Fitness

It’s been over a month since I have featured a Fitness Friday post and it feels good to finally be back at it.  Before becoming pregnant I was training for my first half marathon and was running three to four times a week, doing yoga at least once per week and cross training two to three days. At about five weeks pregnant I did my last run and it was awful.  I was nauseous, exhausted and I had the worst run of my life clocking in at about a sixteen minute mile.  After that everything went down hill from there when my (morning)all-day sickness started and I was hit with extreme fatigue. I stopped running, I stopped consistently doing yoga and my only physical activity was walking and even then not at the same level it once was.

It has been challenging and frustrating not feeling up to doing the same level of physical activity that I once was, especially reading about so many other bloggers who are pregnant or recently pregnant and how they ran nearly their whole pregnancy.  I know every person is different and every pregnancy is different so I try not to get too down about it but I wish I could have kept up running through at least my 2nd trimester but that isn’t happening.

So what now? In the past week and half my all-day sickness has started to decline, I am still experiencing some fatigue but my energy levels have increased and I have started back at working out. My goal is to get a minimum of three 30-60 minute workouts in each week. I have a few prenatal dvd’s to follow which include a yoga dvd and two cardio/weight dvd’s.  I am also lucky to live in a residential area with a bike path that I can go for nice walks on until the snow takes over and when it does the Hubz and I plan to do cross country skiing (on flat services only to limit the risk of falling). I also plan on starting prenatal yoga classes at our local yoga studio at the end of the month.  I have heard from others that it is a great class and a great way to connect with other pregnant women.

This week my workouts have included:

• Monday: 2 mile walk in 45 minutes
• Thursday: 30 minute swim at hotel pool 

I plan on doing a bunch of walking today and I plan on heading back to the pool to do some more swimming. Next week I am going to try out my DVD’s and I plan to do a review of each of them in the upcoming months.

What is your favorite workout activity? 

Stress Less in Triangle

by Laura Kallen
www.laurakallen.com

It’s no secret that yoga is good for you for so many reasons. Research has shown that yoga can help manage stress, tension, anxiety, blood pressure, back pain, depression and fatigue. A consistent yoga practice can help to support the immune system and improve circulation, not to mention improving muscle tone, flexibility, balance and strength. And then there’s the good stuff– the sense of well being and chilled out vibe we create for ourselves.

Trikonasana or Triangle pose is a posture when expressed thoughtfully and fully will stretch and open the hips, groin, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest and spine while strengthening the obliques, waist, thighs, knees and ankles. Triangle can reduce stress, anxiety, improve digestion and can alleviate back, neck and sciatica pain.

Source

Here’s how to align yourself properly:

Start with your heels in alignment and step your left foot back roughly 3 feet, turning it out slightly. Feet should be close enough together to be able to straighten both legs. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and lengthen them out to the sides at shoulder height, actively reaching hands away from one another. Elongate up from the base of the spine through the crown of your head. Firm up the thighs. Exhaling, extend your torso forward over the right leg, hinging from the hip. Ground this movement by strengthening the back leg and pressing your heel into the floor. Bending from the hip joint bringing the right hand inside the right leg. Your right hand can either be on the floor or resting on the shin. Lengthen the tailbone toward the back heel, draw the shoulders away from the ears and look up, ahead or down, whatever feels best on your the neck at the time.

Try to stay in triangle for 30 seconds to 1 minute, being observant of your mind, body and breath. Do your best to stay in the moment and keep your mind in the present. Inhale to come up, firmly pressing the back heel into the floor and reaching the left arm toward the ceiling. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time on the other side.

BIO
Laura Kallen has completed a nationally recognized 200-hour registered yoga teacher training and to date has taught over 3,000 hours of yoga. Through her yoga practice, Laura became even more in tune with her body and noticed how her nutrition played an integral role in her energy level, her mood, happiness and her overall sense of balance and well-being. She is a certified health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and helps provide individuals with support and the tools they need to help create more life balance, better health and a higher level of self-care.

As a yoga instructor and health counselor, Laura’s mission is to empower her clients to achieve their health and life goals so that they can reach their optimum potential and be their best selves.

Laura Kallen is the founder of Creative Wellness Products and her innovative DVD Balanced Yoga with Laura Kallen was released in 2009 to rave reviews. She offers weekly classes in the New York Metropolitan area. For more information or to contact please go to www.laurakallen.com

This month has been all about yoga featuring my 30 Days of Yoga Challenge  and I have been thrilled with how it is going.  I have been making sure to do at least 10 minutes of yoga per day but most days I do between 25-60 minutes.  I feel so much more focused, flexible and can tell my posture has improved as well.  I also love that 30 days of yoga means I can wear yoga pants everyday (not that I don’t already do that).

"The Lotus Power Pant has a slimming, narrow straight leg; an elliptical waistband, so that it looks super low-rise in the front but still covers your bum during downward dog; and contrast side seaming that shapes and slims due to strategic placement. Features the moisture-wicking, compressive strength of lucy powermax™, flat-locked seams to discourage skin chafing and an interior pocket for a key or cash."

Lately my favorite yoga pants have been my Lucy Lotus Power Pant, they are so comfortable.  I have been wearing these for everything, not just yoga, and they are perfect because they look so good on.  The only downfall is that I want to be taller than I am and I ordered a length that is a little too long for me. It hasn’t been a problem though because they look cute rolled and I can rock them like that no problem.  One of my favorite things about the pants though is how easy it is to transition them from yoga class to casual outfit.  To make them into a casual outfit i just add a cute tank or t-shirt, a denim jacket, some bangles and a scarf with a pair of ballet flats and just like that I can go from the studio to brunch.

I actually wore these the entire time I was at the hospital with Neil when he stayed over night for his head injury. They were so comfortable even when sleeping in a chair.

hmmm just a little long

Rolled for Yoga- Perfect! (only a little roll for everyday wear)

Overall I’m a huge fan of my Lucy pants and I look forward to acquiring more, they made my Christmas list.

P.S. Lucy offers free returns and exchanges on all regular-priced pants in lengths; so if you have a problem with the length of your pants keep this in mind.

Disclaimer: Lucy provided me with a sample of their products to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway.