Blueberry Squash: fitness

Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts

Stroller Strides

As my due date grows near fitness is more and more on my mind. Although I have been working out, and eating healthy throughout my pregnancy I am sure I will have some weight to lose after the baby comes. Since I moved right around the time I found out I was expecting I have not joined a gym in my area yet, and decided to research some workout options that I could do with baby to avoid some of those grimy childcare rooms located in workout facilities nearby.

Stroller Strides is a stroller fitness program located all over the USA offering several fitness programs based around local Mom's Clubs. This sounded perfect for me since I am still fairly new to the area, and would love to meet some new Mom's as well as get back in shape after baby arrives. The workouts are 1 hour long, and can start when baby is at least 6 weeks old.

The closest location to my home is about 20-30 minutes away, but for this kind of program I think it will be worth the drive. It is brand new, and will be starting up in May which will be just in time for my June baby. I will write an update post when the time comes, but wanted to share this website with everyone so you can find a program in your area. I'd love to hear from Mom's who have worked the program about their results!

* I was not paid by the manufacturer to review this product - I just like it! I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255. Images courtesy of Stroller Strides.

I was in the mood from something new so I rented Prenatal Yoga with Desi Bartlett via Amazon for $2.99 to try it out. I loved this video so much I purchased it right away so I could add it to my prenatal exercise routine.

I have to say that this video is the perfect amount of challenge with poses that I can still do in the 3rd trimester. It is the first prenatal yoga video that I have see with the tree pose included which is a refreshing flash back to the yoga I used to do before baby.

In my opinion prenatal yoga in the first trimester is disappointing. I always wanted to push myself more, but did not want to harm baby. In the second and third trimester it becomes more relevant as your body moves differently, and the poses you did before pregnancy would be painful to maneuver. In the third trimester everything is more of a challenge, and I like this video because I feel challenged and like I am still getting a good workout by the end of the routine.

This routine is smooth and flowing with ample direction from the instructor. I like the rocking movements in the routine that I haven't seen in other videos which make me feel perfectly stretched when I finish the routine. Perhaps the best part of this video is the variety of movements. So many videos take you through the same movements several times which can get tedious, while this one moves on from pose to pose keeping things more interesting. I wasn't going to buy any more videos since I already have quite a few - but this one was so good that I couldn't help myself.

When I say "good workout" I am talking in pregnancy standards. It is not about calories burned, but rather about range of movement preserved by stretching, and strength gained. Weight gain is a normal part of pregnancy, and it is time to focus on keeping your body in good working order, and building strength for labor and the arrival of your baby. They don't stay tiny for long!

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.

* This post contains affiliate links, but I was not paid by the manufacturer to review this product - I just like it! I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255. Images courtesy of Amazon.

I just finished a workout for Lesia Heart's Prenatal and Postnatal Workout DVD so I thought it was the perfect time to do a review. I own the two pack with both workouts, but this review is for the prenatal workout since that is the only one I have done so far. I like workouts that include a postnatal workout like this video and Denise Austin's Fit and Firm Pregnancy so when the time comes I will have several already in my collection to get me started.

The prenatal workout video consists of an Introduction (~4 minutes), Salsa Dance Workout (~20 minutes), Fat Burning Yoga Workout (~20 minutes), and a Labor Delivery Preparation / Relaxing Stretches section (~16 minutes) for a total of 60 minutes.

The salsa dance is my favorite part of the video. I have found many prenatal workouts to focus on toning so having a fun cardio workout is always a bonus for me. I had a little bit of a hard time getting the moves down the first time, but not so much that I didn't feel like I got a good workout from it. After a few times I still wouldn't consider myself graceful, but I can do the moves along with the video and find it upbeat, and fun.

The fat burning yoga section of the workout is not your traditional prenatal yoga routine. It is fast paced with plenty of stretching, squats and repetition. I feel stretched and energized after this workout, although it seems to drag at the end due to the repetition of the same moves over and over again. If I am in a good mood the repetition seems fun and challenging, if I am feeling grumpy it gets boring. I found this workout more challenging in my second trimester, and did not enjoy it as much when I was still in my first trimester.

I was never a big fan of the stretching section of workouts until I found out that I was expecting. Now I not only enjoy sections like this in videos, but see them as a necessity to my routine. The labor and delivery preparation section focuses on kegals, and abdominal work while the stretching and relaxing section includes essential leg stretches to keep cramps and pain at bay. It is not that time consuming, and a great way to wind down at the end of a workout. I also watch this section on days when I have back or leg pain to help keep my body limber.

Overall this is one of my favorite videos that I do on a frequent basis. It is a great video to do from start to finish, or to take workouts on their own for when you have less time. I also like to take a portion of this workout and combine it with another workout in my collection for some variety.

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.

From the beginning I knew I wanted a wrap of some sort to wear the baby, and my husband had his heart set on a baby backpack. It occurred to me today that although I had thrown a wrap, and backpack on the registry from ones we had seen out and about, I hadn't really done much research on other brands. I have heard some good things about Boba so I decided to look into their products.

Boba is a company out of Boulder Colorado that makes their products locally with organic cotton, and committed to being green. It is refreshing to look into owning products that are priced within the same range as those made overseas. I also enjoy the quality that comes from a small specialized business such as Boba. Their products are made for active parents by active parents, and make me feel like I am supporting people along with a business. I have a passion for the outdoors, and these wraps look like the perfect way to bring baby along.

I want a wrap for several reasons. First there are the health benefits. A wrap will keep baby warm and secure along with providing a sleep solution close to mom if the baby is fussy. Wearing a baby is also convenient for doing household tasks, and keeping baby close while out shopping. I have heard from many mothers that strangers are less likely to touch a baby that is worn as opposed to a baby in a stroller. Being a first time mom wary of germs I like the idea behind that! I also just like the idea of keeping baby close to me.

I wanted a wrap that was stylish and comfortable to wear. The Boba Wrap is both. I love the palette of modern colors they offer, but think I will register for the grey so it will go with whatever outfit I am wearing at the time. I was warned by a store associate to check weight restrictions on wraps and carriers so I wouldn't end up buying many over time. The Boba Wrap works with an infant up to 35 pounds so it passes that test. I also like that it makes breast feeding easy and discrete for days when I might not want to lug around something else to cover up with.

My husband was looking for more of a backpack for the baby for when we are on our weekend adventures. We had looked at a Baby Bjorn for an infant, and then some more structured hiking backpacks for when the child got larger. When I found the Boba 3G Carrier it was a one carrier solution for both of those scenarios. This carries supports infants and babies worn on the front, and then when the child is a toddler up to 45 pounds the carrier can be worn on the back. It has footrests to make the carrier comfortable for the child, and a place to secure a bag strap so it doesn't slip off your shoulder to make it comfortable for the parent. I watched several You Tube videos with my husband of people happily using this carrier, and think it is a great alternative to other carriers on the market. In all the gear we buy we are concerned with how long we can use the product, and this one stands the test of time.

So these two items have made it onto our registry, and I like them so much that they are in the category of things we must have even if no one purchases them for us.

I ordered Pilates for Life's Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates to add some pilates into my current routines that are mostly yoga, cardio and toning.

The workouts on this video are 20 minutes, and very low impact. A great video for people who have never worked out before or just want to get a good stretch, but at the end of the video I felt like I needed to follow up with another routine to get a more complete workout for the day. I will pop it in from time to time to use as a warm up for more active workouts, but I honestly don't use it very often.

Neither of the women in the video are pregnant so I am not sure that they created the perfect prenatal routine. I am an optimist, however, so I will keep the video around to try the postnatal routine after baby is born and do a follow up review to let you know what I think.

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.

I wrote about how the Summer Sanders Prenatal Workout was my favorite pregnancy workout, and I have to admit that Denise Austin's Fit and Firm Pregnancy is a very close second place if not a tie. On a typical week I like to do these two workouts on rotating days and throw in another video here and there to keep things exciting.

The video features a 20 minute cardio workout that works well for each of the trimesters. I enjoy doing this part of the video quite often and when I have the energy I will do it more then one time in a day. The moves are easy to follow, and fun so the workout goes by quickly and leaves me with lots of energy.

There are also strength training workouts for your second and third trimester included on the video. They are 20 minutes and a great companion to a 20 minute cardio workout.

You can do the workouts individually or if you click on the Custom category on the menu you can schedule them to run back to back to do a combination of workouts without going back to the menu between each one. I love this feature, and wish it was included on more workout videos.

This workout is a lower impact then the Summer Sanders Prenatal Workout, and works well for those days when I am not feeling well, but still want to get some exercise in. If you only pick one workout to purchase during your pregnancy, Denise Austin's Fit and Firm Pregnancy is the one I would recommend.

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.

When I found out I was expecting one of the first things I did was review what I should be eating. I already had a healthy lifestyle, but there are so many recommendations for what you should and should not eat that I wanted to get a review right away.

The book I'm Pregnant! Now What Do I Eat? by Hope Ricciotti was the perfect starting point for me. It addresses all those eat this and not that questions about foods like sushi, lunch meat, and peanuts as well as giving plenty of recommendations for what you should be eating on a regular basis for a healthy pregnancy.

As a person who is used to calorie counting I knew I would have a hard time mentally with eating healthy, but still watching the weight pile on. Reading this book quelled my fears of becoming a person who goes from working out daily to eating a box of cookies on the couch. I learned that although you are "eating for two" that does not mean consuming double the calories.

I have found that during my pregnancy I have experienced some food aversions, but overall making healthier choices has helped me to feel better so far throughout my journey. As I write this I am in my second trimester and the nausea has passed, and hunger has set in. For me the best thing about eating healthy right now is that I can consume many different foods without going overboard on calories. Splurging on piles of fresh fruit goes a lot farther then sweets or fast food.

This book also includes some fantastic recipes. I am not much of a cook (I leave that up to my husband!) so have tended to be more of a snack eater during this pregnancy, but if you have a talent in the kitchen these recipes look delicious!

This is my absolute favorite pregnancy workout video. I have been using it since my first trimester, and plan on trying her other workout after the baby is born.

The video includes workouts for each trimester. There is a regular version that I like to do which runs about 50 minutes, and a shorter express workout for those days when you don't have as much time. I try to do this video 2-3x a week on alternating days since the focus is on toning.

What I really like about this workout is that it was a challenge my first time through. This is my first pregnancy so I am concerned with not over doing it when it comes to working out so doing prenatal fitness videos makes me feel confident that even though I am getting a good workout it is safe for the baby. Before pregnancy I focused mainly on cardiovascular workouts so to switch to a workout like this which has more of a focus on toning arms and legs was a big change for me.

As I am writing this post I just finished this workout, and have done it 5x in the past two weeks on alternating weekdays. I can actually feel my arms gaining some muscle tone so I am really happy with the results. Being pregnant changed my whole view on working out because all of a sudden I was more focused on health then weigh loss or maintenance. After the baby comes I am going to make it a point to keep toning in my routine, because I really enjoy how it makes my body feel.

Before you try this video you do need a resistance band and a good stack of pillows to prop yourself up on an angle for floor work in the second and third trimester. Summer Sanders is coached in this video by her sister-in-law, and both of these women have bubbly, but not annoying personalities. I really enjoyed the personal feeling of the video which made it seem like I had a fitness coach in my living room.

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.