Fit Your Life

If you haven’t checked out the first 2 articles in our Pelvic Health series, go do it now.  Click here and here , then come back and check out post 3.  Or, since you’re here, read this one and then go back and read the other ones.   My heart was beating a mile a minute as I nervously waited for my appointment.  I thought the hardest part about this whole process was going to be making the initial appointment.  Turns out, it was even harder to get my butt to the there and through the door of the clinic.  But, here I was, sitting in the waiting room of Bounce Back Physical Therapy, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, looking for any kind of distraction to keep my mind off the looming exam.   After what felt like forever, but in reality was a few minutes, Jillian Palmer, the physiotherapist, walked into the waiting room and I felt so much better to put a face to her name.  She sounded nice on the phone and via email but upon meeting her,...

photo by Roughley Originals Every single one of us is different. One of the most amazing aspects of my job is to witness the vast differences between each pregnant body as they exercise and how their body transforms postpartum. Most women will have similarities between their own pregnancies and births. Many women can even find a few similarities with other women as they discuss their stories. I think you would be hard pressed to find two stories more similar than mine and Jamie’s are, which is truly incredible, as we have only known each other for 18 months. That being said, they are not identical stories and for that reason I will also be sharing my story of regaining strength, alignment, and function through the help, expertise, and guidance of a pelvic health physical therapist. photo by Roughley Originals After one miscarriage, my husband and I went on to have two healthy pregnancies. Our oldest daughter Brooke was born by urgent cesarean section in April 2014. ...

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...