Tips for Getting Fit After Baby

Losing weight and getting back into shape after giving birth can often seem like a daunting task. We never really know where to begin and are often overwhelmed with choices that are all touted as being "the best" way to shed those unwanted pounds. The reality is that the gimmicks and tricks to increase weight loss in a short period of time are not sustainable and do not actually get to the root of the problem (inactivity and over-consumption).

So, what's the answer? How are you supposed to get back into those jeans? The hard truth is that a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise are the only way one can achieve healthy weight loss and maintain it over a lifetime.

So, as you begin your journey to becoming a FITMOM, here's the "skinny" to help you ensure success:

3500 calories is equal to 1lb of fat. There are only 2 ways to "kill the fat": reduce the consumption of extra calories OR increase activity levels.

Meeting with a nutritionist or dietician can help you put together a healthy meal plan that will meet your daily dietary needs and assist you with your weight loss goals.

Blast Belly Fat. Sorry, but you just can't target your weight loss to a specific body part or region. Why? Fat cells are found all over the body and unfortunately, you can never know which ones will be broken down to provide you with the energy you need to complete a physical activity.

Leg, Bums and Tums. For most women, these are the top 3 areas we seek to improve. Why does it take so long? There are certain hormones that are produced in our body that actually inhibit the breakdown of fat cells from those specific regions. To help improve these areas, a combination of cardio and strength training will help increase muscle mass, decrease fat, tighten and tone.

Set a goal and make it SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely). For example, To improve my core strength, I will perform The Plank 5 times per day and hold it each time for 45 seconds.

Build exercise into your daily activities. To achieve any weight loss goals you can expect to work out up to 1 hour at least 4 times per week. This may seem like a lot, so start by exercising for 15 minutes every day, then increase your sessions by 5-10 minutes every week until you are up to 1 hour of physical activity. Always increase TIME and then INTENSITY.

You don't have to have had a baby in the last year for these tips to work! I've seen so many FITMOM transformations in the past 4 years. These are women who work hard and see changes slowly, but consistently over time. You can do it, too!

Get Your Baby Involved in your Workout!

It's been soooo cold out for the past few weeks, that it's hard to go anywhere without bundling up! If you have a baby, there's always a worry that she might get too cold in this weather. Or, sometimes you have a toddler at home with you as well and getting out of the house with a baby and toddler feels a bit like running a marathon.

If you're feeling couped up, I've put together a few exercises that you can do at home with your baby. Don't forget to warm up your body first... You should do some full body movements (running on the spot, walking/running up the stairs, arm circles, shoulder rolls) to get your blood flowing and to prepare your body for a workout with your wee one.

Aim to complete each exercise for 30 to 60 seconds and then start at the beginning and repeat a second or third time.


1. Squats with Baby

Using a baby carrier or just holding your baby, you can squat up and down. With your feet shoulder width apart, be sure to sit back, like you're reaching for a chair that's behind you. Keep your weight on your heels, so that your knees don't go over your toes and pull your belly button into your spine to keep your core stabilized. Inhale as you go into your squat, exhale as you come back to standing.


2. Triceps & Shoulders

You can face your baby towards or away from you for this one. Hold her under both arms and beginning at your chest height, lift her up towards your ceiling. Inhale as you lift, exhale as you come back down to chest height. In this same position at chest height, you can also extend your arms forward, staying at chest height, so that they are straight (but with loose elbows) and then bring them back into your chest. Alternate between these two moves to work both your shoulders and your triceps.




3. Baby Lifts (aka Deadlifts)

Holding your baby either facing you and supporting their head or facing out, stand with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart. With a nice flat back and open chest, inhale and hinge forward at your hips until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Keep your back flat, shoulders back (waaayy back!) and belly button pulled in towards your spine. Exhale and use your core to bring you back to standing position. You should feel this in your lower back and hamstrings.

4. Wall Sit with Baby

Find a wall where you can sit with your legs at 90 degrees, making sure that your knees do not go over your toes. Remember to pull your belling button into your spine and push your back flat against the wall. You can hold your baby on your lap to increase the difficulty or you can use him to do chest presses while you're sitting.





5. Kiss your Baby Pushups

With your baby lying on her back and you in pushup position, inhale as you lower your body down to give your baby a kiss and exhale as you push your body back up. Remember to pull your belly button in towards your spine, keep your back flat, lead with your chest and keep your head in line with your spine. Modify to your knees, if you need to.

6. Hamstring Curls with Baby

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and heel close to your glutes. Place your baby on your pelvis or use him to do chest presses while you lift your hips up towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes. Lower your hips until they graze the ground and squeeze them back up again. Repeat lifting and lowering for the allocated time.

7. Front Plank

Resting on your forearms and toes, pull your belly button into your spine and keep your back flat. If you have trouble holding your belly button in towards your spine, lower to your knees. Push your elbows into the floor to help engage your core even more. Increase the level of difficulty by lifting one foot off the floor. To pass the time, try to make your baby laugh.



Complete your workout with a full body stretch and remember to drink lots of water during and after it!

If you're new to exercise or haven't been at it for a while, please remember to consult with your physician before you begin a new fitness routine.

Enjoy!

A Holiday Workout Just for You!

Just because there are no FITMOM classes over the holidays, doesn't mean that you shouldn't workout! Here's a little holiday workout for you to try. You'll need running shoes, workout clothes (including a supportive bra), a mat, water and a little bit of attitude!

Be sure to begin your workout with a simple Warm up to get your muscles moving and your blood pumping. If you have stairs in your house, start walking up and down and move to running up and down. About 10 sets will get you warm. Once your body feels warmer, you can follow with some dynamic stretching (leg swings, arm circles, shoulder rolls). No stairs? No problem! Turn on the tunes and dance like nobody's watching until you're feeling warm and ready!

We're going to do a 40-30-20. You'll do each exercise for 40 seconds, take a 10 second rest, repeat for 30 seconds, take a 10 second rest and finish with 20 seconds. Take a 30 second to 1 minute break between exercises.

Exercise 1 - Mountain Climbers

In front plank position, bring your right leg up towards your chest and switch legs mid-air. This works your cardio as well as your core, so be sure to move fast enough to get your heart pumping! Pull your belly button toward your spine and keep your hips in proper plank position as much as possible.

Exercise 2 - Tricep Dips

Complete these using your stairs/bench/kitchen chair (or other piece of furniture - just make sure whatever you're using is pushed up against a wall). Make them easier by keeping your legs bent to 90 degrees or make them harder by stretching your legs straight out in front of you. Remember to pull your belly button into your spine and keep your back close to the step or chair. Inhale as you lower your body, exhale as you push your body back up.

Exercise 3 - Rotating Plank

Begin in front plank and after 2 seconds, move to right side plank. Hold for 2 seconds and move back to front plank. Hold for 2 seconds and move to left side plank. Hold for 2 seconds and return to front plank. Continue rotating for the allotted time. Modify on your knees, if you need to. Remember to pull your belly button into your spine and keep your back flat.

Exercise 4 - Jump Squats

Be sure that your knees don't go over your toes in your squat. Make it harder by keeping your hands on your waist or over your head. You can reduce the impact by doing regular squats without the jump, but remember to move at a good pace to keep your heart rate up. Inhale as you squat down, exhale as you push back to standing.

Exercise 5 - Wide Pushups

Your arms and legs should be wider than shoulder width apart with your elbows at 90 degrees (like you're in a star position). You can modify on your knees or against the wall. Just remember to pull your belly button towards your spine, keep your back flat and lead with your chest (not your head!). Inhale as you move your body towards the floor, exhale as you push back up.

Exercise 6 - Burpies

Everyone's favourite! Jump up, squat down, extend your legs into plank position, bring your knees back to a squat and then jump up.

Remember to drink lots of water between exercises!

Cool down: Return to your stairs and walk up and down 5 times or do a light jog on the spot for a few minutes. Finish with a full body stretch, a pat on the back and a big smile. You did it!

**If you are a beginner, or just making your way back into fitness again, shorten the time to 30-20-10 and work your way up to the times recommended here. Try to complete this workout two to three times a week over the holidays. Remember to always consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise regime.

Happy Holidays!

Welcome to the New FITMOM!

A few months ago, FITMOM Canada embarked on a journey to update FITMOM's web presence across the country. I am very excited to share the new home of FITMOM with you today!

Not only has the FITMOM Canada website had a complete overhaul, but we have updated our logo as well! Now, whenever you see this logo, you can be assured that you are experiencing the highest quality pre and post natal fitness programs. These programs are designed to support you during your pregnancy and post partum experience. Under the guidance of our founder, Andrea Page, FITMOM continues to be the leader in prenatal and post natal fitness.

In the next few months, we'll be working to transition from our old logo to our new logo! Keep an eye out...

Fall classes are off to a great start! FITMOM Ottawa will continue to offer our signature FITMOM & Baby classes at three locations in Ottawa, FITMOM 2B at one of our locations and FITWOMAN Bootcamp at two of our locations into the winter. Classes will take a small break over the December holiday period, but will return in full force at the beginning of January.

If you haven't experienced a FITMOM class, please come and join us during our Open House week from October 21-25th. All classes are free, but since space is limited, please register by emailing Susan at: info@fitmomottawa.com

I hope you are as excited about the new changes we have made! Please take a moment to check out the new FITMOM Canada website!

And the Winner Is...

I'm sure I've left you all in suspense long enough!  I'm ready to give out some Lululemon love:)

Thanks to everyone who participated and helped me Spread Some Love in February!  

Katherine S. (from the FITMOM and Baby Thursday class) is the winner of the Lululemon Giftcard, but all of the participants are winners, since they've all had an extra class added to their session!

I have to admit, when I first advertised this promotion, I was hoping to increase traffic to my FITMOM Ottawa Facebook page so that others would also hear about FITMOM. But, it actually helped me to get to know my clients a little better. Given all of the grumbling I (sometimes) hear in class, I was somewhat surprised to learn your top 5 favourite exercises:

Burpies, lunges and wall sits (mainly from the prenatal population!) were tied for the third favourite exercise. Squats were second. The favourite exercise? Given the population I work with, this shouldn't be a big surprise:  

PLANK!!

The surprise? It was the favourite by a long shot!

What I wasn't necessarily expecting was all of the love you shared back! I enjoyed reading the exercises you liked and why:

• Squats - they burn, but the payoff is great!
• Lunges - they make me feel strong and challenge my endurance
• Wall Sit - for 90 seconds, it's just you, your concentration and that wall!
• Plank/Sprints - it reminds me of my high school basketball practice suicide drills!
• Windsprints - they get my heart rate up and make me feel strong and powerful!
• Burpies - they are such a good full body workout
• Pelvic Tilts - because they come at the end of the class!
• Lunge Pyramids - they come with a 3 day burn that only means good things!
• Wall Sit - it definitely prepared me for labour!
• Plank - anything that targets abs is high on my list

But some of you went the extra mile and also told me why you love FITMOM. It was so wonderful to read these comments and feel like I am making a difference in your lives. So, thank you for your hard work, dedication and positive attitudes. I feel privileged that you choose to spend week after week with me.

A Family Day Workout... Just for you.

Happy Family Day!

Just because there are no classes on Family Day, doesn't mean you shouldn't workout! Here is a short workout you can do alone or share with a friend, your partner or even your kids. You'll need running shoes, workout clothes, an exercise mat and some water.

To make sure your body is properly warmed up, start with your stairs. Walk up and down 5 times, increase your intensity to jogging up and down 5 times and end with running, two steps at a time for the last 5 times. Once your body is feeling warmer, you can follow by a full body stretch and you should be ready to go!

You're going to do each exercise 10 - 15 times, with a 10 second rest between exercises and then repeat the whole circuit 3 - 4 times, with a one minute break between circuits:

Exercise 1:  Jump squats.  Be sure that your knees don't go over your toes in your squat and that your weight is on your heels. Make it harder by keeping your hands on your waist or holding them over your head. You can reduce the impact by doing regular squats without the jump. Inhale as you squat down, exhale as you push back up to standing.

Exercise 2:  Pushups.  You can modify on your knees or against a wall. Make it harder by adding a clap on your way up. Just remember to pull your belly button towards your spine, keep your back flat and lead with your chest (not your head). Inhale as you move your body toward the floor, exhale as you push back up.

Exercise 3:  Dynamic Planks.  In plank position, with legs together and straight, jump your legs out so that your feet are wider than shoulder width apart. Bring them back together. That's one rep.  Make it harder by adding another move and bring your knees to your chest so that you're doing the two moves together. Lower the impact by doing alternating leg extensions while in plank position (a leg extension on both legs is one rep). Just remember to keep your belly button pulled into your spine and try not to let your hips move towards the ceiling as you move them in and out.  

Exercise 4:  Superman Swimmers.  Lying on your front with your arms straight above your head, lift your arms and legs off the ground. Bring both arms down towards your sides so that you are squeezing your shoulder blades together and then reach back overhead. That's one rep. Be sure to keep looking down at the ground so that you don't strain your neck. Make it easier by lifting only your upper body off the floor. Exhale as your squeeze your shoulder blades together, inhale as you reach your arms back over your head.

Exercise 5:  Mountain Climbers.  In front plank position, bring your right leg up towards your chest, switch legs mid air and bring your left leg up towards your chest. That's one rep. This works your cardio as well as your core, so be sure to move fast enough to get your heart pumping. Pull your belly button towards your spine and focus on keeping your hips in proper plank position. Lower the impact by eliminating the jump.

Exercise 6:  Side Plank with Leg Lift (Right).  Resting on your forearm or your hand and toes, lift your top leg up towards the ceiling and back down. Try not to use momentum, but instead use your glutes and outer thigh muscles to lift your leg. Try not to let your legs touch on the way down. You can also modify to side plank on your knee. Be sure to push your hips towards the ceiling, keep your body in a straight line and pull your belly button in towards your spine. Exhale as you lift your leg to the ceiling, inhale as you bring it back down.

Exercise 7:  Burpies.  Jump up, squat down, extend your legs into plank position, bring your knees back to a squat and jump up. That's one rep. Be sure to keep your core strong (don't let your hips drop) when you extend back into plank position. Make it harder by adding a pushup when you're in plank position. Lower the impact by eliminating the jump and instead reach your arms high up to the ceiling.

Exercise 8:  Side Plank with Leg Lift (Left).  Same as Exercise 6, but using the other side.

Remember to stay hydrated during your workout!

Finish with a full body stretch when you're done.

**If you are a beginner, or just making your way back into fitness again, shorten the number or reps or sets and work your way up to the numbers recommended here. Always consult with your Doctor prior to commencing a new exercise regime.

Have a great Family Day!

Adapting...

Happy New Year!  Albeit, a little late.

My holidays began with a lesson in adapting. For years, we had an artificial tree. But a few years ago, we decided to get a real tree and headed to our local tennis club where Habitat for Humanity sells Christmas trees. The trees are usually pretty nice, it's close to home and we often run into other neighbourhood families. But this year, I really wanted to get a tree from a tree farm. The kids are getting older, and soon enough, they won't be at all interested in a tree farm. A hockey game scheduled directly before our trip to the tree farm changed it all. After a hit from behind (in non-contact house league hockey, no less), we took a trip to CHEO instead of the tree farm and came home with this:

A broken arm - both bones and what was referred to by the doctors as a "very bad fracture". And thus began our period of adaptation.

So, a few days later, housebound with a sad and sore boy, I hauled our less than real tree upstairs and began to set it up. In the end, we found ourselves with a very open schedule and had a lovely time decorating the tree, all together.

Fast forward a few weeks. The arm is healing pretty well, the cast has been changed to a smaller, lighter, fibreglass one and we've been given the ok for him to start back with exercise. He can't play anything contact, so instead, he's skating on a big treadmill of synthetic ice. Pretty cool.

Sometimes life throws you a curve and you need to make a change. But you adapt.

Exercise is the same. In order to improve, you need to continually challenge and change what you're doing. If you do the same exercises with the same muscles over and over again, your muscles will adapt and you will reach a point where you're no longer feeling the benefits of your exercise session. So, change it up every few weeks and do something different. If you're out running or biking, try going at a different pace, adding intervals, hills or distance. If you're doing weight bearing exercises, try increasing your weight, reps or sets. Keep fooling your muscles so that they need to keep adapting and you'll continue feeling the benefits.

Who knows? You might just love the changes you make.

FITMOM Ottawa Motivated Mondays - Challenge 8

Welcome to the start of another great week! One that I'm REALLY looking forward to. I'm taking my nearly teenage son to Paris for a quick holiday to visit one of his best friends. I've never talked to anyone who doesn't LOVE Paris, so I'm looking forward to my first visit there!

This week, I thought I would share my personal top Five reasons for working out. Perhaps you have a similar list. Please feel free to share what motivates you to make time for fitness every day.

What motivates me to work out?

5.  To sleep better.  The fitter I am, the better I sleep. And I love to sleep ALL night. When your body is physically exhausted, it has no choice but to shut down and rest, which means that you can sleep all night and feel refreshed and ready to go in the morning. I still enjoy my coffee first thing in the morning, but when I've slept well, I don't NEED it.

4.  To feel happy.  Exercise helps release stress and makes me more patient.  It's how I got through my toddler and preschool days without losing it. And now, with kids right around the corner from entering their teens, I suspect my patience will be tested even more! Feeling less stressed and more patient = a happier mom.

3.  To eat what I want.  I generally eat a well balanced diet, but I have a few weaknesses that I am able to indulge once in a while, because I'm burning calories. I don't have a sweet tooth, but I do love to eat cheese and put cream in my coffee, two things that come with calories! Being active every day allows me to indulge guilt free!

2.  To feel good about myself.  Being fit gives me confidence and energy, makes me stronger and helps me with my volleyball game. All things I love. But it also makes me feel good about my body and the way I look. We all have things we don't like about our appearance and I'm no exception. But, being fit goes a long way to loving myself fully. I didn't really understand this until I had to lose over 50 lbs when I had my first born. Pushing my body through exercise was how I was able to feel much better (and lose the weight!). It also made me more fully appreciate the struggles associated with weight loss.

1.  To stay healthy.  I want to live a long life. My father died of heart disease when I was 21. He's missed graduations, weddings and grandchildren. I don't want to miss any of those things. He loved sports (watching them from his arm chair) and I miss having him on the sidelines of all of the sports his grandchildren play. He had a quadruple bypass at 45, followed by 2 heart attacks. He died before he was 55. I'm almost at the age where we found out he needed open heart surgery and I REFUSE to let heart disease take me down also.

FITMOM Ottawa Motivated Mondays - Challenge 7

Welcome to the start of another great week!

This weekend Jen, from FITMOM Durham had the opportunity to take part in Tommy Europe's "Shred It" Bootcamp in Toronto.  Most of us probably know Tommy Europe from the Slice Channel's Bulging Brides and The Last 10 lbs Bootcamp shows that were recently popular, where he is portrayed as quite intense and even a little bit scary.  He has since shifted his focus slightly and is now going across Canada running his popular "Shred It" Bootcamps for he general masses.  Lucky for Jen, she was able to take part this time around and says that he's a lot nicer in real life!

Jen says she found the bootcamp a challenging, fun and positive experience for her and two of her FITMOMs who joined her. They spent the hour squatting, lifting and lowering their bodies and challenging their core, using just their body weight.  What they discovered was that it felt great to push themselves and experience just how much their bodies were capable of.  

While I wasn't able to join them in Toronto this time, I was inspired to push my own body.  Teaching FITMOM classes keeps me in relatively good shape, but I don't often push myself as hard as I could (I still have to be able to show you what to do and use words to motivate you through your workout!!).  So, I decided to do my own workout and see how far I could push myself.  Since most of my FITMOMs and FITWOMEN did tabatas last week, here is the set I did:

1. Pushups
2. Step-ups
3. Reverse flies
4. Jump squats
5. Plank on the ball
6. Reverse plank to hamstring curls on the ball
7. Bench tricep dips
8. Running with knees up

I struggled through the tricep dips (in women, it's our weakest muscle), but managed the rest.  It was a tough workout and I haven't pushed my body that hard in a while, but it felt good.  Since I was alone, I had to play a few games with myself to get through the 7th and 8th set of some of the exercises and push harder to finish up.

This week, I encourage you to push yourself and see what you are made of.  Instead of stopping your workout when you normally do, go for a little longer.  Run a little farther or walk a little faster.  Add 10 more reps to your set or try a new exercise.  I am sure you will be surprised by what your body can do!

And, finally, check out how great Jen looks hanging out with Tommy!  Lucky girl:)

Jen & Tommy at Shred-It Bootcamp

ME by FITMOM: A Better Mom Experience

Experience 50 days (10 weeks) of amazing support, programming and connection!

FITMOM is very excited to launch our new health and wellness program, catering to our valued clients, on November 1st!

ME by FITMOM is a health and wellness program that combines online support with in-class teachings. Designed to affirm the FITMOM principles, it reinforces and helps teach moms the importance of being N.I.C.E.R (Nutrition, Invest in time alone, Connect with Community, Exercise, Rest & Repeat) to themselves. The busyiness of life and mainstream culture finds many women challenged to try to balance it all, with increasing pressure and stress building up. We want to help you change this.

Over our 10 week program our registered clients will receive:

1. Daily bite size challenges to filter into your day based on the N.I.C.E.R principles
2. Email support
3. Exclusive access to online life and fitness coaching sessions
4. Online community
5. Video workouts
6. Support journal
7. Support guide
8. Access to trained professionals
9. Strategies for stress management
10. ...Lots more!

If you aren't currently registered for a FITMOM class, but would like access to our ME by FITMOM on-line support and email program, there is a cost of $50 to join. 

Please register by emailing Susan at:  FITMOM Ottawa or calling 613-617-4537

FITMOM Ottawa Motivated Mondays - Challenge 5

Welcome to the start of another great week and Motivated Monday Post.

This week I am challenging you to focus on your core, paying special attention to those obliques!

Here are some simple, yet effective core exercises that you can do in under 15 min.  There is not always time in your day to fit in a full body workout, but spending a few minutes every day with some effective core exercises will go a long way towards helping you build strength, reduce lower back ache and feel fit.  A great time to do these exercises is while your baby is doing some 'tummy time' on the floor. 

• Plank x 30 seconds (knees for beginners)

• Side Plank R 30 seconds (knees for beginners)

• R Lying side crunch x 16 (10)

• R Lying side triceps press up x 16 (10)

• R Lying side lower leg lift x 16 (10)

• Side Plank R 30 seconds (knees for beginners)

REPEAT on L Side

For those of you who have been exercising regularly you can try to get this workout in 3 times over the course of your week.  If you are brand new to fitness, then aim to complete this mini workout once this week. 

Thanks to FITMOM Durham's Jennifer Rogers for the great video demonstrating each exercise!  Have FUN!

 
FITMOM Durhams's Motivated Monday from Jennifer Rogers on Vimeo.

Remember to always check with your care provider before starting a new fitness program.