Archive for the 'Just Me…' Category

Fitness Trends….For Moms??

Well let’s just take a quick gander, shall we??

There are a LOT of trends buzzing around these days but not too sure how many of them are what I would consider mom “friendly”. Correction; new mom friendly.

However, whether a lot of these trends are for new moms or not, there can become a point where almost anyone can do them as long as they do their groundwork first. You want to be sure to rehab any diastasis or pelvic floor issues and stabilize so you have a strong foundation to build on.

Now these trends go anywhere from army style boot-camps and obstacle courses to dancing or just feeling sexy again. But they all kick butt. It just depends on what your taste of the month is. Read the rest of this entry »

Chronic pain….”shocking” I know

Yeh not really.

There is a point in one’s life, when your body really catches up with you and you begin to feel the strain of life.

Whether it’s age giving you signs to slow down, the physical demands of being a mom throwing “signals” at you to stop the craziness or (and this is a typical me scenario), pushing yourself just a tad too hard at the gym. Your body is smart and will do what is needed if you ignore the signs.

Welcome injury.

When people think of injury, they usually think if an acute accident of sorts or some other dramatic series of events that created instant pain. However, it’s more often the day to day strains of life like bending over incorrectly to pick up our kids, holding the baby on the same hip all the time, falling into the horrible posture that our moms always warned us about, etc. These are the dangerous creators of what can be, long term, chronic pain and can create a dependency on over the counter quick fixes because let’s be honest….we don’t have time for anything else!!

Like I always say; if there was never a more important time in your life to take care of yourself, it’s during your childbearing years. Pregnancy puts a huge strain on our physical and physiological bodies and the after affects can cause debilitating results if ignored.

And I am no stranger to pretending to not see what is right out in front of me.

I am a bit of a mess. Correction; I’m not as young as I used to be. Who is? My body is a combination of old injuries; neck injury in junior high, back injury in my early twenties and rotator cuff tears in both shoulders from going too hard, too fast.

More recently, my running for the past year has finally caught up with me from not practicing what I preach and resulting in piriformis syndrome in my left glute. Not fun.

But the latest is (once again), my shoulder. The right one that is and to be honest, I have NO idea what I have done.

I was carrying around someone’s baby for awhile, but that couldn’t be it. I was at the gym doing upper body 4 days previous, but that couldn’t be it.

Doesn’t really matter. The fact is my chronic injury has reared it’s ugly head again and I NEED to get fixed because my body is my work. If I can’t function well, how can I coach others to?

So because I am such a Type “A” personality, I needed the best and I needed it FAST! No time to dilly dally because time is of the essence. I am a mom, remember? So in my search of help, I found myself at the Simcoe Place Health Clinic, met my savior, Dr. Maninderjit Singh and the world of shockwave therapy.

I’m now in my happy place. I’m going to be fixed.

Shockwave therapy is the latest and greatest, non-surgical treatment for chronic pain. With as little as 3 treatments and a proven 91% effective track record, it was music to my ears. Let me tell you how it works.

Unlike ultrasound, shockwave therapy actually sends high energy sound waves directly to the injured tissue and produces an inflammatory response. The body then reacts by increasing metabolic activity. In other words it weeds out the crap and creates new tissue. Healing is much faster. How cool is that?

Know what else? Shockwave therapy breaks down scar tissue and other calcifications. Now where was this when I had not one, but two cesarean sections? Remember that blood can not flow through scar tissue so it can be next to impossible to feel your lower abdominals after a c-section, let alone strengthen them! Shockwave therapy can help you get connected faster.

It it also used for such treatments as plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, achilles tendinitis, iliotibial band syndrome, trigger points and patellar tendinitis (jumpers knee).

But shock wave therapy isn’t for everyone. If you are pregnant, have a blood disorder or if you have an acute injury with direct swelling, you will have to seek alternative forms of treatment.

So what was the result on my shoulder?

Well I’m not going to lie. It hurt a tad during the procedure like there were hundreds of mini pellets trying to punch my pain away but it was basket weaving compared to major abdominal surgery and I’m sure it can’t be compared to pushing a baby through what felt like, a tube of toothpaste. And after the treatment, I got a pretty blue kinesio taping to help keep any post treatment swelling down.

My shoulder isn’t 100%, but I think I’m a fan. I understand the philosophy behind the treatment and anything that can get me back to function in such a short period of time, works for me. The added bonus? It is covered by most insurance plans. Now what’s what a mom likes to hear; effective AND affordable.

It’s a win-win.

This week’s post was sponsored by Simcoe Place Health Clinic in Toronto. An awesome space for chiropractic, physiotherapy and other alternative therapies to help improve overall function.

 

 

 

 

Meditation for Moms – or anyone who doesn’t want to lose their mind.

And you know exactly what I am referring to.

If you’re a new mom, there comes a point when you give up trying to “keep up” and give in to reality. Your life has changed, permanently. And it’s not going to get any easier either. This is true. There must be a way to cope.

If you are more of a veteran like myself, you have come to this conclusion probably years ago, but just accepted that craziness is the new norm and everyone yells at their kids trying to get them out the door for school, don’t they?

Well not anymore and at least not this mom. Read the rest of this entry »

Energy survival tips for moms

It makes me giggle sometimes when a client will comment on how “good” I look or how “full of energy” I am. Hey…don’t forget, looks can be deceiving but then I do have a few secrets up my sleeve.

Like every mom on the planet, my days are filled with schedules, routines and lack there of. As much as I try my best to prepare, life still throws me curve balls to keep me on my toes. Having said that, if something does come up out of the blue, I try my best not to panic because we all know what that does; it only creates more panic and the domino’s begin to roll…

Now although we would love to control the way the universe works, there are somethings that we just need to put out there and let things fall where they may. However, we DO have a choice on how good and energetic we feel so we are better prepared for nature’s surprises. Read the rest of this entry »

Holiday Survival 101

Ok ok….we’ve heard it all before. The holidays are tough, ya, so what? Well I will tell you what; it’s called guilt, regret and all the other feelings we like to stuff in our mouths the second we have that second helping of pie or just a few too many treats that we swore we wouldn’t touch.

Well that’s the holidays for you and you know what? You’re human that’s all. You can feel comforted to know that you join millions of people every year that go over the top, indulge and sneak in “just one more” just to wish they hadn’t later. But although you may be hanging with the masses, it doesn’t feel any better when you step on the scale or try to do up your jeans after the fact. Read the rest of this entry »

Running can shorten your life? Sigh….

And that’s exactly what I did when my girlfriend recently sent me this latest post from the Globe And Mail. Running shortening your life? I have finally found my groove and actually enjoy running on a regular basis and now the “experts” are trying to get me to second guess myself? Hell no! But wait….maybe there’s something in what they are saying.

It’s not the every day running that will bring you closer to the “finish line” (if you know what I mean) but more the high intensity, fast people who run faster than 12k per hour on a regular basis that has shown to actually create some wear and tear on the heart. And that only makes sense, doesn’t it? ANYTHING that is done in extreme (exercise, dieting, work, etc.) can have negative effects on the very thing you are trying to accomplish. Everyone preaches (including me) that “moderation is key”. Once you push the threshold of too much, too fast, things begin to give….because something always has to, right? Read the rest of this entry »

A cause very close to my heart

Unfortunately, like so many women, my mother spent some time in shelters as a young mom. A bi-racial child born to white middle class was not the ideal. Being 17 years old in the 1970’s was the tipping point.

Over the years I have heard stories about what my mother endured from society and again unfortunately, from the hands of my father and it truly amazes me sometimes, how far she has come. Quitting school when she became pregnant but never losing focus and doing whatever she needed to make sure I was provided for.

We spent time in shelters in between apartments and once even relied on nuns to bring us our Christmas dinner one year. She remembers that one clearly because they also gave her a camera so was able to start creating memories she could keep. Read the rest of this entry »

What your mother never told you….

Or your aunt, sister, doctor, friends; not anyone!!

How many times have I met a new mom just to hear her say “why didn’t anyone tell me?” or “how come nobody checked?”. I honestly can’t tell you how many times but all I say in response is: “this is why I am here. To tell you the sh*t” nobody tells you”. Lucky me.

I spoke at a Mommy Connections group today about all the “things” that seem to slip people’s minds when they talk about being a new mom. You know; the tummy, extra skin, stretch marks, aches, pains and “down there”. And although some moms in the group looked like deers in head lights, I am sure there was a sigh of relief as well.  Read the rest of this entry »