Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

The baby has arrived! Congratulations! You just completed the toughest thing on the face of the Earth (at least in my opinion). You so graciously shared your body for up to 40 weeks and endured all the highs and lows that come with being pregnant. Now comes the not so fun part, trying to get that baby weight off. Unfortunately, I think in today’s society there is so much pressure on moms to get back to their “post baby body” as quickly as possible. This pressure can often cause unrealistic goal setting which leads to  frustration when you struggle to  get back to where you were before the baby arrived.

For me, one of the hardest things I’ve had to learn as a new mom has been taking my time to get back to where I was. I am currently six months post baby and have finally realized that my body (and lack of sleep!!) is going to be different than it was before. Listening to your body, learning patience and body acceptance is one of the best things you can do for yourself during this transition. Below I’ve listed several postpartum exercises that are great for easing back in to mild activity; they should help build the foundation for establishing a regular exercise program. Of course, always seek advice from your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Walking, walking, walking! I used to HATE walking for exercise. I would much rather run. I thought if I wasn’t sweating and breathing heavily, I wasn’t getting a good workout. WRONG. Walking is your best friend before, during and after pregnancy. Even if you can only walk for 10 minutes and at a slow pace, do it. This will help you become familiar with your body again. You can still reap the benefits of cardiovascular health through walking, with a decreased risk of injury or overtraining. This is also an activity that you can incorporate with your newest addition if you’d like – a good walking/jogging stroller is a great investment!

Pelvic Tilts. That baby of yours took up a lot of room in your abdominal cavity and so graciously stretched its limits, so this exercise is going to improve your abdominal strength and stamina. It may also help you improve posture which can be changed during and after pregnancy. Start by lying on the floor on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Flatten you lower back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and then begin tilting your pelvis up slightly. Exhale and repeat. Continue for 10-15 reps, several times a day.

Pelvic Bridges. There’s a good chance you learned about pelvic bridges while you were pregnant and I’m here to tell you to keep doing them! This exercise is a great way to strengthen your quadriceps, hamstrings, abdominals and glutes. It can also help stabilize your hips, which often become relaxed and soft to allow the baby to pass through during labor. Begin in the same starting posture for a pelvic tilt, resting your arms by your side, inhale and raise your pelvis off the floor while squeezing your buttocks. Exhale and lower your pelvis and lower back down to the floor. Start out with 6-10 repetitions holding them 5-10 seconds.

Remember, how the tortoise won the race? Slow and steady. That’s going to be your motto for the next few weeks (or months) as you maneuver your post pregnancy health and that’s okay. Your body created another human life and just for that you should be so proud of yourself! Sneak in whatever workout you can during this busy transition into motherhood. Stay positive and remember to love yourself and your new body. Congrats, mama!

Fitness trackers are all the buzz these days, but do you know what to look for when choosing one? With so many sizes, colors, capabilities and prices, which one should you choose? Or should you even invest in one? Let me offer some considerations when or if you do choose to purchase one.

If you’re like me, you contemplated making this purchase and for good reason! Wearable fitness tracking devices can vary in prices, from $50.00 all the way up to $1,095.00! With that hefty price tag, comes many things to consider. Do you think you’ll use it, what exactly are you trying to track or monitor, and do you need water resistant or waterproof? Let’s break down the capabilities of these devices and what you should ask yourself as you research the different options.  

[Related Post: Why Wearable Fitness Trackers Aren't Your Wellness Program]

You must first ask yourself if you think you’ll find activity-tracking beneficial. You certainly don’t want to buy it only for it to sit on the dresser collecting dust. If you do think you want to purchase one, you have five things you’ll want to consider; style, display, compatibility, battery life and water proof.

Fitness trackers range from the super simple, to featuring all the bells and whistles. If you want to know how many steps you take a day, look for an all-day tracker. However, if you want more details on those steps (e.g. speed, pace, and stride), you may want to investigate a training tracker. Training trackers can provide data that’s specifically tailored to a certain exercise (i.e. marathon runners). All day trackers measure your total steps taken, stairs you’ve climbed, duration of exercise, active minutes and sleep time. Training trackers do everything an all-day tracker does PLUS the following: heart rate, breathing patterns, miles traveled, speed, pace, and route information. Some may also be able to control music, make and receive calls, text messaging and emails. Now let’s talk more in depth about the five options I mentioned above.

Style - Many trackers can be worn on the wrist, but there are some that can be worn as pendants or clipped to your clothing. Manufacturers are also paying more attention to design details; think color, shape, and material. Make sure you choose one you’ll feel comfortable wearing all day.

Display - The advanced trackers display a slew of data on the screen. Others (i.e. pendant trackers) show limited data and display information via an LED light, or will only show up on an app. Think about how you want to see your data. Do you want to see it immediately, or are you okay with looking it up on an app when near your phone?

Compatibility - Make sure your cell phone or computer is compatible before you buy a tracker. There’s nothing worse than spending money, only to realize the device isn’t user friendly with your current phone or computer. Most devices on the market will work with Apple’s iOS and Android systems. However, few work devices work with Windows.

Battery Life - Depending on which device you choose, will depend on the length of battery life. A tracker with more bells and whistles will require more frequent charges than a simple band tracker. You also want to pay attention to rechargeable versus non-rechargeable. Some run on batteries like cameras and calculators, others come with charging devices.

Water - Trackers are either water-resistant or waterproof. Keep in mind, water resistant only means that the tracker can be splashed with water, not submerged. This means they can withstand a decent amount of sweating, but certainly not a dip in the pool.

I hope that this information will help you narrow down which type of tracker to purchase. Or, maybe I talked you out of purchasing one altogether. Either way, remember that a tracker is a lot like a gym membership - you must use it for it to work!