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.

It's a Wrap!

Yesterday, we held one last FITMOM class before the holidays. I provided the space and volunteered my time. In return, all of the FITMOMs that attended were asked to bring a donation to the food bank.

Of course it was terrific to see so many women one last time before the holidays. It was even better to see them work so hard!

But the best thing about yesterday was getting home and realizing just how generous these women are! I took a moment to put our food bank donation together and was touched by just how much 19 women donated. Thank you for your generosity, thank you for your good will, and most of all thank you for being such a special part of my FITMOM family!

10 Tips for Healthy Living over the Holidays

It's official! The holiday party season is upon us. Family calendars are filling up with lunch dates, open houses, potlucks and holiday parties to deck the halls and celebrate. The holidays can be a busy and stressful time of year, so here are a few tips to keep you feeling fit and fabulous over the festive season!

Get Moving. Not only will staying active help you burn off those extra calories consumed at parties, it will also help you feel less stressed about the holidays.

Eat. Having a snack before you leave for a party will help you resist the temptation to over indulge. Try fruit, soup or veggies with hummus to curb those hunger pains.

Choose your Course. If you crave something sweet at the end of a meal, then try not to overload your plate with appetizers or your main meal. Save room!

Satisfied. Not stuffed. The only thing at the table that should be stuffed is the turkey! Moderation is the key...

Beware of Holiday Cheer. Alcohol is laden with sugar. When trying to curb additional weight gain over the holidays, pay close attention to those sneaky calories in your drinks. One glass of wine can pack up to 130 calories!

Non-alcoholic Drinks can also Pack a Punch. A specialty coffee can have up to 300 calories. Think twice before loading up on these sweet treats. Or ask to hold the whipped cream.

Refocus. Instead of concentrating on baking holiday treats with the kids, take the opportunity to make crafts, wreaths and holiday decorations. You can also get out the board games to keep you entertained!

Bring it. When you're asked to contribute to a pot-luck dinner, be sure your offering is healthy and tasty.

Portion Control. Choose a smaller plate and resist the urge to pile it up. Take the time to enjoy the flavours of the season. Stop and chew - it will make you feel satisfied and full more quickly.

Relax! Enjoy and have fun! The holidays are about spending time with the people you love!

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!