Happy New Year! A 15 minimum focused circuit

Happy New Year!

I know that many of you are excited to get back to our Fitmom classes and your regular exercise routine.  Our classes resume the week of January 6th, 2014.  So in the meantime, here is a quick and dirty 15 min circuit guaranteed to make your butt burn and to fire up your core! How do I know? Because I did it myself the other day and felt it the next day :)

Remember to modify when necessary, the segments are timed, so do what you can.  Focus on proper technique and remember to warm up first!  And if you are brand spanking new to exercise, consult your family doctor before starting a new fitness routine.

For my warm up I ran up and down my stairs 5 times, followed by 10 squats and 10 alternating lunges and then back up the stairs for another 5 reps.  No stairs? No problem! Dance, run on the spot, toe tap, just move your body for 3-5 minutes before moving on.

Equipment:

A timer, your smart phone has one built in

5-10lbs weights if you want or your baby when appropriate!

The workout:

1 minute hip lifts (aka baby but blasters)

1 minutes alternating lunges with bicep curls

30 second mountain climbers

30 second side lateral hops

1 minute squat with row

1 minute modified side plank with leg lifts

Rest 30 seconds repeat 2 more times.

Follow with a warm down and stretch!

Good luck and enjoy!!!

New Prenatal Yoga Series Starts January 13th, 2014

With the holidays behind us, we are gearing up for what will be a fantastic New Year for 2014.  Over our holiday break I have spoken with many families who are expecting something pink or blue in 2014.  I am always really excited to speak with you and to share my passion for health & fitness, not only during your pregnancy, but afterwards as well!  This week, I thought I would share some of the well documented benefits that regular exercise has for both mom and baby:

Benefits For the Mom to be:

• Regular exercise can improve circulation, reduce back pain and increase energy
• Women who practice yoga during pregnancy report a reduction in stress and enjoy the bonding experience with baby
• Group  classes allow for open discussions on topics relating to pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum experiences
• Women who attend our classes report a feeling of increased confidence in their body as they prepare for childbirth

Benefits For the baby:

• Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to baby 
• Higher APGARS (Activity / Pulse / Grimace / Appearance /Respiration) which means they are generally more alert, and active at birth
• Tend to have more lean muscle mass, which means, generally speaking, these babies will be stronger
• Easier time establishing breastfeeding
• Babies born to active women have stronger heart rates at birth & 3 months post partum.  (2010 Linda E May)

Our next Prenatal Yoga Series "Yoga Vibe for Birth" starts Monday January 13th, 2014 7:30-8:30pm at The Conscious Body in Whitby.  Registration is now open. 

Book now, spaces are limited!

www.fitmomfitness.com/durham

$145+tax/10 weeks

$90+tax/5 weeks

I smile when I run

Yup, it's true! 

I must look like a crazy person as I run through my neighbourhood, but I smile when I run. 

I think I am the only one.  Or most certainly, a minority.

I have noticed too often lately that people are so engrossed in themselves that they don't make eye contact, they rarely acknowledge the people they pass by on the street and they don't smile. 

I am now on a mission to make you smile.  My feelings won't be hurt if you don't smile back, but it won't stop me from smiling. 

So be warned Whitby!  I will smile at you when I run.  I will say hi.  I will encourage you to keep walking, running or motoring in whatever way you choose. 

I will smile when I run.

Happy Holidays! Enjoy this exclusive promo :)

I am really excited to share this holiday promotion with you.  Starting Friday November 29th, 2013 I will be offering 2 classes a week for 10 weeks for the price of 1 class/week  (that's a savings of $80) to the first 10 people who take advantage of this deal.

You can purchase the classes and start right away, or apply the deal to a gift certificate to use in the New Year; the choice is up to you!  The only catch is that there will only be 10 up for grabs, so don't delay!  Call (905) 903-0029 or register online:

www.fitmomcanada.com/durham 

1 class/ week for 10 weeks is $145+tax  get the 2nd class/week FREE! 
There are only 10 up for grabs!!

Prenatal Yoga Mini Session

You're invited to join us for a 4 week mini series starting Monday November 18th at 7:30pm.  Our prenatal yoga series, Yogavibe for Birth, is a fantastic way to meet other expectant woman and to introduce you to the benefits of yoga during pregnancy and beyond.  Each week you are guided through gentle asansa (postures) to stretch and strengthen your body as it adapts to your pregnancy.  Relaxation and visualization techniques are also introduced.  We also discuss pregnancy, birth and post partum issues.  Fitmom Durham's prenatal yoga classes take place in Whitby, On.

 

Classes are taught by Jennifer, who is also a Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator and Prenatal Yoga Specialist.  Modifications are offered to meet individual needs.  No prior yoga experience required.

 

Spots are limited. $72+tax.  Register today by visiting www.fitmomcanada.com/durham

Motivated Monday Post: Are you Lukewarm or Committed?

How would you rate your current commitment to fitness?  Is it non-existent, lukewarm, or the best part of your day?  I would assume that for most people, the feeling swings from non-existent to lukewarm.  In fact, I bet only a small percentage of people feel that the commitments they make to themselves be active everyday is the best part of their day. However, I would be so over the moon if everyone felt this way!

I don't believe that exercise should be viewed as a punishment, but I do know that my pendulum swings towards "best part of my day".  Our bodies are designed to move.  We crave it.  The body needs to move in order to function well.  The effects of a sedentary lifestyle set off alarm bells in your body. High blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, weak core, back pain, and the like are better managed, or even prevented, as a result of a healthy diet and regular exercise.  The same holds true for my pregnant clients.  Regular exercise during pregnancy improves circulation, diminishes back pain, reduces stress and elevates your mood, making you a happier mama 2 be!

So, how do you go from lukewarm to committed?  I believe the answer is consistency and to pick activities that you find fun.  They say it takes 10 days of repeating something to make it a habit. What small steps can you take today, and commit to for 10 days, so that your pendulum swings from lukewarm to committed?  

PS Check out this new fitness movement dubbed "The November Project".  These 2 dudes from Boston were looking for ways to stay committed to their own fitness goals, to inspire and motivate others and to build community.  All I can say for sure is that if I lived in Boston, I would be part of this movement!  Sure, maybe you're not ready for a November Project type workout, but I hope that you soon find that your workouts are the best part of your day too!  "Just show up".

The benefits of breathing through labour & birth

There are many coping mechanisms available to women as they progress throughout birth: position changes, movement, massage, touch, water therapy and medications are some that come to mind.  However,  today I thought I would share with you the simple and yet effective benefits of breathing.

Rhythmic breathing, often accompanied by low moans, is a universal coping strategy adopted by women across cultures.  Women who are coping well with the surges of an increasing labour pattern typically move their bodies more (swaying, rocking, self-massage) and use their voice (moaning, chanting or other vocalizations ) thereby experiencing more effective relief from pain & stress. 

There are two styles of rhythmic breathing that are often taught, both in a prenatal yoga class, or childbirth class.

The first is what we call slow breathing:

Slow breathing is best introduced in labour when the mother can no longer walk and talk through a contraction or surge, especially while at the peak.  We teach women to 'sigh' her way through the contraction with full, audible breaths.  This type of breathing pairs wonderfully with imagery. 'Each exhale is a relaxing breath'  or 'Send each breath in to a tense area in your body and breath the tension out as you exhale'.

The second style is called Light breathing or Modified Breathing:

This style of breathing is best introduced whenever a woman becomes discouraged or finds that the slow breathing is no longer effective in distracting her or diminishing her discomfort.

When we teach light breathing we are teaching her to breathe more shallowly and more quickly, but still at a speed that she finds comfortable.  An example may be two shallow breaths followed by a longer breath in between to prevent hyperventilation.

Most women respond very well to rhythmic breathing and almost all women develop their own instinctive rituals over the course of their labour, allowing them to cope with the increasing contractions of normal birth.

Rhythmic breathing is also known to quiet the mind, specifically the thinking part of the brain (cerebral cortex), allowing women to be more instinctive.  It is also self-calming and encourages the body to release tension and enhances a sense of well-being. 



References:

Simkin & Ancheta "The labor progress handbook" (2005)
Simkin "The 3 R's in childbirth preparation: Relaxation, Rhythm and Ritual" (2006)
Lowe "The Pain and Discomfort of Labour & Birth" (1996)