How about a Fit 4 Two Gift Certificate? No waste. No clutter. Just fitness, fun and friends.
Contact your local Fit 4 Two franchisee for details.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Gift Certificates
Looking for the ideal Christmas gift for a new mom or mom-to-be?
How about a Fit 4 Two Gift Certificate? No waste. No clutter. Just fitness, fun and friends.
Contact your local Fit 4 Two franchisee for details.
How about a Fit 4 Two Gift Certificate? No waste. No clutter. Just fitness, fun and friends.
Contact your local Fit 4 Two franchisee for details.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Myth: Pregnant women should continue with their pre-pregnancy exercise routine.
Where it comes from: The author is usually trying to communicate that it is safer for pregnant women to do things that they are used to. This makes sense, but it is just half of the sentence.
Perhaps a better way to say it is...
Pregnant women should continue with their per-pregnancy exercise routine so long as it follows the guidelines for exercise during pregnancy.
and maybe add...
Previously inactive pregnant woman should ease into an exercise program that follows the guidelines for exercise during pregnancy.
When we leave out the second half of the sentence we may be putting women at risk. When we neglect to give guidance to women who were inactive before they became pregnant, we are preventing them from the many important benefits of an active pregnancy.
There are specific guidelines for frequency, intensity, time and type for both cardiovascular exercise and strength training. These guidelines apply to all healthy pregnant women with normal pregnancies. Fit 4 Two recommends completing a PARmed-X for Pregnancy form with your doctor or midwife prior when making decisions about exercise during pregnancy.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Running with strollers. Safe or Not?
For many, a jogging stroller seems like the ideal way to get back in shape after having a baby. Once the stroller is paid for, running is an accessible, no or low cost exercise option. What many parents-to-be don’t realize is that it might be quite some time before baby is old enough to come along for the ride.
When is it safe to run with baby in the stroller?
Organizations like Healthy Families BC recommend waiting until baby is at least one year old because “Infants have weak neck muscles and cannot handle the impact of jogging or jostling on bumpy trails.” Safe Kids Canada states that “Jogging strollers should not be used until children are at least one year old. Children need good head and neck control to support a bike helmet and handle the movement and bouncing involved in the ride. It is recommended that a child in a jogging stroller wear a helmet as it will provide protection if the stroller was to tip over or collide with another hard obstacle. There are no helmets available for children under one year.” Stroller manufacturers vary in their recommendations.
What should you tell you clients?
That’s up to you. At Fit 4 Two we promote informed choice. We give them the facts and allow them to make their own informed choices.
What about at class?
Just like your clients have the right to make an informed choice, so do you. At Fit 4 Two, because we are responsible for everyone’s safety during class, we ask moms not to run with their strollers in our programs. We design our classes in such a way that this is very rarely an issue. At the same time, we do not pass judgment for what moms choose to do outside of class.
How do you teach a solid stroller fitness class without stroller running?
You can design an awesome stroller fitness class without stroller running. It just takes some planning. We find that intervals of stroller power walking, cardio drills and strength training work really well. When teaching your cardio drills, always show a low impact option first so that moms who are not ready to run/not wearing a supportive sports bra can still get in a good workout. Share and find stroller fitness teaching ideas here.
BONUS: Not running with strollers is GOOD FOR BUSINESS
Not all moms have jogging strollers. If that is a pre-requisite for your classes you are going to lose potential participants. Focus instead on designing classes that offer progressions and options so that everyone, regardless of fitness level, is being challenged appropriately.
When is it safe to run with baby in the stroller?
Organizations like Healthy Families BC recommend waiting until baby is at least one year old because “Infants have weak neck muscles and cannot handle the impact of jogging or jostling on bumpy trails.” Safe Kids Canada states that “Jogging strollers should not be used until children are at least one year old. Children need good head and neck control to support a bike helmet and handle the movement and bouncing involved in the ride. It is recommended that a child in a jogging stroller wear a helmet as it will provide protection if the stroller was to tip over or collide with another hard obstacle. There are no helmets available for children under one year.” Stroller manufacturers vary in their recommendations.
What should you tell you clients?
That’s up to you. At Fit 4 Two we promote informed choice. We give them the facts and allow them to make their own informed choices.
What about at class?
Just like your clients have the right to make an informed choice, so do you. At Fit 4 Two, because we are responsible for everyone’s safety during class, we ask moms not to run with their strollers in our programs. We design our classes in such a way that this is very rarely an issue. At the same time, we do not pass judgment for what moms choose to do outside of class.
How do you teach a solid stroller fitness class without stroller running?
You can design an awesome stroller fitness class without stroller running. It just takes some planning. We find that intervals of stroller power walking, cardio drills and strength training work really well. When teaching your cardio drills, always show a low impact option first so that moms who are not ready to run/not wearing a supportive sports bra can still get in a good workout. Share and find stroller fitness teaching ideas here.
BONUS: Not running with strollers is GOOD FOR BUSINESS
Not all moms have jogging strollers. If that is a pre-requisite for your classes you are going to lose potential participants. Focus instead on designing classes that offer progressions and options so that everyone, regardless of fitness level, is being challenged appropriately.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Why Choose Prenatal Barre?
Prenatal Barre is quickly becoming one of our most popular classes. Women love it because they leave class feeling long and aligned. Here is what some of our current participants have to say about Fit 4 Two Prenatal Barre.
“I came to Barre with Fit 4 Two because I wanted a fun but safe way to stay active throughout my pregnancy.”
"I thought that this class (Prenatal Barre) was well rounded, it covered a bunch of areas related to core, stretching, and preparation for pregnancy that I thought sounded really good.”
"I really felt that I was working out and not just stretching. It was so much fun being with other women and watching their progress and their bellies grow each week. Its a good group to attend when you’re pregnant.”
Monday, February 16, 2015
80% of parents think their kids are getting enough exercise
....
but only 7% of Canadian children are meeting the recommended amount of
Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) each week.
What can we do about it?
1. Be Active
Kids
do what kids see. Some studies suggest that if both parents are
active, their kids will be 5.8X more likely to be active themselves.
2. Be Active With Your Kids
Why not make family time + active time? Check out Active for Life for some fun and realistic ideas for families of all ages and stages. We are also big fans of the BC Healthy Living Alliance.
3. Support Your Kids in Sport
If
your child wants to try a new sport, do your best to provide the
opportunity. If finances are an issue, check out programs like Jump Start and Kid Sport Canada Most community and recreation centres also have access programs as well.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Overcoming Barriers
Research
shows that certain barriers may hold pregnant women back from
exercising throughout their pregnancies. Fear, discomfort, younger
children at home, lack of support from their partner and lack of role
models are all common barriers.
What can women do to overcome these barriers?
Activity
Patterns During Pregnancy (Mottola & Campbell 2003) found that
factors correlated with women exercising throughout their pregnancies
included post secondary education, no other children at home, being a
non-smoker and regular involvement in recreational activities.
Being aware of the benefits as well as the safety guidelines for exercise during pregnancy can reduce fear, increase awareness regarding potential reduction of discomforts through active living, and motivate partners to be more supportive.
Children
"In my experience, one of the most common and challenging barriers for second and third time moms is making time for fitness when they have a little one at home," says Fit 4 Two founder Melanie Osmack. Here are some creative ways to overcome this barrier:
Working Outside the Home Moms
- Walk to and/or from work.
- Find a class or fitness facility close to work so you can do regular shorter workouts at lunch or right after work.
- Schedule one night a week that your partner/friend holds down the fort so that you can enjoy the benefits and camaraderie of a prenatal fitness class
- Invest in some basic home fitness equipment like a yoga mat and resistance bands. Not sure what to do? Book a session with a pre and postnatal fitness certified personal trainer to get your started on the right track.
Working in the Home Moms
- Go for power walks or jogs with your young child in the stroller.
- Take your child to the park and workout while they are playing.
- Schedule one night a week that your partner/friend holds down the fort so that you can enjoy the benefits and camaraderie of a prenatal fitness class
- Invest in some basic home fitness equipment like a yoga mat and resistance bands. Not sure what to do? Book a session with a pre and postnatal fitness certified personal trainer to get your started on the right track.
- Join a mobile outdoor stroller fitness class that you can attend with a toddler.
- Join a daytime postnatal fitness class while your child is at preschool. Most postnatal fitness class instructors welcome prenatal women as well.
Discomforts
Pregnancy safe and specific exercises can actually help to prevent and manage many common prenatal discomforts. Low back pain, the most common physical complaint of pregnancy, can be avoided and lessened through strengthening core muscles and stretching the lower back and hip flexors. More details here. An outdoor power walk has been known to ebb pregnancy-related nausea. The list goes on.
Pregnancy safe and specific exercises can actually help to prevent and manage many common prenatal discomforts. Low back pain, the most common physical complaint of pregnancy, can be avoided and lessened through strengthening core muscles and stretching the lower back and hip flexors. More details here. An outdoor power walk has been known to ebb pregnancy-related nausea. The list goes on.
Get Social
Prenatal specific fitness classes are a fantastic way to ensure a safe and functional workout. However they are also an excellent way to meet other expecting mom, stay motivated and build community. Feeling part of a group makes exercising regularly more likely.
Prenatal specific fitness classes are a fantastic way to ensure a safe and functional workout. However they are also an excellent way to meet other expecting mom, stay motivated and build community. Feeling part of a group makes exercising regularly more likely.
What obstacles do you face and how do you overcome them?
________________
Follow Pregnancy & Exercise Awareness on Facebook
Finding it difficult to stay disciplined with your pelvic floor exercises on your own? Feeling like you need more instruction and cues? You're in luck...there's an app for that! Download the Fit 4 Two-approved Pelvic Floor Trainer App and enjoy both visual and audio routines at your fingertips.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
5.8X
We
make a pretty bold statement on our PEAM infographic: Children of
active parents are 5.8X more likely to be active themselves. This
statistic came from Influence of parents’ physical activity levels on activity levels of young children (Moore
et al). Interestingly, this is when BOTH parents are being active. The
same study states that if just mom is active, the children are 2X more
likely to be active and if just dad is active the children are 3.5% more
likely to be active.This highlights the importance of both parents
being active role models whenever possible.
One of our favourite videos of a mom being an active role model is from England's recent campaign, 'This Girl Can'. It is called Kelly Vs Mummy. Watch it here.
Follow Pregnancy & Exercise Awareness on Facebook
Would you like to try a free Fit 4 Two class?
Contact your local Fit 4 Two Instructor for a pass to try a FREE class.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
It's Never Too Early to be a Role Model.
---------
Monday, February 2, 2015
Welcome to Pregnancy and Exercise Awareness Month
Why do we need an awareness month?
Where should I start? Since this year’s theme is “It’s never too early to be an active role model.” Let’s talk about kids. Only 7% of Canadian Children are getting the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) each week. Interestingly, 80% of parents think that their children are meeting their MVPA needs. Inadequate activity coupled with poor eating habits have resulted in an alarming rise in Childhood obesity and Type II Diabetes.
Now let’s look at pregnancy. If I told you that I had a drug that could prevent or reduce fatigue, lessen nausea, reduce low back pain, prevent Gestational Diabetes, promote healthy prenatal weight gain, prevent high blood pressure, improve circulation, prevent varicose veins, reduce stress, improve sleep, prevent urinary incontinence and prepare you for the physical and emotional demands of childbirth and parenting, would you want it? Well I do. It’s exercise.
As a pregnant woman, you have the opportunity to be healthier and more comfortable, as well as set the stage for an active family. Exercising during pregnancy increases the chances that you will exercise postpartum. Women who exercise postpartum are more likely to be life-long exercisers. When your children see you role modeling an active lifestyle, they are more likely to be active. Active kids are less likely to be overweight or obese. Do you see the cycle? It is never too early to be a role model for your children.
This month we are going to be bringing you research-based information on how you can be an ACTIVE ROLE MODEL.
Where should I start? Since this year’s theme is “It’s never too early to be an active role model.” Let’s talk about kids. Only 7% of Canadian Children are getting the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) each week. Interestingly, 80% of parents think that their children are meeting their MVPA needs. Inadequate activity coupled with poor eating habits have resulted in an alarming rise in Childhood obesity and Type II Diabetes.
Now let’s look at pregnancy. If I told you that I had a drug that could prevent or reduce fatigue, lessen nausea, reduce low back pain, prevent Gestational Diabetes, promote healthy prenatal weight gain, prevent high blood pressure, improve circulation, prevent varicose veins, reduce stress, improve sleep, prevent urinary incontinence and prepare you for the physical and emotional demands of childbirth and parenting, would you want it? Well I do. It’s exercise.
As a pregnant woman, you have the opportunity to be healthier and more comfortable, as well as set the stage for an active family. Exercising during pregnancy increases the chances that you will exercise postpartum. Women who exercise postpartum are more likely to be life-long exercisers. When your children see you role modeling an active lifestyle, they are more likely to be active. Active kids are less likely to be overweight or obese. Do you see the cycle? It is never too early to be a role model for your children.
This month we are going to be bringing you research-based information on how you can be an ACTIVE ROLE MODEL.
Would you like to try a free Fit 4 Two class?
Contact your local Fit 4 Two Instructor for a pass to try a FREE class.
Visit our Pregnancy & Exercise Awareness webpage
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