Now jogging will never be this fun with the boys along with me. Mummy is going to bring them to where her legs and stamina can.
And the fun begins. Any other moms enjoys involving their little ones in their workouts?
Lovely new toy for me to bring my boys out to places where they have never been. Have been wanting a twin stroller for the longest time and my husband fulfilled my wish.
Now jogging will never be this fun with the boys along with me. Mummy is going to bring them to where her legs and stamina can. And the fun begins. Any other moms enjoys involving their little ones in their workouts?
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Nutrition and Fitness...no doubt go hand in hand.
Food are fuel for your metabolism, and it will depend on how you would want to fire them up really. Many individuals go hours leaving their body without food...and that also leaves your metabolism to slow down! What happens when your metabolism slows down? tell me...would you want it to happen to you? Let us imagine a car filled with petrol (your body fueled with food).. you take a drive across the state which happens when your body is constantly working... now your car will be less efficient as the petrol runs low and a signal will be shown for you to refuel your car with petrol. Same goes to your body,when it runs low in fuel (food), your metabolic rate slows down. Unfortunately, we don't get the signal to refuel ourselves with food. When you refuel your car with petrol once again, it gets efficient and runs at it's optimum performance. And now, refuel your body with food.. to pump up the metabolic system once again for your body to function at it's optimum performance. Does it makes sense to you? Start it off with a well balanced breakfast.. - 2-3hrs later snack on almonds or 1 serving of fruit.. - then comes lunch.. - 2-3hrs later snack on yoghurt with berries.. - dinner (aim for lean protein and fibrous carbohydrates) Keeping up with your body allowing it to function efficiently by feeding it well and frequently will go a long way for you to achieve your personal health and fitness objectives. So what's stopping you from keeping the fire burning? Busy as all mummies are, plates filled with errands...errands and more errands. Especially with the festive season. I have been missing gym sessions for past 2 weeks. Uncomfortable as it feels like I'm missing out on something, I manage to squeeze in at least 10 repetitions of an exercise movement each day.
My all time favorite and most convenient move is to lift my younger boy Elliott overhead and also to hold him close to my chest and do quick feet just to pump the heart rate up; push ups and squats are easy ones too. Not forgetting stretching! I've been out most of the time with Elliott strapped into the ergobaby carrier and that prolonged posture does bring along shoulder and lower back aches. Neck rotations, chest stretch and torso twist are some of it that I will do to alleviate the tightness of the shoulders and lower back. It's been a wonderful Christmas for my family, we hope all of yours was great too and here's wishing all of you a Blessed 2014! Very often, by saying "No time..." just sub-consciously justify in our head that we really do not have the time. How about we use "find time..." instead? Use "find time..." OR have a signage which says "find time.." pasted on your fridge or bathroom mirror or anywhere that you will see it everyday OR have it on your smartphones as daily reminders OR screensavers... subsequently, it will develop into a habit of finding the time. And it doesn't necessarily means finding the time for physical activity but also for other aspects in life. Try It! Today, I would like to share this 6 moves that you can execute them in the comfort of your home and all you need is just yourself and if your kids are around you, all the better for additional resistance. Go for 1 set of each move at 1 time or break them down to doing 1 move each time and have the 6 moves done by the end of the day. If you like more challenge and have a little more time on hand, do all 6 moves in 1 set and repeat it 3 times. I know you are on the computer now, thank you for reading and now... lets Get moving! Pre natal fitness may be new to some mommies and may just mean fitness for pregnant women. However, we would say that the underlying meaning of pre natal fitness is to determine how you want to look and feel after your delivery.
Being pregnant doesn't necessarily mean getting fat, and it doesn't mean being tired all the time. The way that you will feel (terrific / fatigued) and the way you look during and after pregnancy depend greatly on the actions you take during pregnancy regarding the food you eat and physical activity. By eating wholesome foods (grains / protein / fibres / fats) and by engaging in a physical activity on a regular basis, you will be able to maintain or improve your fitness and health during this time of extra demands on your body. We will never stop emphasizing on the various benefits of exercise itself and what more for pregnant women. Always check with your health care provider for any limitations on your activity before embarking on it. Here are some of the many benefits of exercise during pregnancy: - improved posture and appearance - relief of back pain - improved circulation - stronger muscles in preparation for labor & support of loosened joints - increased energy level - reduced fatigue - increased / maintained aerobic endurance - a sense of well-being and positive self-image How much exercise should you be doing? Here is a guide that you can work along with. Stretching / Strengthening - work up to 5-10 repetitions for beginners / 12-15 repetitions for regular exercise goers - target large muscle groups (chest / back / legs / core) - do your kegels daily - do not hold a stretch to extreme discomfort as your joints are looser during pregnancy due to hormone changes Frequency: 2-3 times a week Intensity/duration: light to moderate / 30-45min Aerobic Activity - aerobic activity enhances your stamina which will be much needed for your labor - do not exercise beyond point of moderately heavy perspiration - eg: walks / stationary bikes / cross trainer / lo-impact aerobic class / swimming Frequency: 3-5 times a week Intensity/duration: light to moderate / 15-20min So next, look at your schedule and try to give your exercise time top priority. Consider planning your day around your exercise program. Till then, Loretta Muscle soreness.. ouch you may think and yes ouch you may feel. Starting a workout program can be challenging, and making the time to exercise, creating a balanced routine, and setting goals are hard enough, but adding to that the muscle soreness that comes with adapting to that regimen, it may be difficult to stay on track. Chances are, you won't be leaping out of bed to get to the gym the next day when it hurts to hold your arm up.
Muscle soreness also known as microscopic tears in your muscle fibres are when they repair and build new muscle tissue. Muscles go through quite a bit of physical stress when we exercise, and after participating in some kind of strenuous physical activity, particularly something new to your body, it is common to experience muscle soreness. Another sort of muscle soreness that sets in between 24-48 hours after activity is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It is a common result of physical activity that stresses the muscle tissue beyond what it is accustomed to. The pain you feel is from the microscopic damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears. The aches and pains should be minor and simply indicates that your muscles are adapting to your fitness regimen. No one is immune to muscle soreness. The discomfort is a symptom of using your muscles and placing stresses on them that are leading to adaptations to make them stronger and better able to perform the task the next time. But for a deconditioned person starting out, this can be intimidating. Therefore for people starting an exercise program, they will need guidance. it's OK to be sore. Fitting in fitness with your newborn, doesn't have to be mission impossible. There are plenty of ways that you can get tone up simply by heading outdoors.
Many new mums feel trapped when they have a new baby, but it is easier to be more active simply by grabbing your stroller. With my elder boy, I push him out for a jog, as he gets older, he would tell me that he wants to grow big so he could run with me. And I'm loving the influence and impact that I am making on him and at the same time, I get to accomplish what I enjoy, running. Exercising or being active brings about lots of health benefits. Doing so outdoors torches calories, zaps stress and boosts energy while setting a healthy example for your baby. Kids whose moms model healthy behaviours themselves, are more likely to be active and healthy eaters, according to researchers at Duke Medicine. The home environment and parenting can influence a child's health by shaping dietary and physical behaviors. - Durham, N.C. 2013 That's what I am personally passionate about. To cultivate and build my boys up with an active lifestyle and modeling them myself. Who's on the bandwagon with me? Hands up... During pregnancy, physiological and biomechanical changes in our body shifts as we adapt to the growing baby. With looser ligaments, shift in center of gravity and other physical changes that occur with pregnancy, will change the way your body responds to exercise. These changes may cause back pain and other issues if you immediately return to your prior workouts.
**Remember to always check with your doctor before returning to an exercise regime.** Following will be some tips to consider to get back in shape safely: 1. Looser ligaments due to hormonal changes and a forward pelvic tilt leads to an increased lower spine curve therefore causes lower back pain. - Give yourself time to heal, usually up to 6 weeks or longer for C-section birth. - Strengthen your core muscles; start slow 2. Flexibility increased due to hormonal changes where it increases the laxity of the muscles and joints. In which pushing them to the limits will cause ligament tears and even dislocation. - Stay at gentle stretches; glutes (buttocks) stretch & back stretches are great 3. Weak pelvic floor muscles make incontinence issues more apparent, especially when performing high-impact movements. - Avoid strenuous exercise for up to 6 weeks post-partum so as to allow your abdominal and pelvic muscles to heal. - Stick with lower impact activities and practice core and pelvic floor strengthening exercises (Kegels) 4. Your abdominal muscles are at its weakest as it's been on hiatus for at least six months. - Abdominal exercises may be contraindicate especially if you have an diastasis recti (abdominal separation). - Be mindful not to overdo abdominal workout; not advisable to extremely deep twisting poses which may inhibit the muscles from repair. - Planks and core exercises are best as they target the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis which are you main core stabilizers. 5. Hydrate well especially if you are breastfeeding. 6. Rest!! Don't give up! Last weekend was pleasantly well spent with the family. Had lots of help over at my mum's place as my husband was out of town. The one night sleepover was not at all smooth as both the boys were going down with flu and cough, lots of crying and getting up through the night. Nevertheless, made it through.
On Sunday we participated in Shape run 2013, 2.4km Stroller fun run. Evan had long awaited this event as it was postponed due the haze situation in July. Even though he was sick, he had lots of mixed moments. From anxiety to excitement and achievement. Well, I must say that we both did a great job together. It was indeed a very enjoyable bonding time with Evan. We often get this question if we could exercise while breastfeeding or hear that exercising will cause a decrease in breast milk. And this statement may or might have stopped you from exercising.
Alright, I think we should burst that bubble right now. Dust your sneakers and pull out your workout gears. Place them where you can visibly see them. Because, YES we can still exercise while breastfeeding the little one. Exercise on it's own brings on a whole lot of health and wellness benefits. And that's what we would really need especially when trying to cope with post-partum recovery, managing disturbed sleep and the lists goes on.... Moderate exercise improves a mother's health and has positive effect on her emotional well-being. Some benefits includes: - Improved cardiovascular fitness - Improved blood lipid profiles and insulin response - A feeling of well-being from increased energy and reduced stress levels Research has shown that moderate exercise does not affect milk supply, milk composition or baby's growth. Exercising to exhaustion may have short-term effect on lactic acid and IgA content of a mother's milk. Does exercise affect milk supply or nutrient content? Studies have shown no difference in milk production or nutrient composition. Does exercise affect immunologic factors in milk? A few small studies have shown that there is no difference in immunologic factors after moderate exercise, but that IgA levels are decreased short-term after exhaustive exercise. (Immunoglobin A (IgA) is a common antibodies in the body, to fight bacteria, viruses and toxins.) Most breastfeeding mothers do not exercise to exhaustion, but for those that do so and breastfeed soon after, a decrease in IgA levels in one feeding per day is unlikely to be significant. IgA levels in breast milk were decreased for a short time (10-30minutes) after mom had exercise strenuously, but that level returns to normal within an hour. (Gregory et. al.) Does lactic acid increase in breast milk after exercise? Research has not shown noticeable increase in lactic acid buildup after moderate exercise (50%-75% intensity). However, lactic acid does increase if the exercise was done at its maximum (100%) intensity, and this increase may be present up to 90minutes post-exercise. There are no known harmful effects for the baby. Will baby refuse the breast after mom exercises? From my experience, I'd say no. From research, they have found no difference in acceptance of the breast, even after maximum intensity exercise. However if baby seems to object the taste of mom's milk after strenuous exercise, keep in mind that it might have nothing to do with the exercise - baby might be distracted or objecting to the salty taste of sweat on your breast. If it happens consistently, try postponing feeding for half hour to let the lactic acid levels subside. (Information are true and extracted from Kellymom.com which is a website that provides and support with evidence-based information on breastfeeding, sleep and parenting) So now we know the facts, what will you do next? Plan before execution. Tips on exercise for breastfeeding mothers; - Wear a good and supportive bra during exercise - You might want to nurse before your exercise - Clean up before nursing after exercise - Keep hydrated! "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail"-mummiesinfitness |