Review of Sara Haley's "Expecting More" Prenatal Workout DVD

 

I’ve been using Sara Haley’s Expecting More DVD since about 12 weeks into my pregnancy. I haven’t followed her schedule exactly (though I love that one is included), but have incorporated it into my normal fitness routine.  During my first pregnancy I stuck to mostly running and prenatal yoga and I can tell what a difference it has made to add some strength training in there this pregnancy!

The DVD comes with six distinct workouts which I love. You are bound to find something that works for you- and most likely multiple somethings!  I am thankful that you can choose whether or not you need the warm up or cool down --especially when you are tight on time and need to get straight to the sweating.

 

This program has workouts across fitness levels, something a lot of prenatal workouts lack. You are always encouraged to consider modifications to tone things down, or to consider stepping things up a notch.  No more finishing a workout and wondering if it was worth your time.

There are a great mix of cardio and strength workouts and most are relatively short. You can always combine two if you want a longer workout.

Another huge benefit of this DVD is Sara’s personality. She’s cute and sweet without being cheesy. When she asks me to talk out loud or smile or kegel I don’t feel self-conscious about any of it.  I also love that she is visibly pregnant and really aware of the way pregnancy impacts workouts- I hate doing a prenatal workout with the lead trainer not being pregnant or being early in the first trimester.

So...what are the workouts like?

Sweat Sport: This is my favorite, but I’m a cardio junky! Definitely sweating by the time I get through the ten minute “performance time” where everything is amped up a notch. The workout, not including warm up or cool down, is just under 30 minutes.  Sara takes you through a number of athletic cardio moves with her usual pep and smile, including variations along the way. Each time you cycle through you add a move before finally going through the whole routine without stopping.  This section requires no extra equipment and, fortunately for me, not too much coordination.

 

Be prepared to Squat...a lot!

 

Sweat Funk: I’ll admit that this one is not my favorite, but very well could be yours! I have no rhythm and no coordination- at all, truly, honestly- and I find myself tripping over my own feet trying to follow along. This has nothing to do with Sara or this video, this is how I am with any workout of this type.  If you like to dance you will probably love moving and grooving in this workout. It looks like it could be a lot of fun, just not for me. This video is just over 35 minutes long.

Synergy: This workout incorporates the warm up and cool down into its 1 hour run time.  It is a full strength and cardio combination workout. You switch between short cardio segments and short strength segments and really get a full body workout. You do need a chair for this workout and the requirements are kind of specific, but I found something that works (no arms, back that comes up to about your hips. Mine is a higher than that, but it still works). You will also need a pair of dumbbells. I use two different weights because I find that some of my muscles can handle more than others.  Again, you are given plenty of modifications along the way while also be encouraged to work.

My set up for Synergy. Back of the chair is a little high, but it works fine!

Sweat Strong Up: Just what it sounds like- a great strength training workout that incorporates 5 pound (or more) dumbbells and encourages you to use the muscles you will use with baby. Full body workout in 20 minutes? Yes, please!

Lunges with tricep extensions from Sweat Strong Up

 

 

Sweat Strong Down: Don’t be fooled- a workout on the ground can be very challenging. I honestly didn’t consider doing this workout for a while because I didn’t expect that it would work me very hard and I was WRONG. This is the video where I find myself needing to rely on modifications the most often. It is a great workout all around, especially for the legs though obliques and arms get worked too.  It runs just over 25 minutes and uses dumbbells, though I think if you don’t have them you can still get a good workout in. You also get to be barefoot during this one, which is always a plus.

 

Salutations: Though this sounds like a yoga routine I do think it is a bit more cardio focused than most prenatal yoga workouts you will find. For me (cardio junkie, remember? ) this is a great thing. I feel like I got a workout by the end. But if you are looking to relax and unwind this isn’t the program for that.  It definitely helps you stretch and provides friendly reminders to breathe throughout, but can get the heart rate up there, too. No equipment needed (no shoes either!), but a mat can be nice.  This one includes a warm up and cool down in its 30ish minute run time.

Unless otherwise mentioned, the workout times don’t include the warm up and cool down time, which are each about 8 minutes. So add 16 minutes to the total time when trying to figure out what you can fit in to your schedule.

So, in conclusion: I totally recommend this DVD for women at a variety of fitness levels. Even if you don’t use all 6 of the workouts you will find something that you love and it is going to be effective. Get your sweat on!

 

(PS, I did not receive this DVD for free and all reviews are my own unbiased opinion. It was about 30 bucks on Amazon and definitely worth the money)

Tips for Winter Weather Running

I started running as a high schooler in Cleveland, Ohio and so never really knew running without the cold. Now in ever-changing Colorful Colorado, I use the cold weather running experiences of my youth to keep me warm on our winter days. I don't dread it, I truly look forward to it. Here are some tips to help you do the same!

The not-so-obvious:

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! You can still get dehydrated on those cold running days, so be sure to drink up before and after your run (and during if it is long enough).

Sunscreen up. Skin damage happens year round, so put on some SPF (15 minimum) before heading out.

Know Before You Go:

Weather: This might seem simple, but check the weather before you head out. It might only be 25 degrees outside, but 25 degrees with lots of sunshine and 25 degrees with cloud cover and falling snow require different approaches.

Your Route: It’s not a bad idea to head to a familiar area or learn what you can about where you’re going. Is it pretty exposed and getting hit with that sunshine (and thus more likely to see melted snow)? Is it tree covered and shady (colder?) Is it well maintained by the city, so plowed and cleared? Or is it along ignored backroads?

Sunset time: Don’t forget in winter months that the sun sets earlier. Nothing like heading out on a late afternoon forgetting that the sun is going to start setting in half an hour! Not only will it get dark, but the warmth of that sun will vanish, too!

Wear the Right Gear:

Layer! I’m a good Colorado woman, which means I dress in layers always—our weather changes a lot. The starts of runs can be especially cold and it is easy to put on something warmer than necessary. That’s OK if you can strip it off and tie it around your waist (or if you trust the area where you are running and toss it to the side to be recovered later). 

I usually trust my gut with my bottoms and stick with one layer there, but up top I might double up if I’m not sure whether or not I will warm up during the run. TIP: Dress as if it is 20 degrees warmer than it is. Remember, our bodies heat up when we run so that first bite of cold air when we step outside isn’t an indication of what’s to come.

Hat and Gloves: Once it hits freezing temperatures, I usually add these layers in. I think a light hat or heavy headband does the trick. It helps if one of my other layers has pockets if I change my mind.

Korkers (or some other snow/ice cleat contraption): I just received an awesome pair of these as a Fit Gift over the holidays and it has been a life saver (review to come later). Where as I previously had to shorten my stride, get out of the zone and freak out just a little every time I came to a patch of ice, I can now just KEEP RUNNING! This helpful invention keeps my winter runs safer and opens up the possibilities

Finally…stay positive! If you are focused on how cold it is you will feel cold. If you focus on how excited you are to frolic in the snow you are bound to have a lot more fun and just feel warmer. Attitude plays a big role on these cold runs.  And treat yourself to a hot shower and a hot chocolate when you get home :)

A (work) Week of Eats

I work full time and have a pretty long commute. That means I leave the house before 7 am and get home right around 6 pm. Kiddo goes to bed around 7 and our family prioritizes eating together. I’m rarely in the mood to cook when I get home and want to make sure that as much of that 6 to 7 o’clock hour are spent with my little guy as possible, since I don’t get to see him much during the day.  One solution for this is making meals ahead of time so that they are either ready or really close to ready when I get home.

This is a new venture for us and it has come with some trial and error. But my last round has worked really well. For us this also means some comfort with leftovers and eating the same thing a few times in a week. I don’t LOVE that, it isn’t ideal, but it is cost and energy efficient. 

A note: We try to eat healthy. Not perfect, but moderately healthy. We try not to eat meat too many times a week. So what you see here is a meal plan that is light on meat and cheese, that prefers whole grains to…not, and that tries to be heavy on vegetables.

And remember, this is for the work week- so Sunday dinner through Friday at lunch. The other meals I cook or we treat ourselves out.

Meal Plan (recipes follow)

Sunday Dinner: Whole Chicken  

Monday Lunch: Wrap or salad made with leftover chicken

Monday Dinner: Mixed Bean Chili and Brown Rice and Salad

Tuesday Lunch: Wrap or Salad made with Leftover Chicken

Tuesday Dinner: Vegetarian Lasagna

Wednesday Lunch: Leftover Chili

Wednesday Dinner: Salsa Chicken

Thursday Lunch: Leftover Lasagna

Thursday Dinner: Either leftovers if you have too many OR Minestrone Soup

Friday Lunch: Something leftover- there is always something left to eat!

Friday dinner: Eat out, or cook :)

 

How it work:

On Sunday, I...

Throw a whole chicken (patted dry and coated with kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder and with some lemon squeezed on top) into a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Nice to put some potatoes and carrots along the bottom.  This is what we will have for dinner, and the leftovers will be used for lunches during the week.

While the chicken is cooking, I prep another handful of meals.

 

First, and easiest, are my Freezer Bag Meals. These are recipes where you throw everything into a gallon sized Ziploc. Make sure and label the bag with cooking instructions and with what’s inside. Lay it flat in the freezer and it doesn’t take up much space! (TIP- Buy double the ingredients and easily make two of each recipe. It takes 5 minutes more time and gets a whole other set of meals prepped!)

 

This picture was taken on a day when I made THREE weeks of work-week dinners!

 

Mixed Bean Chili:

1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15 oz can of Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

1 Small onion, diced

1 Cup of Frozen Corn

1 14 oz Can diced tomatoes

1 10 oz can diced green Chiles

1 Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Sweet Potato, chopped (I like to leave the peel on, but you can peel it)

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes

Chili Seasonings: Either toss in a packet of seasonings that you buy at the store, OR add the following to the bag:
1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp Paprika

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

Dash of ground pepper

On the bag: Write what’s inside and a reminder to Cook on Low for 6-8 hours.

The night before you want it, put it in the fridge to thaw. Add it to the slow cooker before you leave for work in the morning. You can add broth or water if you like your chili to be more like soup and less like stew. I like to cook a pot of brown rice when I get home and have a salad on the side.

 

Salsa Chicken

3 Pounds of chicken and 1 big jar of your favorite salsa. Cook on low for 6 hours.

This can be yummy added to a bowl of rice or to a bowl of salad greens to keep it healthy. Of course sprinkle cheese or add as much sour cream or avocado as your heart desires.  Green onions and cilantro are also a nice touch.

 

 

Next up are meals that require a little more effort. There is some cooking and more prep work involved. These ones are the hardest for me because I always want to eat them once they are ready!

Veggies are prepped and ready to go

 

Veggie Lasagna

5 cups chopped fresh vegetables- I like broccoli, peppers, zucchini, carrots and spinach but You Do You!
1 tblsp Olive Oil
Spices you like- Basil, oregano, garlic powder (or actual garlic) are my favorites
1 small container ricotta
1 egg
1 large jar pasta sauce
1 package oven-ready lasagna noodles
Mozzarella cheese to put on top- as much as you want

1) Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic here if you want. Then add veggies and spices and sauté until a little soft.
2) Mix Ricotta and egg together
3) Pour some sauce into the bottom of the pan. Add noodles. Cover with 1/2 ricotta mixture. Top that with 1/2 of the veggies. Cover with sauce. Repeat -Noodles/Ricotta/Veggies/Sauce. Then add one more layer of noodles and sauce.
4) Sprinkle with Mozzerella cheese. Add more or less as you like.

Here, cover with foil and write baking instructions: 375 degrees for 40 minutes, covered. Another 10 minutes with the foil off.  Put in the fridge if you will eat this week or freeze for later.

 

Minestrone Soup

1 small onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Carrots, peeled (or not) and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 cups zucchini, chopped
2 cups yellow squash, chopped
1 cup green beans- fresh is best but frozen is fine
4 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth if you aren't a meat eater)
14 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can Great Northern beans rinsed and drained
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Basil, rosemary and oregano as you like
1/2 cup ditalini pasta (or elbow macaroni)
Handful of Spinach

1. Heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Sautee.
2. Add all ingredients until pasta- bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add pasta and spinach until pasta is cooked.

Now the soup is done. Let it cool, completely. Divide it into gallon sized Zip-Locs.

Both of these recipes are great for doubling and making extra meals!
 

Enjoy! Let me know how it goes- if the meal plan worked for you, if you loved a recipe, etc.  I love taking a little bit of my Sunday afternoon to give me lots of time with my little one during the week :)

 

Half Marathon at 21 Weeks Pregnant

On December 5th I ran a half marathon at 21 weeks pregnant.  I ran the Fa La La Half Marathon in Westminster Colorado. It was COLD and windy that day and the course was covered with either patches of ice or loads of slush, but that's all part of the fun!


My biggest fan was waiting for me at the finish
 

I  ran my first ever marathon this past May- one year and three days after the birth of my son. I had done some half marathon + distances during training, but otherwise hadn't run in an official half marathon race since May of 2008! Still, I felt well prepared for this run. I had done two 10 mile training runs in November to prepare and had run in a 10k race just two weeks earlier where I averaged 9:23/mile and felt great for being in my second trimester.  That being said, you never know when running while pregnant. Every day is its own beast and a great run yesterday doesn't have anything to do with today. So I showed up excited and ready to own the course, but with lingering doubts of whether Strong Baby #2 would cooperate.

Feeling good early on

 

 

My goal was to come in under 2 hours 10 minutes and I came in at 2:09- so I was happy with that. Honestly, though, I ran the first 9 miles at a 9:10 pace and an old IT band issue flared up around mile 10, meaning that I came in at a 9:49 pace. I still met my goal, I am proud just to have finished a half marathon in my pregnancy AND to have hit the time I set for myself, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit disappointed after putting in a pretty good showing at the beginning.

My partner and son came out to cheer me on. It made a huge difference to have them on the course- and I'm not going to lie, seeing my son was definitely the best part (Sorry, Honey!). I had some tougher moments along the way and seeing him reaching out for me and smiling when he recognized me in the pack of other runners gave me new energy and a bigger sense of purpose.




This is the moment I saw my guy cheering me on!

It felt great to cross the finish line and I have been able to keep running since (I'm at 25 weeks now). I don't take any run for granted- I know at any point running may no longer be a possibility in my pregnancy. I am thankful for every mile this Baby gives me!

Naptime Hustle

I don't know about you, but when I (finally!) get my kiddo down for a nap, I don't know how long I have before he wakes up. On weekends, sometimes these precious minutes are my best chance of getting a workout in. On this blog you will find workouts I've designed for just such occasions- they are fast, full body workouts and you can cycle through for another round or two if you get more time than you counted on!

BOSU Prenatal Workout

Hi! I'm new here.

Here you will find some of my favorite workouts, healthy recipes and motivations for you moms and moms-to-be. Right now I am both of those things- a mom to a wonderful 19 month old boy who seems to have a sixth sense for whenever I wake up for early morning workouts (he wakes up too! And if I sleep in, so does he), and I am pregnant with a baby due in April 2016. 

Working full time, parenting a toddler and dealing with the aches, pains and exhaustion of pregnancy are all great reasons to take it easy, pop something in the microwave and just be thankful I survived another day. But health is important to me- I believe strongly that my happiness and my ability to be present at work, to my partner and to my child(ren) are reliant on how I am doing physically. So to be the best for them means I need to be the best to me. This blog is a glimpse at how I do it.

A note: I don't pretend to know what is best for YOU and YOUR LIFE. These exercises are based on my own research, but I'm no fitness expert. Ask your medical provider or someone else you trust if you have any doubts about whether or not my activities fit into your reality. And not everyone is into the same things I am, so no judgment passed on anyone for the decisions they make--I just ask the same in return.