Prenatal and Postnatal Blog | Active Moms Club

My Favorite 10-Minute Workout to Torch Body Fat

June 21, 2017 By Cassandra

As a mom we are pressed for time. The good news—studies show a mini workout session provides physical and emotional benefits. With just 10-minutes a day you can break a sweat, rev up your heart rate and blast some body fat. At the end of the week you’ll have an hour+ of activity that you may have not done otherwise; and hopefully it will inspire you to continue to make workout time a priority this summer!

This customizable ‘stacker’ exercise has become our Fit & Fab moms’ favorite. The intensity builds and with each set. You’ll need a stop watch to complete 5 exercises in 30 second intervals (10 minutes):

SQUATS (optional, hold a 5-15 pound weight)
PUSH-UPS (modified from knees, or from toes)
LUNGES (any variety: side, back, front, or curtsy lunges)
PLANK (any variety: forearm, high hand plank, or side plank)
MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS (modify if needed to reduce impact, step/walk feet in & out rather than hopping)

Here’s how these exercises will stack:

complete 30 seconds of squats, then rest for 30 seconds
complete 30 seconds of squats and go right into 30 seconds of push-ups; then rest for 30 seconds
complete 30 seconds of squats, 30 seconds of push-ups, 30 seconds of lunges; then rest for 30 seconds
complete 30 seconds of squats, push-ups, lunges, and a plank; then rest for 30 seconds
complete 30 seconds of squats, push-ups, lunges, plank, and mountain climbers. Congratulations. You just finished a 10 minute workout!

This workout is totally customizable with any exercise, add more exercises for more time. Pregnant mamas could also do this workout–I suggest to move at a pace comfortable to your current fitness level and stage of pregnancy. If needed take a 60 second rest between last few stacks.

Visit ActiveMomsClub.com to see our prenatal and postnatal class offerings in Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook – we have lots of fitness tips, motivational stories, and ideas for workouts.

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Other related articles from Active Moms Club’s blog:

How To Make the Most of Your Workout Time

5 Reasons Why Women (Especially Moms) Should Lift Weights

Impact Physical Therapy’s 5 Favorite Stretches to Increase Flexibility for Active Moms

June 14, 2017 By Cassandra

Flexibility is an important component of your overall health and wellness. A flexible body will increase its efficiency and will allow you to get stronger, recover quicker, assist movement for taking care of a child, and make you less injury-prone.

Active Moms’ Club is thrilled to introduce Liz Yerly of Impact Physical Therapy and Chicago Recovery Room as today’s guest blogger. She has put together her five favorite stretches for overall flexibility. These stretches are great for feeling better on a day-to-day basis, and perfect for runners of all ability levels.

Always remember—stretch when your muscles are warmed-up.

Half Kneel Hip Flexor Stretch

The hip flexors are a crucial group of muscles that help raise your legs toward your torso, keep the hips and lower back strong, and encourage proper alignment. Considering they attach to the femur, pelvis and lumbar spine, it’s no wonder keeping your hip flexors healthy is important!

While kneeling, tuck your down leg’s pelvis underneath you, then lean forward bending your front knee until a stretch is felt along the front of the upper thigh.

Hold for 30 seconds. Perform on each leg three times. Complete one set per day.

Standing Calf Stretches

The calf is made up of seven different muscles, with the gastrocnemius muscle making up the majority of the upper calf and the soleus muscle surrounding the connection to the Achilles tendon. Your calves help you flex your ankles, curl your toes, bend your knees, and promote blood circulation.

Gastrocnemius Stretch: Keep back leg straight and heel on floor, lean into wall until a stretch is felt in calf.

Soleus Stretch: Keep back leg slightly bent at the knee and keep heel flat on floor. Lean into wall until stretch is felt in lower calf.

Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Perform on each leg three times. Complete one set per day.

Standing Piriformis Stretch

The piriformis runs through the buttock and is a common location of tightness and discomfort for clients. When the piriformis is tight, expect to experience difficulty squatting and lunging. The piriformis also plays a key function in helping the rotation of the hip.

Place your leg on top of a table top as shown in the image. If a stretch in your buttock is not felt you can lean forward to increase the stretch.

Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Perform on each three times. Complete one set per day.

Standing Hamstring Stretch – Propped

The hamstring is one of the most well-known muscle groups in the human body, connecting the pelvis to the lower leg. They’re extremely important in all forms of movement, helping to bend your knees and move your hips backward. Hamstring injuries have nagged many for years when improperly treated, but you can prevent nagging injuries with proper prevention.

Start by standing and prop your foot of the affected leg on a chair, step or curb.

Next, slowly lean forward until a stretch is felt behind your knee/thigh keeping your chest upright. Bend through your hips and not your spine. Hold, then return to starting position and repeat.

Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Perform on each three times. Complete one set per day.

Standing Iliotibial Band Stretch with Trunk Side Bend

A variation of the traditional trunk side bend, this stretch works on the Iliotibial tract, a band that helps stabilize the outer leg from the knee up through the hip. It’s constantly used in running, cycling, and hiking, and therefore ITB syndrome is a regularly associated injury with these activities.

In a standing position, cross the affected leg behind your unaffected leg.

Next, with your arm over your head, lean to the side towards the unaffected leg. You should feel this along the outside portion of her hip of your affected leg.

Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Perform on each three times. Complete one set per day.

At Impact Physical Therapy, we love to keep Illinois fit, happy, and healthy! If you are recovering from an injury or looking to boost your sport performance, visit www.impactphysicaltherapy.com and request a free wellness or injury screening! Active Moms’ Club especially likes and recommends Paul Thomas of Impact PT, an extraordinary Sport Physical Therapist who’s been treating this mama for over 10 years!

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How To Make the Most of Your Workout Time

May 24, 2017 By Cassandra

“I have 15-60 minutes to workout, what should I do?”
This is the golden question I hear most from clients and friends—they’re eager to make the most out of precious workout time. Any activity is better than no activity, but if you want to be more strategic and maximize your time, here are…

5 Tips to Make Your Workouts More Efficient & Effective

CHANGE IT UP—

If you do the same workout over and over again, your body is no longer challenged and it’s likely you’re not seeing or feeling results. Step out of your comfort zone and try a new fitness class, or cross-train, especially if you’re exclusively a runner. If cardio is your go-to workout, (spinning, walking, running, biking, swimming, et cetera) add weight training once a week or a yoga class. If you participate only in Barre classes using light weights (less than 10 pounds), add a heavy weight session, or a cardio class–like spinning. Change up your routine every couple of months and your body will respond. It needs new and different stimulus.

SPRINKLE IN INTENSITY—

A workout doesn’t have to be long to be effective. If you only have 10-30 minutes to get in a workout, amp up the intensity. A great way to do that is to incorporate intervals into a short workout. An interval involves a series of low- to high-intensity exercise interspersed with rest or relief periods.

For instance, if you typically jog 2 miles at the same pace (either on treadmill or outdoors), incorporate faster paced running that makes you uncomfortable for 30-60 seconds, then return to your normal pace or walk for 60 seconds. Repeat pattern of high / low intensity for the 2 miles.

You’ll begin to see results when you spend more time working outside of your comfort zone. As I say to clients, “get comfortable being uncomfortable”.

HAVE A PLAN—

Schedule your workout time in advance for the week just like you would schedule meetings or appointments. Once you have your workout schedule, make a workout plan. This is especially important if you do workouts on your own rather than participating in a fitness class where the instructor/trainer does the planning for you.

Here’s an example of what a plan would look like. I have workouts planned for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week. Tuesday and Thursday I will get up early to stretch for 10 minutes.

Monday: 45 minutes cardio on the stairclimber, incorporating 30-minutes of intervals.
Wednesday: 60-minute kettlebell class
Friday: 45 minute solo workout; 20 minutes of mobility exercises (yoga type stretches, and roll on foam roller) + 25 minutes of kettlebells focusing on lower body exercises (and I will have a specific set of exercises written out the night before for this weight session).

Planning will eliminate “what should I do?” syndrome when it’s time to workout…kinda like having a shopping list when you go to the grocery store.

ADD WEIGHTS—

Research shows that women can significantly benefit from lifting weights. It gives you the edge over belly fat, aches & pains, and stress! While it is true that you can’t spot reduce—your body is born with pre-conceived places it wants to store fat (hello baby bearing hips)—a University of Alabama study found that the women who lifted weights lost more intra-abdominal fat (deep belly fat) than those who just did cardio. This not only helps you lose your baby pooch, and fit better into your clothes, but it also lessens your risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers! And guess what, lifting weights is empowering! Not sure where or how to start with weights, let AMC help guide you in our Small Group Training Program or personal training.

BE MINDFUL OF NUTRITION—

Even if you had the time to workout two hours a day, what goes into your mouth the other 22 hours will have a bigger effect on your fitness goals/weight loss. Be mindful about what you eat, and WHY you are eating. Fill your body up with fuel that moves it—lean cuts of meat, poultry, seafood, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Read food labels; know what you are eating and how many servings are in a package. Eliminate mindless snacking and add more protein to your meals to fill you up. And the most useful tip that has helped me, slow down when you eat—take 15-20 minutes to eat a meal—and stop eating when you are 80% full.

Whether you can make it to the gym or do home workouts, the bottom line is really this: keep moving, stay strong and have fun! If you’re the type of person that needs accountability and motivation to exercise, let AMC help you achieve your fitness goals. We offer prenatal & postnatal small group training, personal training, and a mom/baby postnatal recovery class.

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Read other related articles on Active Moms’ Club blog:

5 Reasons Why Women (Especially Moms) Should Lift Weights

Active Moms’ Club Has a New Home!

May 6, 2017 By Cassandra

I’m excited to announce Active Moms’ Club will have a NEW home beginning May 30!

i.d. gym has been AMC’s home for the last seven years, and sadly, their doors are closing at the end of May. I’m fortunate to have had this unique space to grow AMC to what it has become today; and confident that our new home will provide more opportunities to continue to grow and be great.

Beginning May 30, you can find AMC at 1750 North Kingsbury Avenue in Lincoln Park, just 1.25 miles south from our current location. AMC will be sharing space with Goose Island Crossfit, and many of familiar & talented trainers that you saw at i.d. gym! Crossfit is on 1st level; trainers and AMC on 2nd level (pictures below are of 2nd level)!

AMC’s offerings—Small Group Prenatal Fitness, From the Core: Postnatal Recovery class, Fit & Fab Small Group Training, and personal training—will remain exactly the same, just in a new location!

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:

Free & convenient parking lot
NO waitlist for small group training sessions
Outdoor patio—for mingling or workouts!
Convenient location
Private sessions
Still in Lincoln Park
Restrooms on 1st & 2nd level, plus showers
Same programs, same time slots
Everything you know and love about AMC PLUS more!

I’m really looking forward to grow into our new home. It has a positive vibe, a friendly community, and yes— a free parking lot, plus a beautiful sunlit patio!

Check out one of our upcoming prenatal or postnatal classes to see what we are all about, take a one-time test-drive for just $25.

NEW MOMS—our next 5-week session of our Postnatal Recovery Class begins May 30 at our new location! Save $20 early bird registration is now open.

Visit our website to learn more about our popular training programs. Join us for some fun and fitness this summer!

Navigating Pregnancy & Exercise

April 3, 2017 By Cassandra

A few clients recently shared me that they are expecting again. These clients are regulars in AMC’s Fit & Fab Small Group Postnatal training sessions. They have asked very common and important questions concerning their pregnancy and how it will effect their exercise routines. I want to share our dialogue with you:

Q: I’m about 6 weeks pregnant, so it’s very early. I have some questions as I re-think my exercise routine. When does it make sense to switch to AMC’s prenatal classes? I’m guessing part of this depends on how I’ve been feeling, which is pretty well for the most part. I find that I tire more easily and I’ve had some on-and-off nausea. I’m also not sure what is safe and recommended to do at this point – I didn’t really exercise when I was pregnant with my daughter, so this is new territory for me.

A: You could stay in the Fit & Fab program for as long as you feel comfortable. The most important element is that you continue to exercise. You’ve been doing AMC workouts for the last year—given you have a healthy pregnancy—realistically you could do the same workouts well into your 2nd trimester. It’s really what you feel comfortable doing. I can give you appropriate modifications for your body’s specific needs if you want to stay with postnatal training for the next couple of months.

For prenatal training, I have the women doing similar exercises as Fit & Fab as they are relatable for increasing overall strength, they just move through the exercises at a slower pace and don’t include plyometrics (double jump squats, jumping lunges, mountain climbers, etc). And of course there are more specific prenatal exercises that will enhance core strength, such as deep belly breaths, and more stabilization/balance exercises that are effective for each trimester.

You may find over the next few weeks that you will begin to feel your heart rate elevate quicker than usual, and that’s due to physiological changes in your body— such as increase in blood volume. It’s a normal side effect of early pregnancy, and obviously more pronounced/expected in 2nd and 3rd trimester when a bigger baby is taking up space inside your torso and compressing your organs.

“I’ve noticed that my heart rate elevates quicker already.”

Q: What are some warning signs that I should slow down?

A: Great question! With your doctor’s approval, you could continue all your regular workouts, including running, for as long as its comfortable for you.

Two signs to slow down your activity during pregnancy

The best way to monitor your intensity is with rate of perceived exertion (RPE) or the talk test. On a scale 1-10, your RPE could reach up to a 7-8 on the RPE scale. Or simply use the talk test to guide you. You should be able to speak a sentence while working out, and it would be okay if it were a labored sentence…you’re still talking.
If you start to feel dizzy or lightheaded. This may be due from low blood sugar levels, or you have quickly changed positions (such as going from a plank to standing up, or doing a walk-out plank where your head is physically lower than your heart). The best way to prevent lightheadedness is to eat a small snack 30-45 minutes before a workout—a banana, handful of raisins, piece of fruit would do the trick, ideally 100 calories or so. A snack will keep your sugars regulated—also be sure to stay hydrated before, during and after a workout.

Currently I have three pregnant women participating in AMC’s Small Group Postnatal training program. When they are ready (typically sometime in 2nd trimester), they will transition to our Small Group Prenatal training program. If you are experiencing a healthy pregnancy, your body and growing baby will continue to reap the benefits from your activity.

We now know through mounting research that exercise has many benefits for both mom and baby. ACOG recommends women with uncomplicated pregnancies should be encouraged to engage in aerobic and strength conditioning exercises before, during, and after pregnancy. Regular physical activity during pregnancy improves or maintains physical fitness, helps with weight management, reduces the risk of gestational diabetes in obese women, and enhances psychologic well-being.

Let Active Moms’ Club help you prepare for childbirth. Visit our website to learn more and to register for our special Prenatal Fitness Fundamentals Class, or AMC’s ongoing Small Group Prenatal Fitness program.

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Read other related articles from Active Moms’ Club blog:

4 Myths About Prenatal Exercise

How to Prepare Your Body For Childbirth

How to Give Birth Like a Champ! One Mom’s Story