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.

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.

Education
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.

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.

What obstacles do you face and how do you overcome them?

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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.

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.

It's Never Too Early to be a Role Model.

Follow Pregnancy & Exercise Awareness on Facebook or visit our webpage

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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.

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.  

Be informed and inspired.  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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