2015: What a Great Year!

2015 has been such a fun and rewarding year and I've thoroughly enjoyed spending time with all of the women who participated in the FITMOM 2B, FITMOM & Baby, FITMOM Stroller Strength and FITWOMAN classes. It has been my pleasure to offer a variety of workouts, both indoors and outdoors and to see so many of you achieve or surpass your fitness goals, becoming stronger and healthier each week.

Here are a few of the highlights from 2015, a year that saw me celebrate 5 years as FITMOM Ottawa's owner, 10 years of FITMOM in Ottawa and 15 years since FITMOM's inception!

I started the outdoor season with a new location - Brewer Park! As it turns out, this was a terrific choice and the classes there were very popular! All of the moms seemed to really love the fact that it was so central, there was a large, shady area and of course, there was great camaraderie among both women and babies. There was plenty of space and lots of moms and babies, making it easy to find new friends at every class! As a bonus, there was a large covered area that we were able to use when Mother Nature decided not to cooperate with us!

The other change for the outdoor season was a new FITMOM Stroller Strength class on Friday mornings at Brewer Park. This was a great addition to the schedule and lots of moms were happy to add a Friday workout to their weekly fitness sessions.

Outdoor FITMOM 2B, FITMOM Stroller Strength & FITWOMAN classes

2015 saw social media explode and I took the opportunity to learn how to better use various platforms to help spread awareness about the FITMOM program, so that more women could benefit from safe and effective exercise during their prenatal and postnatal years. I was overwhelmed with the response when so many of you began sharing information, photos, blog posts and newsletters and as a result, all of the FITMOM classes were quite full for the entire year. In fact, this year, I had some of my largest classes ever - with over 30 moms, babies and sometimes toddlers! Thank you so much for believing in FITMOM and spreading the word to your friends, colleagues and family!

Indoor FITMOM & Baby and FITWOMAN classes

For the past few summers, I've run an unlimited promotion for the spring and summer time. This summer saw the most women participate in the promotion and with four FITMOM Stroller classes and three FITWOMAN classes to choose from, the level of commitment and dedication was terrific! I was lucky to see a number of moms at least twice a week, if not three times a week! The best part? Watching their babies get bigger while they were getting stronger and leaner! Despite often being sleep deprived, it was amazing to see them all leaving with smiles on their faces! Be sure to keep on the look out for the Get Fit promotion in 2016!!

In March 2015, I joined the Ladies of Old Ottawa South to Bust a Move for Breast Cancer. As part of our fundraising, I taught three FITMOM classes over the March Break where the only cost was a donation to Bust a Move. I was very grateful that you all helped me raise over $600 for the cause! Our last FITMOM and Baby class in December was an extra class that was used to support the Food Bank. Thank you so much to everyone who donated to these two wonderful causes.

Ladies of Old Ottawa South Bust a Move Team!

For four years, I have been so fortunate to have Lindsay teaching the Monday night FITWOMAN class for me. I can't thank her enough for continuing to bring fun and interesting workouts for the Monday night FITWOMEN each week. It makes my life so much better, knowing I can rely on her to teach a great class week after week.

I've also been lucky to have had three new teachers help me out this year - Candace (who has sadly moved to Texas), Tonya and Jenn. You may recall that Tonya taught the Monday night FITWOMAN class this summer and Jenn taught the FITMOM 2B and FITWOMAN class in the fall. I'm looking forward to working with Tonya and Jenn again in 2016!

Lindsay teaching FITWOMAN & Candace teaching FITMOM & Baby

So many great things happened at FITMOM in 2015! But the best part has definitely been seeing so many amazing women week after week and watching them work hard to become stronger, leaner and happier. So, thank you to all who continue to support FITMOM, whether it's coming to classes every week, returning to classes after a hiatus or telling your friends about me. I am truly grateful to have you in my life!

From my family to yours... I wish you all the best for a healthy and happy 2016. May all of your wishes come true:)

From our family to yours... Happy New Year!!

FITMOM's Top 5 Tips to Help You Live Your Healthiest Life in 2016

As we approach the end of another year, we will reflect on how our year has gone and begin plans for making our next year even better. Often our plans might include some high level fitness related goals, such as:

• I want to be stronger in 2016
• I want to be more fit in 2016
• I want to run up stairs 2016
• I want to walk taller in 2016
• I want to touch my toes in 2016
• I want to run my first 5K race in 2016

Whatever your own goals may be, you'll need a solid plan to reach them! 

Here are FITMOM's top FIVE tips that you can use to help you live your healthiest life in 2016:

1. Find Something you LOVE

One of the most important gifts you can give to yourself is doing something you LOVE. If you don't love it, you won't do it. It's as simple as that. 

2. Schedule it and Book a Babysitter

Whether it's a weekly class that you love or an evening run with friends, you need to put it in your calendar and block off the time. It can be really hard when you have small children to get out of the house in the evening, especially if your partner travels or is a shift worker. One of the best things you can invest in is a neighbourhood babysitter. Ask around and you'll find lots of teenagers looking to earn some extra money through babysitting. Teach them the routine and have them try it out with you there first. You'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner!

3. Make it Social

Find some friends and join a fitness class together. It's a great way to stay in shape and keep up with each other! One of the biggest benefits of a FITMOM class is that, even if you join with a friend, you will always leave with many more. Knowing that you're meeting a friend helps keep you accountable and gives you incentive to get out the door, even when you don't want to.

4. Track your Progress

There are many ways you can measure your progress. If you're running you can track how far you're going and how fast you're going. If you're doing a bootcamp class, you can track how often you're attending and how long it takes to recover each week. If you're doing a yoga class, you can track how hard it is to do certain poses each week. You can also take measurements periodically. If you've set a goal that you would like to work out twice a week, writing it down in your calendar will help you identify whether you've met your goal or not.

5. Make it Achievable

It's never fun to fail at something, so when you set your fitness goals, keep in mind how your life is currently working. If your goal is to get out 5 times per week for 1 hour each day, but your job is very demanding and you tend to work many extra hours, this may not be realistic. Start by thinking about what you can realistically commit to. If it's only once per week for 45 minutes, that's a great start. It's always easier to add things one at a time than to add many chunks all at once without a good plan to achieve it.

We hope you find these tips helpful in developing your own fitness plan for 2016! Leave us a note on our Facebook page to let us know how you're planning to accomplish your fitness goals next year! And check out the FITMOM schedule to see if one of our classes fits your needs. We'd love to see you there!

FITMOMs are the best!

Welcome to M.A.M.A. Month!

We, at FITMOM, have made November 

“Mental Health and Motherhood Awareness” Month – M.A.M.A.

Since 1999, when Andrea Page, founder of FITMOM Inc., had her first baby, she has been advocating for more support and awareness on the effects of mental health and its connection to Mothering.

Photo Credit: trinaphoto.com for FITMOM

Her personal experience with serious postpartum depression following the birth of her first son, Akua, makes her an ideal spokeswoman on an issue that touches so many families. Like most women dealing with mood disorders, she found a lack of support from both the professional community and her own personal network. Today, a lack of education, coupled with long waiting lists to access support, continues to be a barrier for many women to get the help they need.

Women’s Health Matters, a program operated by Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, cites maternal depression as one of the greatest threats to an infant’s development: “The first couple of years of life permanently set the stage for the cognitive, mental, and medical health of individuals. And, maternal depression is one of the greatest adversities an infant can face.”

In August 2013, a research study released found that mothers in urban areas were almost twice as likely to suffer postpartum depression (10 % of reported cases vs 6 %).

Throughout the month of November, FITMOM will be sharing stories and resources about motherhood and mental health. We want to educate mothers, along with their family, friends, colleagues and community members who connect with or support families during the first 6 years of a child’s life.

Building a strong base of support within a community is a major step in creating a mother that is healthy and strong. By creating awareness and sharing tips on how to build an effective and healthy network, we hope to shed the stigma that is attached to women’s mental health and to impact and teach communities the simple steps that can have a positive effect on moms and babies everywhere:

• A mother needs to be mothered. She needs to be nurtured by others, listened to, and cooked for. She also needs space to deal with the emotional and physical changes after birth and time to adapt to her new responsibilities as a parent.
• A mother needs extra support to sleep. Excessive sleeplessness is directly linked to postpartum depression.
• A mother requires frequent breaks from responsibility. This time away does not make her weak but rather, restores and replenishes her.
• A mother needs a community surrounding her. Historically, child rearing was a community concern. Our busy and sometimes overscheduled lives have impacted our ability to form ‘villages’ that support families effectively. Returning to these community roots has a far reaching, positive impact.
• A mother needs permission to be human. She needs to be relieved from the pressure to achieve “supermom” status. A shared responsibility to nurture with support and time to invest in self-care should be a priority. Anything else leaves a mother and her children vulnerable.

During the month of November, we'll be sharing our M.A.M.A information on our Facebook page every few days. Please look out for our posts and share them with other women who may be experiencing similar feelings. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions or comments you might have.

Why Fall is a Great Time to Get Fit

It feels like summer has just begun... and yet the fall starts creeping up on us so quickly! Summer is a great time of the year. The weather is hot and sunny, there's no school, everyone is going on some kind of vacation and it's a time where you just want to take it easy. But, summer is also a time that can wreak havoc on your fitness and nutrition plans as you enjoy your vacations, your time at the cottage, your outdoor activities or you just plain have fun. If this is the case for you, here are some great reasons why the fall is the perfect time to get fit:

1. Life becomes a little bit easier to schedule: The kids go back to school and summer vacations in the office are finished (you're no longer having to cover for your office mate while they're on vacation!). Routines are reintroduced and parents are feeling recharged after their summer holidays (hopefully!). Everyone is excited about the new and exciting things that are being planned for the upcoming year.
2. The weather is more cooperative: It's getting a bit cooler, but there's still some daylight in the early evening making outdoor activities quite pleasant. If you're exercising outdoors, you'll experience the beautiful fall colours as the leaves begin to change and you'll find breathing a bit easier with the cooler temperatures. If you're exercising indoors, the days are still long and it doesn't ever seem too late when there's still daylight!
3. You can build it into your routine: Now that your holidays are over, it's time to make fitness part of your weekly routine. This is easy when so many programs are starting up again! If you need a class to get you going, you can register for it and put it in your calendar. Once you start going, it takes about 30 days to make it a habit, so there's plenty of time before the next holiday (Thanksgiving!) rolls around. By the time the Christmas holidays arrive, your fitness habits will be fully integrated into your schedule, you'll be feeling great and there will be less risk of over indulging during the holidays.
4. It's the planning season: At many workplaces, fall is the time planning for the next calendar year gets into full swing. Budgets are made, performance metrics are created and both personal and corporate goals are set. Why not plan for your fitness needs at the same time?
5. It's never too late to start! Why not this fall? You can do it!

Regardless of why you decide to kick start your fitness regime this fall, always remember the way you feel post workout and use that as your motivation to keep going each week!

Why I Work Hard to be Fit and Healthy

Yesterday, we had two Anniversaries in our house. On July 15th, 23 years ago before we ever knew one another, my husband's family happily celebrated the 25th Anniversary of his parents marriage, while not very far away, my family was devastated when my father died after his second bypass surgery. 

This year, the Anniversary of my father's death marks the year where I have officially lived longer without my dad than with him. This year, I am the same age my dad was when he had his first quadruple bypass surgery. 

I miss my dad often. I miss the relationship we could have had as adults. I miss the relationship he could have had with his grandchildren and sons-in-law. I'm sad that he missed so much of our lives and I wish that he had learned to take better care of himself.

Why do I work so hard at staying fit? Because I REFUSE to live the life my dad lived. I REFUSE to miss out on what my kids will grow up to be. I REFUSE to miss the important milestones in our lives. And I absolutely REFUSE to let heart disease take me down also, because I know this is something I have control over.

So, yesterday was a sad day for me. While I miss my dad terribly, I know that he is one of the reasons that I work so hard to lead a healthy life. There is so much more information about heart disease available these days and my family plans to do all we can to improve our chances of living a long and healthy life.

Our last family photo at my parent's 25th Anniversary - October 1991

Mothers's Day

I wasn't always certain that I was going to have kids.

I grew up in a house where my mom stayed home, choosing to volunteer at school and Girl Guides instead of working full time. While it was great to have her around, especially during our school years, it meant that we didn't always have the money for extras. There was always food on the table, a roof over our heads, lots of fun camping and swimming in the summer and many, many memories.

But, as soon as I was old enough, I started babysitting, not because I loved it (I'm not even sure I enjoyed it much of the time), but because I wanted to earn extra money. I had my first paying job at 15 and then worked part-time all through high school and university so that I could pay for my education and anything else I wanted. As I went through high school and into University, I was very focused on getting an education that would provide me with a well paying job in the future and was very career oriented. I couldn't see how kids would fit into my plan.

All that changed the summer before my fourth year of University, when my dad died suddenly at 54 years old of a heart attack. In those few weeks after my dad's death, my sisters and I bonded together to support my mom. It was during those weeks that I decided I would definitely have kids one day. I saw how having us around for her kept my mom strong and gave her some happiness through some really tough days. I remember thinking that if I were to go through the death of a husband someday and not have the support of any children, how much more difficult it would be for me.

Now, I can't imagine how different my life would have been if I had chosen not to have kids. And I'm so very proud to be their mom.

Happy Mother's Day first and foremost, to my Mom. She's always been a rock with strength beyond comprehension.

Happy Mother's Day to my sisters, who are counted among my best friends.

Happy Mother's Day to my new sister-in-law (the one who just had a new baby), to my Mother-in-Law and my other sister-in-law, who I'm blessed to have in my life.

Happy Mother's Day to my best friend, who I often think about, despite the fact that we live in different cities and don't see much of each other.

Happy Mother's Day to the amazing friends I have shared the journey of motherhood with for the past 15 years.

And Happy Mother's Day to all of the other amazing moms I meet every day through FITMOM. You make my days bright and happy.

xx

Me, My Mom and My Sisters

Is it a BOY or a GIRL?

Today I became the proud new aunt of another baby! We are so excited to have another baby in the family, especially since it may be the last one!

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law gave birth to a BABY BOY!
They named him Bennett!

Which means there has to be a celebration...

... And a celebration means a contest with a prize at the end:)

Here's how it will work:

1. During the rest of the month of May, you can take a photo of yourself, or you and your baby (or you and a friend) at a FITMOM/FITWOMAN class.
2. Send the photo to me to post on the FITMOM Ottawa Facebook Page.
3. Once it's posted you can tag yourself in the photo.
4. You can also tag yourself in a photo that I've taken and shared.
5. At the end of the month, anyone who has tagged their photo will be entered into a draw to win a $30 gift card to Bridgehead!

Let the fun begin!

FIVE Reasons why FITMOM's Unlimited Promotion is the best thing you can do this Summer!

Spring is finally coming! We've had a glimpse of warm weather and it looks like we'll FINALLY see more this week. And, each year when spring comes, FITMOM's Get FIT for Summer with Unlimited Classes Promotion comes with it! It's the time of year when all fitness providers are working hard to convince you to join their classes/gym, so you're likely trying to figure out: WHY should I join FITMOM and register for this promotion?

Here are my top FIVE reasons:

1. Working out more than once a week has tons of benefits

Seeing results more quickly is one of the biggest benefits of being active more than once a week. It's well known that it takes four weeks for you to notice differences in yourself, eight weeks for friends and family to notice and twelve weeks for everyone else to notice. Committing to our Get FIT for Summer Promotion is a great way to show everyone else how hard you've worked!

Also, it's well documented that you'll begin to see dramatic improvements in your aerobic fitness and cardiorespiratory health when you are consistently exercising between two and four times per week.

With seven classes on the schedule from Monday to Friday, I've made it easier to get out to two or three classes each week!

2. You get to bring your baby/older children to class with you (or not!)

How great is it that you get to workout using your baby as resistance? As your baby grows, you'll use her weight to help you become stronger!

FITMOM at Westboro Beach

I know many moms who took FITMOM classes with their first baby and are excited to come back when they have their second (or third) baby, but either don't have care for their older children or school is out and kids are at home for the summer. Don't worry, you're welcome to bring your older children to class with you. Snacks and toys are a big help to keep them busy, but often big brothers and sisters want to just "workout" alongside (or on top of) their mommies!

You're also welcome to attend any of the daytime classes solo, if that's what works best for your schedule.

FITMOM Stroller Strength at Rockcliffe Park

3. We're exercising in the great outdoors

Ottawa can have some long and cold winters, making it nearly impossible to get outside with our wee ones, so as the days get longer and the weather becomes warmer, most of us want to be outside enjoying every moment we can! Classes run in the sun and the rain, but lucky for us, all three of our FITMOM Stroller Strength locations have lots of shade to keep your babies cool and some form of covered area to protect your babies from the rain.



4. You'll meet a great community of women

One of the BEST things to come out of my maternity leave all those years ago, was the friends I
made. It was this community of moms that taught me so much about family, babies and parenting, all in a very ad hoc way. When I had questions or concerns, these were the friends I turned to then, and still do today. I'm still hanging out with these moms and we're still bouncing advice off one another (although our questions and concerns have changed quite a bit from fifteen years ago!). I've seen many new friendships "born" at FITMOM classes!

FITMOM & Baby at NECTAR

5. The price is right (but I won't be asking you to "Come on Down!"*)

Our spring/summer schedule has SEVEN classes to choose from. The more often you can attend classes in a week, the lower your cost per class is. There are FITMOM Stroller Strength and FITWOMAN Bootcamp classes offered every day from Monday to Friday, so you could attend up to five classes each week, if you wanted:)

(*A little side humour from my mat leave days where I spent many mornings listening to Bob Barker on The Price is Right, while nursing my babies!)

Register today on our FITMOM Ottawa website!

15 Things you may not know about me

This month FITMOM is celebrating 15 years of working with, and supporting women through the biggest transition of their lives - motherhood! To mark this important Anniversary, I thought I would share fifteen things about me that you may not know:

1. I was born in at the beginning of the seventies, just in time to still be able to fashionably wear bell bottom jeans in my youth.
2. I am a middle child, with two sisters. My sisters and I have very different personalities, but their influence has helped shape who I am today. We weren't always fond of each other as kids, but they are two of my closest friends now.
3. I consider my mom to be one of the strongest women I know and I'm very close to her.
4. I rarely do laundry (don't worry, it gets done, just not by me!).
5. I love all things organized and have my own label maker. Organization makes me happy.
6. My father died of heart disease when I was 21. He had a quadruple bypass when he was the same age I am now. This is why fitness and healthy living are extremely important to me.
7. I said I would change my name when I got married, but I got cold feet and kept my maiden name. However, I didn't get cold feet and still got married! We will celebrate 19 years of marriage in a few months!
8. I'm an accountant (formerly CMA, now CPA) and while I left the corporate finance world almost five years ago to run FITMOM, I still adore spreadsheets and will look for any opportunity to create one to analyze something.
9. My nearly 13 year old daughter has me wrapped around her finger. She's so affectionate, kind and happy that it's hard to believe she would ever do something wrong!
10. I met my very best friend in Brownies when we were 7 years old. I love her like a sister.
11. Although I don't consider myself creative at all (I can't draw a stick person), my passion is taking photos and making albums. It takes me about an hour to complete a two page spread in an album! Needless to say, it's always work in progress.
12. My son reminds me so much of my dad in so many ways. He also has a strong resemblance to me and a very similar personality to me. I feel lucky that he rarely gives me anything big to worry about.
13. I have no rhythm and find anything choreographed a HUGE challenge (think aerobics, line dancing, kick boxing)!
14. My dad taught me how to barbecue, make an omelet and cook in a wok. I have his omelet pan and wok, but I bought my own barbecue!
15. When I took over FITMOM almost 5 years ago, I COMPLETELY underestimated the impact it would have on my life. Aside from the decision to get married and the decision to start a family of my own, buying FITMOM was THE BEST decision I've made in my life. It has made me a better person, wife, mom, sister, daughter and friend.

I just had a Baby... How often should I be exercising?

How often should I exercise after I've had a baby? is a very common question we hear from new moms after they've given birth.

Ideally, as a new mom you will work at your own pace and comfort level as you begin your fitness regime after the birth of your baby. As you gain strength and confidence, you can begin to increase your level of intensity and length of workout. Making a commitment to workout once a week is a great start to a new mom's fitness plan, but that frequency might not provide the results you're looking for as quickly as you may have hoped.

In fact, working out only once a week can hinder your progress and make you more susceptible to injury as your muscle recovery time can actually be too long between sessions.

The Public Health Agency of Canada suggests that adults be moderately to vigorously active at least 2.5 hours each week to achieve optimal health benefits. Further, it suggests that you target your muscles at least twice a week. This can be translated to 3 x 50 minute sessions or 5 x 30 minute (or some other combination) sessions each week, depending on your personal schedule. This recommendation is suggested to help prevent injury, improve strength & performance and achieve results over time. Your workouts should have lots of variety in them and should be an activity you enjoy doing.

Overtraining is also important to consider. Women who exercise at a high intensity too frequently (every day without including one or two rest days) are at risk for over use injuries and adrenal fatigue. 

Finally, it's important for you to ensure that you have plenty of rest and hydration and that you focus on eating a healthy, balanced diet. Incorporating training sessions 3 to 5 times a week will provide you with optimal results. Recognizing that moms lead busy lives and have limited free time, working exercise into your day with your baby, toddler or preschooler can be a great way for you to exercise and demonstrate a healthy lifestyle to your kids.

FITMOM Founder, Andrea Page, sharing information about how often you should workout once you've had a baby.