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 6

Let's start off the week with another tip to help keep us motivated and on track with our wellness plan!

So many of us are in a rush to lose those extra pounds immediately after birth.  We want to quickly reclaim our bodies after giving so generously to our precious little ones over the course of 9 months.  Weight loss, when done right, is best achieved through a healthy diet and regular exercise.  One without the other will likely keep you from reaching your goals.

Sustaining a nutrient dense diet is as important in the post-partum period as it was during your pregnancy.  For those of you who are also breastfeeding, it is even more essential as your body will take what it needs from your storage to make fabulous breast milk for your baby.  Unfortunately, it means that we are often left depleted!

Ideally we should eat every 3-4 hours, to help ensure that our glucose levels don't drop dramatically and to keep our metabolism working hard for us.  Whenever possible we should ensure we are reaching for whole foods instead of pre-packaged meals and snacks (they are often the biggest enemy to achieving a healthy diet!).  A healthy diet requires adequate intake of:

• a quality protein source (meat, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts/seeds etc)
• healthy fats including DHA (fish including salmon, sardines, mackerel etc, cod liver oil, walnuts, avocado, peanut butter)
• quality carbohydrates (whole grains, cereals, oats, fruits, vegetables, beans etc)

Also remember that we should be eating at least 6 servings/day of fruits and vegetables (including at least 2 leafy green vegetable sources)

Refer to the Canada Food Guide recommendations to achieve overall good health and vitality.

Here are some other great examples of meals and snacks that hit the mark for this weeks challenge. 

Finally,here is another good resource to help you better understand Good Fats vs Bad Fats.

The article Choosing Healthy Fats can also provide some guidance on your next grocery shopping excursion.

Enjoy!

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.

FITMOM Ottawa Motivated Mondays - Challenge 4

Achieving a goal always feels good and is an important part of personal motivation.  Setting goals can help you manage your time, identify what's important to you and build self confidence each time you reach a goal.

Today I encourage you to revisit some of the goals you have set for yourself, or if you have not done any goal setting to date, spend a few minutes brainstorming a goal for the week (short-term goal) and a long term goal (3-6 months from now).  The goals can be related to your attitude, career, personal relationships, artistic endeavors, a physical goal or family activity.  Anything you want. The sky's the limit!

To help with goal setting remember this mnemonic:

S - Specific (or Significant)
M - Measurable (or Meaningful)
A - Attainable (or Action-Oriented)
R - Realistic (Relevant or Rewarding)
T - Time Bound (or trackable)

Here are 2 of the goals I have set for myself for this weeks post:

Short Term Goal:
Complete one workout on my own at home and get my garden in order for the winter.

Long Term Goal:
Work towards finishing up my FITMOM year end and corporate tax return (a necessary evil, but not much fun!) and take a fitness course to both satisfy my continuing education needs and improve my fitness related knowledge (much more fun!).

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."

Henry David Thoreau

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark."

Michelangelo

FITMOM Ottawa's Motivated Mondays - Challenge 3

Happy Thanksgiving FITMOMs and FITWOMEN!

I hope you were able to spend this Thanksgiving weekend enjoying good food, friends and family.  We had a fantastic weekend visiting family north of Toronto.  We enjoyed celebrating my mom's 70th birthday and had a wonderful family turkey dinner, rounded out by my mom's homemade pumpkin pie (yes, homemade pastry and made from real pumpkins!  It doesn't get better than that!).

FITNESS CHALLENGE!

This week I have a fitness challenge for you!  All you need is a park bench and access to a track or soccer field that is approximately 400m (the size of a track) and a stopwatch.  This workout is suitable for all fitness levels and is a great way to boost your metabolism, especially if you feel as though you have been experiencing a plateau.  For those of you in Old Ottawa South/Old Ottawa East, the track at Immaculata HS is great.

Try to do this workout twice over the course of the week to see if you can improve your time.

Warm up:

Run 2 laps of the 400 m track/field followed by full body dynamic stretch (leg swings, arm circles, etc)

When you are ready to begin, grab your stopwatch and start the timer.  The time will run until you have finished 3 sets of the workout.  Once you are done, record your time.  Later in the week, see if you can improve your time.

Workout:

Step ups on the bench x 20 each leg (beginners can do stationary lunges instead)
Push-ups x 20
Tricep Dips x 20 
Run 1 lap of the 400 m track

Repeat this cycle for a total of 3.

Cool down:

Follow up your workout with a full body static stretch, similar to those we do at our FITMOM classes.

Enjoy!

FITMOM Ottawa's Motivated Mondays - Challenge 2

Hi FITMOMs!

I hope you are ready for another great week ahead. 

How did you do with last weeks challenge?  Did you succeed?  Did you try your best?  

That's all the matters in the end! 

I did manage to drink my water most days and it definitely fills me up! I'll continue to drink water every day this week so that I can work towards building a new habit, which will, of course, include many more trips to the bathroom!

This week I challenge you to get moving with a FITMOM & Baby dance party!

Dance Parties tend to happen in my house when my daughter (and husband) gets the tunes going.  In fact, I often wake up to some of the music that we listen to in class, as the FITMOM Ottawa playlists are favourites in my house!  I guarantee this will lift your spirits, get your heart pumping and make you sweat, at any time of the day!  Your baby is a great dancing partner who will love watching you move and shake your tail feathers!  Commit to dancing for 20-30 minutes 3 times this week. 

Our family's all time favourite dance music is ABBA.  I can't pick any particular song - they're all good!  What do you like to hear when you're out on the dance floor?

 Have a great week!