Get Fat Out of Your Head-Reasons For Exercise

I just had to write as a proud mom, Kasia's first day of Junior Kindergarten went awesome. Here is her photo. So this is what I did to prepare myself for her first week of school and my husband travelling as well. I made the girls a breakfast schedule so first thing in the morning I am not scrambling for the rush. As a working parent this I find , is the most stressful part of the day. So I will head stress off at the pass and here plan for it. I am focused on success and want them to leave the house with a full belly.

GIRLS BREAKFAST SCHEDULE

Monday-breakfast sausage, cereal, mixed berries

Tuesday- blueberry waffle, sausage, apple

Wednesday-raisin toast, applesauce, sausage

Thursday- mini muffin, banana, drinking yogurt

Friday- scrambled eggs, yogurt, fruit



Busy Mom Fitness- Get Fat Out of Your Head

So at the end of last days post FAT IS ONLY A FEELING, I indicated we need to address your reasons for working out. Be honest- is it to look, good, lose fat, tone your arms, see your abs? Or is it to be healthy, fix your pregnancy posture, be strong, prevent overuse injuries, feel great? Let me know your answers in the comments.

A bit of insight can go a long way. So all of you have just been through a life and body changing experience-PREGNANCY. Do you know what pregnancy does to your posture? Well it pushes your head forward, rounds your upper back (like a hunch back), sways your low back, rotates your hips outwards so you walk like a penguin, forces you to walk with your weight in the balls of your feet. So all of these changes in your posture can exacerbate and create pain in your neck, shoulders and back. Relaxin and prolactin when nursing can further create joint instability and your can be left with nagging little injuries in your joints. (Refer to wrist video for tips if this is you).
So that being said are you caring for your baby/children with optimal posture and pain free? Probably not, so make this your 1st first priority of why you are working out, to care for your new baby and prevent any further change in your posture that can lead to pain. Start with the Furious 5 exercises for brand new moms.

Reason number 2 STRESS RELEIF- yes do something for yourself, exercise can be it. This is a positive in so many ways. Exercise relieves stress, releases endorphins to help with depression, manage anxiety, promote healing and health, gain strength to care for your baby. It does not have to be strenuous until you feel ready, but there is power in doing something for yourself and it can be as simple as starting the Furious 5.

Lets hear your reasons for exercising mom. We will tackle the athlete mentality later this week.

I'M BACK

Glad to be back and trying to establish some sort of routine during this busy holiday season. As a mother the holiday season is 10 fold hectic-over tiered kids, kids at parties and on sugar, moms on alcohol to deal with overtired kids, lots of holiday treat temptation and too busy to exercise. WHAT TOO BUSY TO EXERCISE!! If this is your life take control. View exercise as an outlet, something to take you away from the stress and temptation of the holiday season. You get some alone time, you won't be spending money, drinking or eating during your few moments of fitness solitude. For the most part no one will bother a busy new mom as she tries to establish her exercise routine. Ask for it and you will receive--yes family support as you start or maintain your post partum exercise routine. Let someone else take the reins for 15 minutes.

My workout today- warm up-leg and arm swings, shoulder clock, wall shoulder press/rotation, side planks, stationary lunge, 10 crunches with 1 leg extended, warm up set full squat. My fat loss circuit 3 exercises, 3 sets, 10 reps of full squat with dumbbell shoulder press, modified pull ups, kettle bell swings.

New Social Network For Pregnancy/Motherhood

Please check out the new social network for you at http://babybumpfitness.ning.com . This is set up for you to ask questions, meet people or just rant. We have some great professionals as members. Welcome Dr. Michael K Jones (physiotherapist), owner/instructor of American Association of Fitness and Rehab Professionals and owner of many sports physiotherapy clinics dealing with professional athletes across the United States. Dr. Jen Castles is a member of http://babybumpfitness.ning.com, she is an accomplished naturopathic doctor. Meet these professionals and other women like you. Enjoy!!!

BANANAS!!!

That's right bananas, spit up all over me around 12am the other night, I guess she(AVA) doesn't like them. I was frantically wiping myself clean with a little help from the dog so I could be somewhat presentable at the gym the next morning.

My toddler(KASIA) has a hard time understanding that I WORK. I am not her oncall 24/7 personal servant and she is just starting to realize this. When I mention work, she clings on, when I work on the computer she constantly interrupts me with attention seeking behaviour. I know part of this is her age (3years), arrival of the new baby and the fact that I appear to be one of the only working mom's at the school I drop her at and the reality that she needs me. She definitely drives me bananas, but I am her mommy and I love her. I will be taking a week off the computer to spend some quality time with my girls and my husband. Talk to you next week.

My workout-warm up, 3 sets full front barbell squat with pelvic floor squeeze at the bottom, lunge press, single leg lower for abdominals, windmill, plank rotation, front plank with arm reaches, brooks hip stabilization series (wall pushes from front and side) small fat loss circuit jump squats to kettle bell twists to mountain climbers to burpie high pull with kettle bell to slow bulgarian split squats.

Exercise Selection

Today on my lunch hour I raced up to my daughters school to see her 30 second performance of reciting a poem at the schools annual book drive. (really she just held up a sign and mouthed a few words) I cut through traffic and made it in time, only to realize I had left my water bottle open in my bag and it spilled all over my camera. My camera was "buzzing" from my bag and it is "toast". One ruined digital camera, one 40$ parking ticket, heaps of stress in downtown traffic was worth the 30 seconds as she smiled at me in the audience. Oh yah, there will be a short break in video postings until I can manage to get a new camera.

I had a good day training people. My workout - full squat/press, kettle bell cleans, modified pull ups, weighted burpie press -break 1 minute-heavy front chop, modified pull ups, kettle bell clean and press, burpies, bent over rows.

My workout program is extremely short, it takes me about 10 minutes. If you look at my exercise selection you will notice they are all total body exercises with a huge metabolic benefit. This is an example of a fat loss workout for new mothers. If you want to lose the fat after your baby bump this is where you need to be. A workout like this does come with preparation such as muscle balancing work, post partum core training, rest and nutrition. If you do the prep, the intense workout is short and the PAY OFF is huge to help you get your body back after having a baby. This 10 minute workout requires so much oxygen that your body goes into "oxygen debt" and will work hard all day to repay itself, this is where you get the fat loss benefit. Exercise selection is very important and you should have a good reason for performing each exercise in your program or you are waisting your time.