Fitness

Prenatal Fitness: Making A Splash

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Almost all of my prenatal fitness has revolved around walking, prenatal yoga and Summer Sanders’ workout videos, that is until I finally found swimming. Back at the end of May, Neil and I went to get anniversary massages at a spa which allowed us full access to their facilities including their pool. Since we had the entire day I decided that I should pick up a pregnancy friendly bathing suit since all of pre-pregnancy ones were much too small. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money so I ended up buying one for $20 from Old Navy (non-maternity). It’s a bit big in the chest and the bottom due to the the need for it to fit around my giant baby belly but it works.

After our massages we took advantage of the pool and it was glorious! We did lap after lap sometimes jogging from end to end and other times swimming and it felt amazing. Being in the water really relieved the pressure on my hips and legs and I still got in a great workout. It felt so great that I couldn’t wait to go swimming again. Since then we have only had access to outdoor pools and the lake but have made an effort to get out and enjoy both when the weather and time allows.

We are so lucky that Neil’s work has an arrangement with a local tennis club that has an outdoor pool. We are able to use the pool throughout the week after 5pm and all day on the weekends. We went this past Monday and got a nice swim in. Swimming has easily become my new favorite pregnancy activity. I really recommend that you pregnant ladies get out there and do some swimming this summer because it feels so good and is low impact but a great workout- especially on the arms- you will be carrying around a baby soon so need to strengthen those arms of yours!

What is your favorite workout right now?

Happy National Running Day! (& Name your Race Giveaway)

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HAPPY NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!

It’s National Running Day! Are you getting out for a run? Days like today make me anxious to get back to running.  I wish I could get out and participate today, however my 35 week pregnant body just isn’t down for running right now; I will however be getting out for a walk this afternoon!

Giveaway: Winner- Jenna Z says:

After losing over 80 pounds, I run because the act of moving swiftly feels SO amazing! I love getting from one place to another on my own two feet and I’m impatient so I like taking it at a swift pace! I’d love to enter The Arthur Rat Race on September 3rd in Arthur IL! I’ve got the day off and they have an awesome town festival going on too!

In honor of National Running Day I am giving away (aka I’ll pay for up to $25) a race entry to one lucky winner-  (almost) any race (max entry fee $25) anytime and anywhere.  All you have to do is tell me why do you run? and which race entry you’d like to win. I will pick a winner tomorrow morning!

My Fitness Bucket List

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Yesterday I started a new board on Pinterest that features my Fitness Bucket List.  Right now it’s pretty small but it is constantly growing and features my fitness goals for this year through my lifetime.  The items currently on my Fitness Bucket List are:

This Year:

One of my goals for this year is to start post-natal yoga at Evolution at six weeks postpartum.  The great thing about this class is that I can bring baby with me from 6 weeks until they start to crawl!

Run/Walk the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  I know, I know – I have a whole blog post written about this goal and I am sure many of you are saying um whattttttt? You are having a baby in July and this race is in November. Don’t worry my expectations are low, like lower and than low, but we’ve already deferred to this race and so might as well try.

Next Two Years:

Neil and I would love to run the VCM as relay partners in the next few years.  He ran the first half this year and really wants to do it again!

Next Five Years:

The Vermont 100 on 100 is a 100 mile relay race that is on Route 100 (guess that’s where it gets its name?) in Vermont starting at Trapps and ending at Okemo.  Over the past few years Neil and I have witnessed the runners and I have always  been inspired by the race.  The race route is beautiful and I am sure amazing to run.  Neil and I almost signed up last year when a few friends wanted to start a team but ultimately decided that we weren’t prepared to run that many miles and it would probably be a bad idea so our goal of running the 100 on 100 on a team together has been put on the back burner at least for another year or two.

I would love to attend Wanderlust again in VT, CA or CO or even Whistler would be amazing.

This is one of Neil and I’s big running goals to do- I would love to do the one that goes to Key West.

I can always use an excuse to go to Disney and what better excuse than a race that both Neil and I want to do?

Lifetime Goal:

This is a long term goal that Neil and I started a few years ago.  We have been trying to hike a little bit of the The Long Trail each year (unfortunately not this year- or at least no plans to yet anyways). Neil is the hiking lover and I’m in like with hiking but this would be an amazing goal to accomplish.

What is on your Fitness Bucket List? Have you started a Pinterest #Fitnessbucketlist board? If yes, link below!

You can check out my board here.

Midwives, Marathons & Massages

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Today is the last day of my 6 day vacation and I’m sad for it to be over. Neil and I have been super busy every day of this vacation and I am using today to relax and get ready for the short but surely busy work week.

Thursday I spent most of the day trying to get some work done around the house, I took a nap and then headed out to watch Neil’s softball game. After his game, we went to American Flatbread for our traditional post-midwife appointment flatbread date a day early since we had made different plans for after our Friday midwife appointment.

Friday Neil and I woke up early and headed out to an early morning midwife appointment at their main office 75 minutes away. We usually go to the satellite office that is only 45 minutes away but we had hoped that we would be able to tour the birth center but unfortunately all the birthing suites were full when we arrived so we couldn’t tour. On the upside we found out that the baby turned and that now there is a 98% chance they will stay head down!!

After our appointment we headed to Hill Farmstead Brewery so Neil could sample a few beers and pick up a stock (you can only buy bottles at the brewery). On our way there, we stopped in Hardwick at the Buffalo Mountain Co-op for lunch where we both got veggie and tempeh bowls with brown rice for me and quinoa for him. After we finally made it to the brewery (after getting lost, asking for directions, learning we needed cash, getting cash and returning) we finally headed to Little River State Park in Waterbury (where my parents were camping) for dinner. Neil helped them set up camp and then we ate tons of raw veggies with dip, Field Roast Sausages and potatoes, then Neil and I finally packed up and headed home.


Saturday we stopped into the VCM Race Expo, ran a bunch of errands and then relaxed.  Since Neil was running Sunday we didn’t want to over do it and spent all afternoon/evening relaxing on the couch.

Sunday = RACE DAY! Neil and I both woke up bright and early to get ready for the Vermont City Marathon. I spent the day as a spectator and Neil ran his very first half marathon! We dropped Neil off at the starting line and then we headed to our planned viewing spot, just after mile 10.  Since we were going to have a few hours to wait before Neil passed through we headed up the hill to cheer him on just pass the 2-mile marker.

Just Pass 2-Mile Mark (Neil with yellow hat)

After we cheered on Neil and his fellow runners we headed back down the hill to our spots and set up camp to cheer on runners as they passed by.

Finally we spotted Neil with the 4:15 pace group and gave him a big cheer as he passed.

We stayed and cheered on all the runners up until the very last one passed us by and then packed things up and walked down to the waterfront to meet official Half-Marathoner Neil (his unofficial time is 2:20!)

Monday after spending the day in the hot sun and running Sunday, Neil and I were both ready for our anniversary massages at The Essex Resort and Spa.  About a month ago I scheduled appointments for a sports-specific massage for Neil and a prenatal massage for myself for our anniversary which is May 31st, BEST IDEA EVER.

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We arrived a bit early, checked into the spa and then went the relaxation lounge to relax, sip green juice and water before our massages.  We ended up having our massages in the same room together which was really nice and they were honestly some of the best massages either of us have had.  We had the same massages about 3 months ago in Boston and although they were good these were amazing.  The best part was I could lay on my stomach thanks to the special pregnancy belly pillow they had for prenatal massages.

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After our massages we decided to take advantage of the facilities (you have access to the pool, gym, sauna, steam room and relaxation lounges) and we headed to the indoor pool for a swim.  It was so nice to get in the water and swim around, I wish I had been doing this throughout all of my pregnancy! Walking has becoming more challenging but swimming yesterday I was able to do 300 yards with no problem!

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After the pool, we headed back to our designated (men/women) spa changing rooms so that Neil could use the steam room and I took the time to put my feet up and enjoy a cup of tea, a cup of water and a trashy magazine since neither the sauna nor the steam room were options for me.  We both showered and got ourselves ready for the day and then headed out to pick up a picnic lunch and run a few errands before settling in at home.

We ended our night with this delicious homemade flatbread and caught up on a few shows.

Yoga For Beginngers: DVD Edition

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Getting Our Yoga on At Wanderlust Vermont

When I first started practicing yoga I did almost all of my practices at home through the guidance of a variety of yoga DVD’s.  As I became more confident I finally signed up for a few different types of yoga for beginners series to allow me to try yoga in a real studio and with a real teacher, this is when my love for yoga really started to develop.  There really is nothing that compares to practicing at a studio with others and a live teacher but sometimes there are just things that get in the way (lack of studios, cost, time, etc.) that result in home practice being the best (or only) option.  Luckily, there are a number of really great DVD’s out there for beginners and beyond.

My personal recommendations:

Rodney Yee’s Abs Yoga for Beginners:  If you haven’t picked up on the trend already- I LOVE Rodney Yee. I have around six (maybe more) of his yoga DVD’s and there isn’t one that I don’t like.  This has really become one of my favorites and I have missed being able to do it since I became pregnant.  I think this is a great beginners workout for the abs, however if you are a little more advanced I would direct you to his Core Cross Train yoga workout instead.  This is a great and slightly challenging abs workout that is perfect for beginners.

 

 

 

Rodney Yee’s A.M. P.M. Yoga: This is one my absolute favorite yoga DVD’s and I can’t wait to get back to doing it regularly.  The A.M. Yoga with Rodney Yee is just what I need to jump start my day and is wonderful for those who are new to yoga, are looking for a short yoga session to start their day or those who are looking for a relaxed practice.  To be honest I HATE the P.M. portion of the DVD that is with Patricia Walden, just a personal annoyance with her practice and her all white spandex body suit. That being said it I would recommend this even if all you use it for is the A.M. Yoga portion.

 

 

A.M. Yoga For Your Week: Another favorite DVD of mine is this A.M. Yoga for Your Week with Rodney Yee. It is very different from the first a.m. yoga one that I mentioned above. There are five 20-minute workouts that each focus on different types of poses including Standing Poses, Twists, Backbends, Forward Bends and Hip Openers. It is great for both beginners and intermediates. Although it is called “A.M. Yoga” I love to do this DVD at any time of the day. I really like to do the hip openers after a run, it gives me a great stretch.

 

 

 

Ashtanga Yoga Beginners Practice:  I am not a lover of ashtanga yoga but I did find that this was a great introduction to the practice.  I honestly don’t use this DVD any longer but I felt that it should be included in this list because even though I personally am not a fan of Ashtanga yoga, I did find that this was a really great beginners introduction to it.  I used this DVD when Neil and I took a six-week beginners Ashtanga series a few years ago and it is right on track with what we learned.  I have to say that the Nicki Doane has a bit of a monotone voice which can make it a little challenging to listen to but once you get over that it’s a good DVD.

What are you favorite yoga for beginners DVD’s?

 

 

Fitness Friday: Summer Sanders’ Prenatal Workout

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Happy Friday Everyone! What are you doing to stay fit this week? I went to prenatal yoga and have been out for a few walks.  Today I am planning on doing my first third trimester workout from Summer Sanders’ Prenatal Workout DVD.

I am finally getting around to write the review of the second trimester workouts from Summer Sanders’ Prenatal Workout DVD, I unfortunately didn’t start using her workout DVD until I was already in my second trimester so I am not going to do a first trimester workout review (since I didn’t do any).

I purchased this DVD along with two other prenatal dvd’s when I was around 10 weeks pregnant.  I knew that since we had canceled our gym membership, got rid of our faulty elliptical and my running had become non-existent that I was going to need  some workout videos to help me stay active during my pregnancy. Out of the three videos this has been my favorite and the most used, although since the weather has been nicer out I have been using it less and trying to get outside for walks with my husband more but I am still loving the workouts.

Summer Sanders, an Olympic gold medalist, and her personal trainer, Keri Crockett (also her sister-in-law) lead you through the workouts. I love the Summer is actually pregnant in the videos, it gives me more motivation to keep pushing through the workout because if she can do it so can I! The DVD features both a full length and express workout and to be honest I have only done the full length workout once, I usually do the express workout which is about 35 minutes in length.  I find that it is the perfect amount of time for me and I usually end up going for a walk with the husband as well so I get two workouts in.

The workouts feature a lot of strength training and toning for the whole body including a nice balance of legs, arms and pregnancy friendly ab workouts. I always finish my workouts feeling energized and so glad I did it.  Summer and Keri really are great to watch and listen to as well, they are informative, motivating and entertaining.

I will say that the one downfall of this video is that it is mostly a strength workout, there is very little cardio.  Since I don’t do any other strength specific workouts and I find time to get light cardio in on other days it has been fine for me but I know that for others that has been one con regarding the workouts.  I loved  the second trimester workouts and I am looking forward to trying out the third trimester workouts and seeing how they different from the second trimester.

Have you done this workout DVD? What do you think? What are your favorite workouts (prenatal or not)?