Sunday Funday is here! That’s right, today is my active recovery day. As much as I love working out on my Total Gym six days a week, I look forward to spending quality time outside with my daughter Emma.
Emma is 11 years old and very active. She is in track, dance, and horseback riding this summer, and cheerleading in the fall. I am like most moms, BUSY running my kid around. I have a love of fitness, so it’s great that I can teach Emma the importance of health and being active, all while spending time together. Just so happens that today is absolutely gorgeous weather and why not make playtime into fun exercise. We live in a small village with a river running back behind our home and truly a beautiful place to explore.
So, we are hitting the streets today like we any other Sunday. I walk my dog Bella, while Emma leads the trip on her bike making various stops along the way.
Our first stop is the local park. Emma likes to stop and get a drink from the water fountain, while I continue running with Bella. While waiting on Emma, I stop at the bleachers to do a few exercises. I did 20 ab crunches and 20 pushups using the bleachers. This is always a nice place to stop and workout.
Emma runs over to show me she discovered a bird’s nest had fallen on the ground. Of course, we capture the moment on camera! Now it is Emma’s turn to play on the bleachers. She always, I mean ALWAYS has to do a little bit of tumbling before we move on. This time it was the splits and a cartwheel off the bleachers. Okay, time to go!
I started to run with Bella since she was getting impatient and Emma captured the moment for me. Next stop is always Grandma’s house. Even Bella looks forward to stopping there. Grandma immediately hands out bottled water, while Emma plays with all her 100 cats…. ha ha okay, probably 10 cats is more realistic. Of course, we must jump a little on the trampoline before we continue. Emma shows off her “tricks” to Grandma before we leave. Jumping is one of the best exercises, plus its super fun!
Next stop is the old Missionary School. Even if we are short on time, this is one place we never skip. It has some nice sidewalks and a big hill. In the back, there are wide steps that are great for doing drills. Emma was happy we stopped there, because she found her Grandma’s missing cat Coco, napping on the roof. Coco also made his appearance in the video, racing Emma down the steps. We took turns running up and down the steps until it was time to head home.
Last pit stop, is the river. Next to our home is a rough gravel and dirt road that leads straight to the river. Not only does Bella love taking walks here, but also Emma loves riding her bike down the hill…multiple times! Normally Bella and I just stare off at the river’s beauty while Emma is entertaining herself. Once in a while, you may see a bald eagle flying over the river.
Active recovery days can be time well spent with the ones you love. Being a “fit mom” so to speak has made me enjoy life so much more, since I am able to keep up with my daughter and just live in the moment. These are the days I will cherish the most. Thankful that I have the ability to walk, run, and jump, when so many do not. To all of you mothers out there, I hope you have a blessed Mother’s Day and live in the moment with your children.
Cassandra Kurpiel
Cassandra’s Total Fitness
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