Why you SHOULD exercise when you are pregnant!

A very good friend of mine recently told me that she is expecting her first baby and, seeing as ante and postnatal fitness is my specialty, I thought it was about time that I did a wee blog on this topic!

Pregnancy for some people means a good excuse to put your feet up for nine months and “eat for two”.  As long as you have a low-risk* pregnancy this needn’t be the case.  

If you are a regular exerciser you can pretty much carry on as normal during your first trimester – just remember to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!  If you are feeling the effects of early pregnancy (like nausea and fatigue for example) perhaps you need to take it a bit steadier until you feel better.  Remember, now is not the time to train hard, it’s all about maintaining your fitness.

So what exactly are the benefits to exercising when you are pregnant?

• Helps to promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your baby.
• Can alleviate many symptoms of pregnancy e.g. back ache, varicose veins.
• Improved core strength.
• Enhances self-esteem and positive feelings.
• More oxygen rich blood via the placenta.
• Lower chance of high blood pressure.
• Increased endurance levels for labour.
• May help decrease the time in active labour.
• Less likely to need obstetric intervention.
• Increased confidence to cope with labour anxiety and pain.
• Faster recovery from labour.
• Better posture and less back pain.
• Improved sleep patterns and energy levels.
• Reduced chance of developing gestational diabetes.
• Less likely to suffer from stress incontinence and prolapse
• Quicker return to pre pregnancy weight, stamina, strength and flexibility.
• Enhanced body image and confidence.

But what about these Old wives’ tales?

“Exercise in pregnancy increases your risk of miscarriage”.

If yours is a low-risk* pregnancy, then your chances of miscarriage are not increased by exercising.  In fact, research has shown that the rate of miscarriage is actually lower in runners and aerobic dancers than it is in women who don’t exercise at all (Pregnancy and Fitness, Baker 2013).

“Exercise will cause your waters to break”.

Not true!  Your waters will break in due course, when it is the right time.

“Exercise will take nutrients from your baby”.

As long as you are eating a well-balanced diet and following a sensible, regular exercise routine that is suitable for your stage of pregnancy then there is no reason why any nutrients will be diverted away from your growing baby.  Exercise actually seems to improve the function and growth of the placenta due to the increase in blood vessels produced as an adaptation to exercise

Exercises to avoid

• Avoid exercises that require you to work at a high intensity.  In general I recommend that my clients work at level of 50-60% of their max (you should still be able to talk comfortably). 
• From 12 weeks onwards it is recommended that you avoid lying flat on your back.  This can be dealt with by elevating the “head” end of the surface you wish to lie on.
• It is best to avoid any exercise that requires you to raise your arms above your head, from 20 weeks.
• Avoid exercises with too much impact or twisting actions.
• It is also best to avoid exercises that stresses your pelvis laterally i.e. side lunges and some gym equipment.
• Abdominal flexion exercises i.e. sit-ups/crunches/v-sits etc. should be off the schedule until your tummy muscles have healed sufficiently after birth.
• Finally, any exercise that you don’t feel comfortable doing, either physically or mentally, should be avoided!  It’s your body so listen to what it is telling you!!!

If you have any questions, please to get in touch!

Aileen xxx 

*If you are unsure whether you have a low-risk pregnancy, consult your doctor.

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Do you need permission to relax?

Sam is off on her summer holiday and I am just about to start mine so I will keep this short and sweet.  I am so looking forward to taking my foot off the accelerator and forgetting about the pressures of everyday life for a wee while!  

This idea got me thinking: how often do you give yourself permission to chill out or just truly enjoy some "me time"?

Us modern women are sooooo busy!  Whether it is work or children (or both) that seem to fill up your day, it can be extremely hard to make a bit of breathing space for yourself - and boy I need that sometimes!

My classes have been quite quiet over the past few weeks as everyone it seemed, except me, was taking their summer break!  In fact for one class no one showed up at all!  Initially I was a bit disappointed but them I realised "I have a free hour"!  I could have so easily of used that hour doing a bit more work but I though "NO,  I am not going to look this gift horse in the face"!  Since my mum was already booked to watch my girls for me I decided to head to a coffee shop, grab a drink and a newspaper and just take a moment!

The result - a less frantic, stressed out me!  I actually gave myself permission to not do anything and it was great!  In fact it was so successful that I am actually going to book a coffee date with myself every week!  Just a little reward to myself that says "Yes, you do deserve a little treat".  I highly recommend that you do the same!

Aileen xxx

Inspiration!

"Right! I shall start the diet on Monday!"

Very familiar words I hear said.  In my previous blogs I have talked about learning to love yourself.  But I also recognise that people are unhappy with various aspects of their life.  That is something you do not have to live with.

Life is full of choices.  The "quality" of your life is directly reflected in making the right choices for you and your family.  However, sometimes we do get bogged down in the turmoil of not being good enough or "if only I could lose a few pounds/ a stone, I would be happy" - REALLY???

There are many things in life that we can buy and are thought to improve our happiness - cars, clothes, gadgets, boobs!  But, does it make us contented and happy or do we seek the next best thing?

I caught up with a client this week whom I hadn't seen in a long time.  She commented on how much she enjoyed reading this blog (from another continent!).  So I took the opportunity to ask what else would she like to see on it.  I was delighted with her feedback and it really inspired me.   I sometimes struggle to see the wood for the trees so this was a great light bulb moment.  I got to reconnect with my dream in life of coaching others!

  

So how can you find your "lightbulb moment" and make a change in the right direction?

There is something inside us that makes us feel "right that's it, I'm .............."!

This point is crucial and it's different for each of us.  For some it's hitting rock bottom, for others it's through inspiration from another source.   

Change can only happen when you know what you want; when you find what your dream or one love is.  There is much adage to the saying - "if you don't know where you are going, you will never get there".

So:

What gets you out of bed in the morning (and I don't mean an alarm clock or the fact that you HAVE to appear in at work)?  We all live for something or someone!

1.  Decide what you want or where you want to be (your passion, your love, your drive).

2.  Decide what it takes to get you there (relationships, money, time).

3.  How much responsibility are you willing to take in order to get this?

Once you have decided your overall passion/drive for life - now you can put the littler steps in place - the details.

And guess what? 

YOU get to chose how long it takes and what steps to take. The key to each little step is that it has to be achievable and realistic.  There is no point blowing yourself out the water on the first hurdle and making life so difficult it is miserable for you and those around you!  I read an article about there being no such thing as "falling off the wagon".  How true! we only live life; there is no perfection, so by allowing life to continue, it allows us to enjoy our amazing journey.

Then:

Reward yourself with something at the end of each small goal - a massage or a lunch/dinner out, nails done - something like this makes us feel good and also reinforces the belief that we are worth it!

Remember:

With having a main goal - we have a focus.

By rewarding ourselves - we reinvest in our happiness and worth.

By choosing to make positive change - you make a positive YOU.

  

Be responsible for your own health and happiness (as you are who it ultimately lies with).  

You cannot change others, however you can inspire them.  

Go for it (write it all down).  

Seek your dream and make your journey fun!

Sam xxx



How to warm up like a champion

A few weeks ago I explained to you why I think that it is so important to warm up before you start your workout.  Today I am going to clarify the type of thing that your warm up should consist of.

Broadly speaking, your warm up should take you about 5-10 minutes to complete and contain the following components:

Pulse raising exercises

Mobility exercises

Preparatory stretches

Why 5-10 minutes?

There are several factors that affect the exact length of time you need to warm up for, for example:

Temperature – In cold conditions a longer warm up will be necessary to suitable “warm the body up”.  The opposite is true in warmer conditions.

Intensity of the session – if the session is going to be very demanding and challenging more time should be spent in the warm up phase.

Ability levels – Sedentary individuals will require a longer and more gradual warm up.  Similarly, older adults, as well as ante and postnatal participants, will need a lengthier warm up phase.

So what exactly is a pulse raising exercise?

A pulse raising exercise is something that gradually elevates the heart rate and warms up the muscles of the body.  They should be of a low to moderate intensity, rhythmical, continuous and progressive in intensity.  For example, start with a walk (very little impact on joints), then progress into a light jog before adding in arm movements (like punches out to the front/side/above).

And mobility exercises?

Before any activity it is sensible to prepare the body’s major joints.  A ‘whole body’ approach uses warm up exercises that involve multiple joints, increasing the range of motion without loading them by using weights or impact.  Examples of such exercises are knee bends, ankle circles and trunk twists are.  Many of these exercises can be incorporated into a pulse raiser.

Do you really need to do Preparatory stretches?

Preparatory stretches prepare all the major muscle groups to be used in the proposed activity.  The aim is to prepare the muscles for exercise by taking them through their full range of motion.  We achieve this by doing dynamic stretches (stretches with movement which also help keep your heart rate elevated).

Dynamic stretches typically involve performing eight to twelve repetitions of controlled, full range movements.  They should only be carried out when your body temperature has been increased and all the major joints mobilised.  Dynamic stretches can prepare the muscles for the exact joint actions and muscle contractions performed in the exercise session by replicating some of the movement that will be used.  For example, concentrate on lower leg stretches before going running.

So there you go!!!

Aileen xxx

"MUM, I'm hungry!"

The school summer holidays are now in full swing for us mums.  I do love the holidays because firstly, the kids get the freedom to play (and weather permitting) remain in the great outdoors and secondly, also for my own selfish reasons, I get to cut back on my running around to various activities as well as the daily drop offs and pick ups.

There is also something I definitely notice hearing far more often in the holidays too (usually balled at 90 decibels).  

"MUM, I'm hungry!"

...followed by the fridge door being opened them slammed shut (because the food has not leapt out onto their hand ready to be eaten).

So what can we do about this?  

Mums, I suggest the following - let's nourish our kids to the max and reduce these hollers of hunger!

A little experiment for you:

Make a small selection of meats and veg and place on the table.  

Ask your children to choose what they would like to eat.  

Now stand back and watch what they are drawn to.  

My youngest loves his red meat and, if allowed, is also attracted to sugar - this is somewhat typical of a protein type.  My eldest son is not so much drawn to sugar.  Granted he is more aware of the nutritional benefits of food and his palate is a little more advance.  Generally he is drawn to a wide variety of foods, but on certain days he favours some foods over others.  He would be classed as a mixed or balanced type. 

So what am I proposing?

I think firstly we need to ensure we max out on a good breakfast (no surprise there).

I have recently invested in a nutri blender - another gadget to add to my already cluttered utility room - anyhow it seems to be of great use.

If my boys choose to have some organic yogurt and fruit for breakfast I have used the blender to add extra nourishment.  So far I have managed to disguise celery, avocado, some seeds and occasionally a little super green organic protein powder that is packed with plenty vitamins and minerals!  Another very good thing to add would be some fish oil - I recommend Eskimo Brain Shark for kids - incredibly good for their brain power and a good start to the day.

Today I made a snack bar for the kids, using a recipe from "Get the Glow" by Madeleine Shaw - seen below (along with some of my other recently acquired cook books from my mum).

It had a variety of nuts, seeds, dates, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup, again blended altogether.  

Lunch

Seeing we don't often get heat waves for long periods of time I still aim for soup at lunchtime. If possible I try to make it contain meat too, either chicken or pea and ham.  If soup is not possible chicken legs, pate and oatcakes makes a great alternative!

Dinner

The best advice I could give you here is to try and encourage the children to help.  The holidays is a great time to start this (added bonus is it is an activity and helping you out) and you can really see what they would prefer to eat.

A favourite of mine to make is chicken goujons, the coating is chicken dipped in egg then some ground almond and parmesan and seasoned with salt and pepper. All topped off with a homemade tomato sauce (again a multitude of veg blended through it).  

Chicken and apple meat balls are another easy one as you just blend all of what you want together, then roll into little balls altogether and roast in the oven.  

What about snacks?

A firm favourite of mine is buckwheat crepes (can be a welcomed meal or snack).  The recipe for these can be found on our recipes page.  If I do these for breakfast I will make them sweet with some banana and agave or have them with scrambled egg and bacon.  

So, what I try and achieve at every meal and snack is that there is a healthy fat, some greens and some meat.  I don't overload on dairy and try as best I can to remove gluten. My kids don't get fizzy drinks and are limited on fruit juice, which I water down to reduce the sugar hit! They are greatly encouraged and are very good at drinking water now.  I think by adopting a very strict policy of water they now know when they need to take it.  This alone is worth persevering with over the holidays as often when people think they are hungry all they actually need is better hydration. 

I would love to know how it all goes for you and am happy to help suggest more ways to "sneak the goodness" in.

Happy holidays and hopefully the hunger shouts are not so often!

Sam x



Do you really need to warm up before exercising?

The cavemen didn’t warm up before hunting so why should we do so before exercising?  Well, the cavemen lived in a time of constant “fight or flight” so when the time came for them to perform they had a little help from a certain hormone called Adrenalin!

Thankfully we now live in slightly more stable times and have spent many years of scientific research looking in to how to we can perform better.

I know it is easy to ditch the warm up especially if you are short of time (hello, I’m a busy mum) or are exercising alone but there are many benefits of spending just 5-10 minutes preparing your body!

Here are my top ten:

1.  A gradual warm up will steadily prepare your heart for an increase in activity, helping you avoid a rapid increase in blood pressure.

2.  It increases the blood flow to your working muscles, better preparing them for the additional workload to come (and literally warms them up!).

3.  Done gradually it helps prevent you from getting out of breath too early or too easily as it increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients required by your muscles. (This is why without a good warm up the first 10 minutes of a run are normally the hardest!).

4.  It stimulates the production of lubrication (synovial fluid) required by your joints for easier (and less painful) movement.

5.  It reduces the risk of soft tissue (ligament, tendon and muscle) injuries by allowing your muscles and joints to move through a greater range of motion easily (and safely).

6.  It increases your neurological (nerve-to-muscle) pathways, which can improve your co-ordination and the quality of your workout.

7.  It allows you to practice/rehearse the moves you are about to perform during your workout (i.e there is no point doing lots of upper body exercises during a warm up if you are about to do a lower body workout).

8.  It causes an increase in blood temperature, which can allow you to work out longer or harder.

9.  It prompts hormonal changes in the body responsible for regulating energy production.

And finally!

10.  It helps mentally prepare you for the exercise ahead, giving you a few minutes to get "in the zone" for a great workout! 

Hope that helps convince you!  In my next post I will go into more detail about what a good warm up actually consists of!

Until then.

Aileen xxx