FALL INTO FITNESS: Products you’ll want to check out for your next workout!!

September 18, 2018 By Cori

Don’t you just love getting surprises in the mail? Getting to try out fun new products and report it all back to you guys is one of my favorite parts of this blogging gig’ 😉

So when my friends at BabbleBoxx asked if I’d be interested in receiving some fitness-related goodies– I was all in.

As I mentioned in my previous post, September is kind of my new year. With the kids back at school it always feels like a fresh page and I am by far my most focused on my goals– both professionally and personally. And while admittedly my fitness journey does have its peaks and valleys, becoming a healthier version of myself is always a goal.

I was stoked to see what was inside this box of surprises and am even more stoked to share them with you today– because you guys, they have me pumped!!

Tiger Balm: Active Muscle Spray

With athletes in the house, this one is one I am super excited to continue to use throughout our busy sports season(s). My now teen plays basketball (like every day of his life since 8 years old) and my daughter who is currently working on her back handspring, tumbles at her cheer gym multiple days of the week– suffice it to say, muscle aches are all too common here.

Tiger Balm Active Muscle spray offers relief for those muscle aches as well as sprains and strains– and the best part is because it is a spray it is easy to apply– even in those hard to reach places.

You can learn more about Tiger Balm Active Muscle Spray here

AfterShokz: Trekz Air

Like most, music always motivates my workout. I especially love my cardio– walking, jogging, treadmill, elliptical– you name it. If I can zone out and get lost in some energizing music– I am one happy girl.

I tested out these Aftershokz Trekz Air ear headphones the other day when I was out walking, taking advantage of the crisp fall morning (fall mornings are the best, right?!?). These ear headphones not only have great sound but they are SUPER, crazy light. They’re made with a a titanium bone conduction technology and they fit like a dream.

You can learn more about them here.

| Get $55 OFF when using Discount Code: BABBLE Promotion ends November 1, 2018. |

GO Comfort Insoles

Whether working out or just running around like crazy with the kiddos– comfy shoes are always KEY!

Go Comfort Insoles have 3 different products: Comfort Insole, Work Insole, Athletic Insole

I tried out the work insoles on one of those days that was so busy, I truly didn’t sit down until the day was done.

After a full day (say 12 hours or so?) not only did the insole’s arch and heel support leave my feet feeling comfortable–– my back was not killing me as it so often does (you may remember I did some damage a few years back after a clumsy fall in the house). I’m definitely going to give these a try when I’m in NYC later this month because there is nothing like hoofing it around in NYC and the GoComfort work insoles are made for walking on hard surfaces like the ones that pave the concrete jungle of New York.

I added the athletic insoles to my workout sneakers. In addition to the lower back support the work insoles, the workout insoles also feature max shock absorption so they are perfect for cardio and gym days.

You can learn more about GoComfort Insoles here

| Use codeGOcomfortBB20 for 20% off + Free Shipping — Valid until 12/31/18 |

CELIUS Original Line: Sparkling Kiwi Guava

This yummy, refreshing drink is not only yummy and refreshing– it helps you burn calories!! I feel like my metabolism is on the sluggish side (especially so with every birthday that passes 😉 )

CELSIUS: Your Ultimate Fitness Partner®, has a line of sparkling beverages that boost your metabolism and when paired with physical activity it can help increase your calorie burn!!! I don’t know about you, but idea of burning additional calories kinda makes me want to work out even more!

You can learn more about this delish drink here.

Which one of these products would you want to try first?

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com.

Activewear To Motivate And Inspire Your #FitnessGoals

April 18, 2017 By Cori

One of my top aspirations in life is to be that girl who kills it at the gym year round, the kind that goes for a daily run and craves the adrenaline instead of dreading the reality that she is going to feel like she’s dying 60 seconds in. It’s not that I can’t appreciate the adrenaline rush after a good workout (I love it!) or that I don’t take fitness seriously, it’s just that when I am climbing out of the exercising-rut I tend to fall into every. single. winter, I need a little motivation.

I find that motivation in my activewear– because if there’s anything I’ve learned in my 30-something years on this planet it is that dressing the part will always pave the way.

Btw – are we connected on instagram?

I’ve talked before about how clothes can alter our mood and set the tone for our day, and the importance of getting head-to-toe dressed because clothes are powerful– so powerful they can inspire you to break a sweat and get moving!

Call it vain, call it silly– but studies (conducted by yours truly) have shown that if I put on activewear that I love (vs. my old leggings and oversized worn out tank) first thing in the morning, I am 10 times more likely to actually work out – and eat right!

Skeptical of my study? Researcher Hajo Adam who coined the term“enclothed cognition” to describe the mental changes that we undergo when we wear certain clothing, had this to say to the The Atlantic about the activewear-motivation phenomenon– “It’s all about the symbolic meaning that you associate with a particular item of clothing. I think it would make sense that when you wear athletic clothing, you become more active and more likely to go to the gym and work out.”

| Similar Nanette Lepore top | Similar Nanette Lepore bottom|

It’s why athleisure brands like Athletica, Lulu Lemon and Fabletics continue to grow in popularity and no doubt why we see so many of us rocking cute leggings and Nikes as we shuffle around town.

It just works.

But it doesn’t have to (and shouldn’t) break the bank.

I scooped up this Nannet Lepore workout outfit at Saks Off Fifth at The Mills At Jersey Gardens last week– outlets are always a good idea ( I’ll be sharing more of my outlet finds today as I take over the @MillsAtJersey insta-account!)

I’ve also scoped out some great sales online that are definitely worth checking out.

Go on and snag yourself some motivation 🙂

– This post contains affiliate links–

5 Ways To Recommit To Your New Year Healthy Living Goals Today

February 12, 2016 By Cori

This post is sponsored by Zone Perfect

The highs and lows of New Year healthy living goals always feel very familiar.

We start the year off with the best of intentions. We are laser focused.…and then life kicks in, schedules get busy and we find ourselves right around month 3 and tight on time to plan and prepare our meals and snacks.

I’ve personally been there– all too often– just last week in fact. Over the course of 2 days we had 4 basketball games and an all day cheer competition (that was an hour away from home).

I didn’t plan. I winged it. And let me tell you that the instantaneous regret weighed about 3 lbs.

Life with kids doesn’t really ever “slow down”. It’s a lot of go-go-go. We know this and need to recommit to what is going to keep our healthy living goals on course.

Below are a few reminders of what we need to be doing to reduce the temptation to hit the drive thru or empty calorie-snack stand.

Once A Week Cooking

Setting aside a day to cook for the week would be AH-MAZING… but keep’n it real? Not always feasible. So set aside a few hours – maybe break it into two days of prep instead of one– and cook enough easy to heat up, meals to last your family all week.

Stop Being A Short Order Cook

The key when meal planning for an entire family is to find 6-8 healthy meals everyone enjoys and rotate them. Starting a Pinterest board could help!

When you are thinking in terms of a short order cook, it is easy for your own eating habits to get side tracked – or for you to run out of time to make yourself something healthy and enjoyable.

Keep A Supply Of Snacks Ready To Grab & Go

When you have already cleaned and cut fruits, vegetables, and chopped up salad ingredients in your refrigerator you are more likely to nosh on them and resist the temptation to snack on higher calorie foods.

Some healthy prepackaged options are always good to have too. Things like yogurt or nutrition bars are can be great for a healthy snack. Zone Perfect’s Perfectly Simple bars have a whopping 10 grams of protein (their limited Edition Pumpkin Chai & Peppermint Bark are amongst my favorites), which helps you feel fuller longer!

H2O-Yea!

8 glasses a day, you guys. We need it. The benefits of keeping hydrated throughout the day go on and on– but mostly, do it for energy. No it doesn’t work like caffeine or even give you the adrenaline rush a good work out will but it definitely can keep us from feeling sluggish throughout the day. I started buying those big .99 gallons of water and challenging myself to finish one every day. Baby steps.

30 Minutes A Day

If we had time for a long work out, we’d totally look like Beyonce and J-Lo, right? I am SO with you!! – But if we are really honest with ourselves, we can probably find 30 minutes a day to work out. This might mean getting up earlier (I know. I love my sleep too.) If the gym seems beyond your time limits, you can find a variety of workouts right on YouTube that will not take more than 30 minutes– no drive time necessary.

Ok. Now that we are refreshed on our commitments… who’s with me??

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About Zone Perfect’s Perfectly Simple Limited Edition Protein Snack Bars:

With Perfectly Simple, you can enjoy the flavors of fall and winter without any worries. Each seasonal bar has at least 10 grams of protein and less than 200 calories.

Available in Target.

Disclosure: Zone Perfect is a paid sponsor of Complicated Mama. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.

21 Day Fix Shrimp Taco Recipe + 1 Week Review

June 13, 2014 By Cori

Monday I started a new fitness routine.

Since the baby I’ve “gently” watched what I ate, attempting “soft-start” diets, and pushing off exercise as much as possible. But remember when I was preggers and I told you my Beach Body coach-friend, Nicole was going to whip me into shape? Well, she gave me 7 months to warm up to it… and now? It’s sweating time. We started walking 3 miles, 3 times a week. Then after a conversation with another Beach Body coach friend, Vanessa, who also had a baby fairly recently and looks freaking ah-mazing, I decided to take the leap and start a 21-Day Fix Challenge with a group Nicole had organized to start on June 9th.

What is the 21 Day Fix?

In short, it is a fitness plan that includes a rotation of 30 minute daily DVD workouts (including Yoga and Pilates– which for the record? I SUCK at), a meal plan and 7 cheerfully colored small plastic containers, that quite frankly I initially looked at and thought– This is a joke right?

Print-outs my coach created for our group and they are seriously invaluable!!

Nicole was on top of me the week before to meal plan for the week, which I reluctantly did… mostly because I kinda fear her (ha), Annnnd then I ate my way through my friend’s wedding the night before we started, fully prepared to be starved and crying for 21 days.

Well here I am 1/2 way through day 5 telling you that I am forever thankful I was pushed to meal plan because A.) There is no way I could have done this without planning ahead and B.) I am STUFFED, you guys. Stuffed… and sore.

I’ll share more about my experience with the workouts (that are intense but so far “manageable” 60 second reps), as well as my progress as we go through the weeks, but in the meantime I wanted to share 2 of the amazing meals I made this week and shared on Instagram. I swear I am eating better-tasting meals than when I wasn’t on a diet.

21 Day Fix Recipe: Shrimp Taco Salad

(1 1/2 red container, 2 green, 1 blue)

Ingredients:

Frozen & cleaned shrimp
Bell Peppers
Onions
Shredded Cheese
Taco seasoning (or Cajun seasoning)
Greek Yogurt (1/2 red container)
Cilantro
Smoked paprika
Jalapeños (diced)
Romaine lettuce
Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Coat pan with non-stick spray
Season shrimp with salt, pepper, cilantro and smoked paprika
Saute shrimp with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice until pink.
In a separate pan sauté onions and peppers (1 container of green)
Chop up Romaine lettuce (1 container of green) and jalapenos
Mix sauce ingredients: Greek Yogurt (1/2 red), 1/2 tsp taco seasoning, 1 tsp of lemon juice
Add all ingredients to bowl, mix and top with shredded cheese (1 blue container)

Perfect Gift For Moms To Be: Comfy, Chic Work Out Clothes That Expand With Your Bump!

October 9, 2013 By Cori

Fit Bump’s apparel line is something I’ve wanted to share with you for a while now, because I was blown away- not only by the quality and comfort, but the style and hello?? A shirt that zips?? GENIUS. All maternity clothes should be made that way!

Now that I am in my final weeks of pregnancy, this workout outfit is one of the things that I could truly LIVE in. And while I’m not about to begin a new work out routing at 36 wks, when I’m ready to hop into my post-baby boot camp with Nikki, I will definitely be wearing this outfit and popping on one of my Sparkly Soul headbands on the way out– Cute and comfy work out apparel is half the battle when trying to muster up some motivation for work outs is it not?

The below video was shot when I was 33 wks. I feel like a total slacker as it is now 3 weeks later and I am just getting around to editing and sharing! (Oh, Corine!) I apologize you guys, I’m just SO uncomfortable these days. It seems everything is on delay.

In this video I am wearing:
Fit Bump Rhea Top: $59.99
Fit Bump Eos Workout Pants: $72.00

Along with their apparel, Fit Bump also has a great site filled with work out ideas, inspiration and nutrition for expecting Moms. You can check it all out at www.FitBump360.com

Disclosure: Product was provided for editorial consideration. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fitness