StrollerFit, Restore the Core and NOW 2 Kids - Post Pregnancy!!!

StrollerFit merging with Baby Boot Camp and the Florida Road Trip.

2010-05-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

I just got back from an amazing road trip with Scott and the kids to FLA to meet my new Nephew Slade Matthew Gershman, to find out StrollerFit is merging with Baby Boot Camp. I am not sure how I feel about this but all things considering, everything will stay the same thru the summer. You will see no differences.

As for the fall, I am waiting on the information from Baby Boot Camp before I can say what will happen. I will tell you that we will continue to have classes and get together into the future.

Now for our trip. Day one we drove about 8 hrs to DC, where we went to the National Zoo. the kids loved the Panda's and the birds. Then we had dinner with brian, Kathy and JC. Julianna pulled a chair into her face and ended up with a few scratches and a bloody lip. I have become my father because I took the you'll see approach to it all and she did, no worse for the wear.

We stayed at JC & Bj's that night and left the next morning after a leisurely breakfast for South Carolina where we stayed with Shelly and Michael. Joey had a blast with michael's remote contral cars.

Day three we headed for FLA. We stopped in Daytona beach and walked around the race track. Joey loves the home depot car because it is driven by a tony and he got up close and personal with it. More on home depot later. Then we ended the day at my Aunt Ali's on Vero Beach.

We spent Day four at my Aunt's. She tried to teach Joey how to play tennis, we went to the pool and the private beach, then we snuck into the Vero Beach disney Resort, where Joey did the water slide atleast 20 times. Then I cooked dinner and the kids went off to see the boats at the marina.

Day five we had breakfast at a small airport where Joey and Julianna watched the planes take off and land. They both were mesmerized. Then we spent the Afternoon at My Brother Keith and his wife Melissa's house in the pool, before going to there son's Bris. Our new nephew is adorabel and the kids had a ball on the play ground and playing in and out of the pool with Papa (my dad). mthen we headed to Michele, Mike and Zacks's house.

Day six we hung out with my dad at the playground and went out to lunch before he flew home to grandma in Vegas. (She could not be with us, due to her current treatment). That night I made a great dinner and we sat cnd chatted into the night with Mike and Michele, Aunt Barb, Marc, Mike and Carole.

Day seven we decided to drive as far as we could. We went to Steak n Shake for lunch in honor of my Road trip to vegas with Julie and then stopped somewear in Sout Carolina for dinner. While there we took the kids to Home Depot, Joey wanted to fing Joey and the HD race car. the Raqce this weekend is in Darlington not far from where we were, and Jeoy Logano was going to sign autographs in that store, the next day, we were a day too early. The kids drove the HD race car shopping cart, did donuts with it with Scott and ran laps around the store. The rode tractors and other large equipment for over an hr, they had a ball and it was free, who needs Disney World...ok we do, but free fun with a little imagination is great. at one point joey told scott the raqce car had a flat tire and they needed a pit crew, so I became the pit crew and repaired it. We then drove for another 2 hours and stayed in Fayetteville, SC for the night.

Day eight we drove to Richmond to see race cars, since Daytona that is all Joey wanted to do, but the track and shop were closed for lunch, so we headed to the Metro DC area. we went for a late linch with JC, saw here condo that is being built and her office and then had a fabulous dinner cooked by BJ. We were going to drive home but decided to stay when we realized they live a few minutes from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Day Nine we packed the car, took the kids to the Air and Space Museaum where Joey saw the planes, space shuttle and some of the transformer stuff from the movie. HE loved the shark plane, which is really called a tiger plane. Scott was in heaven. Then we drove home and arrived back at about 8 pm

What a great trip. Loved seeing everyone and meeting my new nephew.

Jamie Oliver's Chicken Finger test

2010-03-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

So the StrollerFit moms were all over the premiere and 2nd episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. We discussed the chicken finger test he did and how the kids were grossed out by the bones, guts and extra skin used to make the frozen chicken nuggets, but in the end they were still willing to eat them. Scott and I were discgusted and, I now know why I make my own. They are so easy to do.

Take boneless chicken breasts cut them into nuggets or strips, I usually do stips.

take in a bowl use an egg or egg whites and mix to use as a binder

in a second bowl add bread crumbs (I use seasoned panko-japaneese bread crumbs for added crunch) or crushed corn flakes.

I place mine on a wire rack sprayed with pam on a lined cookie sheet for added crunch on both sides, but you can bake on a parchment paper lined or sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

I make a large batch at once and freeze them in bags with 4 or 5 in a bag, just enough for a serving for both kids.

So last week I said I would keep track of the kids food, and I did but it was a crazy week and I did not get it on the blog. Joey and Julianna ate a lot of yokids squeeze yogurt. I use to buy the stoney field squeeze yogurt but can not find them lately and he likes the squeezies as he calls them. I happened to read the package and I am sure I read it before, but some of the flavors have High Fructose Corn Syrup, some do not. So I am going to try to locate the stoney fields again, and be careful if I by the yoplait to look at the flavors and only buy the ones without the HFC. they still have coloring and preservatives, but this is still a better option then some of the other stuff they couls eat.

Joey at fruit leather, all natural, no additives or preservatives, can find in walmart, but better selection and cheaper at trader joes. They both ate dried fruit and nuts, cherrios, pb&j (homemade jelly from our fruit picking last summer, it freezes well) on sandwich thins, grill cheese on whole wheat bread, chicken, apples, carrots, celery with pb, wild rice, shrimp, potatos, salad with dip (a little low fat dressing that I made), pancakes with real maple syrup, and lots of milk and water with a little juice. They had low fat fudgcicles a few nights, joey had a few lollipops and some of the candy from easter egg hunting, but over all they eat healthy. He did snack on rice crispy treats that we made from scratch and had a few special k bars, but I think we are on the right track here. Lunch & dinner for Joey was usually cereal, yogurt or what we were eating with some fruit and/or veggies. I am glad me kids are not too pickie when it comes to food.

It is raining again and StrollerFit is back inside. Tomorrow is a big day, Joey's First Day of scholl, YEAH! Will try to remember to post pictures.

Jamie Oliver's New Show "Food Revolution"

2010-03-22T05:33:00.000-07:00

I watched the first episode of Jmie Oliver's Food Revolution and was disgusted by some of the things I saw and heard. First ws pizza for breakfast at a elementary school. Now I can not say I have never ha pizza or pasta for breakfast, but that was in college not kindergarten. Then Jamie was told that each meal must have2 breads, this was a government guideline and mashed potatos met the guideline for a vegetable, last time I checked it was a starch and potato buds with oil and other additives sem to me to be more of a proceesed connconction then a food at all.

When the kids were given the choose of frozen pizza or healthy chicken and salad, what do you think they choose. the pizza of course. It will be interesting to see how Jamie faires in the school with the ladies that work in the cafeteria and the town as a whole. The town he is in has been classified as the most unhealthy in the Us and the US as a country is the most unhealthy in the world, making them the most unhealhy town in the world.

So I think about some of my favorite food issues: High Frustose corn syrum and processed foods in general. I havbe no problems with addititives or preservatives to a point, but too much processed foods is not good for any of us and I am happy to report both my children like fruits and vegetables and eat a pretty healthy diet.

I am vowing to my blog readers and my StrollerFit moms out there that I am going to continue to teach my kids to be healthy and to continue to read labels and try to feed my children the best food I can, which is not always easy, especially when we are on the run.

I have decided to journal for a week what my kids eat and see what changes I can make.

So far today they have had yoplait squeeze yogurts, not the best yogurt with the food coloring and additivies but not the worst choose either. they had dry heerios, no milk (have to o to the store) they drank the milk when they got up, and 1/2 a banana each. Not abad start for the day.

Lets see what they eat the rest of the day.

Some benefits of StrollerFit

2010-03-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

We all want to get rid of that post-pregnancy pudge and tone up those toddler-lifting arms, but if you're like most modern, multitasking parents, you don't have a ton of time for long, involved workouts. I know I don't, Which is why StrollerFit is great for moms that have busy schedules, from classes with kids to working to dr's visits to you name it.

StrollerFit gives moms and dads a place to bond with your baby, meet other active parents and get a good workout — all at the same time.

Medical experts have said that by making health habits a priority in your life, you in turn make them a priority for your children, a sentiment echoed in recent months by first lady Michelle Obama. “Our children are on track to be less healthy than we are,” Obama said in January when she kicked off the Let's Move campaign against childhood obesity. “And truly, if we're really honest with ourselves, it's not hard to understand how this happens.”

StrollerFit is a workout that encourages you to bring your baby along, so Checkout one of the many strollerFit classes in the US that offer a total body workout — running, jogging, core work, strength training, etc. — all done with a stroller.

In my classes in Northbridge and Milford, MA my son and the other kids lunge with the moms, they cando squats ad one even does planks. It is amazing to see them follow our lead and workout without it being called a workout. One of the moms tells the story at hom, her daughter pushes her baby stroller while lunging and says "look mommy, I amdoing StrollerFit like you!" My son loves to tell me to run faster and lets go up the hill o we can come down really fast.

StrollerFit encourages an interactive environment for kids, incorporating activities such as singing kids songs, talking about colors and vegetables, saying the ABCs and counting in different languages into workouts. YM one year old has learned row row row your boat and the wheels on the bus from us singing them in StrollerFit.

We are building strong, confident moms and strong, confident kids!

Go out and try a class because both you and baby will benefit and the benefits are amazing all around!

Eating After a Workout

2010-03-16T05:56:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about my post StrollerFit activites. One of themsmaking Joey andmyelf lunch, Julianna is usually naping and has lunch later. We do not eat on a schedule, but since we get up early, we usually eat within the hour after arriving home from StrollerFit. I usually have a piece of fruit when I get home because I am hungry and want a healthy snack.

I just read an article that reminded me "What you eat after you work out may be the most important meal of your day. That's because muscles that have been exercised are thirsty, hungry, and stressed. Making the right food choices may make all the difference in avoiding muscle soreness and fatigue. They may also power up your next workout."

Remember that your body demands water, carbohydrates, and protein after a workout. Its primary goals during the post-workout (two hours after exercise) are rehydration, muscle recovery and repair, and blood sugar/electrolyte stabilization. If you don't feed it, your body will feed itself by dipping into valuable glycogen, protein, and electrolyte stores.

Some people make the mistake of avoiding eating after exercise because they think they'll burn fat and lose more weight this way. That's not how it works. Fat is one of the last nutrient resources your body will turn to for its immediate needs. That's why it's important to give it a healthy meal within two hours of exercise. Proper nutrition helps your muscles heal from the stress of exercise and metabolize energy more efficiently. Figuring out what to eat after a workout is simple science.
What should you eat? Carbs and protein. As its main energy source, your body burns glycogen (sugar) derived from carbohydrates. Glycogen is stored in the muscles. By replacing carbs soon after exercise, you replenish your glycogen stores and avoid muscle breakdown. If you don't replace those carbs, your body will break down muscle cells to help itself to the sugar. The result? Fatigue and muscle loss.
Protein is the building block for muscle fiber. While it won't release the instant energy your body needs immediately, it will help provide the nutrients needed to help tired muscles recover and rebuild the tiny tears that come with exercise. Protein helps you build the stronger muscles that will metabolize energy and help you lose weight. It also helps you avoid sugar highs and lows from burning carbs quickly.

So with this energy I will stick with piece of fruit and add some protein, one good choose is an apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

So after strollerFit or any exercise remember that you need to eat and replinsh your water. Also if it is hot outside remember you need to drink more fluids.

NO More Diapers for Joey!!

2010-03-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

Joey has decided he is a big boy. He has been in Underwear since Mid-February. He loves being a big boy. He hads been sleeping in pull ups or the left over diapers but wakes up in the morning dry, so we decided to give it a shot and try underwear. Knock on wood he has been dry. We have had a few poop accidents and a peeing accident when he was a sleep on a long car ride but other than that, he does nto even tell me, he just goes.

I also bought new toilet seats that have a smaller seat inside the lid and he loves that he can sit on the big potty without falling in. He also loves announcing to anyone who will listen that he is a big boo because he pees in the potty so I guess he no longer needs batteries (For anyone that did not hear, in January he told me he could not be, his pecker was broken, it needed batteries....I wondered where do you put the batteries?)

I have a feeling Julianna will follow suit being that she has been trying to keep up. She walked at 10 months and climbed the stairs safely up at 9 months and now at 12 months safely can come down the stairs. She is fasinated with sitting on Joey; little potty so I think once she can tell us she needs to pee she will be trained too. They grow up so fast. I was just pregnant with him and he is going to be 3 and she is almost 13 months ols. The moms at StrollerFit talk about when you are a teenage life is moving so slow. You can not wait to drive, have your first kiss, go to college, get married etc. When you have kids it seems like life speeds up, you get pregnant and in a blink of an eye they are already off to school.

So Remember to cherish every moment with your children

The 10 secrets of StrollerFit

2010-03-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

I must give credit, where credit is due to Wendy in California for this list. It is all true and they are just some of the reasons if you have not tried a class you should.

1. It's been documented in several articles and studies. When you push a stroller, you are burning more calories than walking alone. Us moms are always looking for a way to multi task and StrollerFit does this.

One article claims walking at a brisk pace can burn 100 calories, a brisk walk with a stroller bumps that up to 180 calories! Not only will you be able to squeeze in that exercise, but you'll also be more efficient while doing it. ediets Diet & Fitness blog

2. Walking with a stroller is not the only secret weapon of StrollerFit. Many of our exercises use resistance bands and tubes. The principle behind these is strengthening the muscle on the lengthening phase, much like pilates. This creates long, lean sexy muscles.

3. The weighted mommymuscle bar combines strength and resistance into one exercise. Using the muscle in both directions, increasing muscle strength. Muscle burns more calories than fat..so more muscle is good.

4. Your body burns calories while you are doing a cardiovascular exercise, like a brisk stroller walk. Do a StrollerFit class adding resistance training to that cardio and you'll keep burning calories for up to 48 hours after you're done.

5. No one has ever asked me why we sing in StrollerFit, or why I'm always encouraging moms to sing louder. Seems obvious right? Nice loud singing entertains our kiddos, what baby doesn't enjoy Ring around the Rosy, or what toddler doesn't like picking the farm animal for Old McDonald? True, but there is a bonus reason. When you sing, your uptake of oxygen increases. Making the effort of singing while exercising even more challenging AND building cardiovascular fitness. AHHH HAAA!

6. Adding imbalance to our exercises with the mommymuscle ball, or by doing them on one foot engages the core muscles, improves the proprioception sense and challenges the body even more. Balance is also a sense that will decrease overtime if we don't continue to challenge it. Weight bearing, gravity based activities increase our sense of balance and keep it from diminishing as we age.

7. Combining weight, resistance and imbalance really bumps up the calorie burn and effectiveness of the workout as a whole. Making the most of the short time moms have to exercise each day.

8. Above all, I believe the greatest part of the mommymuscle theory used in StrollerFit is that it allows a new mom who is also new to exercise to work at her own level, while working out right next to a mom who has exercised her whole life and is also being challenged. Now that is an all levels class.

9. The social advantages of working out with other moms are obvious. We love being in the company of others who understand we may need to stop to explain to our toddler why she can't hit her sister, or stop to nurse a baby who woke up late and is off schedule. It's also just fun to be around other moms in general.

10. Last but not least, I bribe the kids. Stickers, fun songs, tickling feet...it's all to get them to ask you "mom, are we going to StrollerFit today?" No not really, I just adore kiddos, but it's an advantage for sure.

So, the secrets have now been revealed. You now know why you were able to go from 34 squats to 48 in an 8 week time period, why your pants fit and why you're now able to unload the dishwasher while balancing your toddler on your hip without falling over.

See YOU in class mamas!

Adding Nutrients to Kids Meals

2010-03-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

SO my Blogging has been slacking as I have gotten busier with the kids and life ingeneral. I recently have been talking with Sara Eberle, Producer & Host of the MommaJam Podcast and she sent out an email after her interview with Denielle Finkelstein regarding kids and shuning vegetables.

This made me think of the things I have read recently and the conversations we have in StrollerFit about food. First off does anyone know what the statistic is of kids who eat french fries, mash potatoes and other forms of potato as a vegetable - over 60%. Potato is not a vegetable it is a starch. The StrollerFit moms talk about the veggies and fruits there kids do and do not eat. Mine eat a lot and I am amazed at how many eat few or non at all and how many moms sneak in veggies.

Here is the info Sara sent from her podcast, I hope it makes you think about whaty your kids eat:

Some moms resort to sneaking fruits and vegetables into family meals to add nutrients to basic, everyday dishes that kids love, like mac ‘n cheese and pizza. Who says these standard fares need to be fattening and junky. When you infuse the recipes with naturally healthy and fresh ingredients, you boost the nutrients and flavor, making mom and kids happy.

This week’s podcast is with fellow mom Denielle Finkelstein, who talks about her successful techniques for adding fruits and vegetables to her son’s meals. Check out this podcast for great ideas on making mealtime molto bene with ingredients such as apples, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, cinnamon, vanilla, carrots, and more.

We also talk about two notorious cookbooks on the subject, “The Sneaky Chef” by Missy Chase Lapine, and “Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld. To sneak or not to sneak is a controversial topic discussed frequently online. Some moms and experts believe sneaking food leads children to have eating disorders. Others find that adding fruits and vegetables on the sly is an easy way to ensure healthy eating is a priority.

So Tune in to Sara's MommaJam Podcast to hear our solution for creating balance so kids get the vitamins and minerals they need to grow and look at what you are feeding your family, I am reevaluating what I am feeding mine.

Stay tuned for my StrollerFit PodCast on Momma Jam in the next few weeks.

What a Week!!!!

2010-03-11T05:14:00.000-08:00

What a week!!! Last week ended with us putting our dog Raven to sleep and Joey does not understand Heaven, he keeps telling us Evan stole his dog. then to this week...

It started with Joey getting a stomach bug, so I cancelled class on monday and felt yucky without a workout, and on a day that was warm and beautiful. I ended up taking the kids for a long walk later in the day when Joey seemed better.

Tuesday was my birthday. What a birthday, joey gave me his stomach bug, i was sick from noon til midnight and to top it off Scott forgot my birthday. He tried to make it up by buying me flowers but I was too sick to care.

Wed was a better day and I got tulips delivered to me from Scott. They make up his forgetfulness a bit, but he still needs to work bit more....

Today is is starting to get cold after 5 warms days so we are inside for StrollerFit and preparing for the rain and the crazy weekend. I am teaching a LGT Review friday, starting a WSI class saturday and then Sunday is the Blackstone Valley Baby Expo and then sunday night is the a benefit for a little girl with a tumor. It will be a busy few days but all great activities so today I plan to teach Strollerfit, clean the house, have a playdate with a new baby friend of Julianna's and then have dinner with a good friend.

I wanted to remind everyone that monday is the StrollerFit Open House at Milford Sports Center at 9:30 AM, with lots of fun prizes and I have a great workout planned!! Come and bring friends..

My crazy children..

2010-03-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

So today strollerFit was held at a new location, The Milford Sports Center at 132 Central St, Milford, MA. Joey was so excited to be at anew place where he could play ball. He also was excited about peeing on there big boy potty and told everyone he saw thta he did it twice. This was almost as good as him telling the girls at the supermarket bakery that he needed 2 cookies please, because he peed on the potty at the supermarket. He knows many of the emplyees at the supermarket because he sees them every week, so he told eveyone who said hi to him that he was a big boy who was wearing lightning mcqueen big boy underware and that he peed on the potty at the supermarket and that Erin in the Bakery gave him 2 cookies because he is now a big boy. It was very funny.

Julianna had fun walking and crawling on the turf at the end of class today. But I think she had the most fun climbing on me while we did planks. she only weighs 17 pounds but a climbing little girl makes planks very difficult.

The kids at class today seemed to like the new location as did the moms so hopefully StrollerFit Monday's and Wednesday's at 9:30 will get lots of new moms.

Now I am watching Joey sleep, he ran a lot and was tired and Julianna is climbing. She is going to be a handful. She climbed on a small chair, it fell over, she cried, I picked her up, she stopped crying and then went back to climbing the chair. God help me.

First Class at the Milford Sports Center

2010-03-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

Today was the first Class at the Milford Sports Center. It was a small class but a great class and a great workout. We are trying out this location to see if the new of the art, high-performance, indoor synthetic turf fields will be a greta place to hold classes indoors during the winter and during bad weather in the spring, summer and fall.

We had a great workout and you all should come check it out.

New StrollerFit Classes

2010-02-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

A brand new facility has opened in Milford, MA ad we are goign to try out StrollerFit classes there 2 days a week for the next fw weeks to see how it works. Come Check out the Milford Sports Center at 132 Central St, Milford, MA.

We will be holding StrollerFit Monday and Friday at 9:30 AM and Mommymusclesculpt at 9 AM on Wednesday. Come try a class or two for free and if you join at the first class you will receive 20% off the joinikng fee and a free gift.

We are also planning for the summer and classes at Southwick Zoo and Louisa lake. We hope you will come and join us and see what e are all about.

www.StrollerFit.com/BlacksoneValley

http://www.milfordsportscenter.com/

Don't forget we are still offering Restore the Core at the Village Congregational Church in Whitinsville Thursday's at 8 PM and Saturday's at 8:30 AM

what a whirlwing the last few weeks have been...

2010-02-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

I hav not posted in a few weeks. Between the kids and I being sick and al the crazy things we have been doing, life has been busy.

Where to start. We wet to NY for Scott's Birthday the weekend of Janaury 30. It was very cold when we went into NYC on sunday so we stayed inside the hotle my cousins were at, but had a great time anywa. It was fun to watch Joey with my cousin shimon playing on the bed. Julianna got an early b-day gift, an american girl baby doll and Joey got a plane which he loves and continues to tewll me it is going to fly to Californ (which is whre all planes go in his world).

We have been working on potty training with Joey. He uses the potty when he gts up in the morning and at bed time, the rest of the day is hit or miss, no pun intended. In the past few weeks he has been hysterical, one day he told me he could not pee on the potty, his peckie was broken and needed batteries, I proceeded to call Scott and Ask where do you put thebatteries in that, and we had a good laugh. He is very literal sometimes, last week, we were home and he was in his big boy underwear and I reminded him, he was not to p in his underwaer and remember to keep them dry. So he says, mommy the floor is wet, I peed on the floor, but my underwear is dry. I forgot to say you need to pee in the potty, so he did what i said and kept the underwear dry. I love potty training..

As for Julianna, she is going to be one on thursday. She is walking a few steps on her own, she is a climber, she is climbing up the stair and if i forget to close the bottom kitchen drawer all the way she climbs in and sits in it. She loves to draw or maybe i should say she loves to eat the crayons.

I love having the two kids, they are so different and it is amazing to watch the grow and change.

We are into the 4th week on the StrollerFit Mommymuscle Challenge and I think the moms that are participating are getting a lot out of it. It has been great fun. We have gotten some new moms that are joining us and I am lookign forward to taking class outdoors.

I hae lots of pictures to post, I will try to do that tonight.

Motivation fortoday..

2010-01-29T08:03:00.000-08:00

Flat tire motivator? I'll say it again...if you have a flat tire, do you get out of your car, pop the other 3 and sit on the side of the road and cry? NO OF COURSE NOT!!!! You fix the tire and continue on your journey. So don't pop your other three tires, fix the one flat one and move on..."

This is for al of you out there tha did not get all your workouts in this week or ate something that you thought you shouldn't have or the scale went up instead of down. I hope this helps you get through this small heartbreaks and makes today better than yesterday.

Injury Proof Your Body!!

2010-01-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

Wendy a StrollerFit owner in California reminded me today with her blog, how important it is to strengthen and recondition your Core especailly after pregnancy.

Here is what she wrote:

After hearing about yet another friend with a back injury from doing a normal, every day task I felt compelled to say something. One of the perks of bearing our children is alot of stretching, loosening and sagging in many parts of the body...including the abdomen and core. Vaginal delivery or cesarean..same result in this department ladies. I know, I know, this is not something any of us need to be told. We know it! We feel it! We live it!
So the news is this, you CAN do something about it. I quote, "Retraining the core muscles will allow a mom to move through her life with lower risk of injury to her back, less muscular fatigue, less energy loss and greater self esteem." Straight from the restore the core instructor manual. Every single week, someone tells me or emails me about their personal experiences as they build core strength. It doesn't always sound like the quote, but it always is a version of it. "I find myself sitting up taller in the car." "My low back doesn't ache anymore after 30 minutes or MORE of rocking the baby in the middle of the night." " I bought a new pair of pants yesterday... a size smaller than I wore before having my child." "I can run without fear of peeing my pants." Don't be alarmed, these are actual quotes from actual moms. How could I make this stuff up if I wanted to?
What is my core? you might ask. Well, your core consists of all the muscles that attach to your spine and pelvis. These include abs, back, legs, hips and more. By training or retraining all of these muscles to balance each other out and work together you build a strong core. A woman with a strong core will actually engage her core muscles before moving her arms and legs. For example, if you have to reach across your body to quickly catch a bouncing ball (or sprinting 2 year old) while twisting you are much less likely to injure yourself if you have engaged all the core muscles first. Ha ha! Saved from days of ibuprofen, ice, walking slowly and explaining to a child why you can't roller skate with her today.
The restore the core format does just this. A hundred sit ups a day will train your rectus abdominus (the "six pack" muscles down the front of your body) but it will not strengthen your back, obliques or hip flexors that can save you from injury. In each class, we strengthen the core muscles one by one and increase the challenge over time. And there is hope for those of us who have "babies" who are not babies anymore. No matter how long ago you had your children, you'll benefit from this class.

Come try it! Your first class is free. http://www.strollerfit.com/

If you live in Central Massachusetts 2 new Restore the Core Classes will begin next week contact cari at Cari.Fisher@StrollerFit.com or StrollerFitblackstonevalley@gmail.com

New Members and new classes

2010-01-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

I recently had two new members join my StrollerFit lcass, Jackie, mom of Mason and a pediatric resident and Karen, mom to Landon and Kaia na d the Editor of the Daily Northbridge Times (an online local news site) Both are participating in the 8 Week Mommymuscle Challenege with many of my other StrollerFit moms. I want to welcome them all to the group and let moms know that they can come try class for free anytime. All are welcome.

Karen is doing a blog about the challenge. If you want to follow along with KAren about her progress check out the blog at http://www.northbridgetimes.com/SiteBlog-482.113122_Northbridge_Nation.html

On other news, 2 New Restore the Core Classes will begin next week at the Village Congregational Church in Northbridge. They will be 6 week sessions, Thursday Evenings 7:30-8:30 PM or Sat from 8:30 AM -9:30 AM. Come try one or both classes. You do not have to be a mom to participate and husbands are welcome too. Hope to see you in class!

how to overcome exercise boredom..

2010-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

The Mommymuscle challenege is on at StrollerFit Blackstone Valley and across the country at a StrollerFit location near you.

I believe the new moves, the new music (if I remember the radio) and the new drills/activities I am doing in class will help to keep my StrollerFit moms from having exercise boredom. I try to do different workouts, different warmups, different core eexercises and different songs for the kids so as not to face exercise boredom. But sometimes it maybe unavoidabloe depending on what you are doing. There are many reasons not to exercise, lets make sure boredom is not one of them!

Here are 5 steps to help you get over exercise boredom...

1. What's your problem? Evaluate your fitness routine and determine what's causing exercise boredom. Then, make a choice:

            a) Eliminate it. Quit running on the treadmill if it's driving you crazy. There are countless ways to
                work out.
            b) Change it. Add something new to make it fun again. Try a StrollerFit, Restore the Core or
                Mommymusclesculpt class
           c) Do it anyway. Accept that it's good for you, and work through it.
2. Multitask. Keep your mind busy while you're working out. Watch TV, read a magazine, or listen to music to stave off exercise boredom.

3. Make it a combo. Try exercises that combine cardio, strength, and flexibility training. Fast-paced yoga like Vinyasa and Bikram gets your heart rate up while simultaneously providing cardio and flexibility benefits. Jumping rope provides a two-for-one cardio/strength training workout. Or try a Mom N Tot Yoga class where you workout with your child. Get the benefits of Yoga while bonding with your child.

4. Involve your loved ones. Friends and family and make your workout a social occasion. Commit to a workout buddy so that you'll show up, even when you don't feel like it. You know it will be fun once you start.   At StrollerFit you have two or more people to help make your workout a special occassion, your child(ren) and the moms that you have formed a bond with. If your children are out of the Stroller you can still come to any of the classes offered by StrollerFit.

Contact your local SrollerFit Franchise owner and begin working out and overcoming any fitness bordom you may have.

5. Go retro. Nothing beats exercise boredom better than a workout that's fun and funny. Check out old videos like Jane Fonda's complete workout (yes, she's wearing a thong unitard and has a spiral perm) or Richard Simmon's Party Off the Pounds DVD and rock out 80's style. You'll burn extra calories laughing your socks off.

10 ways to make Exercise a Habit

2010-01-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

Your best bet for health is to start a lifelong fitness habit. But you may find yourself breaking that habit unless you find ways to keep it fun, fresh, and energizing. So, what gets in the way of lifelong fitness? Most people cite boredom, lack of time, and no motivation as reasons why they stop working out. Here, we've got ten great tips for making exercise a habit you'll never want to break.

Make it fun. You're more likely to exercise if it's enjoyable. Choose sports you love or want to learn. Work out with friends. Blast your favorite music.

Put your health first. Take yourself off the bottom of your to-do list and give your health the #1 position it deserves. Making exercise a habit means you'll be around longer for all the people who depend on you. This is important when you are a mom, we put everyone before ourselves and then our health suffers.

Save the date. Make a daily appointment with yourself for fitness. Treating exercise like you would a business meeting, dinner date, or medical appointment will help you take it seriously. (My StrollerFit workouts are in the calendar and I try not to make appointments during them, so as not to miss a workout or the other moms!!!)
Mix it up. Nobody wants to do the same old thing every day. Cross train or engage in multiple sports or exercises to keep your mind and body interested. (which we do everyday in StrollerFit)
Keep a diary. Write down what you did, or didn't do for fitness each day, and review it weekly. If you find you're skipping certain days or taking shortcuts, evaluate what might be standing in your way. Were you too busy, tired, or bored? Consider more convenient times of day or locations for exercise.

Pick the right time. Most people who successfully make exercise a habit work out out either first thing in the morning or on their way home from work before other commitments and responsibilities take over their schedule.

I thought these were great tips for my StrollerFit moms as we begin the Mommymuscle challenge

Eat This not that - Breakfast

2010-01-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

The Authors of Eat this not that says "Skip the cold cereal: Eating eggs and bacon in the morning can help you control your hunger later in the day"

they reference a study from Indiana University scientists that determined that dieters who consumed their biggest dose of daily protein at breakfast felt full longer than those who ate more of the nutrient at lunch or dinner. The upshot: “They were less likely to overeat the rest of the day,” says study author Heather Leidy, Ph.D. To fend off hunger, shoot for at least 20 to 30 grams of protein at breakfast.

so in 2010 lets try to get some protein in our diets before the Mommymuscle challenge workouts!

January - Mommymuscle 8 week Challenege and other news...

2010-01-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

We have just done two amazing challeneges this past fall, first was our "Hot Mamas Challenege" and then we did the "Fitness takes No Holiday's Challenege" Congrats Tracy for winning both.

Ladies are you ready fro a new a challenege in 2010 that will be held across the country. The 8 week Mommymuscle challenge starts Monday, January 18, 2010. Like the Hot Mamas Challenge you will be assessed before the challenge at at the end.

Are you ready to take your fitness to the next level? It's very important that you sign up for one of the "pre-screening" slots during the first two weeks of January...during this time I will administer a few short fitness assessments (results are kept between you and me)...then in March I'll administer them again...and you'll be amazed at the results.

Fitness assessments will take place before StrollerFit classes Mon, Tue, Thur and Fri from 8:30-9:30 AM or in the afternoon before 3 PM. Ideally two moms will sign up for each slot, so one can keep an eye on the kids while the other focuses on the "tests." I have a sign up book, so email me or talk to me at class to set up your assessment.

Coming at the end of the month will be another moms night out for Japanese, date is still being determined and a new Restore the Core Saturday session and a weeknight Restore the Core Power session, details will be available in the next few days, so keep checking the blog for information.

January is Bring a Friend to StrollerFit Month. Bring a friend and get a prize. They will recieve 20% off the joining fee.!!!

Fitness Takes NO Holiday!

2009-12-31T10:41:00.000-08:00

Well Last week we had a new weekly winner, Congrats Jesy!

This week the numbers were close but Jennifer L took the lead for the week!

Today we ended our challenge with an amazing 90 minute workout care of Katie Rhodes in Ohio. I tweeked it a little for my moms, but over all it was her heart pumping, ass kicking workout and my legs are feeling it. I have decided we are going to try to do one of those cardio workouts a week. Maybe tuesday's before Mom n Tot Yoga. We shall see.

The overall winner by just a few points was.......

Tracy H!

Congrats for Tracy for taking a second challenge in a row. Can she win the 8 week mommymuscle challenge, or will someone break her record. I guess we will see in a few weeks. Don't for get the challlenege begins January 18, 2010.

Happy New Year Ladies!

The final reason "Why Fitness takes No Holiday!"

2009-12-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

Lets recap the first reasons 9 "Why Fitness Takes NO Holiday's!":

Reason #1 - Exercise has the ability to improve your immune system and help you fight off colds, flu and other infections. It can even help you recover faster from a minor infection. So don’t stop exercising just because you are a little bit under the weather.

Reason # 2 - Increased immune function – cardio vascular conditioning makes your immune cells function better every day due to increased oxygen uptake. Why Does Exercise Improve Immunity? No one really knows for sure, but there are a few theories:When you exercise, your body increases the speed at which it removes waste products."
Reason #3 -Cortisol flusher! Moderate exercise is a great way to flush coritsol (stress hormone) which can make us crabby, tired and hungry for sugar!

Reason #4 - Fat burner! Proper exercise burns fat, lowering your risk of many diseases and conditions.
Reason #5 - Happy hormone producer- exercise increases the amount of serotonin in our system which elevates our mood and helps us sleep better!

Reason #6- Carbohydrate conserver - more fit you become the less carbohydrate you expend during exercise which means you have more energy for all those things you wish you had the energy to do!

Reason #7 Why Fitness takes no Holiday: Money saver! Exercise throughout the holiday season and you won’t be buying a bigger clothing size in Jan!

Reason #8 Why Fitness Takes no Holiday: Time Saver– low on time? Already too many places to go this holiday season? Exercise for 3 hours a week and you may just avoid the doctor’s office all together this holiday season!
Reasons # 9 Why Fitness Takes no Holiday: CRAZY relatives! No one is going to make you feel bad for leaving them for one hour to exercise! Exercise is a great excuse to get away for one hour and decompress!

And Reason # 10 is.....................................

YOU DESERVE IT – why should all of these benefits and more be for someone else? You work so hard all year round to take care of others T’is the season to give back to yourself!

Check out StrollerFit and see what's coming in January with the 8 week Mommymuscle Challenge

StrollerFit Moms are you really hungry?

2009-12-28T05:22:00.000-08:00

I read an article online today about hungry, are you hungry or is your body faking you out?

Here are 4 things you need to look at when you think you are hungry. The article comes from Brooke Joanna Benlifer, RD (www.brookejoannanutrition.com) for Sheer Balance

Our appetites can be quite the pranksters. It often fools us to think we are hungry, when often, we may be suffering from something completely different. Distinguishing between false hunger and true hunger will help you know when your body really needs food and when it needs something else.

1. Hunger Due to Eating the Wrong Food: Symptoms include craving high sugar foods or feeling “hungry” soon after eating a meal. If you just had a big meal that is high in simple carbohydrates and did not contain fiber, protein or healthy fat, all of which help provide a sense of satiety, you may have experienced a drop in blood sugar. In this case, have a healthy snack, such as a piece of fresh fruit and nuts, or cottage cheese or celery and peanut butter or 1/2 of a sandwich on whole grain bread).

2. Emotional Hunger: Sometimes, our appetites can go haywire when we are experiencing boredom, fear, anxiety, stress or loneliness. Try taking a walk, journaling, listening to some favorite music, calling a friend or chewing a piece of mint gum instead. Read a book, go to a “safe place” like a library or museum or park where you will not be tempted to overeat or distracted by food. Take a bath, meditate, or think about what REALLY would satisfy you, vs. eating to stuff down emotions you do not want to confront.

3. Hunger Due to Sleepiness: Experts at http://www.webmd.com/ state that two major hormones, leptin and ghrelin, affect and control sensations of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, while leptin, made in fat cells, alerts the brain that you have had enough to eat. Lack of sleep causes a significant drop in leptin levels as well as an increase in ghrelin levels, a so called double whammy for appetite control and feelings of satiety. Daytime fatigue may lead people to overeat (often, high sugar, nutrient poor foods) in an attempt to get an extra surge of energy. This is equivalent to placing a Band-Aid on the true problem. It provides only temporary relief, which is soon followed by a crash in energy levels and a resurgence of “hunger” leading to more snacking, increased sugar cravings, etc….a vicious cycle. If you are feeling mid-afternoon hunger pains, try: a brisk 10 min walk around the block (fresh air helps, as does exercise, to boost alertness and increase circulation), a cup of green tea (high in antioxidants and low in caffeine relative to coffee), a 1/4 cup of almonds and a small apple (high in protein, healthy fat and carbohydrates, low in sugar, and a good source of magnesium and fiber). Even taking a few deep breaths can help curb fatigue!

4. Hunger Due to Thirst: We often mistake thirst for hunger. Try drinking a glass or two of water to identify whether you are truly hungry or just slightly dehydrated, in which case water is the perfect antidote!

When you are really experiencing true hunger, however, it is pretty clear to identify. For instance, a growling stomach will cause us to be cranky and unfocused…until we get some food, that is! If it has been four hours since your last meal or snack, you may well be truly hungry. Don’t ignore true hunger…doing so may exacerbate it and cause you to overeat to compensate for the missed calories. It is important to eat regularly and consistently to keep energy levels elevated and avoid dips in blood sugar. Try to include fruits and vegetables at each meal and snack, along with some protein (cheese, beans, lean meat/poultry/fish) and some healthy fat (avocado, olives, nuts, oil). This whole foods approach will help keep you at a healthy weight and lessen the likelihood for emotional hunger to rear its head!

For me I usually eat for boredom, emotional eating or when I do not realize I am thirsty. I try to drink first, if that does not help then I eat some of the healthy snacks I have around the house or go do something else when I know I am not hungry like going for a walk.

What do you do, I would love to know how you keep from eating when you are not truely hungy?

Milk does a body Good!

2009-12-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

To my Strollerfit moms,

We have all seen the commercials regarding 3 glasses of milk a day and the other benefits, but here is an even better one that I am going to try and see what it does...

The author of "Eat This, Not That" writes about the best foods to keep on hand and he lists Organic Valley Chocolate Milk. Here is why:

160 calories

2.5 g fat (1.5 g sat)
9 g protein
27 g carbs

"Meet your new postworkout beverage. Researchers found that not only does milk do a better job rehydrating the body than water or sports drinks but that chocolate milk repairs muscles 40 percent faster than plain milk."

So I do not know if my stores sell Organic Valley Chocolate Milk, but I love chocolate milk and anything that will repair my mommymuscles after a workout a rehydrate me sounds like something I am up for trying. I am tryin g to get more milk into my diet and trying to remember to eat a healthy snack after working out. so I am going to try low fat organic Chocolate milk this week and see how I feel and what it does to my body post workout, anyone want to join me?

checkout the other foods on the list at http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slideshow/perfect-refrigerator#title

Another Reason Why Fitness Takes No Holidays from StrollerFit

2009-12-23T05:26:00.001-08:00

Reasons # 9 Why Fitness Takes no Holiday: CRAZY relatives! No one is going to make you feel bad for leaving them for one hour to exercise! Exercise is a great excuse to get away for one hour and decompress!

Another Reason Why Fitness Takes No Holidays from strolleer

2009-12-23T05:25:00.001-08:00

Reasons # 9 Why Fitness Takes no Holiday:CRAZY relatives! No one is going to make you feel bad for leaving them for one hour to exercise! Exercise is a great excuse to get away for one hour and decompress!

Oh the snow..

2009-12-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

SO I would say we had about a foot. My legs are tired from going up and back with the snow blower (glad our driveway is not a hill!) so Tomorrow I think we will focus on cardio conditioning, upper body and core work at StrollerFit.

Here are the kids in the snow..

Tomorrow we make a snowman or two I promised!!!

Eat This no That!

2009-12-18T11:32:00.000-08:00

If you have not seen the book Eat This Not that by David Zinczenko then you should check it out. They have fast food versions, restaurants, kids meals and many others. The book has restaurant secrets that the restaurants do not want you to know like: Ruby Tuesday's does not want you to know the veggie burger has 952 calories and 53 grams fo fat. There is nothing healthy about that veggie burger. The 2010 book is out and here are some tidbits:

This is from the Men's Health website and it is good stuff:

A hamburger isn't, by itself, a terrible nutritional choice. Topped with some lettuce and tomato, ketchup, and mustard—and placed in a relatively small bun—a burger is a high-protein treat that shouldn't pack too much fat or too many calories. But just as country music went from skinny little Hank Williams playing honky-tonks to Garth Brooks touring stadiums—and just as baseball went from wiry Jackie Robinson stealing home to muscle-bound Barry Bonds stealing homers—so have our burgers evolved from lean and simple to very fat and complicated

How hard has it become to decode the once-simple hamburger? Get a load of these. With Eat This, Not That! 2010 we've unearthed the biggest fast-food burger bombs in America, and offer reasonable and delicious alternatives

Worst Cheeseburger with Everything

Wendy’s Double with Everything and Cheese

700 calories
40 g fat (17 g saturated, 2 g trans)
1,440 mg sodium

In the pantheon of fast-food burgers, this cannot compete with the atrocities wrought by the Double Whoppers and Six Dollar Burgers of the world. But there are too many burgers at Wendy’s to end up with this mistake. Take the Double Stack below—with small chili—for example. With 37 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, it might be the most satisfying $2 meal in America.

Eat This Instead!

Double Stack with Small Chili

550 calories
24 g fat (10.5 g saturated, 1 g trans)
1,640 mg sodium
Worst Burger and Fries

In-N-Out Burger Hamburger and French Fries (Scott loves this, so glad it is in NV and CA and not here in MA!)

790 calories
37 g fat (10 g saturated)
895 mg sodium

You’re heading into dangerous territory whenever you add fries to your order at In-N-Out. Sure, they’re trans-fat-free, but that won’t protect you from the 400 greasy, gut-bloating calories they carry. Instead, skip the fries and get serious about your burger. In-N-Out was offering up the low-carb treat long before other restaurants started making money off the Atkins craze. Take advantage of their prescience—and the 150-calorie savings—by simply tacking the phrase “protein style” onto your order.

Eat This Instead!

Protein Style Double-Double with grilled onion, ketchup, and mustard

440 calories
30 g fat (16 g saturated)

1,080 mg sodium

Worst Fast-Food Cheeseburger in America

Burger King Triple Whopper Sandwich with Cheese and Mayo

1,250 calories
84 g fat (32 g saturated, 3.5 g trans)
1,600 mg sodium

This Triple Whopper is triple trouble. You could remove two patties and still be looking at more calories than you should tussle with in one sitting. And the fact that it’s got more trans fat than you should eat in a day only adds insult to injury. The problem with BK burgers is that not a single one comes without the heart-harming trans-fatty acids, despite their long-standing promise to (someday) make their menu trans-fat-free. Your best bet when dealing with the King is to choose a chicken sandwich instead.
Eat This Instead!

Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich with Mayo

490 calories
21 g fat (4 g saturated, 0 g trans)
1,220 mg sodiuum

Bonus tip: Another way to shed pounds quickly? Download Eat This, Not That! to your iPhone. It's like having your own personal nutritionist (and details on 30,000 foods) at your fingertips!

you can go to men's health magazine (yes I know StrolelrFit is for Women, but we take our good tips from any reliable resourse and this is one) at http://www.menshealth.com/cda/custom.do?incFile=etntnl.jsp&cm_mmc=Yahoo-_-ETNT-_-Worst_Fast_Food_Burgers-_-ETNT_NL

So now I remember why I do not eat fast food often, check out the article it is very interesting and check out the book, I love them

Fitness Takes no holiday Reason # 8

2009-12-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

Reason #8 Why Fitness Takes no Holiday: Time saver – low on time? Already too many places to go this holiday season? Exercise for 3 hours a week and you may just avoid the doctor’s office all together this holiday season!

less than 2 weeks to Go.....

2009-12-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

The Fitness Takes no Holiday's Challenge is almost over. There is less than 2 weeks left in December.

Tracy won again last week for the best attendance and receiving most of the bonus points for attendance.

Congrats Tracy!!

Can anyone catch her. First, remember the first one to class gets an extra point. Second, I threw out a challenge to all weight watcher members and non weight watcher members. Journaling your food. this is a 2 part challenge.

You do not need to be a weight watcher to Journal your food. take out paper and a pen and write down everything you eat in the course of a day and how much. On December 31 turn in your journal. Everyone that journals receives 5 bonus points. all the Journals will be placed in a hat and one name will be drawn for a great prize.

Mom n Tot Yoga Coming to RBI's in January

2009-12-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

WHAT IS MOM ‘N TOT™ YOGA? A fun, interactive 40 minute yoga class for you and your child to do together! We will tell stories and 'act' out the poses. This is a FUN FUN class! WHAT AGE OF KIDS: All ages are welcome-from birth to age 10! The class is designed to KEEP kids aged 3-8 engaged in a fun interactive yoga class. Strengthen your body and your bond at the same time! Reduce you and your child’s risk of obesity and disease! Benefits for your child include...  increased concentration skills  increased self-awareness  increased self-worth and appreciation  increased balance and body control  develop self coping skills  increased coordination  reduces stress  HAVING FUN! WHEN & WHERE: The class will meet Tuesday's 10:45 AM - 11:15 AM (following StrollerFit) 6:45PM @ RBI's - 230 Douglas Rd, Whitinsville, MA

http://www.strollerfit.com/blackstonevalley Class size is limited. Call Cari @ 508-234-5811 or cell 617-834-0618To reserve your spot.

For additional details email Cari at cari.fisher@StrollerFit.com

Another Reason for Fitness Takes No Holidays

2009-12-14T16:48:00.001-08:00

Reason #7 Why Fitness takes no Holiday: Money saver! Exercise throughout the holiday season and you won’t be buying a bigger clothing size in Jan!

Sounds good to me!

Weight Management and Childhood Obesity

2009-12-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

Today Joey and I made a weight watchers recipe for Gingerbread cookies, I will let you know how they taste after the come out of the oven.

While we were doing this, I began to ponder schedules, food and childhood obesity leading to adult obesity. Today I spoke with a StrollerFit mom about schedules. anyone who knows me from my work ife knows I was always very schedule oriented, but now that I am home with the kids, I do not follow a schedule except when I have to work. The kids do not nap on a schedule (Julianna is taking 2 nice long naps everyday, finally, YEAH!) and we are not on a scheduile for meals or snacks.

The other thing with food I do not do is force them to eat when I am hungry or finish what is on there plate. My mother always said "eat what I made, this is not a restaurant!" I abide by that sort of. I am trying to get Joey know his body and learn at an early age to know when he is hungry (not starving), something I have had a hard time learning as an adult. Mid day when he says he is hungry I give him chooses for lunch. As for Dinner, if he is hungry before it is made he gets cut up veggies, yogurt or cheese, all healthy options. Then When dinner is done if he is not hungry we try to get him to stay at the table for a bit and then let him play. Later when he is hungry, I give him some of the dinner, if he does not want it he can have cereal or more veggies or fruit.

As long as he is eating healthy and not chips and chocolate I am ok if he does not eat on my schedule. I use to think kindergarteners had it great. WEake up, breakfast, 2 hrs later mid morning snack, 2 hrs later lunch, 2 hrs later afternoon snack, 2 hours later dinner (with naps and playtime in the middle). I thought this was ideal because they recommend you eat small meals, but what I realize is those kids eat by a clock not when there body says it is hungry. SO does this lead to us as adults eating on a schedule and never knowing when we are hungry and many times over eating, or because we say dinner is at 6, we are starving at dinner time and again we over eat.

I will continue to pnder and research this, but would love to hear your opinion.

Super Foods, what are they and are they really super?

2009-12-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

With the snow already here and winter upon us we all are smelling our favorite comfort foods . We started Fitness takes no Holiday's Here at Strollerfit as Halloween approached and now the New Year is just around the corner. I am willing to bet 90% of you told yourself you would eat healthier, or something like that. You can (and should) eat only your favorites in small amounts. But you should also add some superfoods to your daily regime to keep you full and satisfied!

So what are super foods. A lot has been written recently about so-called Super Foods. You know, the ones that if you believe all the hype you eat and they somehow magically work in your system to burn fat off your body. Well, the truth is that no food is a Super Food in that sense. Nothing you can eat will magically burn fat from your body! Your body will burn the calories contained in the food, but those foods won’t go on to set off some magic metabolic chain reaction that will send the fat from your hips and thighs (wouldn't that be nice though?)
Sorry for that bad news.
So we need to eat High Volume Foods. In my mind, they are the fat-burning Super Foods. These foods are full of fiber, water, and other nutrients. They make you feel full faster and therefore you consume few calories of them. When you consume fewer calories and increase you caloric consumption, your body eventually goes to your fat stores to get you the energy you need.

Think of it this way: your fat stores should be like your local convenience store where you go to pick up a couple of essentials on an as-needed basis. Unfortunately, for too many of us, our fat stores are more like giant supermarkets or price clubs where we stock too much of our reserves.
High Volume Foods will have your body shopping at those fat stores, eventually reducing their stock to convenience store size portions.
What are some other High Volume Foods? Think greens. Salad greens—minus the cheese, fatty dressings, etc—are a great source of fiber, water, and minerals. There are so many more varieties of lettuce available to us today that the usual run of the mill iceberg variety shouldn’t have to dominate your salad intake. They range in flavors from buttery (like Boston) to spicy (like Arugula) and have the same caloric value as the tried and true iceberg.
Beans are another High Volume Food that will enable you to tap into your fat reserves. As an added plus, they are great source of protein. Studies have shown that since protein takes longer to break down chemically, they stay with you longer and keep you feeling fuller longer. That’s a definite win-win situation. This are a favorite of mine, and I put them in salad so I get the protein, fiber and lots of High Volume foods.
Green Tea. It’s going to take a lot more study to convince me that green tea is actually stimulates your body to burn more calories. But it is a great after dinner treat to ward off the calories! And although they have many other great qualities like lowering cholesterol, suppressing your appetite and aiding in digestion with fiber they do not burn fat, they are simply healthy options.

So here are some other great high volume foods:
Tea/coffee (careful on the caffeine)

Low-fat Cottage cheese

Chicken, shrimp, salmon

Soup, especially broth-based soups like vegetable and chicken noodle

Barley

Whole grain products like oatmeal, whole wheat pasta and whole wheat flour products

Beans

Apples, berries, melons

So ladies my challeneg to you is to do two things, eat more High Volume Foods and journal everything you eat from now til the end of the year. For everyday you journal you will get a bonus point in the challeneg and see the weight come off. (the journal does not have to have points or claories but needs to list everything you eat and its quanity, even BLTS (Bites, Licks & Tastes) At our new Years Eve class you will turn in your journal to see how many days you journaled. then we will put all the journals in a bag and pick a journalling winner for a great prize to help you continue on your fitness and weighl loss.management journey!

How to Burn Fat Efficiently During the Holidays

2009-12-14T05:23:00.000-08:00

With the Fitness takes No Holidays Challenege on at StrollerFit, I know my moms are working hard as are moms across the country.

Here are a few tips on how to burn fat efficiently:

1. Stay well hydrated. Water is considered a weight loss aid; and can also help improve your performance in daily tasks and exercise.
2. Eat more fiber. Women should get at least 25 grams of fiber. Pregnant women should get 25-35 grams of fiber. Fiber keeps you full and flushes fat.

3. Sleep. The more rested you are, the less stressed you are. And as everyone knows sleep helps boost your energy to burn calories!
4. Do toning exercises. Have you ever wondered why men can eat more than women? One major reason is because they have more lean body mass (muscle). By doing toning exercises you will increase your lean body mass (muscle) which in turn boosts your metabolism! So get your muscle bar out at home and use it with the video or just do some of the moves we do in class.

If you do not have a video for your muscle bar or you need a new one, I have 3 different videos on sale this week. $14 (usually $21) a $7 savings.

Ladies keep up the great work!!!

Changing up the StrollerFit Routine

2009-12-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

I was talking with Wendi in Akron the other day (congrats Katie on the new baby girl!) about changing routines during the StrolelrFit classes. I change the middle of the workout everyday with new moves, drills, challenges etc., and I change the core and stretching we do on a daily basis. Some of my moms even comment on our meetup about the moves, specifically what they like and what they don't and what is feeling ther burn.

Then I read an article about cardio exercises. It talked about the benefits of cardiovascular. By adding regular cardio to your routine, you can improve or increase your:

- Heart Function
- Fat Burning
- Metabolic Rate
- Immune System
- Mental State
- Quality of Life

This is Great news! As a general guideline, you should do 30-60 minutes of cardio 4-6 days/week. Your heart needs it! Cardio is like weight training for your heart muscle – like any other muscle your heart needs to be worked out and pushed to its limits to maintain optimal performance. This made me excited, because my StrollerFit moms and I do 4 days of Cardio with weight training mixed in and one day of straight weight training.

But then I started to think, some of the moms are complaining of being on a plataue with their weight loss, as am I. I realized that my warm up is usually the same, so it is time to change it up. Look out Ladies, this week it is all about new moves in the warm up. Plus I had a Hanukkah, Holiday Party this weekend and I know I was good all day with my eating, but the peanut butter cookies made by Kerrie were amazing and I ate too many! So we will be working extra hard to keep the "Fitness Takes No Holiday Challenge" and trying not to gain the Holiday
Pounds!"

I know when you’re doing too much of the same thing your body will hit a plateau even when you are eating right!

PLATEAU = STOP LOSING WEIGHT or STOP SEEING RESULTS
The article said "A good guideline is to introduce a new form of cardiovascular exercise about every 30-60 days. For many of us, we have things we love to do and do not want to stop. Your body will respond to the change of pace." So this is what "I am going to do in class this week. Try to help myself and others, over the platgeau and make it fun. I am going to bring new music to help us get moving and to keep it fun and exciting at StrollerFit and Mommymusclesculpt!

Watch out ladies, the challenge for me to change it up is on and who knows what to expect. Make sure yo0u bring your bar to class everyday!

Save the Date

2009-12-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

Ok so I am planning early but I want to see a huge team of StrollerFit moms at this years Relay for Life in Milfird, Ma

Friday Night May 7 at 5 PM.

We will set up a tent, play games with the kids and walk to help raise money for the American Cancer Society.

the Team's name is Hip Mamas (Papas) & the Kids!

Hope you will join us for the fun.

Snow Day

2009-12-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the kids playing in the snow while I cleaned off the driveway. Mommymuscle sculpt was cancelled but I got a workout with the shovel and snow blower.

Then on Thursday and Friday I made Strollerfit classes with extra burn using the muscle bar alot, it was great!

6 Reasons to stick with your Fitness Routine thru the Holidays

2009-12-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

#1 - Exercise has the ability to improve your immune system and help you fight off colds, flu and other infections. It can even help you recover faster from a minor infection. So don’t stop exercising just because you are a little bit under the weather.
Why Does Exercise Improve Immunity? No one really knows for sure, but there are a few theories:When you exercise, your body increases the speed at which it removes waste products."

# 2 - Increased immune function – cardio vascular conditioning makes your immune cells function better every day due to increased oxygen uptake

#3 -Cortisol flusher! Moderate exercise is a great way to flush coritsol (stress hormone) which can make us crabby, tired and hungry for sugar!
#4 - Fat burner! Proper exercise burns fat, lowering your risk of many diseases and conditions.

#5 - Happy hormone producer- exercise increases the amount of serotonin in our system which elevates our mood and helps us sleep better!
#6- Carbohydrate conserver - more fit you become the less carbohydrate you expend during exercise which means you have more energy for all those things you wish you had the energy to do!

Exercise is amazing so keep up the great work ladies!

If you have not already tried StrollerFit, Mommymusclesculpt or Restore the core, get out and try class for free on us!

crafty homemade handprints

2009-12-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

Joey and I made our own clay this morning. After being sick I felt motivated to start some holiday gifts.

We used they clay to make hand prints. Julianna's 9M and Joey's 2 1/2 year old hand print.

I hear Joey yelling, "Raven NO, Get Away." I go to investigae and found the issue. We put the clay on the table to dry and Raven the dog destroyed 2 of them. So later today we will have to do it again.

anyone want a dog, I am about ready to....her. Off to StrollerFit to work off the Stress!!

Fitness Takes no Holidays - Wall sits and planks

2009-12-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

For weeks I have been challenging my moms to wall sits with different moves, or who can hold the perfect wall sit the longes, but the ultimate was last week when I challenged them to the Who can hold it the longest after a full 45 minute cardio workout. They amazed me. These women are getting Stronger daily. Keep up the great work.

We have also been challeneging our selves to see how long we can hold a perfect plank.

So here are my added challenge (thanks Shawnie - Who can hold the perfect squat the longest)? how about who can hold it the longest after the cardio workout?

Lets see what you ladies got.....

What an crazy 5 days...

2009-12-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

Where to begin. Wednesday 2 of my StrollerFit moms reported they were not feeling well. I was feeling off, but not sick. That did not remain that way for long. I woke Thursday feeling like my head was going to explode and by midafternoon I had a fever and a sore throat to boot.

I saw the Dr on Friday to find out I had Strep throat. They gave me a zpac, and by sat I was feeling better, except for lack of sleep. Joey crawled into my bed at 9 pm saying his head hurt and by 2 am he had a 102 fever. Scott slept thru it all, but I can nto complain since he had to go to work at 5 am and thur and fri while he was off he left me to sleep and entertained, feed and took care of the kids. I really do have the best husband in the world (because 3 weeks ago, since when he was sick, he did all the leaves and still helped with the kids so I could have a break everyday)!!!!

No Restore the Core saturday due to illness. and that was ok, I was too tired to teach even though I was feeling bettre. I will make it up to the ladies.

Saturday there was a flu clinic and I wanted to be nowhere near the dr's while that was going on, so we waited to the afternoon to meet head to the drs. (I missed my chance at the flu shot and H1N1 due to Strep again) I decided since Scott just got over pnemonia, I had strep and both kids had coughs and runny noses to have them both checked out. We saw Kim the nurse practitioner and a student who Julianna and Joey loved. Julianna's cough was the worse I had ever heard it at the Dr's (and have not heard it that bad since) but her chest sounded clear as did Joey's. No Strep for either of them, yeah! but Joey has an ear infection, he has had one evry december since birth, so it is par for the course. He takes the pink stuff like a champ.

Julianna had a rash last night, all over her belly, I called the dr, because it was itch (she was scratching it ) and had bumps. They sad to put bacitracian on it and watch it, could be a reaction to my med since she is till breast feeding. Thank good it was gone this am and she breast feed three times after we found the rash. But I will keep watching her.

To top the weekend off, I was going to try to work on a fe StrollerFit flyers and other stuff, but the internet was giving us a hard time. I finally got it to work at 6 PM last night, but by that point I decided to read to the kids with Scott and go to bed early.

The computer is working, I am feeling great buyt the runny noses and coughs for the kids still concern me, so we maybe going back to the dr again.n That would be 4 times for us, since they were also there last wed haviung 2nd dose of H1N1.

Lets hope for a better week. I need to get some work done and get ready for Hanukkah, it starts Friday!

Fitness Takes NO Holidays! --Did you know?

2009-12-07T05:42:00.000-08:00

Did you know that.... moderate exercise is a great way to flush coritsol (stress hormone) which can make us crabby, tired and hungry for sugar!

Just one of the many reasons to keep your exercise routine up during the holidays. What are you doing to get through the holidays lighter this year?

So I pledge after being sick for 5 days to make the rest of decembers StrollerFit classes workouts that the moms and kids will enjoy and help us to flush that cortisol.

I am adding a componet to class this month. The older kids like to do what the moms are doing so I am adding a 5-10 minute sement called kids and moms do it together. Email me at cari.fisher@StrollerFit.com if you have any great ideas. My first one is going to be an obstacle course. The winning family will get a bonus point in the Fitness takes NO Holiday Challenge and to make it fair, for those with younger children who do not run and participate (infants and those who remain in ther strollers) the winning mom during the obstacle course will get bonus points too.

Oh last weeks winner was Jennifer L, way to go Jen. The overall winner is Tracy, can anyone catch her. we shall see! It is still pretty close, it is anyones to win!

Thanksgiving Walking and Week of Fitness Takes no Holidays!

2009-11-30T05:43:00.000-08:00

What a week. The leader of Fitness Takes No Holiday is Tracy. As of now it looks like she is going to win 2 back to back challeneges. With only a few weeks left, can anyone catch her. remember you get an extra point for being first to class.

It was a wacky week. I backed and baked (helped a friend with her desserts too) and cooked a lot. But in the end I did not overeat and the next day we had a great post thanksgiving workout, I was kidless which was nice for one hour!

Julianna began to walk, sort of. she stands behind Joey's little chairs or his shopping cart and pushes them as she walks down the hall until she hits a wall and then falls on her butt. thank good for diapers and the extra padding. Then she gets up on the other side of what she was pushing and does it again. It is great to watch. I have lots of video. Wednesday while I was prepping for Thanksgiving and Joey was with daddy she did it for 45 minutes, it was so much fun to watch, I forgot about what I was doing, but worth the delay in my plans. She will be chasing Joey and the other StrollerFit kids soon enough, then help me!

Kids say the darnest thing and tales from a crazy StrollerFitclass

2009-11-24T15:41:00.000-08:00

I am experiencing the things Joey says and am amazed on a daily basis what he knows. Yesterday, we were talking about sharing with Juliannan and his friends. He told me he has one firend - Emily. When I asked about her sister Carissa he said, no she is Emily;'s big sister like I am juju's big brother, not my friend!. I can't believe he knows that and can relate the two.

Now today at Strollerfit, things were a little crazy. It was raint and cold and all the boys wanted to do while we were warming up is run around at RBI's so we let them. When we started to move they still did not want to be int he strollers, so they played on one side and we worked out with the babies on the other. It was funny to watcxh evan 3, Joey 2 and Christopher 18 m, play and follow each other into all kinds of games and trouble.

The boys wsaw us line up for line runs and they joined us. then we did a stroller obstacle course and they again followed us, doing kicks and high knees and the funniest was them trying the football runs. The best part was when we went to get water and they all got there drinks and Evan says "Mom I am tiured, that was hard wark." We laughed and his moms tracy's response was priceless, she said "Your tired? Wait til you are 40 years oild kid!"

Then they all joined us for wall squats, 10 seconds in, Evan falls to the floor and says "That's hard" It was hysterical.

My favorite part was while we stretched, Christopher decided to sit in a chair, and scooted so far back, his butt went through the back and he got caught by hsi legs, he was fine and was laughing, he wanted to do it again, when his mom Jesy got him out. The rest of us had to laugh it was funny. We then promptly put the chair away.

After our hot momas challeneg the StrollerFit moms have become competitive on 2 things planks and wall squats. I am adding side planks to the challeneg and we are going to test our selves and see who can hold them the longest in proper form at the end of the Fitness takes NO Holiday's challenge. The winner will get a cool prize from a local business.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring at Mommymuscle sculpt. I am thinbking of giving the boys a nin weighted bar to do the MMS moves and see what happens.

And The Winner Is......

2009-11-24T06:02:00.000-08:00

It was an amazing challenege an the ladies of the Blackstone Valley strollerFkit worked hard for 8 weeks, in class and at home and the results showed. Measurements dropped, times increased and skills got even better. This is one amazing group of "Hot Mamas"

In the end it was close, but there can be only one winner............

Congrats Tracy -

the increase in pushups and situps helped!

Ladies keep up the GREAT work! I can not wait to see who wins the Fitness takes NO Holiday Challenge, right now it is very close!

and the winner is...

2009-11-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of the Hot Mamas Challenge. the measurements will be taken and the agility will be tested. Who will win? We will see.

We are also holding the Fitness takes no Holiday Challenge. Starting Monday, November 30, 2009 we will be competing against all the StrollerFit Franchises across the Nation for the best class attendance. Lets rock this out of the ball park!!!!

For our local Challenge, Tracy won last week. Congrats Tracy! Jen and Jesy are close on her heals. Can they beat her this week? Bonus points - bring a homemade healthy snack to class on tuesday for an extra point and I posted another challenge for Tuesday, fulfill both and get 3 bonus points!

A New Holiday tradition for the Fishers and Some StrollerFit Friends

2009-11-23T04:13:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Joey, Julianna, Scott and I went with The Klein's (Emily, Carlos & Jose - Stan was working) to Newport, RI. to ride the Polar Express, run by the Newport Dinner Train. It was an amazing experience. We took the 4:15 train and I am glad we went then, instead o later. It was still light out, which allowed the kids to see the tracks, the signals and the other trains. If it had been dark we would have missed Joey pointing ou all the great things he saw.

The played the Story of the Polarexpesson the train and acted out some of the scenes and songs, including taking the ticket and the Hot Chocolate Song. We all got Hot Chocolate, a cookie (Which Julianna wore rather than ate) and the kids got a tatoo and Santa gave them all the bell from the movie.

Joey loves his bell and has taken it with him everywhere including to bed for the last 2 days.

We plan to make this part of our holiday tradition and go every year theweekend before thanksgiving and hope next year we hope more of the Strollerfit familes will join us on the Polar Expess!

Natiuonal Mommymuscle 8 Week Challenge

2009-11-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

Since September The StrollerFit Blacktone Valley Moms have been challenging them selves to be healthy and fit. Nationally StrollerFit will start an 8 Week Mommymuscle Challenge in January and I hope you will all participate. The mommymuscle® 8 week challenge presents the opportunity for moms to witness MEASURABLE changes in their bodies. Your strength, balance, flexibility, and aerobic conditioning will all improve with dedicated participation in this challenge!

As women influenced by each other, society, and Hollywood, we often live with poor body image and low self esteem. Add into that mix raging hormones, weight gain, and physical de-conditioning that all take place during the child bearing years, and many of us can't stand to look in the mirror. We sometimes believe that pregnancy has ruined our bodies. We tell ourselves that we will never be the same, and judge ourselves by the size of the clothes we are now wearing, as well as the ones we can't wear.

For almost a decade, many moms can stay in this place of distrust and disappointment in their bodies, feeling like a failure and wondering why they can't seem to "get it together" like some women they know.
HOW IT WORKS
The mommymuscle® 8 week challenge begins January 18, 2009. During the first two weeks of January, you will make an appointment with me before a StrollerFit® class to take a fitness assessment in the areas of cardiovascular conditioning, core strength, agility, muscular strength, and flexibility. During StrollerFit® classes, we will progress through a series of exercises specifically designed to improve your performance in each of these areas. It is recommended that you come to class at least twice (and preferably three times) per week. However, if that does not work with your schedule, I will have homework cards!
THE INVESTMENT IN YOUR HEALTH
What all participants receive:

* fitness assessment at the beginning and end of the 8 week period.

* a series of progressive exercises specifically designed to improve cardiovascular conditioning, core strength, agility, muscular strength, and flexibility. (simialr but much more specific then the "Hot Mamas Challenege"

* "homework cards" to supplement your class attendance

* motivational emails

*a mommymuscle bar (retail $53)

The Cost:
Current members: $59 (If you have a muscle bar the fee is $30)

Returning members: $149 (includes UNLIMITED StrollerFit® classes during the 8 week period)
New members: $199 (includes mommymuscle® balls, 2 resistance bands, water bottle, heavy duty nylon bag, and 8 weeks of UNLIMITED StrollerFit® classes during the 8 week period)

My child has an office

2009-11-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

Until Joey was 2 he did not watch a lot of TV or movies. He played well by himself and I did not see a need to turn it un, except for our morning ritual of GMA.

Anyway lately he has been saying funny things. For instance yesterday, he was asked by Scott to help clean up and he told scott "Please get out of my office." I could mnot help laughing, nor figure out where that came from. About 5 hours later he was playing in the playroom and he had Ratatouille on, there is a scene where the chef tells the rat "Little chef" to get out of my office."

Many days I think the movies are on for noice, because he rarely sits and watches a movie, he usually plays on the floor when any DVD is on and looksup sometiumes, but I guess he is listening.

so the moral of this story is watch what you say and watch what you play for your children, they could say a lot worse then "Get out of my office."

I wonder if I put my Restore the Core DVD on while he is playing, will he begin to coach me and do the moves? He already likes to pretend he is doing strollerfit moves at home with his shopping cart.

tuesday bonus points for my StrollerFit moms participating in the "Fitness Takes no Holidays Challenge" - wear a shirt with a funny saying..

The gift of Good Health

2009-11-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

I just read an email about the top ten reason's why to give the gift of exercise for the Holiday's. This started me thinking. The moms that come to Strollerfit already know it is a great workout so lets sheare it with our friends. Bring a friend to class before the end of Fitness takes No holiday Challeneg and get a bonus point. If they join receive 5 ponus points and if they purchase a deluxe enrollment kit or a muscle bar receive 5 more bonus points and for each of these things be entered into a raffle for a free massage!!

Any new members that join between November 20 and December 31 will receive a free gift and if they join at the first class they attend, they will also receive 25% off the joining fee!! I am also offering gift certificates for the holidays, see Cari for additional details.

Here are the 10 reasons to share with your friends.

10 reasons to give the gift of exercise this holiday season

1. SWINE FLU- within 24 hours of exercise you have more immune cells with which to fight off germs

2. THE (regular) FLU- within 24 hours of exercise your immune cells are functioning at a higher level and give you more protection against germs

3. THE ECONOMY - it is much cheaper to exercise and stay healthy than it is to miss days at work, pay DR office co-pays and pay for medication!

4. THE ECONOMY - maintaining a healthy weight saves us money at the gas pump.. the more weight we carry, the more gas our own cars use to get us from point a to b!

5. JOB SECURITY - exercise increases blood flow to the brain by almost 400% in the hours post exercise, making us more alert and giving clarity of thought. A lunch time workout at their desk with the muscle bar can help improve their efficiency at work and help someone rise to the top of their field!

6. MUSCLES ARE SEXY- everyone could use a self-esteem boost, and when we like what is looking back in the mirror can help us start each day off right!

7. SLEEP! Regular exercise can increase the amount of serotonin our body's produce, this is our happy hormone that also helps us improve our sleep habits. Who do you know that doesn't need more sleep?

8. HAPPINESS! Read number 7 again... who couldn't use an increase of happy hormones?

9. LESS STRESS - exercise flushes cortisol- our stress hormone, we all need less stress.

10. LOVE - It doesn't come in cookies, nor can it be opened on Christmas Day.. but when you give someone a tool that can help transform their lives, you have loved.

I have one to add to the list, by working out, you can help yourself not be that person who gain the average 4 pounds throughout the Holiday season!!!!!

Hot Mamas Challenge

2009-11-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

So it is wednesday and the challenge will be over next monday! The homework will be emailed in a few minutes but I just read another email that made me think about all of the Hot Mamas that come to StrollerFit... For those that were at Mommymusclesculpt today with Stan, you will understand since I am others almost p'd in there pants.

Did you know.....

Many women experience bladder control issues during and post pregnancy. MaryBeth Knight from StrollerFit writes that our babies are cute, but do we have to suffer? NO!

The pelvic floor, or a weak pelvic floor is the reason for this problem. If the pelvic floor loses strength then the bladder loses control!

Did you know there are 2 types of muscles in your pelvic floor? One is the slow twitch whose job is to support the pelvis for long periods of time, just like your claf muscle that allows you to stand for a long period of time.

The fast twitch fibers found in the pelvic floor, and these fibers act as an "extra closing force" to prevent leakage from the bladde4r when you sneeze, laugh, cry, lift heavy objects or have to "hold it" until you find a bathroom nearby. It is these muscles that can be damaged and forced to become inactive during and after childbirth.

The fast twitch fibers of the pelvic floor fire as a reflex. Meaning, you don't think about contracting them, you just do it. Before childbirth, if you had to sneeze, these fibers contracted before you sneezed to prevent leakage. However childbirth and something called "reflex inhibition" can render these muscle useless after childbirth.

Reflex inihibition is a protective reaction the body has towards injury. Your pelvic floor muscles were injured during delivery, if allowed tobe called into action before they healed from the birth, further damage to them could have taken place. Therefore, to allow them to heal, the body shut them down... but what happens to a muscle when it isn't used for a long period of time? We lose it!

This is exactly why we HAVE to retrain the pelvic floor, and every other muscle that was mistreated, underused or overused during pregnancy!

Not only does pregnancy and childbirth weaken the pelvic floor, but so does being overweight! Every extra pound that a woman carries is felt by her pelvic floor. Extra weight causes the pelvic floor muscles to fatigue and increase the risk of incontinence.

When Marybeth created Restore the Core ALL of this information was taken into consideration. It is why we place a the mommymuscle fit 'n fun balls between our knees and squeeze them!

Women all over the country are able to run, jump, sneeze and hold it! If you or someone you know has these issues, RTC can solve them! (but only as long as they CONTINUE to perform the exercises) the issues will return after a few months on not exercising the muscles!

If you want to increase your ability to regain the fast twitch reflex, add 10 quick squeezes of the ball into one of your tabletop moves! THis quick pulsing on the ball will awaken the fast twitch fibers!

Hope that gives you some insight into why RTC really helps with bladder control and stress incontinence! And another reason you shoudl hget up on saturday at 8 AM and join us for Restore the Core!

I hope this gives you something to think about.

Fitness takes no Holiday Bonus points, come to Restore the Core Saturday and get 5 bonus points.

A fun Blog to Check Out

2009-11-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

Wendi in California blogged about a great website. You should check out Tracy on the cheap? Super cute blog, with fashionable outfits for all occasions..re-done to be affordable for a real person. Check out her latest entry with an adorable workout outfit...featuring the mommymuscle thermal.

http://tracyonthecheap.blogspot.com/2009/11/mommy-muscles.html

You too can have your own mommymuscle thermal, s-xl order by email or give me a shout!

Week 2 Winner

2009-11-17T04:51:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Tracy for taking the lead with her matching outfit last week.

This week I am going to incorporate a lot of new moves with the Mommymusclebar (the muscle bar for the dads that join us) and make you work extra hard on getting lean muscle to help burn the fat!

Stay tuned this week, I am going to blog new moves to try at home and for you to demo at class for bonus points fir the Fitness takes No Holiday's Challenege too.

Check out themusclebar on facebook, become a fan and take a sneak peak at some of the moves shown on the face book link to youtube http://www.youtube.com/themusclebar

If you want a bar, I have a few and DVD's still to sell, on sale thru the holidays with a DVD. Let me know

My crazy day and night with the Strollerfit Moms and my kids!

2009-11-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was a busy day. First I ran errands with the kids. Then I took them to StrollerFit. The weather was beautiful and we had class poutside again, yeah!!! Then I quickly went home, feed them, because they were hungry (it did not matter that were on our way to lunch, their belly's spoke and they were hungry). SO I took a quick shower and off we went.

I was excited to meet some of the StrollerFit Moms at Daily Bread in Whitinisville and am glad it has reopened. They closed to restructure in August and it was a sad day. Joey and I love the bread and sandwiches. We all got food and then went down the street for a picnic. It was fun to watch the kids run (and crawl) around. It was another warm day for November.

Then we picked Joey's friend Emily up from School and we played outside while we waited for her sister Carissa to get off the bus. Joey loves the bus.

After I made Scott, Joey and Julianna dinner I went with Jennifer and Jesy for a moms night out. We went Early incase Jennifer's Husband had issues getting Bryce to bed. The plan was to go to "The Citizen" in Worcester and have wine, cheese and chocolate. And we did. The food was great the bartender was fantastic. He made great Mocktails for Jen and Jesy. Bryce went to bed with little issue and we stayed out til 10. But I warmed then we would be working it off on wednesday.

Wednesday was a 2 1/2 workout day. I had a special StrollerFit class in the morning for the teachers who were off. then I went with Joey to a new sports class which I helped with. Then in the Afternoon I taugh Mom n tot yoga and Mommymusclesculpt and I definatley made the ladies work off last nights goodies.

For the Fitness Takes No Holiday's Challeneg - Here is a bonus - come to class on friday wearing a shirt that matches your childs (color not design) and get a point, if your whole outftit (pants, shirt and socks match) get 2 bonus points.

2 challenges are going strong and a new one on the horizon

2009-11-08T00:49:00.000-08:00

In September we started the Hot Mamas Challenge, which will end right before Thanksgiving. I have been assigning home work based on fitness and food. I think the moms that are participating are working hard and looking like Hot Mamas.

StrollerFit Central has created a "Fitness takes NO Holidays" Challnege tat around the country will start the week of Thanksgiving. I decided t start right after Halloweeen to battle the candy and get my moms motivated with fun challenegs like the Sesame Street oneI did last thursday. Keep reading the blog, follow me on twitter or facebook to see new challenges. We will participate in the attendance portion of the Strollerfit Central Cahlleneg, the Strollerfit that has the highest attendance and the one with the most new members will will prize from central. I know we can have the highest attendance percentage if my moms put their minds to it and if the kids stay healthy with this weaher. We have had runny noises, coughing, sneezing and one of the families has pnemonia. I challenge my StrollerFit Moms to bring friends. The mom who brings the most friends who join will will a great sweatshirt on top of all the other great prizes for th "Fitness takes NO holidays" challenge.

This weeks winner is:

a Tie between Jesy and Tracy

Way to go ladies. lets see what will happen next week. Bonus points for them member who comes to class all 6 days, including Saturday's Restore the Core. 2 points for every attendee of Restore the Core for the whole challenge.

Lastly, I am working on the upcoming StrollerFit national "Mommymuscle Challenge" coming in January. It will help us all get off to a goodstart in the new year. Information coming soon....Keep tuned in for details.

StrollerFit and Sesame Street

2009-11-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

I posted a challenge to my StrollerFit moms and have to say I love when they get creative! My challenge was in honor of Sesame Street turning 40, They needed to wear something or have the kids in something with Sesame Street.

Tracy did nto have anything so she put Sesame Street Stickers all over her shirt, wish I had a camera to get a photo, it was great.

Keep reading to see the upcoming bonus challenges.

A few tips for My Fellow StrollerFit Moms

2009-11-04T17:10:00.000-08:00

Again, I had a few minutes tonight to sit and read the blogs and tweets from other StrollerFit owners. Here is a few great tips that I wanted to share:

1. As a Mom you MUST take time for yourself. We all take care of the kid(s), the hubby, the animals, the house and anything else we can. We sometimes even have a moment to help a friend in need, even if it is to make them laugh when they are sad. I know my Strollerfit and Restore the Core moms come to class to have an hour to take care of themselves. Some do it for fitness, some do it to get out of the house and be with other moms who are going thru what they are and who will understand whatever they are going thru and others come for many different reasons. But whatever reason you come, keep coming thru the holidays when life gets busy. But remember you need to take time for yourslef, if it is not at class, then read a book while the baby is naping or chat with a friend, or bundle the kids and go for a long walk. Whatever you do, please remember to take sometime for yourself daily.

I spoke to a mom today who said she needs to get out of the house and be around others. She is having a rough time being home with her child all day. I reminder her, even if Strolelrfit does not fit her schedule, call or send an email, to meet for walks or lunch or come for a baby playdate so she can get out of the house. as winter is impending, we need to remember we need to get out for our sanity and our children.

2. We have Started the "Fitness Takes No Holiday" Challenge and the points are racking up,(Bonus points for thursday, where or have your child wear something with a Sesame Street character to Signify Sesame Street Turning 40.) Here is something to think about. We started this challeneg to help get through the holidays with out gaining the holiday weight. Did you know the average american gains 4 pounds from Halloween thru New Years. The key word here is average, I would like to be above average and not gain, I really would like to keep losing, but I am ok with maintaining.

So what can we do to make the jeans you are wearing today fit or even better be too big come January 1st. For starters, instead of a New Years Resolution, how about a Holiday Season Promise to Yourself. Mine is to keep tracking all the foods I eat and try to add 15-30 minutes to my daily workout. From now thru January 1st, I am going to offer to my StrolelrFit classes an extra 30 minutes to the workout if they like. It will be 30 minutes of Cardio before the regular class starts. It maybe walking the hills around the class location or somethins else. Let me know who is in for this. We will start Friday at 9 AM.

Here are a few tips from Wendi H, another StrolelrFit owner, in California:

•Make sure you do both cardio and strength training. The combination will burn off calories and increase your metabolism – a great one-two punch for fighting that increase in calories. Head to your local StrollerFit® class to get both cardio and strength all in one workout!
• Sign up for a holiday sporting event. Runs and walks abound, and you can turn it into a family tradition. Or make a good game of touch football a staple of your family gatherings. anyone one to join me for the Turkey Trot in Whitinsville, Thanksgiving AM? I am going to train in the afternoons, if anyone wants to join me, t, th and f.
• No time for fitness on the holidays themselves? Enjoy your day of rest but have scheduled in a workout time for the days following. How about also, trying a DVD on the holiday AM, before the rest of the family wakes up.
• Check out StrollerFit’s new class restore the core™, not only will it shrink your waistline this holiday season but also teaches participants to breathe properly and maintain good posture. Proper breathing relieves stress and good posture will make all of those holiday photo ops a little less painful!
• Join forces with a buddy or a relative who needs a little positive reinforcement. Keep each other honest by checking in and providing discreet nudges to discourage that second trip to the dessert table. Make workout dates with your holiday health buddy and increase your chances of showing up for that session!
• Designate yourself as the driver who will not indulge in the alcohol. You’ll build good karma and keep yourself from an alcohol-driven junk food binge.
• Think of fitness as the holiday gift you are giving yourself!

Remind yourself that good health never takes a holiday! That doesn’t mean depriving yourself of all the fun this season brings – it just means making wise choices and finding ways to counteract not-so-wise ones. You do have willpower, self-control and the ability to do the right thing for your body. So skip the second helping, put down the “fun-sized” Halloween left- overs, and get to an exercise class. You’ll start the New Year looking great and feeling incredible!

And Remember thin feels better than the treats taste in the long run!!!

StrollerFit is on the Northbridgetimes and GraftonTimes

2009-11-04T07:53:00.001-08:00

Check out the StrollerFit asd Restore the Core information on the GraftonTimes.com and NorthbridgeTimes.com websites. There are banner ads and class infor and upcoming events posted. I will be adding other events too. If you can find the info on "Fitness takes NO holiday" and email it back to me you will get an extra point for the challenge.

Halloween at StrollerFit

2009-11-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

we did not do candy, we did games and some of the kids even worked out with us. cccccccheck out some of the pictures

Staying on Course through the Holiday Season and the winter months

2009-11-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

As we Start "Fitness Takes no Holidays" Here are four points I just read from Shapely Girl "Fitness Comes in Many Sizes"

"1. Do not wear sweats all winter long, they would make anyone want to do nothing but sit on the couch and eat all day. Wear jeans and more fitted clothes when you can.

2. No matter what, you have to get your workouts in. Your health depends on it.

3. Take one day a week and make a pot of soup, stew or chili and freeze it in portions…that will help with lunches and quick dinners.

4. Buy apples, oranges, grapefruits, bananas and pears, as these fruits are abundant right now.
Just adding these tips might help you to get through the winters as they do for me."

I think these are 4 great tips we should all follow, so I am asking my StrollerFit moms all to try atleast one of these, if not all 4.

How to get rid of the Halloween Candy

2009-11-01T06:53:00.000-08:00

I know some may say I am a horribel mother, but I do not want my son to be eating too much Hallowen Candy, so I gave the stuff I like to my husband to take to work. This way neither Joe or I will eat it. Then I bought lots of fruit and cut it up so we wuld have healthy things t eat.

The rest of the candy, the ones I do not like, I hid so Joey can have it on special occassions.

I have to thank my friend Cheri and her mom Linda for giving Joey little boxes that look like raisins and inside were stickers from the Disney Movie Cars. He loved Lightning and Nator as he says it and did not care that he did not candy at Cheri's house. These are the kind of treats I love. I thnk I maydo that kind of thing next year. The Zero Calorie Treats. Sweet without the sugar!

I did eat one mini twix and one reeses PB cup, so today I am going for a long walk to burn it off. And Monday StrollerFit starts "Fitness takes No Holiday!" so the workout should help burn off the calories so Myh Strollerfit moms and I do not gain the holiday pounds! Even if we do not lose thru the Holidays, the Goal is to Maintain!

Fitness Takes NO holiday Food Tips!

2009-10-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

So I have been doing some research on food to help myself and the StrollerFit Moms make it thru the Holiday's without gaining the Holiday Weight. Coming to class and exercising is a must, but what about the food.

We all know a calorie is a calorie, right? And we also know that to lose weight you must burn those calories (coming to StrollerFit, Restore the Core, Mommymusclsculpt and Mom n' Tot Yoga will help with that). But Did you know that all calories are not created equal?

For example - lets look at a 200 calorie piece of cake verses a 200 calorie piece of chicken. They both have 200 calories, but your body does not look at them the same way. The cake is loaded with simple carbs. and sugars, which ultimately make your blood sugar sky rocket, you get a quick burst of energy and then your insulin goes up and the bad begins to happen....

Insulin promotes fat storage and the energy kick does not last long. It goes up and them plummets so you begin to get tired and crave more sugary foods (I have felt that way after eating a low fat snack pack and bet so have all of you, not know why you are now tired.)

But the chicken does not do that to your body....lean protein has a total different affect on your body. Protein takes the most energy of all nutrients to to break down, so you feel fuller longer. There is also no affect on your insulin!! This helps you lose weight. For those of you working out, the protein helps your muscles repair and build (remember muscle burns fat and the cake won't do that!)

You can not eat just protein. Fat and carbs are important too, but they must be the right fat and protein. you need to eat the best foods that will give you the best results, help you lose body fat, tighten & tone, and feel energized throughout the day.

I am referring to eating natural foods, unprocessed without chemicals and preservatives, not the 100 calorie snack packs. These foods work with the body and will boost metabolism, boost energy and boost fat burning. Especially when paired with a great workout like StrollerFit!!

So for the holidays, try these 10 food to help lose body fat and keep the holiday pounds off.

Lean, boneless chicken breast (seasoned well), protein is good!
all natural Peanut Butter or Almond Butter, no matter what your age, everyone loves PB&J (on Whole Wheat bread, see #3)! Plus Peanut Butter is a great source of Omega 3's, protein and complex carbs.
Whole Wheat Bread - (rye and pumpernickel are good too), just make sure is says "Whole Wheat"
Turkey Burger's are a great substitute for ground beef (make sure it is lean turkey - white meat, if not, you might as well eat beef). Extra lean 93% ground beef is good too.
Spinach-high in vitamins and a great source of fiber and protein too (Bet you did not know spinach has protein)
Garlic is a "Super" Food - a great way to flavor foods and it is filled with immunity boosting powers, something we all need during cold and flu season.
Apples are high in Fiber and and when used with a little peanut butter you have the perfect pre-workout snack.
Oatmeal...Start the day with a great complex carb. for energy and it contains protein. You can add anything to make it your own. I like apples and cinnamon or honey and blueberries.
Eggs...They always get a bad wrap for cholesterol but research shows they are a great way to start the morning. People who eat eggs in the morning are fuller longer and less likely to get mid morning sugar cravings. (I like 3 egg whites with spinach and mushrooms on a Arnold whole wheat sandwich thin. Sometimes I add shredded cheddar for added flavor or a tbs of bacon bits, or both)
Quinoa..if you have never tried Quinoa, you should. It is a powerful grain from South Africa. It is a complex carb. that contains essential amino acids (the only grain to have this). I have a great recipe for a side made with Quinoa and a breakfast dish. I will post both on the food blog, later at http://funfitrecipesfromsf.blogspot.com/

(During holiday meals, remember eat what you enjoy, just don't over eat and make the holiday a one day event, do not eat the leftovers and make it an event that keeps repeating)

Also, remember to drink lots of water and stay hydrated and do not go to holiday meals or parties on an empty stomach or you will overeat.

Hope to see you all at the Fitness Takes No holiday workouts from November 3 thru the end of December. Anyone that emails me a healthy tip before November 3rd will get a point for the challenge.

Fitness Takes NO Holiday!

2009-10-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

We ALL have places to go and people to see...

We ALL have excuses for not fitting exercise into our holiday routine.. NO MORE!

This year make time for yourself and enter the New Year feeling and looking great…

"Fitness Takes No Holiday" begins November 2nd and lasts through December! Each time you come to class (StrollerFit, Mommymuscle, Mom n Tot Yoga or Restore the Core), you can receive points. She with the highest attendance percentage* wins! Prizes TBD, but we all know the real reward is the changes you will see in your body.

Exercise is essential for keeping us healthy during the holidays, so make yourself a priority!

There will be FIVE class days that will receive double points...which ones are they? Well, that's a secret...Follow the blog to find out!

I also will be blogging about challenges, the person(s) who meets them at the next class gets an extra point for that day, and the first person to class also gets a point, so lets start racking up the points!

Twitter

2009-10-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

So ladies I have been convinced that following tweets and tweeting myself would be great for StrollerFit and a great way to get the name out. Check out my Tweets at bVStrollerFit

I will be tweeting from home and can not wait to see what you all Tweet about. Remember to Tweet about things for the moms and kids, especially the StrollerFit classes.

Hot Mamas Challenge

2009-10-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

We are already into week 4 of the 8 week Strollerfit "Hot Mamas Challenge" and I am adding new moves daily to the workouts and the homework.

I hope the moms are keeping up with only 4 weeks left, who will win. If you read this blog and come to class on Friday wearing a StrollerFit Shirt you will win a prize. If you can do 5 push ups more than you did 4 weeks ago and 10 more sit ups, you will win another prize, lets see what we can do.

Friday we will be jump roping so plan your attire accordingly. See you at class

What a crazy week

2009-10-17T00:50:00.000-07:00

Monday-Ran the Tufts 10K

Tuesday - took Papa to the airport, he went home, Joey and Julianna are sad, but grandma stayed, YEAH!!

Wednesday - went to Joey's sports class, taught Mom n Tot Yoga, Mommymusclesculpt, took the kids to swimming, taught my own swim classes, swim 1500 yards with Eric in 40 minutes, he pushed me hard (training once again for the big Boston Harbor Swim Across America Cancer swim, I took 2 years off due to pregnancy and lack of post pregnancy training, but not this year, Eric and I already committed and I think Jeff is in too!)

Thursday - taught Strollerfit, with lots of new moves, hope the moms are feeling the burn as I was, then Thursday night Joey and I had a 2 1/2 hour sleep battle which leads me to Friday morning.

Friday - woke up to SNOW!!! IT was light but that does not matter, it is too early. Joey let Raven the dog out and I could not find her, she came home 3 hours later, as we were loading the car and taking off to NY with my mom. The drive was nice, the kids slept and then we ran around and saw some friends. We are staying with Aunt Maryanne who cooked so much food, you would have thought 50 people were coming to dinner.

Tomorrow we are seeing lots of friends (maybe I should say later today as it is 4 am sat and I can not sleep) and hoping for warm weather Sunday so we can go to Making Strides, the Breast Cancer Walk that mom and I volunteer for every year with our friends from NY. If it is cold and rainy we are not going, which will make mom sad, but thus is life.

Then we drive home Sunday to prepare for next week. Mom leaves Tue and we will miss her. Wish she was closer, but the cold is hard on her so I do not think she will be moving back east anytime soon, Vegas is the best weather for her, so we will continue to travel.

Ladies watch out, here comes new moves and a new Restore the Core session!!!!

Restore the Core Halloween Special

2009-10-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

Restore the Core Halloween Special

Classes held Saturday's at 8 AM at RBI's in Whitinsville

October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21, December 5, 12, 19

(2 free classes November 28 & December 26)

8 weeks for $70 (a $10 savings if you pay by October 22)

StrollerFit clients and RBI's moms save an additional $10.

$80 one time joining fee ($20 savings if you pay by October 22)

this is a great pre and post natal workout.

Come join us and get in shape for the holidays!!!!

Running the Tufts 10k and my thoughts

2009-10-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

All day today, I had a thought or two on what I would say in my blog, but I don't remember them exactly. Let me start by thanking the moms that helped me train and trained with me for the
Tufts 10 K race for Women (since Julianna was 6 weeks old, we did a few 5K's on the way).

I did it faster than I did in years past and Congrats to Robyn for finishing her first race!!! Her husband is probably made at me, I decided it was too cold to take the kids and convinced her of the same, so we told Paul and the kids to stay home. It was a great day for a race, but too cold to sit around for a few hours (especially since the girls were sick only a few days ago). I am sorry Paul, for changing the plans, Robyn would have loved you all to be at the finish line, next time, I promise.

This leads me to an apology I owe a friend. Last spring, I was upset because a few of us ran together with the kids in the Strollers while we trained for the 5K's and 10K's and at one of the races, one of my friends decided to run without the kids. I felt blind sided by this and was upset and know I may have said some hurt full things to her. I did not mean them to be hurtful, I was hurt and lashed out in the wrong way. I said over and over my comments were all in fun, but they were my way of saying I was hurt without coming out and saying it. Since then the relationship seems strained and Joey and Julianna have suffered by not seeing the friends that they saw 5 days a week all spring and I lost a friend, or at least I feel like I have lost her. She and I talked daily and now we barely email. I do not care that she has decided not to come to class anymore, but I do miss her and I am sorry.

I am not a runner, but a swimmer and a biker. I have run for triathlons and did 5K's and the Tuft's 10K as training runs, but that was all before Joey and Julianna. Since Joey was born, all running has been done with the kids in the Stroller and I am use to running that way, but running without the kids today was like taking off the drag suit from practice in swimming. It was easier on my body and I ran a better pace which made me faster. This helped me to realize that my friend was not trying to hurt me last spring, but to make her run more enjoyable. Her children together and Stroller weigh more than mine. I now see the light and hope she will forgive me and m y stupid mouth.

As for today, the race was great and then I went for a long walk with my dad, Joey, Julianna and Raven our dog. My legs are killing me, but it was an amazing day and one I am glad I shared with Robyn and my Dad.

Hopefully my legs will feel better and I will be able to use the new moves I learned at the StrollerFit convention in class on Tuesday. We did a kettle ball workout and I used my mommymuscle bar to do the moves. Between that and the workout with Marybeth on Sunday, I have a lot of great new stuff for Mommymusclesculpt on Wed. Ladies, I hope you are ready.

StrollerFit Convention

2009-10-11T03:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was at the StrollerFit Convention and I learned some new moves to do with the Mommymusclebar in both Mommymusclesculpt and StrollerFit classes and am hoping to learns a few more this morning before flying home. I am also hoping Julianna will sleep a bit more, she is exhausted and her teething must really be hurting her, let the teeth come soon, PLEASE!!!!!!

Last night I won an award for being a Chatty Cathy online, not be, just because I blogged a few hours after Julianna was born, OK so I usually have a lot to share and this is a great way to share with a lot of people.

I have been sharing a room with Wendi from Akron (miss Katie from Akron, she is not here and we miss her!!!) and she has been a trooper helping me with Julianna's teething. We have had some great conversations and I will miss her when today is over, until next year.....

Ladies, the biggest news is to look for the Mommymuscle Challenge in January!! I learned all about it yesterday and it will be done by StrollerFit moms across the country all at the same time, which I think will be an amazing experience. Stay tuned for details and many other exciting things to come in the next few months, I have pages of moves, marketing ideas ad games to play in StrollerFit class including one with band aids....

See you all on Tue and pray for no rain tomorrow for the Tufts 10K, because I got a new tire for my Stroller and am ready to go, as long as my legs stop burning from my workout yesterday, I need a massage, maybe Scott will give me one when I get home, probably not! Wendi from Akron is a massage therapist, maybe she will give me one, before we leave?????? Probably not, no time and she want so to get home to her joey, who is a 4 hour drive away and I do not blame her.

Fit as a Family and new Moves

2009-10-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

Fit as a Family is a new Program from StrollerFit. I took part in the certification yesterday at the StrollerFit convention and I am really excited about the program. I think the families with kids 3 and up will love it too!!!!!

The moves we learned were great and many can be done in Strollerfit classes and the moms can partner up to do them, which means moms, get ready for a lot of new moves next week. Theses moves will make us laugh and help us burn calories and make the "Hot Mamas Challenge even better!!!" I am so energized and excited. I can not wait to see what we learn today about the Mommymuscle 8 week challenge.

So bring your balls, mommymuscle bars, mats and bands to class because we are going to get rockin on tue. Yes I have new Restore the core moves too and will learn even more tomorrow, stay tuned...

And please pray for no rain for Monday's Tufts 10K!!

Ohio and the StrollerFit Conference

2009-10-09T01:07:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Papa are in Massachusetts, hanging with Joey and Daddy. So far they have been to sports class, lunch with Uncle Brian (who was in Cambridge as a Harvard Guest Lecturer, what an honor), swimming class and free swim at BU, out to breakfast and preparing for a road trip for 2 days to NY and CT. They are very busy, I can not wait to hear the road trip details.

Julianna and I are in Ohio. We flew in Tue to spend time with our cousins, Hope, Alan, Ruth and Aaron. It was a short visit, but a nice one. Julianna got a pink and green bug car from her Aaron, that he picked out just for her and Ruth gave her one of her baby dolls "Baby Hollandaise." Doll got its name because it came from Holland. Joey and Julianna will be receiving a box of toys that Aaron and Ruth wanted to pass on. Last year I brought back clothing, this year books and toys are being shipped, where I am going to put more toys, I do not know, but I do not Joey and Julianna will love it all.

Now Julianna and I are at the StrollerFit Conference where we are going to learn to teach Fit as a family, details to follow after today's training and the Mommymuscle 8 week challenge, details to follow after tomorrows training.

I am so excited to see the StrollerFit owners from around the country and get new ideas. I already got an idea for a once a week StrollerFit/Mommymuscle Staions class with cardio and lots of crazy strength training for MAC. Look out ladies, I got great things coming for you when I get back,

Missing friends

2009-10-09T00:55:00.000-07:00

It is amazing what our kids remember. The other day, as we drove by mt girlfriend Cheri's house, Joey says "Look its Cheri's."

Then we drove past the old Kidzkoop where Joey had taken classes and I use to hold StrollerFit, Joey says "Mommy run hill with KayKay, Ella and Jayce." I laughed as I replied "We already ran the new hill at StrollerFit" and he said "no run hill with KayKay and Jayce."

This amazed me since we ran that hill, this time last year and unfortunately since Jayce's mom Drea had to go back to work, we only see her once every few weeks and KayKay and Ella no longer make it to class.

I know Joey has a great memory and a misses his friends that he does not see often anymore. When we drive by Mason's House he says "April and Mason and dogs house" and when he sees a light blue minivan that looks like Charlotte's van he says "Nate Nate" and gets all excited until I have to tell him its not Nate Nate.

It is amazing what things he puts together, especially since they seem to be the friends we see less often, but also the ones he spent a lot of the first 2 years of his life with. I know we will see Charlotte and Nate as Olivia gets on a schedule and Nate begins to sleep at night again, but I hope we see the other friends, including Cheri so Joey will be happy.

Quote for the week

2009-10-04T01:37:00.000-07:00

To my StrollerFit Moms:

I received an email from a friend with a quote at the end and I think it says it all:

"Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth."

This got me thinking about the friends that have come and gone in my life and those that I have had for what feels like forever. I truly believe people come into your life for a reason. Some stay for a long time others stay for a short period, but no matter how long you are friends with them, they leave a mark on your life.

I love StrollerFit and the friendships I have made for myself, but even more so, I love the friendships my children are creating and watching other children create.

Joey met Mason and Nate when I started Strollerfit and they are his partners in crime. Emily is shy and reserved as is Elizabeth, but when they are together in class, the giggles heard from them is infectious. Evan is a lover of all, but lately he follows Emily and wants whatever she has. Last week he got a new water bottle by saying to his moms "Mommy can we get this cars bottle, it is just like Emily's?" He is so excited to be attending Emmy's 4th birthday.

Christopher loves to copy Addie and Joey. Speaking of that, Nate, thanks for teaching joey to climb the stairs before he turned one and Addie thanks for teaching Christopher how to go outside at RBI's so we have to keep the doors closed, no fresh air for the moms!!!

At the Open House at Midtown Fitness Julianna was sitting on the floor and Elizabeth went and played with her, she was so excited to have a girl to play with, forget those boys.

One of my favorite StrollerFit moments between the kids is when Ariella use to see my car and yell Joey. Now at 2 1/2 she stills asks me and asks for Joey. I saw her yesterday in the pouring rain at OctoberFest in Douglas and the first thing she says is "Where is Joey?"

I love that Strollerfit is helping my children and the other children learn to share, play nicely together and make friends. I have friends that I have had most of my life that I do not always see or talk to, but when I do it is like I saw them yesterday, these are life long friends, something I wish for my children to have and experience and something I hope they will have from the friends they made at StrollerFit.

Another amazing week

2009-10-03T03:42:00.000-07:00

I have had the start if this blog in my head all week, but have not had time to sit and put it into words.

Let me start by saying I am sad, but the season of classes at the zoo is coming to an end. This coming Monday will be the last one til next spring, boo hoo hoo. But we are going to have a big adventure this Monday after class with the animals and I am excited to end on such a big note!

We started our "Hot Mamas" Challenge Tuesday with 5 participants and an Drea an honorary member who had to go back to work this summer but is going to try to do the weekly challenges from home. This weeks challenge was to add a vegetable to lunch and dinner. This was tougher for me than I thought with all the running I did this week, I had soup twice at lunch and had to add a salad and then only had lettuce, what a boring salad because I finished all the other salad fixings the say before. The other challenge at home was to do sit ups and push ups nightly, adding 5 to the count every day. Some of the moms complained, but that is why it is a challenge, to challenge to mind and body. Next week should be interesting..

I had a moms night out Thursday at Healthy Habits Kitchen with the Waltham SF moms. Pam, Annette and her friend went from here. It was fun and I brought home a lot of great foods. Pam and I drove together which was nice, we have not spent time together in a while with our busy schedules.

Friday, I did an open house for the 3 programs (Restore the Core, Mom n Tot Yoga and Mommymusclesculpt with Baby weight) I am going to be holding at Midtown Fitness in Milford and it had a small turnout, but I received lots of emails from people wanted to come to the classes, so hopefully they will register. Thank you Molly and Jesy for all of your help.

Then I went home for a nap, Julianna is teething at night so my sleep has been worse then normal. Usually I am asleep early and up early, and she sleep through the night. Not the last few nights, she nurses and goes down by 9, sleeps 4 hours, nurses, sleeps with me or cries and wakes up every 1-2 hours to nurse for 15 minutes, I thin k it is soothing her. I can feel the teeth but they have not broken through, for my sanity I need to teeth to come through.

Today, it is rainy and cold and I am suppose to be a vendor at Douglas's October Fest with Emily - Advertising StrollerFit and the 3 other classes and my new addiction heritage Makers (I made a big sale last Tuesday, yeah, hope more come in.). They are saying Thunder and Lightning, if that is the case, I may break the rules and come home. I can not afford to be sick with my trip to Ohio on Wednesday and my mom and dad coming to stay with Joey. With my moms tumor marker up again and new treatment she can not afford to get a cold from me.

I am excited about Ohio, seeing my cousins and the StrollerFit conference. It should be a good time and I can not wait to see the new programs and the other Sf owners.

What a Week with StrollerFit

2009-09-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

What a week... We had class all week. I was waiting on the impending rain and being stuck inside, but it did not come. I want to be a weather woman, so I can to be paid at getting it wrong, but let me just say I am glad they were wrong because we had a week of great weather and great events.

We hung out at the zoo with our StrollerFriends on Monday. Only 2 more classes at the zoo before the season ends, boo hoo, we love the animals.
We have a special day planned for the last day at the zoo, we are going to have a hands on exhibit after class that will let the kids touch some of the animals and then we will have a picnic and play at the playground with our StrollerFriends and I will let Joey ride the choo choo one last time til next summer.

We went Blueberry and rasperry picking, all the early summer rain has made for lots of late season berries. this is the third time in 3 weeks. I made lots of raspberry jam and have lots of frozen blueberries for cereal and for the kids to eat, Julianna loves them, the frozen ones feel great on her gums, she is teething! (which is why I am awake at 2 am and blogging).

It was due to rain thursday, but it did not, which was great for the moms and I. A small group of us went to Nashoba Winery for a great meal and lots of wine. We had a 3 course meal with a wine pairing with each course and we started the evening spliting a bottle of Blueberry wine. It was an expensive evening, but not something any of us do often and well worth it. I was feeling a bit lite headed the next am and drank all out water to get over the thirst throughout the night and next day, but oh what a night. I love moms night out, especially when the hubby's start calling and test looking for us. It has been a long time since I had a late night like that. But it was relaxing, the conversation was great and the moms are was with are an amazing bunch of women and need to be able to let loose once in a while.

Friday, we went apple picking and our honorary mom "Stan" who brings his boys to Mom n' Tot Yoga and then stays and does mommymusclesculpt with us was once again with us. I love his humor and he keeps the moms entertained. Julianna loves him and his boys. We ate of apples and I brought home a lot to eat and bake with. We went on a tractor ride and the day ended with us picking up some apple cider and apple cider donuts (I need a long run to run off those calories plus the calories of Thursday's wine, but worth every bit!) Hey look, I am in a picture, my camera dies and Jennifer took this one, so I am holding her son, it is rare that I am in any pictures because I usually have the camera. It was a great week that ended with a night out with some very interesting people, but I can not blog about that...You will have to call or see me for that story.....

This morning was a nice Restore the Core workout, helped me relax since Julianna is teething and I have not gotten a lot of sleep this week, but that is OK. Tonight I tried a new chicken recipe which I will post on the food blog and my girlfriend Cheri rocked Julianna to sleep, thank you Aunt Cheri, she slept for 4 straight hours, a first this week. Joey was so exhausted from his day with Emily, Carlos and Jose(known around here as Cozee) that he feel asleep on the guest bed in the playroom before I ever finished making dinner. He slept til 9, then woke up crying and we went upstairs to watch Nemo, he watched about 2 minutes, cried to grandma and papa on the phone and was out cold and has been ever since. So tired that when Daddy put him in his bed he did not even notice, which is unusual (usually if he falls a sleep in our bed, when we move him he stirs and says Mommy's bed before crashing on his bed).

Hopefully, the house is asleep for the night, tomorrow we are going swimming and then to the aquarium, another big day!!

StrollerFit Bring a Friend Promo, "Hot Mamas Challenge" and new class Open House

2009-09-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

OK, so there is a lot going in at StrollerFit in Blackstone Valley this month.

September 28 to October 31st A Great Time to Try a StrollerFit class for Free!!!!

Bring a Friend Promo: If a friend joins between now and October 31, you both win! You and your friend will receive a free month on EFT!

Bring a Friend Raffle: This is a great month to introduce your friends to StrollerFit. For each friend you bring, your name will be entered in a raffle for a massage gift certificate!

Don 't forget about the "Hot Mamas Challenege" during the 8 week challenge there will be an attendance Raffle: For each class you attend during the "Hot Mamas Challenge,", your name will be entered in a raffle to prizes from local vendors..details to follow on Tuesday at the beginning of the challenge!

Don't forget to bring friends to the Open House at Midtown Fitness Friday, October 2nd from 11-12, giveaways and much, much, more! Midtown will be offering Restore the Core, Mommymusclesculpt with Baby Weight and Mom n' Tot Yoga!

Daddy's Name

2009-09-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Joey learned that daddy's name was Scott and thinks he is so funny calling him Scott. I asked him if I had another name and he told me no I am Mommy and that is my only name.

Today he woke up and told me he loved his mommy because I am the best and I make blueberry stuff and he loves Scott because Scott is the best daddy. It is funny what kids say.

Reasons you should exercise

2009-09-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Reasons for WHY you should exercise

I came across this article on "Why you should exercise." In addition to just being healthy & fit, there are some other great reasons which include, elevating your mood, building your self-esteem & confidence which all in turn help you to feel better & look great!

With the uncertainty of a government health care reform plan in the works, along with the insurance companies really making health care coverage expensive if you are paying for it individually & not through your employer, it really makes more sense to be healthy & fit - think of it as a way of getting paid rather than as a chore or an expense you can live without. Because, in the end, it is going to cost you more to be unhealthy than if you invest in your body now.

Remember, we were born with what we have - it is our choice to take care of it & make the most of it!If you are finding it hard to get into a regular exercise routine, find out what benefits mean the most to you personally - is it health? stress management? a lean, toned body? more energy? prevention of disease? lower cholesterol? Whatever the case may be, if you think of it in terms of what matters most to you, it will certainly help in motivating you to get off the couch & get moving!

Do you have kids? Did you realize that the rate of juvenile diabetes & obesity has increased substantially within the last 10 years? Why should we put our kids at risk early on for heart disease, high cholesterol & other illnesses that can be prevented? Our society is filled with advertising for fast food, junk food & we are spending more & more time in front of the television or computer.

Life is short - we should be outside enjoying the outdoors when we can or spending time together as a family having fun to laugh, bond, be active & do something good for our health! Maybe being a role model is something that appeals to you in terms of getting into that much needed routine.

Now, realize that exercise can be fun - find something you enjoy. If you are social, join a group fitness class - there are so many options today from Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, Step Aerobics, Zumba, Yoga, PiYo, etc - it's not just the same old aerobics classes from the 80's! If you have little ones, get to a StrollerFit or mommymuscle class where you can exercise with your little ones. This is perfect for being that role model & can save you money as well.

Can't get to the gym? Get an at home program - Team Beachbody has great products to fit your needs with top-notch trainers including Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, Debbie Siebers, Shaun T, Kathy Smith & more. There is also a line of Mommymuscle workout DVD's.

Again, this isn't just your typical workout routine with the same routine - most programs have at least 10 - 15 different workouts, so you won't get bored. It's also a great way to have a combination of workout routines to mix in with your other classes, gym routines or StrollerFit programs. You can also get a personal coach through Beachbody - someone to help you meet your goals - along with meal plans that even print out a shopping list for you if you have difficulty in knowing what to purchase! All of this comes at a very affordable price - savings of having the cost of meeting with a trainer one-on-one which is a great experience, but not the most economical option.

Now is the time to get into the action & prevent those costly health care expenses & insurance premiums. Let's all do something good for ourselves as well as for our families.

Bluebery Picking

2009-09-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been beautiful. Since we had a lot of rain during the early summer, there are a lot of late season blueberries and raspberries at the local orchard. My friend Heather and her children Rachel and Sean met Joey, Julianna and I yesterday and we picked til our hearts were content and our baskets full. It was a bit nutty with the kids, but they were well behaved and it was very relaxing for Heather and I.

I think the kids ate double what I paid for. Julianna even has some blueberries and she loved it. At home we made Raspberry Jam. Joey helped, it was a little crazy but since all the work is done by the bread machine, it made it not so messy. Check the book for your bread machine if you want a fast and easy way to make jam.

Today, I am getting ready to have the StrollerFit moms for Pot Luck. It should be fun, we had a great workout and now it is time to enjoy some lunch. Then I have to price and organize the stuff for the group Yard sale tomorrow. Hope it does not rain.

Mom of the Month-August 09 Jennifer Lundquist

2009-09-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

Check out August's StrollerFit Mom of the Month. Read all about it at:

http://www.strollerfit.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=franchise.motm&franchiseid=8250DDE4-08D9-85FB-7738E1467D3B89A8#motm1

Jennifer is one amazing mom and is has made class fun to teach and she is a bright and welcoming face to spend the mornings with. Her son is adorable and we love to see how he changes everyday!

Get ready for the Red Hot Mama's Challenge starting September 29!!!

Blackstone Valley StrollerFit Happenings

2009-09-03T03:23:00.001-07:00

In the coming months we have some great things happening at Blackstone Valley StrollerFit!!

We are starting a new session of Restore the Core on Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 8 AM at RBI's - all are welcome to try a free class on Saturday, September 5, 2009

The new session of Mom n' Tot Yoga will begin on September 30, 2009 for 8 weeks.

And We are starting the Hot Mama's Fitness Challenge on Tuesday, September 29, 2009. It will be an 8 week fitness challenge to help bring out our inner Hot Mamas!

Many of the moms are training for the Tufts 10k on Monday, October 12, 2009 and I am working on the details for a kids Halloween extravaganza as well as other fun fall events.

I am also offering Restore the Core Parties, 6 weeks with 6 friends at someones house, where everyone one can begin to get in shape. No equipment purchase necessary, just grab 6 friends and lets get started. The Host will receive a free Restore the core DVD.

Hot Mama's Fitness Challenge

2009-09-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Hot Mama's Fitness Challenge

An 8 week challenge starting Tuesday September 27, 2009 and ending Monday, November 23, 2009.

The first day of the challenge will include an assessment, that will be repeated on the last day of the challenge. These items will include the following, and more:

timed mile run/walk,
# of squats,
# of sit ups,
# of jump rope jumps,
# of push ups,
# of "Drea" plank push ups
and measurements

Each week at class I will email out a homework assignment (little things to improve fitness like doing 20 extra push ups each day that week or cutting out soda and fast food for a week or something like that) and each class I will add extra "challenges" that relate to the original assessment to help you get Fit and beat your original assessment scores.

All you have to do is commit to a combination of 20 StrollerFit, MommyMuscle Sculpt and Restore the Core Classes during the 8 weeks, fill out the attached form, keep one for yourself and turn one into me and pay $5.

The $5 fee will go into a pool and the person who attends the most classes will receive 50% of the money collected, the remaining will be donated to a charity of the winners choice in there name.

So ladies lets get Fit and become the "Hot Mama's" we know we are!

I must thank some of the other StrollerFit owners for the ideas for this challenge.

Tips for saving money in these hard economic ties

2009-09-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

I was at the Shaw's. a local supermarket this am, and saw a woman using coupons, double coupons I might add from another retailer. I questioned the cashier and learned Shaw's takes competitors coupons. This is something I did not know.

I am great with coupons and love saving money, this will only help the family budget, so I am off to organize my coupons while the kids sleep. I hope this helps my StrollerFit moms save money.

The little things are the most amazing in life...

2009-08-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have watched for weeks as Julianna has tried to crawl, she did it this weekend, but I thought I was seeing things. Monday, she crawled 4 steps to me, it was amazing. Then She did it again and Joey clapped for her and said "Go Jujubee" (his nickname for her).

It was amazing to see her move and change from a baby 6 months ago. I can not believe she is 6 months and Joe is 25 months. Where has the time gone. This time last year I had a 13 m old and was 12 weeks pregnant.

This morning, Joey was having a tough time, but when he was not crying, he gave me a kiss and told me he loved me, melting my anger away from his previous behavior. He knew how to tug at my heart strings. I guess I am wrapped around his little finger.

Last week, one of the StrollerFit moms Jesy was amazed when her son Christopher waived at Joey during StrollerFit. I love to see the moms excited when there children grow and change. This week Christopher has learned to get out of our workout area while we stretch. Jesy is amazed by his prowess while the other moms laugh. It is great to be able to share these events with each other.

This morning one of the StrollerFit moms mentioned that without StrollerFit she would be stuck. in the house. While she worked she did not know anyone in he area that was home. Now she has friends to walk with, hang with and just talk to about her kids. The conversation developed into the moms discussing the benefits of a group like StrollerFit which makes me happy to know that the group has helped other moms like it has helped me.

Yeah moms

2009-08-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

I want to commend the StrollerFit moms who came out last week and this week in the sweltering humidity. It has been hot and humid but the moms have been out with their kids in full force.

We were at the zoo today. We did not run, but I think we worked out hard and still got a great workout doing other things like push ups, tricep dips, leg lifts and other activities.

I just want to remind you to keep hydrated and drink lots of water and make sure the kids drink a lot of water too so they stay hydrated until the heat breaks.

Just a heads up, I am working on our fall fitness challenge, keep reading the blog for additional information as the weeks roll on.

My new addiction and the heat

2009-08-19T03:12:00.000-07:00

For anyone that knows me, I love to take photos, but I print them and they sit forever,it takes me forever to get them into a photo album, with the things I collect and they rarely get labelled so years later i can not remember the names of people. With 2 kids and StrollerFit, it does not get done often.

I have recently found Heritage Makers, digital scrap booking and in one weekend, scanned the items I collected from my cross country trip 3 years ago, uploaded the digital photos and go the album done. and it is being printed as a beautiful bound book with quotes, backgrounds and other great thins. I love it and love that the 8 1/2 by 11 1/2 book is on sale so I can do my brothers 2 nd wedding and a book for my mom and some Baby books. Joey has albums of pictures from his first year and a baby book with info but no pictures, so now I can make him a baby book with both and create one for Julianna.

I loved it so much, I have decided ti become a consultant, so if anyone wants info let me know. As a consultant I get great deals on products for my self and clients. I think with the StrollerFit family, this is a nice fit.

It is hot hear so, I have had to cancel StrollerFit for the first time all summer, our indoor location is no cooler than the outdoor location and one child and another parent already dehydrated on Monday. Hopefully it will be cooler Thursday to have class, in the mean time I have been at the beach, the pool and in the AC working on a fall StrollerFit challenge and preparing the training for the Tufts 10K in October and working on my scrapbook.

Here's to new ventures and to getting all I need to get done today in the heat.....

stay at home moms feeling overwhelmed

2009-08-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

This week has been interesting. One of my moms thought she may have been sickened by ecoli in the water. Another called for advice about taking her child to the Dr and another was feeling rushed when she had to go from class to an appointment 30 minutes later that was a ten minute drive. On my side Joey has been a monster, the terrible two's are here and I keep telling my mom, I am shipping him to her. All these things and other conversations with the StrollerFit moms got me to thinking about all the things that make us Stay at home moms feel overwhelmed and what we can do to help ourselves and each other.

Being a stay at home mom for many is a dream , but being a stay at home mom to one, two or more children 24/7 can leave many moms feeling overwhelmed, depresses and stressed from the day to day demands of being at home. The benefits are suppose to out way the down sides but sometime stay at home moms need adult interaction and others who know what they are going through to help them get through the day. I love StrollerFit for this. IT is a place to workout, a place to vent your frustrations and a place to make friends who you can bind with while your children make friends.

Many husbands and working moms think a stay at home mom is tending to the children and picking up the house, when really they may be struggling with finding balance between children and housework. Many feel isolated while being at home and coping with the sleep deprivation and stress by their job at home. Here are a few steps that some of my StrollerFit moms have said help them.

Reduce clutter. Living in a cluttered environment on a continuous basis raises stress levels. Try carving out small increments of time each day to start reducing the clutter that exists in the home. Freeing the environment of unnecessary things can promote a feeling of peace in the home.
Schedule the day. Being a stay at home mom is a full-time job (with no paycheck), the day tends to not have the structure of a typical job. One mom said creating a flexible schedule day helps provide focus for the daily tasks at hand. It also may help the child to be flexible. If the schedule is so rigid the child will be unable to cope when it changes, making life tough for mom.
Take time to enjoy the family. Many times Stay at home moms get lost in the household chores. Keep in mind that there will always be laundry to be completed, crumbs to be swept and bathrooms to be cleaned and it is OK to let it go for a moment or to while spending precious moments with your child(ren), it will all get done. Children are only little once. Set the chores aside to get down on the floor and interact with the family.
Stay active. Exercise can help reduce stress levels. The great thing about exercise is that it can be accomplished at home or at the gym, with kids or by oneself. StrollerFit is great for this and if you can not make class there is always the Mommymuscle DVD's. One of my StrollerFit moms works part time and says the Restore the core DVD helps her relax at the end of a crazy day.
Connect with fellow moms. The importance of maintaining social contacts for the stay at home mom and their child is something that words can not describe. It is important to maintain social contact when staying at home. Making a connection with a fellow mom who is attempting to navigate the same season of parenting is wonderful for both moms, another added benefit to StrollerFit.
Carve out personal time. Many of the mom's also struggle with finding time for themselves, often putting other family members needs before their own. Down time or alone time is important for one's personal well-being. Taking a break from the rigors of stay-at-home life allows moms to catch their breath and eventually return to their job with a renewed vigor. Our mom's nights out help, but sometimes a stay at home mom needs a night on her own, a drive alone or a night with friends just to laugh and giggles. And sometimes they need to remember they are women too and may need a night out for a romantic evening with the hubby with the kids at home with a babysitter, this too is OK to do. Sometimes stay at home moms forget that they can have a life away from the kids whether it is out with the hubby or at a event by themselves.

Stay at home moms need to take care of themselves and I am glad I found Strollerfit and the StrollerFit moms, because it helps me to be the best mom I can be while taking care of my children, the house, my family and most importantly myself!

I would love to hear how my StrollerFit moms handle the feeling of being overwhelmed and what works for you.

Vote for Julianna

2009-08-12T14:22:00.001-07:00

or her
Julianna has been attempting to feed herself and I took some great pictures. see below

So I entered her in Disney's Messiest baby face contest. I am hoping all the StrollerFriends will vote for her.

I was visiting Disney Family.com and thought you'd enjoy this:

Blueberries Messy Baby Faces Contest

http://family.go.com/messy-baby-contest/messy-baby-girls/blueberries-11084/

Hope you enjoy...

Thanks Cari and Julianna

Things I learned this weekend

2009-08-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend was eye opening for me. Joey is a great napper, he goes down easily when I put him down, but he is not on a set schedule. But when he does not nap he goes to bed and wakes up 2-3 hours later, ready to go. As if he just took a nap and he wants to play at 11:30. So, I realized he needs to nap even if I want to go somewhere so he sleeps thru the night!

I knew kids could eat food without teeth, Joey gummed a lot for months before his teeth came in. Well Julianna is following in his footsteps. she has eaten chicken, pancakes, mac n cheese and the tops of broccoli. She loved feeding herself too. It is amazing to see what they can do as they grow. She will be 6 months old next week and everything she does still amazes me and reminds me of all the things Joey use to do and the things that are to come.

Julianna is going to be a handful, more than her brother. She is a mover and a shaker and ready to go. I was a climber and I think she is going to follow in my footsteps. My mother wished one on me just like me and I think I got it. Thanks mom. I look forward to her growing up and hope my relationship with her is like the one I have with my mother as an adult, my mother is my best friend.

Well it is hot and humid today, so I better prepare for Strollerfit and get organized. I want to remind all the StrollerFit moms that on days like this the kids and the moms need to keep hydrated with a lot of fluids. No Moms will dehydrate or worse under my watch.

What StrollerFit has taught my children and the Children of other StrollerFit families

2009-08-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

I wish I could get a photo of Joey doing squats, but I never seem to have my camera. Today during the stretching portion of Mommymuscle sculpt Julianna showed us her superman and she did it again at Sears, when they did her 6 month photos.

Many of the kids in StrollerFit know how to lunge, squat, do bicep curls and other moves. It is so cute. I am hoping to get some photos of that in the coming weeks to post. It just proves my point that there are many benefits to StrollerFit and working out with your kids. Not only do we teach them that exercise can be fun and enjoyable, but they learn how to exercise.

Amazing Moms

2009-08-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning thinking about the amazing woman, more specifically the amazing moms I know. My grandmother comes to mind first, I live by her motto "Live for today, you can't go back to yesterday and there may not be a tomorrow!!" I am trying to instill this in my children.

Next comes my mother who is battling a horrible disease with grace and dignity and who has taught me the small victories are important and the small stuff is not important.

Then I think of those who lost there battle with cancer, Linda and Bertha, 2 amazing woman who helped me to be the mom I am and woman I miss dearly and am saddened that they will never know my amazing kids, but who I know are looking down and smiling at Joey and Julianna's antics, especially when it causes me to say things my own mom said that I swore I would never say like "I'm the mom that's why."

I know many moms who have amazing stories, but the group I think about most often that really inspires me as a mother is the mothers I have meet thru StrollerFit. Some had trouble getting pregnant but they were tough enough to battle on, some had pregnancy complications, or delivery complications, some had post delivery complications and many have trouble due to lack of sleep. But these women get up everyday and amaze me with all they do. Some work so do not but they are all remarkable mothers that make me realize thru it all we can do anything!!! IT is great to hear there stories and tales each day and the bond we have formed is great for me and I hope for them too.

What a weekend

2009-08-02T11:53:00.001-07:00

The weekend started with a Restore the Core Class. Then we went To Riverbend Farm for a animal adventure with Emily, Carlos and Jose. Then the boys went swimming and then we went to Mason's 2nd birthday.

Left-Joey, Carlos & Jose looking for bugs, fish, etc at Riverbend Farm.

Then today we went fora stroll at the Zoo and then to the beach again. It was cloudy but at least it did not rain. Check out the photos of our busy weekend.

Julianna getting water dumped on her by Joey and the boys digging in the sand at the beach at West Hill Dam.

The kids are napping and I am getting ready for the week ahead. Oh I almost forgot, Julianna ate chicken at Wright's Chicken Farm, applesauce at Riverbend Farm from a Hannaford's giveaway and she tried homemade pureed blueberries. It was a big food weekend for her.

My first Rescue of the Summer

2009-08-01T03:24:00.000-07:00

Friday's StrollerFit class was held at the West Hill Dam Park. We had a great workout and then planned to spend the day at the beach there and have a BBQ. But guess what happened....

It Rained!!!

So we packed up and went home. On our way out, Jesy realized Christopher's Whale was missing, I saw it in the middle of the lake, so I jumped in, swam for it, got it and came back. I used my lifeguard swim stroke to keep an eye on it and Christopher was happy to have it back. That was my first save of the summer and I am glad I could help. I hope it is the only save I have to make, I love rescuing toys, do not want to rescue a child. I am thankful that my StrollerFit moms and Stan, my Dad who comes to Mommymuscelsculpt and other group activities keep an eye on there children, over the years I have seen many moms and dads who do not watch and that is when there is trouble.

Remember even with a lifeguard parents should still always watch there children around water.

After my rescue we went home, the kids had a bubble bath, the parents had showers and then we had lunch at my house. It turned out to be a fun afternoon anyway.

Member of the Month

2009-07-31T00:38:00.000-07:00

In June I started to award the member of the month, it was an easy decision to choose Drea. She helped me out so much and always put so much into her workout. Plus she could do a million (exaggerating a bit) push ups to plans and back. She definitely deserved the inaugural award, but choosing a mom for July was a little more difficult. It needed to me someone who went the extra mile in her workouts and who was willing to try new exercises and get out of her comfort zone.

After much thought I new who it was. A mom who when we met her was not shy but a bit cautious and who spent time getting comfortable in the group but took a risk by getting out with people she did not know for the benefit of her son. I have watched them both blossom and come out of there shells. She has been come a leader in the class and someone who makes new moms as welcome to the group as we made her feel. She is a great mom and has just started participating in Mommymuscle Sculpt which I know will help her to achieve her goals even faster.

The winner of August's Member of the Month is Jesy Payne!!

Jesy deserves this award for all her hard work and for working hard everyday to be healthy and teach her son Christopher to be healthy and how important exercise is.

Keep up the great work Jesy!

Check out her member of the month information at http://www.strollerfit.com/BlackstoneValley

Bring Dad to StrollerFit at Pop's Popcorn

2009-07-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

Today was another busy day. It poured during StrolleRFit this AM so class was inside, of course it stopped and the sun came out as class ended.

I then taught at BU before coming home for another special StrollerFit class at Pop's Popcorn. It was very hot and muggy so we did an easy workout and the kids enjoyed the ice cream, popcorn and other stuff.

We loved that Kerri's hubby Bryan showed up. and yes the moms enjoyed the parents day celebration with prizes and the ice cream too. I love this picture of almost all the kids that were there on the swing. We have such a good time at Pop's I think, know I know we will do it again.

What a day

2009-07-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today we had a large class at StrollerFit with 3 new moms and I feel really good about them joining. One is coming tomorrow to Try Mom n' Tot Yoga and Mommymuscle Sculpt. I also had 2 new moms join yesterday, My summer promo with a free gift is working well, thanks Diane for the great idea! It was a hot and humid day but we still got in a great workout!

Then a group of the StrollerFit moms went on a picnic at the lake and we swam. Joey loves the water. Julianna went in after a nap in her tent with Bryce. She was happy, Bryce not so much, thus is life, but he warmed up to it, unlike Christopher who screamed, we will work on him.

Then we picked up daddy and went to Mimi and Grumpy's to swim in there pool. I left them and went to teach a swim lesson and then we ended the day at Kimballs Farm where I had an ice cream sundae for dinner, and it was GREAT!

They have a new animal exhibit and they bring the animals out including a wallaby (which Joey loved). I am thinking of doing a StrollerFit event there.

What a great day. We are planning a StrollerFriends BBQ at the beach on Friday. It is such a great spot, maybe we will even do class on the trails there before hand.

What a Great Day!

2009-07-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today we did StrollerFit at Southwick Zoo, Joey's loves monday's at the Zoo because he gets to see Molly the baby giraffe. It was humid but there was a great breeze and we had a great workout. We had a new mom come and try class, she joined and is bringing a friend tomorrow. She works at the local pediatricians office so maybe her word of mouth will drum up even more business.

Then I took the kids to a local lake with a playground and a beach. There was not a lot of people and we had a blast. We will definately do it again. Now I am getting ready for Strollerfit tonight at Louisa Lake.

Parents Day

2009-07-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

I just read an article about Parent's Day. A holiday I did not know occurred the 4th Sunday of July, this year it is Sunday, July 26. I am not planning on celebrating at home, but thought it would be something nice to celebrate with the StrollerFit families.

So on Tuesday, July 28 after class, weather permitting I have planned a Pot Luck Picnic at Purgatory Chasm Park with a raffle prize. I thought this would be a nice way to celebrate the great parents we know. We also have a Special Bring Dad's to StrollerFit event scheduled for Thursday, July 30 so we are going to have a nother raffle after class and have some great ice cream to celebrate the great StrollerFit parents.

I hope to see lots of Moms on Tuesday and Lots of Families on Thursday to celebrate All The Great Parents we know, even if they do not come to class first.

Blueberry and Black Raspberry Picking

2009-07-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today ,many of the StrollerFit families went Blueberry picking after Mommymuscle Sculpt and Mom n' Tot Yoga. We had 2 dads that did class again and were apart of the group, it was great to see the dads out with the kids.

We had a ball. I paid for 2 quarts of Berries - $5 what a bargain, seeing as Joey and the other kids probably each ate a quart on there own.

It was fun and we are doing it again with friends after a picnic next Monday.