Because moms are beyond busy with their families and any work obligations, they often forget to take care of themselves— especially during back-to-school season. Here are a few tips to look and feel fabulous this fall, starting with your health.
Exercise. Resolve to do at least 20 minutes of physical activity per day. Exercise provides wonderful health benefits, elevates your mood, keeps skin looking radiant and makes clothes fit better. The easiest way to exercise is to walk. And now with the advent of shoes that have toning benefits, walking represents an even better workout. If you cannot take a long walk or get to the gym, try a workout DVD. Many fitness DVDs offer effective routines that are divided into ten-minute segments, sometimes covering different body parts such as abs in one segment and legs in another. You can choose to do ten minutes or do two or three segments for a longer workout. For maximum fat burning, do a workout that includes intense cardio bursts as well as weights or toning exercises.
De-stress. This can be a difficult one for moms— especially when you are concerned about your child’s schooling, your work, the household schedule, the future and mortgages. Excess stress causes problems like hair loss, heart disease and even depression. Each day, take at least five to ten minutes to enjoy deep breathing, yoga or meditation. Even relaxing in a bath can do wonders for alleviating stress. Simply lock the bathroom door and let your partner watch the kids. For an instant stress reliever anywhere, try this quick deep-breathing exercise: Sit in a chair with both of your legs gently on the floor. Breathe in through your nose and count to five while raising your arms above your head. Hold for one count and slowly release your breath and your arms.
Focus on nutrition. Healthy moms need to have tons of energy to run around with their kids and set a good example of being physical. Cut up fruits and vegetables and place them in easy-to-grab bags that seal. Other good snacks to carry around are nuts and dried fruit. The key is to prepare these snacks so they’re always ready, making them easy to take along anywhere. It is also important to drink at least eight glasses of water a day— more if you drink coffee and alcohol. A wonderful energizer, water also helps your skin look great by hydrating your body.
Now that you have taken the time to focus on your health, here are some easy ways to feel beautiful this fall.
Brighten up your face. Exfoliate your skin to reveal a healthy glow. Visit the dermatologist for a microdermabrasion or dermaplaning treatment, or try an at-home peel like the Brazilian Peel, which is a 25 percent glycolic peel. For an inexpensive scrub, try mixing a little baking soda with water to create a paste. If you have freckles or brown spots from the sun, consider a lightening cream like Tri-Luma, which is available by prescription. You can also look for an over-the-counter cream with Vitamin B3, which increases cell turnover and therefore fades freckles faster.
Care for your hands. As your hands are the first place to show age, exfoliate them. You can concoct a hand treatment by combining virgin coconut oil with sugar and rubbing the mixture on your hands. This is great for your body too. It removes the top layer of dry skin and deeply moisturizes with the oil. Finish by applying a moisturizer or sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher on your hands.
Refresh your hair. Get a trim and a deep conditioning treatment this fall. Enhance what you do at the salon with an at-home shine treatment like Frederic Fekkai Salon Glaze.
Update your makeup. Luckily for moms, fall 2010 beauty is all about luminous skin and simple makeup. Start with a multi-purpose product like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20. For a radiant glow, combine a matte formula with an illuminating formula. Follow with a cream blush or bronzer on the apples of your cheeks. Add a light coat of mascara and a nude lip gloss for day. At night, create a haute look with a smoky eye in soft browns or grays.
Transition from runway to everyday. Fall 2010 fashion trends can be incorporated into any mother’s wardrobe. Sport a military-style jacket, whether dropping the kids at school or going to the park, and anything camel colored. Sweaters and jackets suit moms in this of-the-moment yet classic color. Lastly, lace-up boots lend instant chic to an everyday outfit.
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