Fit Your Life

I am physically the strongest I have ever been in my life. I just achieved a personal best in a half marathon in August. I am one year postpartum. So, you are probably asking yourself, why on earth would she go see a pelvic health physiotherapist now? photo by Roughley Originals In order to know where you’re going, you need to know where you’ve come from, so let’s go back in time and I will tell you a little bit about my pre and postnatal history.    My first child, Everly, came along just over three years ago.   I was active during her pregnancy; I practiced yoga once a week, ran until about 20 weeks gestation, and afterwards continued to walk daily.   We lived in Phoenix, Arizona at the time so it was easy to get outside every day.   I had high blood pressure towards the end of the pregnancy and was induced at 38 weeks gestation.   After about six hours of labour Everly’s heart rate was dropping with every contraction and I was about 1cm dilate...

The evening air is cooler, the sunrise is later, and it seems like we are all settling back into our routines. I love fall. I love the crisp breeze and wearing scarves. Even for those of us not in school or without little ones in school yet, the fall is still a great time to hit a reset button. Small changes in our daily routine can have huge impacts on our health and overall fitness goals. Wake up 15 minutes earlier each day to sneak in a quick sweat or stretch. Challenge yourself to test out one new healthy recipe weekly. Carry around a water bottle to make sure you are hydrated. Focus on your alignment throughout your work day or while playing with your little ones. Schedule a class or two to attend every week to make yourself accountable to others. These are just a few ideas, but the list is lengthy! How are you adding a little extra health to your daily life? A little does go a long way and remember, do not strive to be perfect. Strive to find a healthy balance ...

Each woman has a unique pregnancy, a unique birth experience, unique children, and unique parenting styles. I was always told this, but I never truly understood until having my son Arlo. My pregnancy was fantastic. I breezed through the first trimester with no nausea, had an excellent second trimester where I felt full of energy and traveled across Canada with family.   During my third trimester I finished my Master’s Degree and I walked across the stage at convocation a week before Arlo was born. I had great energy levels throughout my pregnancy and even worked at a fitness facility where I was doing close shifts until 11pm until I was 39 weeks pregnant. I stayed as active throughout my pregnancy and felt confident doing cardio, lifting weights and teaching spin until the day before Arlo was born. One friend I worked with called me the “pregnancy unicorn” and I understood all too well that my experience was unique to me and to this pregnancy. As you might imagine, ...

We don't meet people by accident.  They are meant to cross our path for a reason.  I met Annika of Born to be Adventurous during our undergraduate degrees at the University of Alberta. Mutual friends and the appreciation of a good time brought us together. Who would have thought that nearly a decade later we would each be married with two daughters and collaborating on social media to promote a lifestyle we both love ... being active!! If you ever have the chance to meet Annika Mang, you will be smiling the entire time. Promise! Her friendly nature, awesome laugh, and sense of adventure will have you dreaming up your next trip to the mountains! Her blog has been a great source of reference for us as over the past three years. You see, we are lucky enough to have a daughter just less than one year younger than Annika's oldest. This means that she trials adventures at a certain age, blogs about it, and we benefit from reading about what worked...and what didn't! P...

“I have loved her, my little wanderer, with a mind full of wild forests and eyes that await adventures.” - Conny Cernik As an active mom, my girls have both spent a lot of time in a baby carrier. With our first daughter, Brooke (now three years old), we used a soft structured carrier (SSC) often for neighborhood walks, grocery shopping, adventures in the mountains, airplanes, and occasionally tasks around the house. When Mikah (now 10 months old) came along, the carrier became an extremely important part of my life! With a busy toddler to play with, snacks and meals to prepare, a house to [attempt to] keep clean and tidy, and a Little who wanted lots of snuggles (as newborns should!) “baby wearing” as it is called became part of my daily life. I am fortunate to have two girls who enjoy being “worn”, as it makes “mom life” easier with access to both hands and also makes adventuring a ton of fun! Finding a baby carrier that works for your body and that is equally comfor...

Many people fear September first because it means the return of routine, cooler weather, and shorter days. Although I can't do anything about the cooler weather (unless to help you get excited about ski season!!!) or the decreasing daylight, I can do my best to get you EXCITED about hopping back into a healthier routine! I think it is safe to say that most of us enjoy a few extra treats, a little less sleep, and perhaps less structured exercise during the summer months. September is the perfect time to hop back onto the fit bandwagon and create some new great habits! Through our September 1km Challenge, we want to help you move every day! Your goal will be to walk, jog, or run for a minimum of one kilometre each day in September! That is 30km spread across one month.  Pretty amazing! You do not need to live in Edmonton, or even have ever attended a Fit Your Life class. This Challenge is open to everyone around the globe. Let's get  moving! How it works: De...

Yay! Your healthcare provider has cleared you for exercise. That’s great news! But now comes the big question…what exactly does that mean? Should you go out and run a marathon? That wouldn’t be advisable. How about an easy 5km? Probably not yet. Should you sign up for a high impact group fitness class and get in as many jump squats as possible? That’s probably not the wisest thing you could do for your body right now. Where does that leave you? What are some wise choices you should make now to get your body moving safely? We have a few simple things you can do, once you’ve gotten the go ahead to exercise from your health care provider, that will ensure you are moving safely during this important time in your life. 1) Perform a thorough postpartum self-check Read through the list of scenarios below and ask yourself if any apply to you. Do you:            • have scarring from C-section, tearing, or episiotomy?     ...