Have you ever been that mom standing in the grocery aisle or bank line and you hear a frustrated grunt coming from inside the stroller. As mothers we need to read this cue as KEEP STROLLING MAMA! So, I ask all of you mommies out there how fit are your strollers? Does it only see the light of day when you need a bag of milk or are you a trailblazer? Well whichever you are the good news is stroller fitness is the surefire way to getting to Fit Avenue fast. W
What I as a mom love about stroller fitness is that I can stroll to all my favorite I- POD tunes and groove out a great workout with scenic views. The best thing about stroller fitness is the stroller and the darling inside being carted around act as a form of resistance to our aerobic workouts. All the equipment you need to reap the benefits of stroller fitness is a stroller, a park/ scenic route, sunscreen, WATER, tunes and of course your little one. Now that you have all your gear here is a sample of your next stroller session. Stroll YOUR WAY to FIT Avenue Workout On the Move Warm up:(7-10 mins) -walk 30 secs +30secs shoulder rolls X3 -walk 30 secs+30 secs arm circlesX3 - walk 30 secs + 30 secs toe tapsX3 -walk 30 secs +30 sec walking lungesX3 -Walk 30 secs +30 secs squats in place Speed stroll(20-25 mins) -the point here mommies is to work at your own pace and always use the talk test as an indicator of how hard you are working. You should always be able to talk! If you can't talk slowdown your pace. If you can sing easily pick up the pace! Some options to use in the Speed Stroll are; brisk walk, jogging, skipping, side gallops, running, jogging up and down stairs, hills or bleachers. ** Remember if you are a beginner Stroller Mama you may entirely use a brisk walk, if advanced you may mix it up, listen to your body it won't steer your strolling wrong. Cardio cool-off (2-5mins) -Repeat on the move warm-up -Muscular and core strength -Use picnic tables or benches to do 3 sets of 8-12 reps of leg lifts, modified pushups, triceps dips and abdominal crunches. -Final stretches (can be on a table, standing or sitting on grass) head/neck rolls, inner thigh stretch, ankle rotations, side stretches, forward folds and deep breathing. Safety Cues: -Always drink water before, during and after workout. -Do not use light frame strollers suitable only for car seats(any other stroller is fine). -Always check the weather and prepare accordingly for you and your baby, ex humidex, sunscreen, stroller rain cover, baby hat, bug net for stroller etc…. Benefits of Stroller fitness: -safe and effective -fresh air, sunshine and FUN -full body exercise -You can do it alone, with a friend or Mommy group -Not too mention it calms your little one and helps with their sleeping habits, giving you a much needed Break. If you have any questions about performing any of the exercises do not hesitate to email me at fit_maven@hotmail.com. Enjoy your next stroll to FIT Avenue!
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![]() I didn't get it... I really didn't. Why would anyone voluntarily choose pregnancy, weight gain, delivery (or worse c-section), sleepless nights, hopeless days of crying, arguments over clothes, shoes, hair and meal times? Thousands of unsolicited opinions and parenting ideas...Less time to yourself, less time with your friends, less time for your husband.... I had watched my girlfriends struggle through their marriages, friendships and careers.... All to be the center of some helpless diaper wearing person's universe...Why would anyone want to be a mom? Somehow my very crafty husband talked me into this (while I tried to talk him into a Porsche Instead). I will never forget the night before my scheduled c-section. I laid awake all night crying. Somehow I managed to wish away nine special months of pregnancy. Now I was going to have to share him with the world. I wasn't ready. We hadn't bonded enough. There wasn't enough time. What if I never had the opportunity to grow another human being inside me again? Little did I know, I was about to have an even better role, an even more special relationship. I was about to be a mommy. I have never been the same since. Sleepless nights give way to their first smiles. Temper tantrums bring their first "I love you"s Less time with your friends bring new special people into your life. And if you are really lucky, it gives you and your husband something very special in common. And while the unsolicited comments get tiring, you realize just how many people genuinely care about your new little family. While being the center of a little person's universe can be tiring, at the end of every day, I say good night to my special little guy and ask him, "Do you know what is awesome? Being the mommy. Being the mommy is the best!" I get it now. Julie van Kessel ![]() I had no idea, when I set out on my mission to help Guppy sleep, that making decisions on how to care for my own son could cost me friendships. In a world with such incredible technology, were every mama can find a study, blog, report, website etc. to support their parenting decisions, we end up surrounded by “my way or the highway mommies”. It seems that we live in a time where each of us feels that how we do things with our babies is the only way that things can or should be done. So, lets get this straight, we teach our children to be open minded and accepting, all the while we’re not. This just doesn’t add up for me. It’s no secret that Guppy had colic, he cried…a lot. It’s no secret that I battle postpartum depression and every one knows that Guppy HATES to sleep! It’s also no secret that I tried nearly every suggestion I was given, read five sleep books and STILL couldn’t help Guppy to sleep – so we called in a professional! Little did I know that this would be the beginning of the end for some of my friendships. Our experience with the sleep consultants was great. We worked with the amazing team at Precious Moments Babeez, specifically Debbie Fazio and I have no regrets! She was very dedicated to helping us, and ensuring that all of Guppy’s needs were met and that he was never being put through any unnecessary stress. She was our coach and cheerleader and stood by us through the whole experience. We quickly started to see Guppy getting more and more restorative sleep (and that meant I started to get some too!). He was happier, so much happier and so was I! One would think that your friends (regardless of how they handle these issues in their own homes) would be so happy to see you and your family thriving again, but evidently not! Instead, the cracks start to form, and the friendships start to dissolve. People that you once talked to nearly every days, well now you don’t. Instead, they climb to the top of their soap box and declare to all who will listen that they would “never” sleep train their baby. They don’t hesitate to tell everyone just how horrible it is, though they have never actually done it. They know the little bits that they have learned from other mothers or read about on the internet, far from the whole picture but none the less they know you’re wrong. They never look at you the same again. It is sad, and you miss them. You even second guess yourself (but only for a second). Then you remember, these friends have never walked in your shoes, and they really can’t know what they might do. You look at your baby who is happy and healthy and thriving and you know that you did what was best for your family. So whether it is sleep training, feeding, potty training, or any other challenge of parenting. We need to remember that the decisions that we make are best for us while others will make the decisions best for them. Be confident in your choices and respect those of others. By: Sarah Sansom ![]() He is seven months old and the internal debate is raging! Once again, I am not here to tell anyone what to do (shocking I know). I am strictly talking about my own little debate with myself, and the challenges our family faces when trying to come up with a plan that works for everyone in the future! I know so many amazing parents who work long hours and have raised beautiful well adjusted and loved children! I know first hand the gift and joy of being raised by a stay at home mom! There is just no one answer to this debate, each family is facing a different challenge! I had always dreamed of staying home with my children until they were at least in full day school. My mom stayed home with us and I am eternally grateful for her sacrifice! She gave up her career and committed her self to playing with us, teaching us, and introducing us to the this big beautiful world. When I became pregnant shortly after starting a great new job, I started thinking that I might really miss going to work! The seeds of the dilemma were planted! There are two major things to think of here … “What do I want to do?” and of course “What solution can we afford?” My fellow Type A’s are probably all shouting at me to make a list (or two, or three…) of my pros and cons. Believe me I have! I have done list after list after list! The end result is the same, I want it all! Is that too much to ask? I want to go back to work where I can interact with a variety of people, where I can excel doing things that I am really good at and where I can solve problems with confidence! I also want to be the primary caregiver for our little man. When we work out the dollars and cents, well, I will not even go there, let’s just say that child care is beyond expensive but we are not independently wealthy… I start to sweat just thinking about how much of his life I will miss while I am working! We have odd/long hours my husband and I, so we would not get to eat dinner with him, or be there for bath time, many nights we would not even be there to put him to bed! There is just no easy answer. No matter what we do there will be a substantial amount of sacrifice and we may have regrets. When it comes down to it, there is no great answer, not for us. What were you willing to sacrifice? How did you make your decision work for you? Submitted By: Sarah Sansom I first met Heather, my doula at a mom function while I was pregnant. I was having a very challenging time with my OB. And truthfully, I had no interest in being pregnant. I wanted nothing to do with giving birth and trying to casually inquire about a scheduled C-section from my OB (who was not having any part of it). My OB consistently dismissed me. She sent me for unnecessary tests giving me unnecessary stress. My experience was not a good
one. I tried talking to my husband about it and he really did not "get it". He did not see "it". Thankfully, he knew I needed help and told me to do whatever it took, however much it cost and get the help I needed. Be it a shrink, a girlfriend, I think he would have consented to a drink at that point. That is when Heather came into my life. I called Heather that night and my husband immediately saw the change in me and knew we had to hire her. I will never forget that 1/2 hour of my life. I think I said something really obtuse to her like "I am going to go through the worst {yes I think I used that word} day of my life and no one around me is listening to me." Heather set me straight. She told me it was going to be the most amazing and profound day of my life and she was right. And eventually she had me prepared for it. Heather convinced me I could do it. She had me do a complete 180 degree turn from wanting a scheduled c-section to dreaming of a natural childbirth. She gave me real "peace" of mind. My husband does not have the memory of his wife yelling at him or screaming at him. Or my head doing 360s. He remembers confidence and a day full of love and joy. Heather showed me ways to prepare and empower myself through my pregnancy and through childbirth. Alas, I did not get my natural childbirth. I was easily talked into a scheduled c-section and found it to be a very civilized way to give birth. Heather also joined us at the hospital for that and I am so glad she was there. She was the sister I always wanted beside me. And professional enough to make herself scarce once our family showed up. I am needle and hospital phobic. When the going got tough (read: major anxiety attack), Heather was there for my husband and I. I felt like she did not just help me deliver a baby, she helped me transition from pregnancy to motherhood. We have all heard the war stories women love to tell about childbirth. Here is mine: It was the most beautiful amazing peaceful day of my life. All I remember is the overwhelming love. The high lasted a good three months. I now look at pregnant women with jealousy (the way many women look at brides). They get to have that amazing day. I am so grateful to Heather for that. When my husband sees a pregnant woman or expectant father, he is the first to suggest that she NEEDS a doula. He really felt that Heather not only gave me confidence in the delivery room, but gave him confidence, peace and took the pressure off of him. Heather provided us with a game plan and prompted us with questions before delivery, so we could anticipate situations. If you take anything from this note, remember this: You need two things to give birth: A car seat to take your baby home and a doula. Everything else is just window dressing. ByJulie van Kessel By: Karen Kerk Courtney |
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January 2016
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