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

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.

FITMOM2B... Why it's your preferred Prental Fitness Class in Ottawa!

You're pregnant! Congratulations! Now you're probably wondering what you can do to give your baby the healthiest start you can?

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to take care of your body during pregnancy and beyond! Not only will it help relieve the common aches and pains that many women experience during pregnancy, it can help reduce the likelihood of experiencing some pregnancy related complications such as Gestational Diabetes or Pregnancy Induced Hypertension. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada recommends that all women without contraindications (complications as a result of pregnancy) engage in regular aerobic, strength and resistance training as part of a healthy pregnancy.

If you're still not certain, here are our favourite reasons to join a prenatal fitness class during your pregnancy:

1. Strengthen Your Body: During pregnancy, your body releases the hormone relaxin. Relaxin not only helps to prepare your body for labour, but it also makes your joints unstable. Our FITMOM2B prenatal fitness class incorporates strength training to improve your muscular balance and helping to prevent injuries that may arise in the late stages of pregnancy.

2. Adapted Circuit Training: Our FITMOM 2B class often includes circuits to help our pregnant mamas train their cardiovascular system, preparing them for the endurance of labour. Don't be afraid of the idea of circuit training during pregnancy! Have a peek at this video clip to see some of the things we might do.

3. Program Flexibility: Exercise during pregnancy is encouraged at anytime during your pregnancy. So, if you have already been active prior to becoming pregnant, you should continue to do so! Even if you haven't been very active before your pregnancy, you can still start now! The new guidelines encourage regular physical activity, including resistance training during any pregnancy where there are no contraindications. Our FITMOM2B program allows for women to begin classes at any time during her pregnancy. We offer modifications for all fitness levels and stages of pregnancy, so that you may work out at your own pace to build up stamina and strength as you progress through the program.

4. Exercising Safely: Advice not to train your abdominal muscles during pregnancy is one of the biggest prenatal exercise myths still around today. But don't listen to it, because it's not true! In fact, your abdominals are one of the top five muscle groups you should focus on strengthening during pregnancy, since they assist your uterus during the pushing phase of labour. The stronger they are, the more effective you will be when you are working to push your baby out. Some women experience a separation of their abdominal muscles during pregnancy, called diastasis recti. If this condition is present, you will need to modify the type of abdominal training you do. In some cases, you may need to abstain from abdominal work altogether, so it's important that you work with a fitness professional who is aware of this condition and has the knowledge to train pregnant women safely. Also remember that if you have weak core muscles, you are more likely to experience pelvic floor weakness or dysfunction in the short and long term. More great reasons to join a prenatal fitness class!

5. Preparing for Labour and Delivery: Women who are active and exercise regularly are better equipped to handle the physical demands of labour. For example, if you go into labour with no energy, you may find labour very tiring and painful, increasing the likelihood of an epidural. While it's completely acceptable for an epidural to be part of your birth plan, research shows that the earlier an epidural is introduced, the more likely it is that you may be subject to other interventions such as labour inducing drugs, restriction of movement and continual fetal monitoring, assisted vaginal delivery and cesarean birth. However, if you go into labour with more energy and a strong body, you will find it easier to walk, stand, lunge, squat and sway using gravity friendly and upright positions, helping the baby descend into the birth canal. This can result in a shorter labour since you will have the strength and stamina to help you cope.

Registration for FITMOM2B classes in Ottawa is ongoing, so you can register at a time that suits you. Join the motherhood, meet other women in your community and get fit & strong with your baby! For more information, please feel free to visit our website. We look forward to meeting you at a FITMOM class!

Rehab for your Post Baby Body

Lots of new moms ask what exercises are safe to do shortly after giving birth to their baby. So, earlier this week, Jules (from Fitness with Jules) and I got together to show you two of our favourite post birth moves. We hope these help you feel a little more like yourself in the first few post-partum weeks! And we extend a big congratulations on the birth of your baby!

Post by Jules Hilliker.