Last week after a 2.5 mile brisk walk my body felt as if I'd run 5 miles. And I know what it feels like to run 5 miles, because 4 miles was my standard run until I was around 6 months pregnant--and I would do 5-6 miles if I had extra time or was training for a race.
I was reminded how much work it is on a body to be pregnant. Especially 8 or 9 months pregnant. Not only am I carrying around extra weight, but it's concentrated in one area--throwing me off balance and making my muscles have to compensate.
Throw in the 5-yr old and 21-month old trainers that are always challenging my body, my pregnancy workout is ramped up even more. I don't need daily exercise, in fact I can't quite handle daily exercise, with the demands of life and children on my pregnant body.
I am still trying to get in 3 days of exercise a week. I do feel like my body is different with this pregnancy due to more exercise. I'm hoping it means it will bounce back a bit quicker than in the past. But I've offically retired the running shoes and am having to settle for a brisk walk.
As always, I try to find the good points in requiring a c-section--and one of them is that I won't be able to exercise for a few weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to do some walking after 3-4 weeks and then back to more exercise after 6 weeks. So I'm trying to keep it up until my c-section (which is in THREE weeks) and I'll enjoy the break as I recover and cuddle with my new baby.
Showing posts with label fitness friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness friday. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Monday, November 24, 2008
Fitness (Fri)Day and a few cute stories
As is par for the course, I'm posting my fitness stuff on a day other than Friday. Oh well! I'm definately slowing down a bit more and not trying to push myself as much. I did get in three days of exercise last week, which is my minimum goal. Slowly I think I will be transitioning to videos and walking and not so much running. But, when I can get out on my own, I know I will be running a bit!
My big issue as of late is a lack of veggies in my diet. I'm lucky if I get one serving of veggies per day. Which I know is bad for me and bad for the baby. I've realized one of the problems is that I have sensitive teeth, so I can't really eat any foods straight out of the fridge that require chewing. Yes, it sounds rather weak, but it's really a problem I have! I need to make a commitment and a plan to eat more veggies in a day...but so far I haven't found the motivation.
We are looking forward to time with family this week! My sisters are coming into town and we'll be gathering with both sides of the family. Of course all centered around good food! If there is one thing my family loves, it's good homecooked food. No frozen pies or canned yams for us. We want the real stuff!!
A cute story about Miss Rose this weekend... It's so funny to hear yourself echoed in your children. Miss Rose was in her room and spilled some crayons and craft supplies. She called out asking me to help clean it up. I told her no--they are her toys, it was her spill and she needed to clean it up. She began to rant and rave about how unfair it was and I was a parent and should help a child. She was attempting to bargain but of course I wasn't buying. The whole time Miss Rose was talking to me from her room while she cleaned up the mess. Her final words were "okay, I'll clean it up this time but next time you have to help." If only she had that kind of power!!
The girls had to accompany me to an OB appointment this morning. I didn't think it would make that much of an impact on Miss Rose, but she seemed really impressed by the heartbeat. She told everyone she spoke with or saw today about it. It was so sweet. She loves talking to my belly and will ask the baby if it had a good day at work with me or to have a good sleep at night.
On a final note...we had the home inspection done on the house we put an offer in on, and everything came up all clear. So, we are moving forward on the purchase. All of the sudden I feel so grown up. You'd think expecting a third child would do that....but this feels like the real deal!
Happy Thanksgiving Week!
My big issue as of late is a lack of veggies in my diet. I'm lucky if I get one serving of veggies per day. Which I know is bad for me and bad for the baby. I've realized one of the problems is that I have sensitive teeth, so I can't really eat any foods straight out of the fridge that require chewing. Yes, it sounds rather weak, but it's really a problem I have! I need to make a commitment and a plan to eat more veggies in a day...but so far I haven't found the motivation.
We are looking forward to time with family this week! My sisters are coming into town and we'll be gathering with both sides of the family. Of course all centered around good food! If there is one thing my family loves, it's good homecooked food. No frozen pies or canned yams for us. We want the real stuff!!
A cute story about Miss Rose this weekend... It's so funny to hear yourself echoed in your children. Miss Rose was in her room and spilled some crayons and craft supplies. She called out asking me to help clean it up. I told her no--they are her toys, it was her spill and she needed to clean it up. She began to rant and rave about how unfair it was and I was a parent and should help a child. She was attempting to bargain but of course I wasn't buying. The whole time Miss Rose was talking to me from her room while she cleaned up the mess. Her final words were "okay, I'll clean it up this time but next time you have to help." If only she had that kind of power!!
The girls had to accompany me to an OB appointment this morning. I didn't think it would make that much of an impact on Miss Rose, but she seemed really impressed by the heartbeat. She told everyone she spoke with or saw today about it. It was so sweet. She loves talking to my belly and will ask the baby if it had a good day at work with me or to have a good sleep at night.
On a final note...we had the home inspection done on the house we put an offer in on, and everything came up all clear. So, we are moving forward on the purchase. All of the sudden I feel so grown up. You'd think expecting a third child would do that....but this feels like the real deal!
Happy Thanksgiving Week!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Fitness Friday on Monday & Family Picture Day
I can't seem to blog my Fitness Friday on Fridays! Oh well. That's the life of a mom. I made a discovery this week. One I'm not so happy about, but I knew was coming. But there is a new development that I am pleased about.
I think my days of running with the jogging stroller with both kids in it have come to an end. At least running more than a few miles. Miss Rose is probably a few pounds over the weight limit for the stroller. The poor thing has to practically fold herself into the seat as it is, although she never complains.
Prior to Friday, I ran twice without the jogger and had really great runs--10 minute miles for 3-4 miles. A little bit of back pain later, but nothing significant. Friday I ran 3.5 miles and walked .5 miles in the middle with the jogger and I was in so much pain the rest of the day, and it's lingered through the weekend. The positioning and strain on my back pushing the heavy jogger is too much for my pregnant state. If weren't preggo, I don't think it would be an issue...but I am, so it is!
As much as I want to fight it, I know I just have a few months left and need accept this limitation. I can walk with it of course and I'll probably experiment with running 2 miles in addition to walking 1-2 and see how I fare. And I'll be looking for every opportunity to run on my own!
The positive development is that Bean took Miss Rose's training wheels off her bike and she is riding on her own for short times! In just a week she had mastered the balance. She's still a bit wobbly and hasn't learned all the techniques of stopping and starting on her own or managing hills. But she's well on her way! I am confident that by the time I'll need to head to the lake with three children, she'll be able to ride along side us.
Speaking of jogging strollers...look what mine did to Gracie's face.
As every one-and-a-half year old does, she fell forward while walking and the stroller happened to be what broke her fall. Had it not been there, she may have skinned her knee or simply shed a few tears.
Instead, her head hit the end of it--causing a large goose egg and bruise; under her eye and her nose hit the wheel mechanism. When she's in a lot of pain she stiffens her whole body while wailing. I felt so bad for her.
Of course, this happened the day before Family Picture Day with Bean's mom for Christmas. I sent Bean a picture on my phone and he said as soon as he saw a picture coming through, he knew one of the girls had some sort of facial injury. Although usully it's Miss Rose who these things happen to.
I don't think the injuries ended up looking too bad in the photos. Thankfully it wasn't individual portraits of her. But we'll always remember the Christmas when Gracie fell into the jogger. Last year was the Christmas when Bean gave Miss Rose gum prior to the photos and it's showing in her mouth in the portrait where everyone else looked best! Who knows what next year will be. When we get the photos, I'll share them with you!
I think my days of running with the jogging stroller with both kids in it have come to an end. At least running more than a few miles. Miss Rose is probably a few pounds over the weight limit for the stroller. The poor thing has to practically fold herself into the seat as it is, although she never complains.
Prior to Friday, I ran twice without the jogger and had really great runs--10 minute miles for 3-4 miles. A little bit of back pain later, but nothing significant. Friday I ran 3.5 miles and walked .5 miles in the middle with the jogger and I was in so much pain the rest of the day, and it's lingered through the weekend. The positioning and strain on my back pushing the heavy jogger is too much for my pregnant state. If weren't preggo, I don't think it would be an issue...but I am, so it is!
As much as I want to fight it, I know I just have a few months left and need accept this limitation. I can walk with it of course and I'll probably experiment with running 2 miles in addition to walking 1-2 and see how I fare. And I'll be looking for every opportunity to run on my own!
The positive development is that Bean took Miss Rose's training wheels off her bike and she is riding on her own for short times! In just a week she had mastered the balance. She's still a bit wobbly and hasn't learned all the techniques of stopping and starting on her own or managing hills. But she's well on her way! I am confident that by the time I'll need to head to the lake with three children, she'll be able to ride along side us.
Speaking of jogging strollers...look what mine did to Gracie's face.
As every one-and-a-half year old does, she fell forward while walking and the stroller happened to be what broke her fall. Had it not been there, she may have skinned her knee or simply shed a few tears.
Instead, her head hit the end of it--causing a large goose egg and bruise; under her eye and her nose hit the wheel mechanism. When she's in a lot of pain she stiffens her whole body while wailing. I felt so bad for her.
Of course, this happened the day before Family Picture Day with Bean's mom for Christmas. I sent Bean a picture on my phone and he said as soon as he saw a picture coming through, he knew one of the girls had some sort of facial injury. Although usully it's Miss Rose who these things happen to.
I don't think the injuries ended up looking too bad in the photos. Thankfully it wasn't individual portraits of her. But we'll always remember the Christmas when Gracie fell into the jogger. Last year was the Christmas when Bean gave Miss Rose gum prior to the photos and it's showing in her mouth in the portrait where everyone else looked best! Who knows what next year will be. When we get the photos, I'll share them with you!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Fitness Friday, Halloween & More (photos included!)
I have a little catching up to do, so here goes.
Fitness Friday
I think I missed this post last week due to Halloween. I was busy all day getting ready for our church event. However, I can report that the last two weeks I've stayed on track mostly with my health and fitness.
Well, the week of Halloween contained a bit too much candy consumption. I did exercise 2-3 times however. This week I've really gotten my eating back under control. It seemed that my weight gain was going a bit too fast. Trust me, I eat plenty. But trying not to overdo it.
I've been using Babyfit to track my food and weight. I love that site for having a healthy pregnancy. After entering your health information and pregnancy goals, you can track your weight and see a graph of your gain showing the high and low goals. It really helps me stay in the middle of the two lines. We are borrowing a Weight Watchers scale that I love!
This week I ran 3.5 miles on Monday and Wednesday and I plan to run tomorrow as well. I need to get a maternity belt to give my back and belly some support, but it still feels really good to run!
Halloween
Our church had a fun community event. Miss Rose LOVED it all. She was a very proud "bad pirate who does nothing." My little feminist was insistent that she was a "bad pirate" not a girl pirate. Then she combined that with her version of the Veggie Tales "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." She told me she did not want to be called beautiful. In fact that night when someone told her she was pretty, she looked at me with eyes that said "see Mom, people always tell me that."
Gracie was okay with the whole package. She was sick and therefore didn't have much energy. She was my little monkey. She has a love for monkies in general and is one too! It wasn't hot that night, but not necessarily cold. Much of the night her costume was unzipped and the legs unbuttoned so she didn't overheat. Gracie had her first lollipop that night, much enjoyed!
Here's a few photos...
Gracie the Monkey
Miss Rose the Pirate
That is the "bad pirate who does nothing."
Unzipped, unbuttoned, eating a lollipop
Bean and his midgets (his favorite endearment these days for the kids)
Mama and her beauties (yes...I have a belly, I'm just hiding it here)
And...here's my official 6-month belly picture. I was being goofy for the camera. This baby really is growing and moving A TON!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Fitness Friday
I think I missed this post last week due to Halloween. I was busy all day getting ready for our church event. However, I can report that the last two weeks I've stayed on track mostly with my health and fitness.
Well, the week of Halloween contained a bit too much candy consumption. I did exercise 2-3 times however. This week I've really gotten my eating back under control. It seemed that my weight gain was going a bit too fast. Trust me, I eat plenty. But trying not to overdo it.
I've been using Babyfit to track my food and weight. I love that site for having a healthy pregnancy. After entering your health information and pregnancy goals, you can track your weight and see a graph of your gain showing the high and low goals. It really helps me stay in the middle of the two lines. We are borrowing a Weight Watchers scale that I love!
This week I ran 3.5 miles on Monday and Wednesday and I plan to run tomorrow as well. I need to get a maternity belt to give my back and belly some support, but it still feels really good to run!
Halloween
Our church had a fun community event. Miss Rose LOVED it all. She was a very proud "bad pirate who does nothing." My little feminist was insistent that she was a "bad pirate" not a girl pirate. Then she combined that with her version of the Veggie Tales "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." She told me she did not want to be called beautiful. In fact that night when someone told her she was pretty, she looked at me with eyes that said "see Mom, people always tell me that."
Gracie was okay with the whole package. She was sick and therefore didn't have much energy. She was my little monkey. She has a love for monkies in general and is one too! It wasn't hot that night, but not necessarily cold. Much of the night her costume was unzipped and the legs unbuttoned so she didn't overheat. Gracie had her first lollipop that night, much enjoyed!
Here's a few photos...
Gracie the Monkey
Miss Rose the Pirate
That is the "bad pirate who does nothing."
Unzipped, unbuttoned, eating a lollipop
Bean and his midgets (his favorite endearment these days for the kids)
Mama and her beauties (yes...I have a belly, I'm just hiding it here)
And...here's my official 6-month belly picture. I was being goofy for the camera. This baby really is growing and moving A TON!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Fitness Friday: 15.5
I didn't set out to have a fantastic week of exercise, but somehow that's what happened. Not that I'm complaining...although my back is a little bit! I went to the lake Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a total of 15.5 miles. One of those days was just walking, the rest were running. Well, now when I say running--I'm running intervals; run for 3 minutes and walk for 1 minute. It really helps me keep going and still complete my usual miles. In the end, it really doesn't add too much time overall.
I've come to the conclusion that with exercising while pregnant (especially as I get further along), yes it's a little harder, it takes a little longer and I'm a bit more tired after. But I can still do it, and so I do. I've gotten used to running being pretty standard as I've been running consistently for about 1.5 years now. As my body is more challenged, part of me wants to give it up. But I'm addicted!!
Running/exercise is my happy pill. I need that adrenaline. And I love to eat, so it's my ticket to eating more of what I want and not worrying as much about the calories. Plus I can include my kids. I realize my running days may be put on pause at some point in my pregnancy. Following my c-section, I definately will be on hiatus. But so far, I'm pretty happy being able to continue.
Exercise clothes are becoming a problem! My shirts are riding up my belly and I am not sure how much longer my pants will fit my waist. And maternity exercise clothes are SO expensive. I found a shirt at Ross today that's one size bigger and should work for a while. I think I'll end up getting another pair of running capri's in a bigger size and stretchy waist.
I'm also looking at some maternity belts to give my belly and back some extra support while running. It won't look cute, but I know it will help! I also got an exercise ball today so I can work on my abs and core, which will alleviate the pressure from my back.
I'm not sure what next week holds for exercise. Much of it depends on my schedule. I DO know my body will be enjoying a day of rest tomorrow after 3 straight days of exercise.
Enjoy your weekend!
I've come to the conclusion that with exercising while pregnant (especially as I get further along), yes it's a little harder, it takes a little longer and I'm a bit more tired after. But I can still do it, and so I do. I've gotten used to running being pretty standard as I've been running consistently for about 1.5 years now. As my body is more challenged, part of me wants to give it up. But I'm addicted!!
Running/exercise is my happy pill. I need that adrenaline. And I love to eat, so it's my ticket to eating more of what I want and not worrying as much about the calories. Plus I can include my kids. I realize my running days may be put on pause at some point in my pregnancy. Following my c-section, I definately will be on hiatus. But so far, I'm pretty happy being able to continue.
Exercise clothes are becoming a problem! My shirts are riding up my belly and I am not sure how much longer my pants will fit my waist. And maternity exercise clothes are SO expensive. I found a shirt at Ross today that's one size bigger and should work for a while. I think I'll end up getting another pair of running capri's in a bigger size and stretchy waist.
I'm also looking at some maternity belts to give my belly and back some extra support while running. It won't look cute, but I know it will help! I also got an exercise ball today so I can work on my abs and core, which will alleviate the pressure from my back.
I'm not sure what next week holds for exercise. Much of it depends on my schedule. I DO know my body will be enjoying a day of rest tomorrow after 3 straight days of exercise.
Enjoy your weekend!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Fitness Friday
You may have seen that I put my fitness blog on hiatus. Partially because the time I can dedicate to exercise is really limited right now and there also is no time to maintain a 2nd blog.
But I was inspired by this blog today to keep my fitness a priority and there's nothing like forcing yourself to blog about it for accountability! So for now, I will aim to blog about my fitness each Friday--both a report of my week and also general tips, ideas and thoughts on health and fitness.
My report for this week is so-so. With my schedule and current pregnant state, my personal goals are 3 days of cardiovascular activity and a few days of spot focus (arms, legs/butt, abs etc). I ran 4 miles on Monday, did arms and lower body on Wed and did about 50 min of cardio/toning today. I needed one more day of cardio in there...but maybe next week!
One of my favorite exercise programs is Slim in 6 by Beach Body. That's what my 50 minutes of exercise was today. My mother-in-law gave me her VHS tapes a few years ago because she wasn't using them. When I exercise, I like to feel like I worked hard. There are very few video/dvd programs I've found that I like. Either they are too complicated (STEP programs!) or too slow-paced.
The Slim in 6 program is a major butt-kicker!! It's a series of 3 workouts and you work up to the 3rd one. For a long time I just did the 2nd workout but finally made myself start doing the 3rd one. And boy does it work you! You break a sweat--but it's not dancing around cardio. All of the exercises focus on a body part and tone while you sweat.
Another reason I find this program user friendly is the first 25-35min (depending on which workout you do) is the "cardio" portion. It's followed by short focused sessons on arms, lower body and abs for a total of about 60min. Many days I just do the cardio portion and only do the rest if I have time. Even just the cardio portion can make me sore!
Even while pregnant, I find the exercises pretty easy to do (so far). I have to watch my balance on lunges and the ab routine is out as it's done laying on your back. One of my goals with this pregnancy is to pay close attention to my arms and lower body. I know I will gain weight in these areas...but they can also be toned while pregnant and maybe I won't hate the hospital gown photos so much with chubby arms and legs!
If you are looking for a great home workout--check out this program. And of course...buy it on ebay!!! A few years ago I bought my sister a DVD with all the workouts on it for about $20 on ebay. Just make sure you're buying an original DVD, not a burned copy. The full program comes with printed material and exercise bands...but they aren't necessary. I prefer using 3-5lb weights.
Feel free to join in on the Fitness Friday accountability blog!
But I was inspired by this blog today to keep my fitness a priority and there's nothing like forcing yourself to blog about it for accountability! So for now, I will aim to blog about my fitness each Friday--both a report of my week and also general tips, ideas and thoughts on health and fitness.
My report for this week is so-so. With my schedule and current pregnant state, my personal goals are 3 days of cardiovascular activity and a few days of spot focus (arms, legs/butt, abs etc). I ran 4 miles on Monday, did arms and lower body on Wed and did about 50 min of cardio/toning today. I needed one more day of cardio in there...but maybe next week!
One of my favorite exercise programs is Slim in 6 by Beach Body. That's what my 50 minutes of exercise was today. My mother-in-law gave me her VHS tapes a few years ago because she wasn't using them. When I exercise, I like to feel like I worked hard. There are very few video/dvd programs I've found that I like. Either they are too complicated (STEP programs!) or too slow-paced.
The Slim in 6 program is a major butt-kicker!! It's a series of 3 workouts and you work up to the 3rd one. For a long time I just did the 2nd workout but finally made myself start doing the 3rd one. And boy does it work you! You break a sweat--but it's not dancing around cardio. All of the exercises focus on a body part and tone while you sweat.
Another reason I find this program user friendly is the first 25-35min (depending on which workout you do) is the "cardio" portion. It's followed by short focused sessons on arms, lower body and abs for a total of about 60min. Many days I just do the cardio portion and only do the rest if I have time. Even just the cardio portion can make me sore!
Even while pregnant, I find the exercises pretty easy to do (so far). I have to watch my balance on lunges and the ab routine is out as it's done laying on your back. One of my goals with this pregnancy is to pay close attention to my arms and lower body. I know I will gain weight in these areas...but they can also be toned while pregnant and maybe I won't hate the hospital gown photos so much with chubby arms and legs!
If you are looking for a great home workout--check out this program. And of course...buy it on ebay!!! A few years ago I bought my sister a DVD with all the workouts on it for about $20 on ebay. Just make sure you're buying an original DVD, not a burned copy. The full program comes with printed material and exercise bands...but they aren't necessary. I prefer using 3-5lb weights.
Feel free to join in on the Fitness Friday accountability blog!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
