Five Tips To Raise a Physically Active Child

Family hikes, holiday 5Ks, vacation swims, and weekend bike rides. Many of us have that vision of being a strong and healthy mom so that we can enjoy those activities with our kids. So how do we create the active family lifestyle we dream of? The truth is that it starts early, and it starts with you. Here are a few tips I’ve discovered in my professional and personal journey to encourage physical activity in kids and my daughter:

1. Speak positively about your body and your physical ability: Comment on what you’re good at. Don’t equate body positivity with perfection. Set a good example of appreciating what your body can do physically. They’re always listening.

2. Do home workouts: Honestly to get a full workout in with your kids in the room can be frustrating and can take years to get to a point with no interruption, but it’s well worth the effort. Model prioritizing your health and fitness and eventually they’ll be your biggest cheer leader, or better yet, they’ll join you!

3. Give them space at the playground: It’s easy to worry about their safety as they’re learning to climb and run, but it’s important for them to build confidence in their own abilities. To be a physically active “big kid”, they have to learn to trust their bodies at an early age. Rather than telling them “be careful”, ask them if they feel safe, or comment on the slippery surface and ask them if they feel comfortable they won’t slip.

4. Educate and complement: Don’t wait for health class. Use meal time or trips to the playground to educate them. For example: “your bones are going to get stronger with all of that jumping”, “your heart is going to be healthy with all that running” Make connections for them that their personal actions are responsible for their health.

5. Play the games: it can be oh so nice when your kids reach the age of playing independently, but on occasion it’s important to get out there with them. Hopscotch, swing pushing and tag may not be your dream family bike trip, but you have to start somewhere. Make those activities enjoyable now and they’ll be receptive to your ideas later. Make it about the fun and not about the exercise/activity.

   Being physically active as a family is great for physical/emotional health, fun and bonding. Put these strategies to work and you’ll be running a Turkey Trot with your 7 year old in no time.

3 Exciting Games to Give Your Kids a Workout (and you too!)

(guest contributor)

As a parent, your child’s health and happiness are always your main concern, which is why it’s important that you teach them the importance of exercise from a young age. However, a lot of parents have trouble balancing family and exercise and they don’t know how to get their kids excited about staying active. Not every child is going to love structured “workouts/exercise”. But most will love playing games, and they will be way more engaged. There are some great active games you can try that will get them outside and moving around, so they can stay healthy (and you can move with them!).

Here are some active games to help your kids get more exercise. Get out there and have fun!

Scavenger Hunts 

Scavenger hunts are always a great way to get your kids moving, and it’s a great option if you want a fun activity to keep them busy at home. All you need to do is hide some items around the house or yard, and challenge your kids to find them. Give them a few clues to get them started and they’ll soon be running around all over the place. If you want to turn it into a workout in disguise, you can put tasks with each item, like do 10 jumping jacks, for example. 

Bean Bag Toss 

Bean bag toss isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you are thinking of fitness games, but it’s actually very beneficial. It improves hand-eye coordination and there is a bit of cardio involved as your child runs back and forth to collect their bean bags. This article that answers questions like, how far apart are the boards in bean bag toss, will help you set up your own game in the yard or park. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon and it’s also fun for parties too. Your kids will have so much fun and they won’t even realize they are exercising. 

Capture The Flag

Capture the flag is a fun way to get your kids running around and get their heart rate up. It’s a simple game you can play with two to four teams of any size, and a few items to use as flags (they don’t need to be actual flags). Set up the flags and assign a base for each team. The aim is then to catch the other team's flag without being tagged. If you want to add an extra element of fitness, you can have the kids do some frog jumpss each time they get tagged before returning to their base and rejoining the game, or change the movement from running to base to skipping. You can have endless hours of fun with this one and it can be played anywhere, but it’s particularly good in a large open space, so it’s perfect for the park. 

Getting kids to exercise can be a battle against toys and screens, but if you play these exciting games with them, you can get them to do a workout without even realizing it.  And I’ll add once again, you get your workout in too!

3 Ways to Incorporate Pelvic Floor Training into Your Strength Routine

Your pelvic floor muscles can be considered the basement of your core and play a key role in managing intra-abdominal pressure (pressure within your abdominal cavity that helps stabilize your spine). When your pelvic floor muscles work with the rest of the core to manage the pressure, you'll feel stable and strong. When one area of your core is weak, your ability to manage and create pressure for stability changes. During pregnancy breathing, abdominal muscles/wall, and pelvic floor are impacted by the changes to your body-which is why training each of them properly is so important.

Pelvic floor muscles also play important roles in sexual function, organ support, and sphincteric control (holding urine, gas and poop). During the natal period (pregnancy and postpartum), weakness or overactivity of these muscles can impact your core strength and function, as well as cause conditions such as urinary and fecal incontinence, or pain with intercourse. By now most of us have heard of kegels, and some of you may even manage to fit in a few sets while brushing your teeth or driving. However, like most muscles in our body, pelvic floor muscles need to be functional during movement and not just at rest. The best way to do this is to coordinate the activation of your pelvic floor muscles with other core muscles during movement. Here are some ways to train those muscles with common exercises:

1. During squats: As you descend into a squat this is when your pelvic floor muscles should relax. During this lowering movement, you will inhale. As you ascend up to standing with an exhale, this is when you can contract your pelvic floor muscles (think of trying to tighten your vagina around a tampon). Additionally press through your heels to activate glutes, and draw in your belly button (to hit your transverse muscles).

2. During a front dumbbell raise: As you lift the dumbbell exhale and draw in your belly button (to hit your transverse muscles), while at the same time visualizing your pelvic floor rising along with your arm toward your belly button. As you lower the dumbbell, gently release your abdominal contraction and relax your pelvic floor.

3. Wall sit: While you're holding your wall sit (back against the wall, knees bent at 90 degrees with your knees over your ankles), challenge yourself for endurance pelvic floor contractions-one set of three 8-12 seconds long holds (make sure you’re not holding your breath, just the pelvic floor lift). And then follow that with a wall sit of quick pelvic floor contractions-strong flickers of your muscles for 10-15 reps. Think quick “contract, relax, contract, relax”. (similar to an orgasm)

For most pregnant people, pelvic floor training is recommended and will help you maintain a strong and functional core. Remember to always relax between contractions...you don’t want a tight pelvic floor during delivery.

It can be helpful for everyone to get a pelvic floor assessment postpartum, as many people will need to retrain the muscles, and although common, pelvic floor dysfunction is not normal. Weakness is not the only concern, sometimes birth trauma can lead to overactive or spasmed muscles...so don’t just jump back into kegels.

Happy training! If you’d like a strength program that incorporates pelvic floor, get started with Active Mom Fitness!

How Moms Can Feel More Confident in Their Postpartum Body at the Gym

(guest contributor)

Body positivity is a difficult for many people. While social media is better at embracing different types of bodies, with more and more influencers and celebrities showing off their real physiques, that doesn’t mean we don’t have far to go.

As a new mom, it can feel challenging to be confident in your body after birth. Your body has gone through an amazing process, but even with all the respect we have for its ability postpartum, the feeling of being disconnected to it and it looking different than before can impact your confidence.

The idea of a post-baby body can put many new moms off from going to the gym altogether. Here are some suggestions as you begin to regain confidence.

Wear clothes you feel great in.

This might mean tighter leggings and tops where the compression helps you feel supported, or baggier clothes with a little more wiggle room. You should wear whatever makes you feel confident and allows you to perform the exercise correctly.

When shopping for gym clothes after having your baby, you could consider brands that support women who embrace their curves, like Curves n Combatboots.

Book a personal training session.

Personal trainers don’t just exist for fitness fanatics - they exist for anyone who wants to feel good in their body again and needs that additional support. Giving birth can make your body feel foreign to you, and that disconnect is often troubling for new moms. 

New moms might feel best working with a trainer that has been through pregnancy and is knowledgeable in postnatal fitness. Connecting with a fitness professional that understands how overwhelming it can feel to return to exercise, can help you to feel more and more confident and address your postpartum needs.

Workout in a community with other moms

Being around like-minded individuals can provide the additional support and confidence nudge you need. Exercise should make you feel good and shouldn’t be a source of stress. Find a community that you feel comfortable around.

Final Thoughts

Body confidence doesn’t happen overnight; it can only be achieved through constant work to find self acceptance. If you are returning to the gym after birth, try these tips to feel your best self!