Healthy mom-to-be, healthy baby?

Science Daily just published an article about research seeming to link a pregnant women's aerobic activity to her baby's good heart health. Until now, most studies have focused on effects of maternal exercise on the fetus - this new study, though, also looked at the first month of the baby's life in the big world. Read the full article here!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407101406.htm

This seems to me to be one of those "duh" moments in science...wait a minute, you mean that the type of place where the baby grows for nine months actually affects how the baby develops? And even shapes his/her life outside? No kidding! I mean, we've known this about wine grapes for years, right? I remember that scene in that movie with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline (you know...that one) when he shows her a bunch of bottles and has her smell each one...all kinds of herbs and flowers. Then he has her taste his wine again, and she was able to pick out all the different flavors and scents without a problem. What grows around the vine, what nurtures itself in the same earth, nurtures the grapes. I often wonder if my daughter would have the same love for chicken nuggets that my son does if I had gorged myself on fried chicken when I was pregnant with her. Instead she loves citrus and broccoli, which I was obsessed with during that pregnancy. Both my kids love to move, and my daughter can fall asleep with loud music on, a trait I credit to my regular attendance of rockin' kickboxing classes throughout her time in my tummy. Healthier hearts? Yes sirree, and a lot more than that besides.

So what are the do's and don't of prenatal exercise? You can find them in any pregnancy book. What you might not find is a real-life strategy for getting off the couch to walk around the lake when you're exhausted. Tips for motivating yourself to move while pregnant is coming up next on this blog - until then, just remember that your baby's heart is linked to yours, and you need to keep it going healthy and strong! :)

Why I'm going to the spa tomorrow

I indulge myself rarely. Like, really rarely. I grew up without much money in an environment where taking time to do something nice for yourself just wasn't done. I felt it was much more important to do things for and take care of others, and my passion for that was intense enough that it left little room for me. I'm using the past tense here, but honestly, it's a daily struggle for me to carve out even a few minutes of time for myself that I don't feel guilty about. So why the spa?

I decided last year that I really wanted to improve my credentials as a trainer. I have tons of experience and I know I'm good at what I do, but my certification was not one of the best. So I decided to go after the gold standard, the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification. I immediately freaked out that I wasn't going to be able to pass. This was a test that went further into the "micro" level of scientific information than I had gone before. My knowledge of bodies and how they work was sound, but not on the technical level of detail I knew would be required, and I had less experience working with athletes than with everyday peeps. Most people take the CSCS right out of school, when info is fresh in their minds. Most, I'm guessing, don't have two kids and a job to try to study around. So the obstacles were many, and I had to face a lots of my fears around not being "smart" enough and (more significantly) trying my best and failing.

Well, it turns out that I didn't fail! I took the test last week and passed by a good margin. I told myself a while ago that if I passed the test, I would get a morning at Olympus Spa. When I realized that the main hurdle for me wasn't passing the test, but just getting up the nerve to TAKE the damn thing, I revised that promise to myself - if I studied my hardest and took the test, that gutsy effort deserved to be rewarded. So I'm off tomorrow to contemplate the main thing I've learned from this experience, which is this: If you don't try, even when it's hard, you'll just never know. :)

Super-Fast Salads

I'm an amateur foodie at best, but I LOVE food and I know what I like. I also have very little time to put anything together, so I'd like to share my favorite 5-minute salad! A couple of tips for choosing healthy ingredients...

1. Go for dark, leafy greens whenever possible (they have more nutritive value and flavor than lighter lettuces like iceberg).

2. Try to get everything fresh instead of prepackaged...a local fruit and vegetable stand will give you more bang for the buck for ingredients price-wise, and doesn't use any preservatives.

3. Go light on the dressing, especially if it's poured on the salad before serving it! It can weigh everything down and obscure some of the best flavors of the dish. My preference is always to put the dressing on the side and let people add their own, letting them know if it's better mixed than just drizzled on top!

Here's my fave, which is totally yoinked from AllRecipies.com (http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/blueberry-spinach-salad/Detail.aspx)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach, torn

1 (4 ounce) package blue cheese, crumbled

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions

In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine the first five ingredients and shake well. In a large salad bowl, toss the spinach, blue cheese, blueberries and pecans. Add dressing and toss gently; serve immediately.*

*I like to keep the dressing on the side! Also, I throw the pecans on the stove to toast while I'm mixing up the dressing...it's all done at the same time, in literally 5 minutes.

Enjoy!! :)

Being an Active Parent

I do a lot of work with moms, both before and after the baby comes...it's a cause very close to my own heart as a mom of two! I'm a speaker for PEPS (Programs for Early Parenting Support) groups, have done walking groups and bootcamps for moms, and have continuing education in the subject. I'd like to share a couple tips I've given to primary caregivers about staying healthy while raising children and recovering from pregnancy and birth!

1. Your definition of a "workout" might need to change. If you're counting on getting into the gym 3-4 times a week, that's an hour and a half out of your day - most days, that's a lot to ask! It doesn't mean that you can't aim for that, but if you count on it, you might end up not having that time on a regular basis and feeling like a slug. Try to reorient your thinking about exercise...imagine it as something you can do anywhere in less than 5-10 minutes. Baby napping? Awesome - do a quick set of core exercises and stretching BEFORE doing the dishes or writing emails. In line at the grocery store? Calf raises are unobtrusive and will fight against chronic foot cramps. Taking a break from work to pump milk for the kiddo? Take a few minutes before and after to loosen up your neck and shoulders. And you can jog with that stroller no matter where you are - people do it all the time! :)

2. Start slow. It doesn't matter if you're two weeks or two years postpartum...if you haven't done any purposeful movement during that time, you need to begin at the beginning. Throwing yourself back on the treadmill or into an ab class will likely be too much for your changed body to handle - you risk injury and might end up using muscle groups other than the ones that will best support you!

3. Set up active dates with other parents. Walk Greenlake instead of having coffee, or do lunges around the playground while your toddler goes down the slide. Plan a short hike! Go for a swim during your preschooler's swim class - no need to just sit and watch!

4. Think about the lessons you teach your child by being an active person. Mommy takes care of her body because it's important, as a human being, to be strong and healthy. Isn't that a lesson we all want our children to internalize? This one really hit home for me with the birth of my second child, a girl. I realized it was vitally important to me that she see me thinking about my own needs and desires, not always putting them behind everyone else's and sometimes not acknowledging them at all. Making the time for yourself helps your children learn how to be more balanced and in tune with themselves.

I'm passionate about this subject not only because it's been a personal struggle for me, but because I know so many people (especially moms) who struggle with it. It's worth thinking about! :)

Training with Guro Dan Inosanto

I had the privilege this weekend of attending a seminar with Guro Inosanto, hands-down one of the most influential figures in modern martial arts. He was Bruce Lee's closest student and is the recognized authority of Jeet Kune Do, the style Bruce Lee developed. I trained for years in a school in his lineage (www.mkgseattle.com), studying mixed martial arts with an emphasis on the "arts" part instead of competition. So...what's a seminar with Guro like?

Well, for starters, he moves like a 25-year-old even though he'll be 75 this year. Movement and martial arts are not what he DOES, it's what he IS. He demonstrates all the drills himself (which are all done with a partner), usually speaking about and showing techniques for 5 or so minutes. He gives enough information/variations in those 5 minutes to give the most developed martial artist an hour's worth of concentrated effort in figuring them all out...at the seminar, you get two minutes, and it's on to the next thing! He speaks for longer periods about the incredibly complex (and mostly unwritten) history of Filipino martial arts, and encourages his students to know this history - know where the movements you're doing came from, so as to better understand the movements themselves. He talks of his own training history growing up in Stockton, California, and how he was able to train with all the greatest Filipino masters there because of the respect the community held for his father (a carpenter who housed hundreds of families during the Depression). My favorite quote of the day was one he attributed to his father, who gave him advice about training in so many different styles: "Open your mind! And shut your mouth." This could very well be Guro Dan's defining characteristic...you'd be hard-pressed to find a man who knows more about martial arts, and yet would say that he really knows nothing at all. Very inspiring.

I've always gravitated towards people like Guro Dan...those who are so respected in their fields, who have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and mastery, and who are so humble as a result. In the past, I've wanted to impress those people with my ability...I've grown up enough now, though, that I know a better path for me is to become one of those people myself. I'm going to be 35 this year...I've got time to develop in that direction! :)

Ideas For Spring

Okay, so I'm a Floridian...I'm really excited that winter is officially over. Snow is nice and all, but I personally long for the sun and the warmth. I love being outside, and some of my favorite activities are trail running and parkour (both of which are less fun in sleet). I get inspired by this season...I want to share some of that excitement and hopefully inspire people to move outdoors if they've been in the gym during these long months! So here's a few tips...

1. Make a date. It's waaaay easier to exercise and move if you're doing it with someone else! That person doesn't need to be a trainer, it can be your co-worker, best friend, toddler, or even your dog. And, because it's spring, make it a rain-or-shine commitment, with a contingency plan if things are truly horrid out there.

2. Look for new things to try. If you always walk around the lake, rent some in-line skates instead. Bored of biking to work and back? Discover a new route that might take a bit longer but will have better scenery. Change up your rock-climbing routine by signing up for a big climb and training with other people. Think outside your normal workout box!

3. Take your gym activities outside. Run stairs at the stadium, do yoga or tai chi in the park, swim in the outdoor pool or lake. Being a part of a gym community can make working out a comforting thing, and it can be difficult to take ownership of your own fitness...you don't have to stop going to your gym, but see what you can add to/switch around in your exercise schedule to take advantage of good weather! Some gyms (including the one where I work, Zum) offer outdoor classes when the seasons shift - see if there are any that you can participate in!

4. Collect experiences. There's a lot more to see outside than inside...did you see any cool plants on your walk? How did the air feel to you when you were sprinting on the track at the high school? Start a rock collection from your weekly beach volleyball escapades. Take it all in!!

5. Have fun. This seems like a no-brainer to me, but then again, I'm one of those weird people who really enjoy working hard and have fairly boundless jumping-around energy! My rule of thumb is this: never JUST work hard. Work hard, but lie on the ground like a starfish and look at the sky for awhile afterwards. Work hard, but before you start, take a few minutes to swing on the monkey bars and hang upside-down. Work hard, and on your breaks, take pictures of cool stuff around you. Take a hand in creating your experience so that you remember the hard work AND the fun. It'll keep you coming back.

Of course, there are many more ideas (and more specific ones) that can motivate you to move outside...these are a few of my favorites. I'm off to Carkeek Park in a little while to climb trees and race up and down trails...hope you get out there sometime soon yourself! Look for the burned-out tree on the ridge...it's a great place to appreciate the cliffs and the water. :)

exercise and youth

The New York Times has been publishing some really interesting articles on health lately! I've been discussing a number of them with friends and colleagues, but this one really caught my eye...one of my focuses as a trainer is fitness for life, not just looks. There's no reason why you can't be healthy and strong at every age. Check out this story!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/can-exercise-keep-you-young/

Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky was reportedly surprised to find that the effects of exercise on mitochondrial health was so systemic and not regulated to musculature. Although I'm definitely not a scientist, my experience in working with my clients has shown me the effect his study demonstrates. Exercise really is the miracle drug of our future! :) And it's never too late to reverse the process of aging...