Warning Wed: Don’t stop breathing

If you have only been a spectator of personal trainer and trainee workouts, you may have wondered why the trainer keeps reminding them to breathe. Surely, having been breathing since the time of birth, we don’t need such reminders!

You will be surprised to know, that a lot of people have a tendency to hold their breath during the most strenuous part of the exercise. I have also been asked many of times: “What is the proper way to breathe Beki when I’m doing… ?”

Does it really matter?

Yes, it does.


Improper breathing can lead to an increase of blood pressure which can cause a series of not so results: dizziness, light headedness, nausea, hernia, heart attack, even a stroke! It gets even worse for people who have hypertension or high blood pressure already! By disallowing the proper oxygen supply the body and heart demands during an intense workout, the body will react! (its not dumb you know!)

Proper technique is a very simple trick of knowing when you are using energy or force (concentric phase:contraction of the muscle group- exhale here) and when you are on the relaxing (eccentric phase: muscle group is released or stretched back to normal- inhale here).

Another trick I tell my clients is:
Inhale when working with gravity (movement is going down towards the earth; ex: down part of a squat) and exhale when you are working against gravity (upward movement from the earth; ex: straightening the legs up from a squat).

For your cardiovascular training, no need to stress yourself out with different breathing techniques. Just make sure you are breathing..and breathe naturally.




Until next time team, breath is life-you stop breathing, you stop living... so don't stop breathing.

Health respect & happiness,
beki

Momma Monday: Sport & activity options for you!

Who ever said that you should sit on the sidelines just cause you happen to be a little bit pregnant?!

You will be happy to know that there are many options of what you CAN do! Keep in mind though, there will also be a few that you SHOULDN’T do – for obvious reasons (can you imagine sky diving with baby belly in tow?!? Yikes!).

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY

CONTACT SPORTS - WATER SPORTS -- HIGH ALTITUDE -– MISCELLANEOUS
Baseball* ...... Canoeing * ...... ballooning ..... bungee jumping
Basketball* ..... diving ......... downhill skiing * ... Gymnastics
Boxing* ......... scuba diving ...... hang gliding ...... Horseback riding*
Car racing ...... water polo ......... hiking* .......... ice skating*
Fencing ........ water skiing ..... Mountain climbing ... rollerskating*
Field hockey .. whitewater rafting ... sky diving ...... in-line skating
Handball* .... shynchronized swimming .. snowshoeing* ... Sprinting
Ice hockey ........................... snowboarding* .... track & field
Soccer* ................................................. Triathlon*
Volleyball*
Wrestling

*some possibilities for modification (with extreme caution) for the first 12 – 20 weeks.

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE ENJOYED DURING PREGNANCY

LAND EXERCISES - GYM CLASSES - WATER SPORTS - RACQUET SPORTS - MISCELLAENOUS
Bicycling* .. aerobics-high impact* .. pool aerobics^ .. badminton* .. Bowling
Crosscountry skiing^ .. aerobics-low impact* .. snorkelling^ .. ping pong .. callisthenics*
Hiking*^ .. cardio-kickboxing* .. swimming^ .. racquetball* .. exercise videos*^
Jogging* .... dancing^ ..... Water toning^ .... squash* ....... golf
Running* .... funk aerobics^ .................... Tennis* ..... martial arts*+
Jump rope* ... Hiphop aerobics^ ............................... pilates*
Plyometrics* ............................................. Rowing machine*^
Walking^ ................................................. ski machine^
Treadmill^ .............................................. stair/step machine^
....................................................... stationary bicycle^
............................................................. stretching^
............................................. strength & weight training*^
............................................................... tae bo*
.............................................................. t’ai chi^
................................................................ yoga*^

*may need modifications throughout pregnancy; some of these activities may need to be eliminated in the late stages.
^can be started by a novice after becoming pregnant.
+non-contact

until next time momma’s, you keep playing for as long as you can! (just be CAREFUL)

health respect & happiness,
beki

WARNing WEDnesday: High Risk Measurements!

{{if any of the images are too small to read the fineprint, click onto the picture and it will enlarge for you to read it!}}

Do you fall into any of these categories??
If you do…or know of someone who does… or is getting CLOSE to these standards…

STOP!!

GET UP!!!

AND START MOVING!!!!!

You might even need some HELP from a trainer…which isn’t such a bad thing.

BodyFat %
Age: ............... Overweight: ................... Obese:
20-40 yrs ...... 33-39% (F) 19-25% (M) ......+39% (F) +25% (M)
41-60 yrs ...... 35-40%(F) 22-27% (M) ....... +40% (F) +27% (M)
61-79 yrs ..... 36-42%(F) 13-25% (M) ....... +42% (F) +30% (M)

Waist to Hip Ratio

The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) states that:
Women with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 0.8 are at increased health risk because of their fat distribution.

Men with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 1.0 are at increased health risk because of their fat distribution .

BMI (Body mass index)
**keep in mind that if you are an avid weight trainer/body builder...this would NOT apply to you! a more accurate method used for sedentary population or one who is just getting started with fitness**


Waist Measurement


Until next time team, don't let your body go until you HIT any of these dangerous measurements to be concerned...it is ACTING BEFORE you get there to prevent diseases and from ending up in the high risk categories!

Health respect & happiness,
beki

TIP TUESday: wait a sec! You may actually NOT be hungry…

Got just a few minutes left of this lovely Tuesday to hit you up with a little hunger tip!

You may have even heard of this simple trick before.

The next time you think you are hit with some hunger pains…

STOP!!

BEFORE you reach into the cabinet for chips, donuts, leftovers, or whatever else you got hiding for these snack craved moments—

Drink a glass of water. All of it. Maybe even two.

You may actually be experiencing dehydration and your body is trying to tell you to feed it. Mistakenly, you may feed it food without realizing it’s actually just thirsty…so drink up first! Wait a few minutes… go about with your day and what you were doing.


If the hunger pains just won’t go away… then yes, maybe you need to fill up on some calories.

Until next time team, think water first…because it’s just silly to consume calories you think your body is hungry for- don’t fall for this trick!

Health respect & happiness,
beki

MOMmy MONday: keep stretching!

The benefits of stretching during pregnancy
Stretching will enhance your flexibility, prevent your muscles from tightening, and make you feel looser and more relaxed. Use the following stretches after a workout as a way to cool down, or just when you need to relax. Be sure to breathe deeply and regularly as you stretch.

Shoulder circles

• While seated or standing, rotate your shoulders backwards and down in the largest circle you can make. This opens the chest, counteracting the rounded shoulders so many pregnant women get.

Chest stretch


• Standing in a doorway, place both hands at shoulder height on either side of the doorway, elbows bent. Step your right foot forward until you feel a slight stretch in the chest muscles (being careful not to stretch too much). Hold for 30 seconds.

• Switch feet, stepping your left foot forward. Hold for 30 seconds.

Roll-down


• Stand with your back against a wall, your feet about shoulder-width apart a comfortable distance from the wall, knees slightly bent. Inhale, then as you exhale, draw in your abdominals, moving your chin toward your chest as you roll your torso down one vertebra at a time. "Roll" as far down as you're comfortable going. Keep your weight centered between your feet.

• Inhale at the bottom of the roll-down, and as you exhale, roll back up, trying to "print" each vertebra on the wall. As you return to an upright position, make sure your head is the last part of your body to uncurl. Repeat. Note: As your pregnancy progresses, you can modify this pose by doing it seated in a chair with your feet wide apart to make room for your belly. Sitting right on the edge of the chair, inhale, then exhale as you move your chin toward your chest and roll your body forward and down. Your hands can hang between your legs. Inhale, then exhale as you roll all the way up.

Waist twist


• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart for stability, knees slightly bent.

• Extend both of your arms toward your left side at shoulder height while looking over your right shoulder. Hold the stretch and breathe into it.

• Moving slowly, reverse the motion, switching your arms to the right while looking over your left shoulder. Repeat.

Wall push-up and calf stretch


• Stand about 2 feet from a wall with your arms extended in front of your shoulders.

• Reach your hands to the wall and lean forward, bending your elbows on an inhale as your body tilts.

• Keep your heels on the floor to stretch your calf muscles. (Don't do this exercise in socks or slippery shoes; you want your feet to stay put.)

• Exhale, contract the abdominals, and slowly push away from the wall to straighten up. Repeat eight to ten times.

Mermaid


• Sitting on the floor, sit tall with your knees bent to the right and heels close to your bottom. With your left hand, hold your left ankle for support as your right hand extends overhead. Inhale, then exhale and reach up and over to the left side.

• Inhale and hold the stretch. Exhale to return to an upright position. Repeat one more time on your right side before moving to the left. You will feel a stretch in the sides of your waist, hip, and lower back. Repeat twice while sitting on your left hip.

Thigh and hip flexor stretch

• Lie on your left side with your head on a pillow or a folded towel. Slightly bend the left leg for stability.

• Bend your right leg, moving your foot toward your bottom, and take hold of your right ankle. Gently pull the heel closer to your bottom and draw in your abdominals to support your lower back. You should feel a stretch in the thigh and deep hip flexors. Hold for 30 seconds.

• Release and switch sides, lying on your right side.

Until next time Momma's, keep up the stretches to relieve tight muscles and tension in the joints!

Health respect & happiness,
beki

FOODy FRIday: raw food recipe for a great salad!

I have attempted to do the raw food thing almost 100% for a few weeks now… it isn’t working out as good as I hoped. I just love food too much….variety…hot and cold…bad and good!!
But I have been able to maintain a minimum of one raw food dish a day…hey, that ain’t so bad!

So here is a salad I made a few days ago with whatever veggies I had left sitting in my fridge:



Ingredients:
Remaining organic spinach leaves
Remaining organic alfalfa sprouts (don’t forget to rinse!)
Remaining beets (cut into little chunks)
Organic cucumber (sliced & diced)
Organic tomato (halved then halved again, and halved again)
Drizzle of organic hemp oil
Dash of organic course sea salt

The portions are entirely up to you..and feel free to omit or add veggies of your choice! Hemp oil is so flavourful, you won’t need to add any other type of dressing..that dash of sea salt helps bring all the flavours together.

Quick, easy, extremely nutritious…. Now go and make your own perfect salad!

Until next time team, even 20% raw diet is better than none!

Health respect & happiness,
Beki

MoMmy Monday: Outdoor workouts with baby in toll!

The weather is getting warmer outside, isn’t it nice to know you don’t have to stay indoors all the time now? And with summer getting closer, its time to get the exercise program in check so that your worries are only of your baby getting from crawling to walking and less of your postpartum figure stepping out into the sunshine in shorts and a tank!

Getting outside with baby in stroller is actually a great alternative for a workout. I would recommend that you look for a jogging stroller (usually one with 3 wheels, 1 in the front with 2 in the back) as they are built to work with you when you are going at higher speeds than a casual walk.

If you are breaking out of the house for the first time, start off slow. Start off with a regular to slightly quick pace walk with the stroller. Pay attention to your posture: shoulders back and down, chest up, belly in tight, looking straight ahead. There may be a tendency to want to jut your buttocks back (posterior tilt) while moving with the stroller, be extremely careful that you keep a neutral pelvis and hip.

After doing this a few times a week for a couple weeks, you may want to start adding intervals. Walk for a few minutes, then jog/run for a minute. And keep repeating that. You can pick and choose how long our intervals should last. But you want to try to have your walks/jogs/runs last for a total time of anywhere between 15 (when you first start out) to 30 mins+ (after about 4-6 weeks). Eventually, you may be running the entire 30 minutes! Wouldn’t that make you feel great? And baby Jr. would be enjoying the bumpy ride…

Take the outings to a new level and make it a circuit. A great place to add some resistance to your cardio would be a park where there are many trails for runners/walkers with grass spots by the trail.

Here is just an example of a circuit session with your baby:
What you will need: jogging stoller, your baby, a blanket

Warm up starting with a steady walk, gradually building to a quick walk to a steady jog for at least 10 minutes.

Pick up speed to a 2 minute run. Stop and do some squats off the handle of the stroller for a minute.

Then pick it up again with another 2 minute run. Stop and lunge for 1 minute using the handle for balance again. (do 30 secs for each leg lunge or run for 2 mins before switching to the other side)

Run again for 2 minutes, then take baby out (this mimics a deadlift exercise, really pay attention to core tightness and form!), get to a stand up position, then bend over to place baby back into the stroller-for a full minute.

Run for 2 minutes. Stop and place blanket on the grass. Lay baby supine (face up) while you set up a push up position with your baby between your hands, just below your head. As you lower down in the push up, you will get closer to your baby (here you can use your imagination. Make funny faces at them to make them laugh, or get close enough that you can give them a kiss on the forehead..etc.), finish by pushing up. Continue this for 1 minute.

Again, run for 2 minutes. Stop and take baby out, lift them up to your chest by flexing the elbows (that would be a bicep curl) and then lift them up over your head (mimics the overhead press). Take them back down to chest height, and finish the curl by extending the elbows with baby in hands. Keep this up for 1 minute.

Run for another 2 minutes. Now take blanket out again, then take baby out, let them rest on your belly while you lay supine on the blanket and do crunches for 1 minute.

To cool down, walk for about 2 to 3 minutes and follow that with a stretch. Making sure you are stretching all muscle groups that you worked.

You can do this circuit once through to start. And gradually increase it to 2 times and finally 3 times through. The exercises provided are just a few examples of what you can do. As you get stronger, get creative and mix up other exercises that you can incorporate the stroller or your baby. As a new mommy, your imagination and creativity should be through the roof!!

And you know what?? This isn’t restricted to only MOMMYs…Daddy’s look super cool doing this too! ;)


Until next time Mommys, its time to dust off your runners and get moving outside—and this time you can’t use “but I don’t have a babysitter” as an excuse!

Health respect & happiness,
Beki