Fitness Archives - Page 14 of 16

Home Workout Must Haves

July 22, 2013 by Tamara 13 Comments

It is so important to invest in yourself and have a few pieces of exercise equipment at home. We all know that as much as we would love to get to the gym everyday sometimes that is just not a reality. These are just a few of my at home favorites.

Splurge Item! The TRX Suspension Training Kit is the most versatile piece of training equipment. If you are looking to invest in a home gym this little black and yellow bodyweight suspension system is your best buy. Just under $200 it is the most expensive item on my list of must haves but it is my top go to workout when I am at home offering a total body workout that includes cardio, strength, and flexibility options.

I love having options with my workouts! My medicine balls, kettlebells, and stability ball are always a nice addition to any workout and range in price from $14-$50.

Staying hydrated is super important which is why I love the Brita water bottle. I can fill it up anywhere if I am out and about or straight from the kitchen sink at home.

If you are looking to start running make sure to invest in quality running shoes. Getting fitted for a shoe that is going to work for you should be a main focus when buying a new pair as opposed to the color or brand. I am running in the Newton Terra Momentum’s.

Exercise dvd’s are great and most city libraries offer a fairly decent collection to help save you money. Plus, all instructors on fitness dvd’s are super motivating and will repeatedly tell you how awesome you are. How is that for a confidence boost!

Whatever workout you decide to do it is great to have someone or something who inspires you to be better. My yoga inspiration is Kathryn Budig. She has an awesome yoga dvd in case you are in the market. Kathryn is an amazing teacher and inspires me to be true to myself when I am practicing yoga on my mat. Speaking of mats I love the lululemon mat, simply called, The Mat.

To keep yourself accountable I recommend another splurge item, a heart rate monitor. These little watches let you know if you are working out as hard as you should be or think. I wear mine for almost every workout, even in pool when I swim laps.

Last but not least sometimes the baby is not going to want to just stay on the blanket and look up at you happily. I recommend a 30-45 minute dvd for your little one if you can’t squeeze your workout in during their nap time. I know taking 30 minutes out of my day to workout always makes me feel better. We are loving the Baby Faith series. They are so cute and are just another way that Caden can hear that God loves him.

What about you? What items do you use for your at home workouts?

Filed Under: Fitness, Products, Workouts Tagged With: Heart Rate Monitor, Home Workout, TRX Suspension Training

Losing The Baby Weight: Exercise

July 10, 2013 by Tamara 14 Comments

Happy Wednesday friends! If you are just joining the Losing The Baby Weight series welcome!

Here are the topics that have previously been covered:

Wednesday, June 12: Pregnancy & Exercise

Wednesday, June 19: What To Expect After You Deliver

Wednesday, June 26: The First Six Weeks

Wednesday, July 3: Nutrition

I am proof that it is possible to be in even better shape after you have a baby. Carrying around my 20 pound little man is the best exercise there is. Handwork, good nutrition, and lots of motivation do make a difference. It just takes time and effort. Being a mom is a full time job and I have learned to make the most of the time I have to workout. I train at a higher intensity to make sure I am getting every minute I can out of my workouts. It is really neat to look back over the last few months and see my progress.

If you would like to read more about my monthly progress check out my 8 MONTH, 9 MONTH, and 10 MONTH after baby stats. I am sharing a photo of me 9 months after Caden was born and a comparison photo of my tummy before pregnancy and 8 Months after baby.

Hopefully these photo’s give you encouragement that it is totally possible to reclaim your body after having a baby. Every mama’s return to her post baby body is going to look different depending on how she took care of herself before, during, and after pregnancy. Be sure to read about The First Six Weeks HERE if you haven’t already. The first step before you start those heavy sweat sessions is to make sure you have been cleared by your doctor. Today I am going to share a few general tips and what worked for me in my recovery.

Intensity, Duration, and Frequency of Exercise

For the majority of people that hardest part of exercising is getting started. There are so many excuses that all of us can use in our daily lives for reason why we didn’t exercise during the day. I am going to break down a simple way for you to plan your next workout.

Intensity: How hard are you working during your workout? Can you hold a conversation? This would indicate that it is a lower intensity and should be done for a longer duration. Walking would be an example of a lower intensity exercise. High intensity workouts include HITT and CrossFit.

Duration: How long do you want your session to last? This will depend on how much intensity you are training at for the day and what type of workout you are performing. If you are short on time a workout at a higher intensity would be most beneficial because you can more calories in a shorter time span. These workouts can last between 15-30 minutes. But they are hard. If you can get up off the floor and hold a conversation after this type of workout you are not working hard enough.

Frequency: How often are you exercising? How many days a week are you going to workout? If you are only going to workout 3 days a week these workouts will need to be at a higher intensity level and for a longer duration to see the results you are hoping for.

Diastasis Recti

I feel like I would be doing new mama’s a disservice by not including information on abdominal separation in this post. This is what happens when the Rectus Abdominis becomes overly stretched and separates into right and left halves. This muscle is usually joined in the middle but if it becomes separated during pregnancy the core is weakened and results in a pooched tummy that doesn’t seem to go away even with a proper diet and exercise. If you would like more information on Diastasis Recti and how to determine if you have it and what you can do to treat it click HERE to read a great article by Bikini Body Mommy.

Walk

As soon as you can move, do it. Two days after Caden was born we went on our first family walk. I didn’t move very fast or walk very far but each day I gradually increased my speed and distance. By the time he was 2 weeks old we were averaging 2 miles a day walking around our neighborhood.

Build Your At Home Gym

Weights, DVD’s, a mat, jump rope, and water bottle are awesome items that can be added to your baby registry. The key to success is to plan ahead. Even if you have a gym membership somedays it is just easier to stay at home. I really had great results with Jillian Michels 30 Day Shred.

Buddy Up

This is so important! The accountability of a friend is huge. Staying committed to exercising for the day becomes a lot easier when you know another person is meeting you. I have several friends who I can swim, run, cycle, yoga, or lift weights with. Lots of workout buddies are awesome!

Lift Weights

Don’t be afraid of strength training. Resistance training speeds up your metabolism. If you want to loose weight lift weights. Use dumbbells or hold on to your baby while you do a few rounds of squats and lunges. Target big muscles groups because they will burn more calories. Or better yet do compound exercises like squats with an overhead press and lunges with biceps curls for an even greater calorie burn.

Schedule Yourself On The Calendar

Mommy’s, we need to make ourselves a priority. Grab your calendars and plan out your workouts for the week ahead of time. You will be more likely to stick to your workouts and also make sure that you are getting in the right amount of strength, cardio, and flexibility training each week. If you like to workout early in the morning layout the clothes you are going to wear and have your gym bag packed the night before. Many times I would have not made it out of bed when my alarm would go off at 4:30am (before Caden was born) if I had not had everything ready to go for my morning workouts. Find a time that works best for you and your family and stick with it or better yet bring them along for a family walk/jog/run/yoga class/workout.

Get Creative

Once Caden was born I worked out while he napped or kept him next to me on his blanket while I exercised. Now that he is moving more he enjoys going for runs with me in the stroller or I use him as a weight for squats, lunges, deadlifts, and curls. It is like playtime for him and I am getting a great workout!

Dress For Success When You Exercise

Throw away your sweat pants and oversized t-shirts. They will get in the way of your workout and also make you look bigger. Dress modest and cute while getting your sweat on without causing others to be distracted by skimpy outfits.

Write Down Your Goals

Make sure you know what you are working towards. Don’t limit yourself to only health and wellness goals. What other area’s of your life are you wanting to grow in? Setting goals for each area of your life will create balance and create a happier you. You can read my goals HERE.

Be The Example

We all want our children to grow up to be happy and healthy individuals. The best place they can learn this is at home. Include your kids in your workouts. Love yourself and love your body. We are all works in progress and each day is an opportunity to move forward towards your goals and dreams.

Remember exercise is just one part of the equation. I hope this series was helpful for you. Be on the lookout for workouts on this blog to keep you motivated in your healthy lifestyle journey.

Thanks for reading and for leaving comments! They really do make my day!

xoxo, Tamara

Filed Under: Fitness, Postpartum, Pregnancy Tagged With: Before and After, Diastasis Recti, Exercise, Losing The Baby Weight, Motivation

Losing The Baby Weight: The First Six Weeks

June 26, 2013 by Tamara 21 Comments

Happy Wednesday friends! If you are just joining the Losing The Baby Weight series welcome! Every Wednesday for the next several weeks I will be posting on this topic.

Wednesday, June 12: Pregnancy & Exercise

Wednesday, June 19: What To Expect After You Deliver

Wednesday, June 26: The First Six Weeks

Wednesday, July 3: Nutrition

Every women’s pregnancy is completely different and so is their recovery. That being said I am excited to share with you what I experienced my first six weeks postpartum and also a few items I highly recommend for a new mama after the baby is born.

Exercise

The rate of recovery is going to differ from mama to mama depending on overall health, delivery complications, and nutrition (a full post dedicated to this next week). Make sure you talk with your doctor before starting any new fitness program postpartum to make sure your body is ready for exercise.

Experts at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist say it is ok to gradually resume exercise if you were physically active until giving birth as long as you did not have any complications or conditions that make exercise dangerous.Any new mom will tell that the first six weeks are an adventure. You are learning your new normal. As soon as you feel ready to get back to exercise and have been cleared by your doctor the faster you will recovery.

The very first morning that we woke up in our house as a family of 3 we went for an early morning walk. I do mean early. It was the middle of summer in Arizona when Caden was born so anything that we would want to do outside needed to be done as the sun was rising. That walk was not pretty and very slow lasting a grand total of 15 minutes. I felt each stitch with every step but was super proud of myself for this small accomplishment.

Each day I continued to walk a little more and at 2 weeks postpartum I was averaging 2 miles a day at 5am in the morning pushing Caden in his stroller. Around this same time I began to add my yoga practice back into my routine. Warrior poses never felt so hard. I had to move really carefully between postures but it felt amazing to stretch.

At 4 weeks postpartum I started strength training with 8 pound dumbbells and using my TRX while Caden was napping. I went on my first “run” at 5 weeks postpartum and swimming after I was cleared by my doctor at my six week checkup.

Body Image

Many women still look 6 months pregnant after delivery, myself included. The uterus is still swollen and it takes about 6 weeks after delivery for it to return to its normal position. It is totally normal to not feel like yourself after you have had a baby. Everything is stretched, swollen, or engorged on your body. Be nice to yourself. You just had a baby. I promise with time and effort you can and will regain control over your midsection. As hard as it is, try to only weigh yourself no more than once a week or even once a month. To read more about my thoughts on body image and the problem with body bashing click HERE.

Bleeding

Oh the bleeding! I felt like it was never going to stop. Of course it did but the amount of blood that was being released from my body at first was quite impressive. Each day the amount of bleeding decreased. At 4 weeks postpartum I was only slightly spotting.

Night Sweats & Nightmares

I had crazy night sweats which left me waking up drenched and having to change my pi’s. I heard this is super common and the way the body regulates all the hormone changes and rids itself of excess fluid. The sweating was not that bad but what freaked me out the first time it happened was waking up thinking Caden was in my arms and that I lost him in our bedsheets.

I had a panic attack the first time it happened because I thought I had brought him in bed with us and then lost him in the bed. It was pretty horrible. Josh had to keep reassuring me that he was in his crib, I was in tears and it took me going into his room to see he was ok for me to be able to try to sleep again. It happened every night for a few weeks. I would wake up holding my boobs thinking they were Caden. Very weird but eventually it became almost comical, I said almost, it still freaked me out a little. Anyone else have crazy nightmares like this?

Bladder & Bowel

It took a solid 3 weeks for me to begin to feel any relief when going to the bathroom. Last week Jess and I both mentioned how horrible pooping was but I forgot to mention the horrible stinging sensation that accompanied peeing. It is funny what your mind blocks out over time. I winced in pain after being reminded of this after I received an email from a girlfriend who said I forgot to talk about the burning pee last week. Yikes! Just like I found relief by drinking lots of water to dilute the acidity of my urine and also used my squirted water on myself while peeing. Don’t judge me but another thing I would do is pee in the shower during the first few weeks after Caden was born with the water running. It is gross, I know, but it helped lessen the sting.

Sex

With Josh’s approval I am sharing this next paragraph. I am not one to talk about what happens in my bedroom with my husband but I do think this information is helpful to share.

After being cleared at my 6 week appointment Josh and I had sex. I am not going to lie, it hurt, bad. So bad. I thought my insides were being torn open. You would think that after having a baby’s head pushed out of your body that sex would never hurt again. What I didn’t take into account was that my skin was still extremely raw in that area and still healing. I totally don’t regret having sex when we did and I am only sharing this information to encourage other mama’s that it is normal for sex to be uncomfortable after giving birth. I promise it does get better and practicing helps ;).

New Mama Must Haves

Belly Bandit | Witch Hazel Pads | Comfortable Underwear | Nursing Cami

If you can splurge on anything for yourself before the baby is born the Belly Bandit would be the item to buy! Both Jess and myself had great experiences with the BB’S after having our babies. Here is what Jess has to say about wearing the BB after her c-section:

“If you aren’t familiar with them, it’s basically just an abdominal binder that is marketed as a big aid in helping your tummy return to its pre-baby state. I wore it 24/7, other than when I was in the shower and I really, really liked the support it gave me. Did it help in the tummy flattening department? I personally think so, however I wore it because the extra abdominal and lower back support felt really good The Belly Bandits are a bit on the pricey side (about $50 a piece and you will most likely need 2 different sizes), but you can get a basic abdominal binder from a drug store or Amazon for less than half of that price. If I had it to do over again I would definitely be willing to give a cheaper version a try, although I was pleased with the results the Belly Bandit gave me. I really think it made getting up and down out of bed, the couch, etc. MUCH easier and it helped me keep good posture while breastfeeding and holding Sadie as well. I wore it pretty much around the clock for the first month and it’s definitely something I would recommend to other recovering mama’s.”

I could not have said it better myself. I did not have a c-section but still wore a Belly Bandit and it 100% made a difference in how I looked in my clothes after Caden was born. I felt really supported and wore it all the time except for showering until I was 4 weeks postpartum and for the next 2 weeks only wore it at night. Just like Jess I had the small and extra small sized bands.

Being comfortable is a huge priority after having a baby. Witch hazel pads became my good friends as they eased my itching and tender stitched skin. Before the baby comes buy a few pairs of underwear that you don’t really care about but that are roomy and comfortable. You will thank yourself later. Also investing in a nursing cami was helpful for all the late night and early morning feedings I had with Caden.

Six Weeks Postpartum Stats & Photo Recap

Lastly here are my stats and photos documenting my post baby weight loss during the first six weeks after having Caden.

I hope you feel encouraged after reading this and remember everyones journey is different. Comparison is the thief of joy and I don’t share this so you feel the need to compare my results with yours.

I am always happy to answer any questions you may have (it may take me a few days to get back to you but I love hearing from you and reading your comments). I would love to hear how soon other mama’s began exercising after delivery or any other advice you have to offer.

xoxo, Tamara

Filed Under: Fitness, Personal, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Products Tagged With: Before and After, Belly Bandit, Body Image, Night Sweats, Nightmares, Sex, Six Weeks Postpartum, Stats, TRX