
Kendyll is quite a ham, though often times she can be shy (and she’ll even tell you this. “I’m shy”. Too cute). She has inherited my love of all things crafty and she deeply caring. She is the first to run and give a hug & a kiss when someone else is hurt (even throwing out an “I’m sorry”, though she may not have been the culprit). She is very strong and quick tempered {read: she can be QUITE the diva sometimes}. She also loves all things girlie, which I’m not sure where she picked up as I’m not a big girlie, girl. She has the most adorable giggle and is very opinionated when need be (“I no like dip-dip” or “I no like waterfalls in the bathtub” are two of her favorite sayings these days).

My other child is our golden retriever, Tabasco. Poor Baco (as B&K call him). He was set to be my only child and was royally spoiled. Even gracing our holiday cards each year. Thankfully, he has been wonderful with B&K. Although often times he is like having two more children in one {read: he is an attention whore}, but we love him nonetheless.

What has been the biggest challenge in having multiples

Where do I begin? When people ask me “is it getting any easier?” my reply is always “NO!!! Not easier, just different”. Whenever we seem to tackle one challenge – sleeping through the night, dropping bottles, separate rooms, “big kid” beds, potty training – it seems like it is replaced with something new to deal with . Right now it feels like a never ending cycle.

To go from thinking we didn’t really want children to getting the “2 for 1” special was also challenge. Not only did life and career plans take a major shift, but we were faced with a “challenge” that none of our friends had experienced. So from a personal level, it has meant letting go or losing touch with people who used to be “close friends” because, honestly, we just can’t relate to each other anymore. But on the flip side, the multiple mom friends I’ve made through CMOTC and other MoM groups have saved me – literally – so I’m thankful for that.

But probably the biggest challenge I’ve faced has been a more personal/unique one. Shortly before my twins were born my husband took a new job that required a lot of travel. Initially it was travel throughout the US and he would maybe be gone 3 – 5 days a week (home on the weekends). But for the past year he has been working more international assignments where he is away 2 – 3 weeks straight and only home for 1 – 2 weeks at a time. Not only has this been a challenge for me (as I work full-time and am barely surviving the toddler/preschool years), but it has also been very hard for B&K to understand why he is away so much. They love to say “Daddy is on an airplane up in the sky” when he is away – so much so, that at one point an acquaintance asked me if Tim was a pilot (which he is not – ha!). Explaining to a 3 yr old that daddy is in Turkey is a fun thing (they don’t get how he can be in something we eat for Thanksgiving. Ha!). But I like to think whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, right?

What has been your biggest joy in having multiples

I try to look at things from a positive perspective – unlike my friends who are now popping out their second child (and thus, having to start all over again from a beginning), once we are done with something we are D-O-N-E with it (because trust me – I am NEVER doing this again!! We are thankful for our blessings of two healthy, beautiful children and I have no desire to start over again!). Once we were done with bottles, they were all donated. Once we were done with diapers, there was no looking back. Cribs were dismantled and sold on Craigslist. My friends who are just now getting around to having baby number one are out of luck because all of my “baby” stuff is long gone.

Watching Bennett & Kendyll interact – whether it be tickling each other or bossing each other around – brings joy. And having them give each other a huge hug & kiss before bed is just plain adorable. And when one gets something – like a treat cupcake for example – they always make sure to get another for the other. Those are just a few things that brings a smile to my face.

Do you have any family traditions?

Tim & I like to go out to celebrate another year of survival on B&K’s birthday (adults only). As a family, we often pile onto the couch to watch a little TV after dinner / before bedtime. We’ve taken a big family vacation every year since B&K have been born – first to the Outer Banks, then Myrtle Beach and last year we flew to St. Croix – so we’re already in the planning stages for our trip this year.

Do you have any “sanity saving tips” that work for you in managing those particularly hectic days or moments of parenting and day-to-day life with kids?

Sometimes I just need to walk away. And that is okay. There were times when they were babies and I was home alone with them and they would both be screaming at the top of their lungs because it was bottle time. There wasn’t anything I could do – there is only one of me and I just kept repeating to myself they won’t be scarred for life if they scream for 3 minutes while I make two bottles. And they don’t seem scarred yet. Same for now – when the “toddler negotiations” fail and I have two screaming children tugging at me, I sometimes just have to walk away while muttering under my breath “there is only one of me”.

Do you have a family or personal blog or website that you would like to share with the group?

Yes: http://mommyoftwinsinwaiting.blogspot.com (it is in the CMOTC blog roll). I started it when I was on bedrest and never expected it to still be alive over 3 years later. But it has become a “baby book” of sorts for B&K (esp. since I have yet to write a single word in their actual baby books!).

If you could ask a question to our other CMOTC MoMs about raising multiples (at any age or stage), what would it be?

I feel like in a lot of ways we’ve recently tackled some of the major “milestones” I had been dreading since day one (potty-training & big kid beds are two that come to mind). And so now my focus is more on discipline and what to do when they go to school full time (same room or different classes?). And while I’ve been so blessed with a few very close friends who also have multiples the same age as B&K, my situation is a bit different in that they have same sex multiples where as I have boy/girl. When do I start having separate birthday parties? And should I freak out that my son likes to wear my daughter’s Snow White dress and my daughter likes to fix things with her brother’s tools?
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If you have advice for Carrie's question, or any comments in general, please leave them below.
If you are interested in having your family featured, please email us!

Vacation Hot Spots for Families

The days of Daytona, Fort Lauderdale and Panama City Spring Breaks are over for most of us. These days we're all looking for putt-putt, a pool, a Chick-fila and a residence that provides portable cribs. My how times have changed, right? We still want to get away and build memories but where do you do that? We have a few ideas but we'd love to hear from you as well. With Spring Break and summer approaching, we'd love a few posts from all of you regarding your favorite vacation hot spots. Comment below or contact us with your faves. We'd love for you to guest post but if all you want to do is tell us about your vacay spot, leave it in the comment section. Thanks!

My family likes to make a run for Lake Erie at least once or twice a summer. Our favorite destination on Lake Erie is a gated community called Lakeside with putt-putt, restaurants, walking trails, ice cream shops, etc. Cedar Point and other great amenities are close by or you can spend the whole week at Lakeside and be completely entertained. There is a baby pool that little ones will love as well as the lake and beach. There are swimming lessons every day and even sailing lessons for kids. Cottages are very affordable (when compared to beaches on the East coast). Note that there is a daily gate fee that adds up so be sure to put that in the equation. They even have kids activities where you can sign your child in and then go do what you want to do. There is an age limit on the drop-off service so check on that. There is nightly entertainment, weekly Vacation Bible School (completely voluntary), and so many other activities to participate in or just relax and don't do any of it. It's completely up to you!

Have you been to Lakeside? How was your experience? We want to hear from you!

Kendra's Fitness Corner: How to Create a 15 Minute Workout at HOME!

Are you ready to start a workout program but don’t have the time or money to go to a gym?? You CAN do an awesome workout at home with minimal equipment in as little as 15 minutes per day!

Got Bands?
You don’t need a lot of equipment to have a great workout at home. In fact many exercises don’t require anything. But if you are going to buy 3 items for your home workout I suggest…

1. Stability ball – 55cm size if you are under 5’6” and 65cm size if you are 5’6” or taller. These balls come with pumps but it’s definitely a workout to pump them up!


2. Resistance Band – preferably the kind with handles, a light or medium resistance depending on your strength.


3. A set of dumbbells – between 5# and 10# to start depending on your strength.

Here are some examples of beginner exercises you can use with the equipment above.

Seated Row

• Sit on a stability ball, floor, or the edge of a chair, place band around a sturdy table leg or pole


• Hold ends of band. With good posture, slowly pull band so your elbows go behind your body. Squeeze shoulder blades together.


• Keep forearms parallel to the ground.

Lateral Raise (Can also be done with dumbbells like shown)

• Stand with one or two feet on center of band (two feet=higher resistance).
  
• Hold ends of band. With good posture, raise arms out to the sides. Do not go higher than your shoulder joint.
  
• Lower down slowly, resisting gravity.

Bicep Curl (Also can be done with dumbbells as shown)

• Stand with one or two feet on center of band (two feet=higher resistance)
  
• Hold ends of band with palms facing out. With good posture, bend elbows and pull band up. Keep wrists straight.
  
• Lower down slowly, resisting gravity.

Tricep Push-down

• Stand with band anchored over a door or over a pull-up bar.
  
• Hold ends of band with palms facing down. Keeping elbows next to your sides at all times, push down. Keep wrists straight.
  
• Slowly let forearms come back to the starting point.

Stability Ball crunch

• Sit on ball, walk forward and lean back until lower back is supported.
  
• Hands behind head, elbows out. Keep spine in a straight line and abs tight.
  
• Exhale while lifting upper back off the ball, not letting ball move. Inhale as you return to starting position.

Squats, walking lunges and static lunges are lower body exercises that can also be done without any weights or by holding dumbbells.

Squats

• Stand with feet hip-width a part 1 foot in front of chair.
  
• Sitting back on heals, lower butt as if reaching for the chair. Keep back flat –NOT rounded.
  
• Keep knees directly above ankles as you lower down. Try to touch the chair with your butt and stand right back up.

Walking lunges

• Standing with feet hip-width apart, take a big step forward with right leg. Left heel is off the ground.
  
• Keeping good posture, lower down so both knees are about 90 degrees bent. Do not let right knee be forward of the right ankle.
  
• Bring left leg forward and stand up. Repeat the above with left leg leading.
  

Static lunges are the same as above except you are not traveling forward but are repeatedly lowering down with one leg forward / both knees bent.


Got Cardio?

So you don’t have a treadmill and the weather is questionable. Don’t worry! If you have a pair of tennis shoes and some flood space you are good to go. Here are some examples:

1. Jumping Jacks or Modified jumping jacks –Modified move: From a standing position with legs hip width apart, do a “half” jack by moving right leg & arm out to the right (touching right toes on ground) then coming back to the center and switch to the left leg & arm moving out to the left side. Keep alternating sides.
   
2. Shadow boxing – do a mix of punches, uppercuts, front & side kicks. Each movement counts as ½ a repetition. Ex: a punch with your left fist, then right fist equals 1 repetition. Kick at shin-level for beginners, then gradually aim for knee and thigh-level.
   
3. Jump Rope or Modified jump rope – Modified move: Without a rope, move your arms in a circular jump rope motion while bouncing or hopping on the balls of your feet.
   
4. Stair running or walking – go up and down a flight of stairs. Skip stairs on the way up for more intense workout.
   
5. High knee marching or High knee running – in place, lift one knee up until thigh is parallel to the ground, alternate legs.
   

Got a Plan?
Now you can put all these exercises together into a workout. By combining strength and cardio you are maximizing your calorie burn!

15 min workout: Perform the following exercises in order. Repeat the whole sequence.

1. High knee marching or running warm-up 30 sec
   
2. Squats (hold dumbbells) 20x
   
3. Push-ups (on toes or knees) 20x
   
4. Jumping Jacks or Modified Jacks 30 sec
   
5. Walking lunges or static lunges 10x each leg
   
6. Seated Row (band) 20x
   
7. Shadow boxing – punches 30 sec
   
8. Stability Ball crunch 20x
   
9. Squats (hold dumbbells) 20x
   
10. Lateral Raise (band or dumbbells) 20x
    
11. Shadow boxing – front or side kicks 30 sec
    
12. Walking lunges or static lunges 10x each leg
    
13. Bicep Curl (band or dumbbell) 20x
    
14. Tricep pushdown (band) 20x
    
15. Stability Ball crunch 20x
    
16. Jump rope/modified jump rope OR Stair running/walking 30 sec

Be sure to have some water handy and take a 30 sec break before repeating the sequence for the second time.

This workout can be done every other day. Your goal: 3 days per week (ex: Mon/Wed/Fri). Perform 20-30 cardio on the off days for faster results and to feel amazing!!!

Good luck and please feel free to comment below or email me with any questions on the 15 minute workout or any other general questions, as well as any topics you would like me to write about!

~Kendra
CMOTC MoM and Personal Trainer