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 After the Kids
If you are a parent; then I commend you, for you are shaping the
future of the world!
I don't need to
remind you that parenting is definitely the most difficult job in the world and
also, the most rewarding. I am sure that it feels like your time is not your own
anymore. So, remember that every little bit of exercise that you do throughout
the day makes a big difference. You don't need to reserve an entire hour to go
to the gym. You can easily exercise with your little one by either wearing them
in a baby carrier or by mimicking their movements throughout the day. Children
burn so many calories throughout the day and if you run and play with them then
you will too.
Here are some fun ways to
exercise with your little one. Enjoy.
Stay tuned for Babywearing Workout Classes
and other Mommy and me classes to come.
After The Kids Forum
We have all heard that it takes a village to raise your family. Enter your
online village support team here.
Links on this page
Baby and Me Workouts
Foam
Rolling to Reduce Muscle Tension
 The
Play Ground Workout
The benefits
of exercise are vast. When you exercise on a consistent
basis you will strengthen your cardiovascular
system, keep bones and muscles strong, decrease the risk of
heart disease, diabetes and
some forms of cancer, ease depression and manage stress and you will
sleep better. All of these benefits will increase the likelihood
that you will be around to
enjoy a long and happy life with your children, your children's
children and hopefully, your great grand kids. So, the next time you
find yourself saying the ever popular excuse, "I don't have time,"
you might want to re-think that statement because the truth is if
you are not exercising then you are decreasing your chance for a
long healthy life. There is no mystery to this statement. Study
after study has shown that exercise is the key ingredient to good
health.
Moms and dads, you do not have to go
to the gym to exercise. If you are trying to find time to exercise
then look no further. You can easily exercise while your little ones
play.
Try out the playground workout.
Babywearing WorkoutsTM
Traditional
postpartum workouts do not take into account how difficult it can be
for some women to leave their children and/or find adequate child
care that would allow them to workout. That’s why we have designed
this program. Women across cultures and across time have carried
their babies as they went about their daily responsibilities and
there is no reason that we can't do the same thing in America!
Another ancient art
lost in our busy society is that of babywearing. Whether your child
is high need or you are a Super-Parent balancing employment,
housework and parenting; Babywearing will make your life easier and
parenting more enjoyable. Benefits for the baby include reduced
crying and colic and enhanced learning. For parents, Babywearing
advances parent-infant bonding, allows for discrete breastfeeding,
and makes multi-tasking much easier.
In addition to adjusting to your
precious new baby, moms have many physiological and biomechanical
changes to overcome. As you more than likely know; postural problems
are common in pregnancy because the body has to adapt to structural
changes, which alter the body's center of gravity (COG). Also, joint
stability is inhibited due to hormonal changes. Pregnancy puts added
stress on the spine, abdominal muscles, and pelvic floor. Postural
habits need to be re-established.
Often posture deteriorates after
pregnancy due to the way that mom's carry their babies. When we hold
our babies or toddlers the tendency is to hold the baby on one side
of the body with the hip abducted (moving away from the midline) and
the back arched. This can cause an imbalance between the right and
left side of the body, shoulder tension, and sacroiliac discomfort
(low back and hip). Babywearing is the best postural aid for you and
your baby or toddler. Postpartum exercises are designed to restore
the body to its state of efficiency that existed before pregnancy
and with Babywearing
TM workouts you can bond with your
baby and take care of yourself at the same time.
**Notice
Kari's posture. She is holding her 4 month old and 2 year old
and she has perfect posture notice how her ears are over her
shoulders, shoulders in line with hips, and hips square.
You may be like
most new parents that have tried to find time to exercise in the
home. But between feedings, changing diapers, comforting your baby,
and preparing meals; it may seem like there is not enough time in
the day. You may have even found time to pop in an exercise video;
but as soon as you put your baby down, he or she starts to cry. With
Babywearing WorkoutsTM you can wear your baby while you
exercise and follow a relaxed exercise regime that can be done
throughout the day. Remember the saying: "Every little bit counts."
Well, the same goes for exercise. You don't need to reserve an
entire hour every day to exercise. Three to five minutes every few
hours throughout the day will benefit you greatly!
To purchase slings or carriers you can
go to
http://www.peacefulbeginnings.net
and click the link for slings and carriers.
Baby and You
If you just had a baby, then I offer my congratulations!
As you have discovered being a mother is the greatest of gifts. In the
first few months it can be a challenge trying to find balance and
harmony as you embark on this wonderful new journey. This is a time for
you to relax and enjoy your new little bundle of joy, replenish and
renew, and prepare yourself for the beginning of the rest of your life.
After 40 weeks of being pregnant, I am sure that you can't wait to start
moving your body again. However; I recommend that you wait at least 6
weeks post-partum and talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise
program.
Your baby makes an excellent workout partner! He or she will grow as
you get stronger and will provide you with enough resistance to get
your muscles firm and tight. Here's some fun things that I like to do
with Frankie.
Frankie had great neck strength and coordination early on. If
your baby does not have good head and neck support then you should not do any
mommy and me exercise until he or she is ready. Remember, it is supposed to be fun for mom and baby.
So, if either of you are
uncomfortable, then try something different.
Get creative, play and enjoy!
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Baby Squats
Simply
begin by holding your little bundle of joy and gaze softly into your
baby’s eyes. Stand with feet hip distance apart, engage your abdominal
muscles by pulling your navel toward your spine, keeping the abs
engaged, slowly bend your knees like you are going to sit in a chair.
Hold for a 2 second count and then return back to the starting position. |
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Baby
Bench Press (This is also a great gas reliever for baby). This works
the muscles of the chest, fronts of the shoulder and triceps.
Place your
hands just below your baby’s ribs, wrap your fingers lovingly around the
sides of your baby’s belly. Bend your elbows and lower baby toward your
chest, give your baby a kiss and a smile and then straighten your arms.
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Baby
Crunch
Baby
Crunches
Place baby on your shins,
gaze into his/her eyes, slowly lower your torso to the earth and lift
your shins to a 90 degree angle. Hold your babies hands or under arms.
Lift your chest toward the sky and lift your shoulders off the floor.
Hold the crunch for 2 breaths and pull the navel to the spine to engage
the deep abdominal muscles. Slowly lower back to starting position.
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Handstands
Frankie
loves watching his mommy go upside down. And it is a great exercise for
the shoulders and triceps. It stimulates the nervous system for those
sleepy days.
I just put
this one in for fun so, if you’ve never done a handstand before, then
don’t try this at home! |
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 Postnatal
Exercise
After I had Frankie, my little guy, I was so
anxious to start exercising and couldn't wait to
get back into shape. I had a very challenging
LABOR and had a third degree tear. Even though I
study the human body for a living, I didn't
realize that 33 hours of labor and a tear that
big would require so much recovery time. I asked
my doctors if it was o.k. for me to walk and
they said, "sure." Looking back, I don't think
that they realized when you tell a personal
trainer that she can walk it means to go out for
a 4-5 mile WALK. I was in a bit of pain, but I
thought that walking would be beneficial since
it would increase blood flow and circulation and
therefore improve recovery time. I was wrong.
After a few days, I quickly realized that the
best strategy for recovery was to do as little
as possible, lie down with Frankie and take cat
naps all day long. Once I figured this out; I
began to feel better; and before I knew it, I
was back to my old self again.
Every pregnancy, labor and delivery is
different. It's wonderful to share stories with
loved ones and receive input and hopefully,
inspiration. The best thing that you can do is
to listen to your own inner guide, because she
truly knows what's best for you. Take your time
getting back into shape and start slowly.
There are many beneficial exercises that can
stimulate your pelvic floor and the muscles of
the core. It is important to train them
efficiently. If you would like a special program
catered to your individual needs and fitness
level, then sign up
here. I will design a program for
you, to help you reach your fitness goals.
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Foam
Roll With Your Little One
The
foam roller is exactly what it sounds
like, a big piece of foam that rolls.
The foam roller is
one of my all time favorite fitness
products. It can be used for balance
training, core training and myofascial
release.
Parenting is one of the most challenging
physical endeavors. Since having
Frankie, over 17 months ago, my back
hasn't quite been the same as
pre-parenthood. The majority of my days
are spent sitting in a cross-legged
position, crawling on the floor and
bending over to pick up toys and to pick
up Frankie.
Bending over hundreds of times
throughout the day, regardless if you
bend the knees, can lead to low back
pain. The muscles along the spine
contract to support the added stress of
bending and lifting. Often the muscles
can form adhesions (knots) in an attempt
to protect the spine. Healthy muscle
tissue is pliable and elastic. When
there is a spinal injury or chronic
misalignment the musculature around the
spine can become hard and stiff. The
foam roller can be used to help
alleviate these symptoms.
To roll the musculature of the upper
back, place your hands behind your head
to support the neck. Lie on the roller
with the roller across the shoulder
blades. Bend the legs and keep the feet
flat on the floor. Lift the hips to add
weight onto the roller. Shift the body
forward and back to massage the
musculature along the spine.
The first few times that you roll, you
will only need your bodyweight against
the roller. And it's actually better to
do this exercise without your little one
resting on your chest. But if he or she
or "They" happen to crawl onto your
chest then they will add a little more
weight and make this exercise like a
deep tissue massage.
My husband and Frankie rolling together.
The roller also makes a great toy for
the kids to play on. Frankie loves to
play the "BOOM GAME." Stand the roller
on it's end and simply boom it to the
ground.
You can
purchase a foam roller today from Perform
Better. Here's the link:
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Recipes If you have any
recipes that you would like to share send them to me
Erin@firecrackersfitness.com
Mu lti-Vitamin
Pancake
I call this the Multi-Vitamin Pancake because it has
everything in it...essential fatty acids, proteins,
complex carbohydrates and 2 servings of fruit. I have
trouble getting all of the recommended toddler servings
in everyday but I always know that we start the day off
right with this dish. I usually don't measure and prefer
to pour in a pinch of that and a handful of this but for
the purpose of writing a recipe, I took the time to
measure.
Serves: 3-4 people or in our case at the DiMaggios 2
(we are big breakfast eaters!)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Pancake and Waffle
Mix (they sell it in regular grocery stores in LA, like
Ralph's)
1/4 Cup Old Fashioned Quaker Oats (slow cook is
better because it is lower on the Glycemic Index then
Quick Oats and therefore doesn't have the same effect on
babe's and mom's insulin level)
1/4 Cup Wheat Germ (high in Folic Acid and therefore
great for pregnant moms because she needs Folic Acid for
Baby's brain and nervous system development)
2 Eggs (toddlers need the yolk (fat) for brain
development
1 Tablespoon Pure Applesauce (no added sweeteners)
1/4 Cup fresh blueberries (any fruit will due)
1 Cup Milk
Directions:
Oil the skillet or grid-all. I use either Olive Oil
or Coconut Butter (both are high in essential fatty
acids). Mix together and cook on very low heat so that
the blueberries get soft and mushy. I like to use two
skillets and make two giant sized pancakes and then I
just save what we don't eat for the next day).
If you really want to get in some extra fruit
(remember American Cancer Society recommends 5 servings
of fruits and vegetables for people of all ages). Chop
up some strawberries and cook them on low heat until
they turn into a strawberry syrup.
 Final
Direction:
Sit back with your little one and be sure to feed
yourself, too. Breakfast is the most important meal of
the day.
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