Core Love Fitness

Friends- it’s been a week. Again. I know you know this feeling.... All week long you are planning and prepping meals, trying to get kids to where they need to be or napping at the right time, potty training, managing homework and negotiations with your teenager (or threenager)........ all while trying to take care of your own work, responsibilities, manage a house. Raise good kids and teach about important things like anti-racism, sexuality, kindness and more. Oh right, and fit some workouts in. No wonder we are so damn tired. By the time the kids are in bed all you have left in you is the energy for collapsing on the couch for Netflix and icecream to recharge. I feel you. Also, we need more. You and I both. In addition to (or in place of) your usual escapes (Netflix, chips, etc) this week, let’s plan for some real nourishment for ourselves. Sometimes choosing an activity that is truly nourishing seems harder at first. But the payoff (refuel and recharge) is so so needed. Swipe for ideas if you need some. The easy button button/reset button list is inspired by @glennondoyle from her book Untamed. I would love to hear your plans!

Check this out tomorrow! Erin has such a great way of seeing the need for empathy in nearly everything!

Be grateful- your body gave you your baby! I’ve talked with so many women over the last 4 years, and nearly every single one of them has heard this message, in one capacity or another. I don’t disagree- I do hope for you that you are feeling grateful for your body today (and everyday).... But I do know it isn’t that simple. You can be grateful for your body and want it to feel better with less pain. You can be grateful for your body and wish you could sneeze without peeing your pants. You can be grateful for your body and feel resentful about the prolapse you now have to manage. You can be grateful for your body and wish your belly felt and looked differently. And sometimes you just won’t feel that grateful. Fertility struggles, lost pregnancies, lost babies, and struggling to love your postpartum body are all reasons that you might feel broken or even betrayed by your body. We celebrated Thanksgiving around here this weekend, and I have so much to be grateful for. But the more I learn, the more I know it isn’t always super simple. This holiday itself is loaded with history that I am only recently understanding. So yes I hope you were grateful and thankful this weekend. And if it felt hard to feel that sometimes, I see you on that too.

We are entering the last two months of the year (what!?!?!) and start our last round of live classes in 2020 next week. These are small group (max = 8) classes at a set time each week to give you structure, routine, accountability and encouragement. Each class includes a core and pelvic floor focused mobility routine and warm-up, a strength building circuit, metabolic finisher and cool down. ... Classes are done over Zoom and can be done with the equipment you have at home or household items. Appropriate for pregnant and early postpartum people- we will modify anything as needed for you! https://www.corelove.ca/core-live to grab one of the last few spots!

If you haven’t heard this yet today: Food and workouts are not meant to run your life. You are here for more. ... Your family wants more than that for you. Your community and the world want (and need) more than that for you. You know this is true. If it wasn’t clear before, 2020 has shown clearly that the world needs more from women. We need to be showing up as our whole selves to deal with the injustices in our communities, countries and homes. But we can’t do that if we spend most of the day counting calories burnt or carbs consumed. But if you still spend much of your days stressing about how to eat and be healthy on top of running a home, parenting, working, volunteering and whatever other 1 million things are on your schedule, then check out the link in my bio and see if Core Food can help make that all so much easier and more simple for you. Closes tonight!

What do you need to know about food to be healthy? Probably a lot less than you think. Should I eat white potatoes or sweet potatoes?... Ummmm, eat potatoes. Whichever kind or all the kinds. Remember the story about the professor and the rocks, pebbles and sand? If not- google it, so good. The gist of it is that you can’t fit it all into a vase unless you put the most important/biggest things (the rocks) in first. When I talk with my clients about food, I talk rocks 99% of the time. The pebbles sometimes come into play (only after the rocks are in place) and we don’t ever worry about the sand. In 16 weeks of Core Food we will be covering two categories of what I consider the rocks of eating well and feeding your family good food without all the stress. First the 4 most important hard skills: Protein (how much you need and how to get it) Vegetables (how to cook them so you like them, the variety that you need) Liquids (how they impact how full and satisfied you feel, ways to get more out of your liquids) Balanced Plate and balanced days (how to get all your macronutrients without counting them) Secondly, the 4 most important soft skills: Eating Slowly (literally the magic skill- but the hardest to implement) Your recovery Bank Account Meal Planning- without it becoming your part time job Movement vs exercise Literally no extra stressful stuff that won’t really make a difference. Doors close Wednesday, Oct 28th at midnight and we officially kick it off Sunday November 1st. Check out more details in the bio.

One thing I wish moms and women in general would stop saying. I’ll wait til things settle down. Then I will be able to find time to take care of myself. We all know the truth- things aren’t going to settle down. Not enough to make it easy, anyways.... Life is busy. Lots of times it’s fun and joyful. More often it’s hard and overwhelming. If we wait for things to settle down, weeks turn into months, which turn into years and decades. And we still haven’t found time to take care of ourselves. To move our body. Eat well. Rest. Sleep. Buuuuuuuuut, I want to be loud and clear in what I mean by this. This is not about no excuses, no pain no gain or pushing your body past it’s limits. It’s about setting a baseline for your own self care. A minimum that can be met 90% of the time. In one phase of life that might look like 4 workouts a week. In another phase your baseline drops to 5 minutes of movement each evening. Or every second day. The concept of having this minimum for self care is hard because it doesn’t fit the ‘all or nothing’ mindset that most of us have had for years around exercise. If you can’t follow the plan is there even a point? Yes yes yes. So much yes. Get yourself on the list of things that matter and must be taken care of. For reference, for about three years after my last baby was born, my baseline was 2 30ish minute workouts a week. Anything above that was a bonus. It actually helped me to get pretty strong over 3 years, even though it hardly seems like much. What’s your current baseline?

Are you taking your measurements correctly? I saw a post by @christina_montalvo and the rest of this post is inspired by what she said about the scale being a cop out and shallow form of measurement. Stay with me.... Making changes in your health, fitness and nutrition is no small undertaking. It often requires deep mindset work. Usually the uncomfortable conversations of setting new boundaries and expectations for those closest to us. You likely are having to unlearn some serious BS that you picked up about food and exercise along the way to get to this point in your life. It feels like it takes forrerreeeevvvvvvvveeeeeeeeerrrrrrr for that work that’s happening in the inside to show up on the outside. Because it does. But please please please don’t let the outside work (strength gains, body composition, number on a scale, etc) distract you from what is really happening. The hard work you are actually doing. Measure the right stuff

Exercising in pregnancy is NOT about prepping you for birth. Mostly, anyways. This is one thing I did not grasp at all in my first pregnancy. ... When I found out I was pregnant, I read everything I could to learn as much as I could about pregnancy. I was obsessed with reading about birth. I wanted to learn all of the options I had for birth and feel as prepared as possible. Birthing the baby was the big event that I was worried about, everything else (nursing, newborn life, toddlers) etc seemed like it would feel easy in comparison. Birth WAS hard. So so hard. Physically and emotionally. But then so was caring for a newborn, then a baby, then a toddler..... and I was not prepared for the physical load of it. Carrying, feeding, lifting, sitting in awkward positions for sooooo long because the baby is finally sleeping..... it was so much harder on my body than expected. Tight shoulders, achy back, sore pelvis, struggling pelvic floor...... all things that new moms deal with. But going into that postpartum phase already strong can make those aches and pains so much less. When working with pregnant mamas we usually have three main outcomes in mind: less aches and pains in pregnancy, more strength and endurance for birth (however it ends up going), and importantly, to be as strong as possible for that first year postpartum and all of the hard work that comes with it. Did you/are you exercising in pregnancy?

When you don’t want to work out, but you should. My opinion is: Workout anyway. ... Or don’t. But drop the should. Exercise/movement can be one of the kindest things we can do for ourselves. But often we don’t get the benefits of exercise because we think we should be doing it everyday or there’s no point. Or we should be laying in pile of sweat at the end to make it count. We should start and finish the whole workout. We should listen to loud music. We should change into workout clothes, ideally cute and matchy. We should clean the house first. We should want to work out. We should be more motivated. We should have the willpower. When we drop the shoulds, a lot of the barriers disappear. Sometimes I workout to loud music in workout clothes. I get the whole workout done, start to finish and am laying in my own sweat at the end. Other times I work out in the dark in silence (pic above is from a workout last week) and I just do a few warm-up exercises and then lift something heavy a handful of times and call it good. Many times I workout in whatever I am wearing- often jean shorts from @belleandbliss because they are so comfy. @jessiemundell works out in dresses all the time. Let’s not let clothes be a barrier to moving. All workouts. All valuable. Ps. Sometimes I don’t workout at all Also a valuable option some days.

Ok, so if you don’t need to be doing HIIT and boot camps postpartum, what SHOULD you do? I posted a few days ago about why you don’t need to be killing yourself at boot camp, orange theory or letting Jillian Michael’s scream at your and shame you into your workouts. Especially if you are returning to exercise after time off or after a baby. But if you did that stuff pre-baby, then what the heck should you even do now? Are you stuck doing breathing exercises and clamshells... forever? (nope) Here’s my list of a hierarchy of what I think is most important to add in first to add in last. Note: the things further down the list are still important and bring a lot of value. But they also require more recovery (rest, sleep, good food) and best added in later on once those things are more consistent for you. 1. Core/Pelvic floor work (beyond kegals). 2. Strength training (full body, usually 15-35 mins per workout, 1-3 times a week) 3. Specific Mobility work 4. Add in more strength training (ex 2-4 times a week, maybe 35-50 mins per workout) OR some metabolic training(1 x a week) 5. Low intensity cardio (ex biking, swimming, running, hiking) 6. Higher intensity cardio and impact As a general rule, I don’t recommend running until you’ve made it to at least 4 months postpartum, and for many people, longer (somewhere in the 6-12 months mark). This can be dependent on the individual of course, but most people will do better strengthening for a few months first. Will post more details on this soon. Mannnnnny moms I connect with start their postpartum fitness journey at #5, skipping the foundation building of steps 1-4. And typically it just brings on pain, frustration and pelvic symptoms without much pay off. If you feel like you are working hard and not getting the results of that work, or throwing together a haphazard workout plan and feeling lost, try starting at step 1 and working your way down. Need help figuring out your next step? Send me a dm or post below and I’ll happily sort it out with you.

You want to lose weight. I don’t believe you. (Said in the kindest way possible) But honestly, I don’t actually think your goal is weight loss. Hear me out....... I don’t talk a lot about weight loss here because it’s not super important to me. It’s really important to me that my people find ways to feel at home in their bodies without peeing their pants or organs falling out Actually though- the feeling at home piece. So so important. Feeling strong. Proud. Capable. Kind. True to yourself. Grateful. Present. Joyful. This is the magic of what food and fitness can help bring for us. Many of my clients lose weight in the journey to get those things. Lots don’t. Because their body didn’t need to. You’ve likely been sold the idea that losing weight will bring all the things (see list above). It usually doesn’t and it’s a real piss off to count points for a year and realize you still don’t feel great about your life. If you work with me and say you want to lose weight, we are going to dive in deeper FOR sure, because you don’t. You just want the feelings, experiences and ease that you imagine is going to come with less fat on your thighs and belly. Let’s get you those things. Don’t worry about the fat. It will sort itself out. Promise.

You are trying so hard. Trying to make sure your kids sleep enough, eat their veggies, get enough stimulation and activity and stay healthy (extra stressful in 2020). Questioning constantly if you made the right decision, 1000x a day for every little decision. Are they just acting like kids? Or are you raising little jerks? (Constant concern of mine). ... Managing changes in relationships: from when you are first pregnant, baby or babies are born, as kids get older and start developing their own interests and friends. Relationships with partners, parents, friends and even strangers who all have thoughts about how well you are (or aren’t)doing. Trying to workout. Eat right. Sleep enough. Be present. Learn to mediate. Manage a house. Pay the bills. Sign the forms. Book the appointments. I could go on and on here.... but the point is, mothering is frickin hard and exhausting. And not because you aren’t doing it right. Not because you haven’t figured it out yet or you don’t have the right systems. Literally just because it is a big, hard, consuming job. If you read this far, take a deep breath. I see you. I’m right there with you. I don’t have any magical solutions for you today. It just is hard. You are doing great

Maybe? Maybe not. Swipe right to see the questions I asked last week when a 1:1 client (who has recently returned to barbell back squats and running) messaged about her symptoms flaring. I am ALL about taking care of your core and pelvic floor and making sure your exercise is not going to hurt your vagina ... Buuuuut, we also are sometimes so afraid of making things worse through exercise that we hold ourselves back. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle in how you feel and exercise is just one. So far, we haven’t taken out the running OR back squats from her program but have switched up order of workouts, added back some mobility for her hips/pelvis, and emphasized rest. Likely this will solve the problem. If not, I have about 10 other ideas to try before we have to pull back on two movements she loves. As always, there is a lot of gray here- but there is almost always a way to work around symptoms and keep you moving. Do you ask yourself these questions when symptoms/pain flare? If not, save them for next time!

Need something for you this fall? As we transition into fall, I know for sure that my health is going to need my attention. Otherwise it will be at the bottom of the list of things to worry about (the list is long). Next week we start our Core Live Classes and if you need an amazing group of people to meet you on Zoom each week to check in on you, sweat with you and support you during this time, we would love to have you:)

Why I swore I wouldn’t do nutrition coaching, but now I do. When I started Core Love in 2016, I did NOT want to be doing any nutrition coaching. This was mostly because I wanted to stay as far away as possible from the awfulness that is out there. So many extremes and restrictive diets disguised as wellness and lifestyle changes.... I’ve watch many times as women dive in to an intense meal plan or new food rules, only to become first consumed by it, then exhausted, then defeated. And all of it built upon the idea that women are and should be trying to lose weight and be smaller, 24/7 365 days a year. But after working with hundreds of women over the last four years, I’ve realized something. The messages most people have received around food are so messed up. To the point that brilliant grown women are literally spending valuable brain space wondering if they should be eating regular potatoes or sweet potatoes. Or vegan? All the carbs? Or no carbs. High fat? Low fat? How much water? Warm or cold? Butter or margarine???? And on and on. Since the beginning, Core Love has been about helping women feel strong and capable in their bodies (without peeing their pants or organs falling out) so that they can show up strong and capable in their WHOLE life. Counting alllll the calories and macros, measuring your food all day every meal or making a list of good/bad food is getting in the way of you showing up how you want to. BUUUUUT, you can still feed your body well. You can still eat in a way that you enjoy but also helps you last through those long days of parenting or working or both. This will be a big part of the Core Circle coaching, opening up this September. Want to know more? I would love to hear what about food do you wish was easier?

Another one of my faves and cues to get the most out of them. Save this for later or share with anyone looking for some solid core strengthening that isn’t a million crunches and planks. Exercise 2 (of 4)... Dead bugs: sloooooow these down and feel the work. Are you a fan of dead bugs?

Need a community of people who are trying to get strong, feel confident and love on their bodies, but also have to do life stuff like parent, work, manage households and relationships? In the Core Love Crew we do smart, effective and efficient workouts. The focus is on strength (vs 1000 burpees just for the sake of killing yourself).... Workouts are intentional. The exercises are there because they prep you for life. They make waking, running, jumping, lifting kids, etc etc etc easier and more enjoyable. Every movement has a purpose. Each month is built on the month before- the longer you are in the crew the stronger you get. These workouts are NOT about peeing your pants or making you too sore to walk up the stairs for days. But they are also not laying around kegal-ing. You WILL get a good workout. Promise. Questions? Check the link in the bio or post below

Workout-ing When my daughter was four or five she said all sorts of cute things like these peaches look so eat-y and look at my print foots! (Footprints). She would also say Mom is workout-ing which actually makes more sense to me, grammar wise, than working out. But I know a lot more about the pelvic floor than grammar, so ... Beyond the cuteness, what I loved about that phrase was that she was learning to ‘mostly’ let me have my uninterrupted time for a workout. It wasn’t a lot (at that phase of life, about 30 mins, two times a week), but she knew it was something I did and had learned the routine. Working out at home means no commute, no childcare issues and also no Covid (a big one). If your kids are driving you totally bonkers, I hear you. Same. But if your goal is to be able to work out at home, it might be worth the grind for a few weeks (or months) to teach your kids to leave you alone for some workout-ing. A couple of things that have helped over here: Older kids: - a basket of colouring/books/toys that I bring out when I workout - Laying out a mat beside me for them to join in - Letting them ‘run’ a part of the workout, they love telling me what to do:) - Little dumbbells and bands for them to use - Saying I’ll help you when I’m done 500 times Little Little’s: - planning super short workouts. 15-20 minutes was much more likely to get done than 45 minutes. - Holding baby for weight while I warm up with squats, lunges etc. - Being ok with starting and stopping my workout, finishing it 12 hours later or even the next day. - Bouncy chairs and all other baby distractors - Morning workouts. I know all babies are different but mine typically got more needy as the day went on, so getting it done early was a better bet. Ok, now for all the moms and parents in the crowd, share your wisdom below. Please! How do you get in exercise with kids at home?

"Grandmother meant well. Everyone meant well. But they were brainwashed. We all were. This is the time of the reclamation. This is revolution. I am now my fullness. I am now my reason. No more apologies. I am telling myself a new story. Actually, it’s my old story. My true story. "... Sent to me by a good friend.

Carry the pukey baby aka the goblet carry... I LOVE this hold. So. Much. Core. while squatting, or lunging or walking. A goblet position means holding a weight/load in front of your chest. Often used for a squat, lunge or carry. And it transfers to every single day of your life, especially if you’ve got small kiddos under your roof. Kid spit up and you need to change their clothes? Diaper blow out? Puking kid? With three kids I’ve used this carry to the bathtub mannnnny times. Couple quick tips: - Stand tall. No leaning back and tucking your pelvis under - Keep breathing. - Walk normal. You will want to walk like a robot . Just be normal:) Add a goblet hold to your squat, carry, lunge etc. and build up that core strength. Do you use this position? Like it?

Looking back, I can’t believe how hard it was. This pic is from when my youngest was under one. I had three kiddos 5 and under. Was just getting Core Love up and running and preparing to return to teaching high school science. Now those little humans are 9,7 and 4 and woooaaaaaah, life and this body I live in feel so very different. ... When I step back and look at what the moms I work with are accomplishing every single day (and night) it’s wild. And doing it all with back pain, leaky pelvic floors, low energy, while trying to find a minute to feed themselves a hot meal instead of soggy crackers off the high chair tray. To repeat a day in my life in 2016 would literally be so hard for me now! And I did it on repeat. Where are you at right now? Are you in the thick of it? Just starting? On your way to the next phase of bigger kids?

Yes, yes, yes. If you need anything, please reach out. We need to take care of the new parents right now.

When I had my first baby, I wanted to keep up my usual routine of exercising 4-5 times a week. To be totally honest, (and this is hilarious now), I was so clueless as to what was coming that I even thought I might have more time to exercise since I would be off work. Trying to get in a 60 minute workout 6 days a week was not only exhausting, it shortly became straight up unachievable. Week after week went by and I didn’t meet my workout goals. I wanted to feel like mysel...f again in my body but I couldn’t find the time and energy to do it. When I finally gave up on my old ideas about exercise and started looking for new solutions that fit MY body and MY life, I found a way to exercise consistently without a bunch of stress around it. For about three years after my youngest was born, my goal for exercise was a 30-40 minute workout, twice a week. New mama Kaye in 2011 would NOT think that was enough exercise. But this time I nailed that goal, most of the time. And by being consistent I built strength and a body I feel comfortable in, without actually trying that hard. Are you consistent with your workouts? Would it help to lower the bar and do less exercise in order to get more consistent? How many days a week are you trying to workout right now?

Progression. . Progressive overload is a simple concept in exercise meaning in order to make changes in the strength, shape or endurance of our muscles, we need to slowly yet purposefully challenge the muscles more and more. .... So if you want to get stronger, you need to do the same types of movements consistently, with a changing stimulus (ex increase weight, reps, change tempo etc) over time. . I used to hop from one workout to another, this app, that bootcamp, this class.. All fine. Movement is always valuable to some degree, so if you love hoping from class to class and that will keep you moving, go for it. . But if you want to feel like you are getting somewhere in terms of strength and endurance gains, make sure you’ve got some consistent progression planned into your workouts. . In Core Love live classes and our online Core Love Crew, all of the workouts have progression built in. And we’ve had to get a bit creative with it during covid because not everyone has access to a whole rack of dumbbells. . Things you can do to add/change the load and increase your load during an exercise, without changing weights: . Play with tempo (ex. Move faster, move more slowly, add a pause) . Use partial reps (ex. 1.5 reps, 0.5 reps) . Drop sets/reps (start with a weight that is too heavy to finish all your reps, switch to a light one, switch again if needed, until you finish out your reps) . Take away- if you don’t feel like you are getting stronger as fast as you would have hoped, you may want to look at how much you are consistently progressing your exercises, vs doing different exercises each workout without purposefully increasing the load. Random workouts each week will still give you benefits of exercise, but progressively overloading can give you some extra perks:) . Questions? Let me know below. See more

Moving my body. Exercise for mental health. .... I often hear that exercise is key to mental health and I absolutely agree and feel that in my life. . But often what people are really referring to is code for using exercise as a way to relieve anxiety related to weight gain. . If not exercising causes you high levels of stress, it could be worth evaluating how you are using exercise. . If exercise is a means to control your body, your size, make up for mistakes (ex eating too much or ‘bad’ foods), it probably is actually doing more harm than good for your mental health. . And in my opinion and experience thus far, if this is you are missing out on soooo much of the actual real value in moving your body. . Moving my body these days is for the deep deep layers of my health. . Yes I want to feel strong enough to carry my big kid (9 years old) and go for long hikes with my fam. Because that is joyful stuff for me. . But I also want to feel strong enough to withstand the heartbreak and hard stuff that comes alongside joy as well in this life. . Getting into my body and out of my brain makes me stronger. I get unstuck. I feel emotions and move past them. I think. A lot my best ideas happen in a workout. . If exercising is not feeling good to you but you feel like you should do it..... well I’m not big on shoulds but I would say you should consider that there is a different way to have exercise fit into your life and support you so much more.

Exercise for mental health. I often hear that exercise is key to mental health and I absolutely agree and feel that in my life. But often what people are really referring to is code for using exercise as a way to relieve anxiety related to weight gain. ... If not exercising causes you high levels of stress, it could be worth evaluating how you are using exercise. If exercise is a means to control your body, your size, make up for mistakes (ex eating too much or ‘bad’ foods), it probably is actually doing more harm than good for your mental health. And in my opinion and experience thus far, if this is you are missing out on soooo much of the actual real value in moving your body. Moving my body these days is for the deep deep layers of my health. Yes I want to feel strong enough to carry my big kid (9 years old) and go for long hikes with my fam. Because that is joyful stuff for me. But I also want to feel strong enough to withstand the heartbreak and hard stuff that comes alongside joy as well in this life. Getting into my body and out of my brain makes me stronger. I get unstuck. I feel emotions and move past them. I think. A lot my best ideas happen in a workout. If exercising is not feeling good to you but you feel like you should do it..... well I’m not big on shoulds but I would say you should consider that there is a different way to have exercise fit into your life and support you so much more.

Need something to keep you moving and feeling stronger over the summer? There are a few spots left in my Zoom Live Classes over the summer. These are small group classes so that you still get live coaching and feedback from me. Full body workouts with an emphasis on the core and pelvic floor strengthening while working on the mobility and strength that we need daily.... And my favourite part: connecting with other people who are in the thick of it right there with you. 10 weeks for the price of 8 ($126, includes gst). If you miss a couple for summer adventures, no problem. If you get in all 10- sweet! 2 free workouts:) These are amazing way to prioritize yourself and your health over the summer. Log in from home, the lake or your camp group and move your bod:)

Tomorrow will be 11 weeks since I’ve had in person classes in my home and I am really missing the energy of having so many beautiful amazing people together in one place. Covid has made me appreciate technology more than I ever have before. So glad I still see so many of these smiling faces via Zoom, our training app or through Facebook. It’s a different way to maintain our community and connection, but the same thing remains- community and connection. ... Ever grateful for this Core Love community of amazing people who lift each other up and hold space for each other on and offline. If you need some people in your corner in this chapter of your life, I know some of the very best. Send me a message and let’s get you introduced:)

I LOVE helping women find their deep core muscles because it makes a big difference in how they feel day to day. - Since I can’t do my usual face to face core coaching right now, I wanted to put together a 21 day program to help anyone who wants to strengthen from the inside out. - These are short, 5-15 minute core workouts to do for 21 days. Short and effective. ... - Normally this type of support is $200 +, but as a thank you for being patient as I learn the online side of this, it’s going to be $21 for this first time through. - Leaking? Hip or back pain? Early postpartum? This will help. - Message me to sign up or ask your questions! See more

Sometimes just moving my workout outside makes is sooooo much more appealing.

Hey everyone, I’ve had a few new people land here and some people wondering what Core Love is, so I thought I’d take a second to let you know:) This is me and my little crew. My husband isn’t in the picture because he was probably either coaching or running, two things he’s good at and does a lot of. ... My oldest is 9, so the last decade has been a journey for me to learn all about my body as I transitioned in and out of three pregnancies/births and the physically demanding years of parenting little ones. It’s also been a journey of learning my heart. Things that mattered so much don’t now, and vice versa. I love movement and exercise for the stress it releases, for the strength it showcases, and the connection it creates among people. I think there is a way to find movement that feels good for all bodies. It doesn’t need to make you pee, sweat buckets, feel like barfing or not be able to walk for days to count and have huge benefits. I love helping people find ways to move that feel good and support them in their current life stages. Thanks for being here

Taking over IG at Alberta Mamas tomorrow:) let me know what you want to know!

Thinking of all of the moms to be and new moms who did not expect their experiences to be going this way. If you need some support, whatever that may look like, send me a message.

3 years ago. Self love:)

Anyone else feeling like this is all sinking in today? That this is going to be much loooooonger time than we originally expected? The idea of our new normal is slowly sinking in to me, and on my mind and my heart is the health of the people I've been working with over the last few years. ... I say health, and not fitness, purposely. I do like fitness- I grew up playing sports and I like the fun and challenge of fitness. But what I am most focused on in my work is the health of my clients. I know that we all need to move to feel good, to be our best and to manage our stress. That will look different for all of us. Some people really want to be fit. Some just want to move for sanity, confidence and a way to release stress. A lot of us will fall into both camps given the day (or right now, given the hour). For all of you who are now trying to figure out how to take care of your health without accessing your usual resources (gyms, yoga studios, trainers, friends, group classes, etc) I made the Core Love Crew for you and we start this week! For just $35, you will get 4 weeks of strength workouts, mobility sequences, metabolic conditioning and meditations. If you are pregnant, postpartum, dealing with symptoms or pain, the workouts will work for you. You can do them with or without equipment. The goal is to just keep us all moving. We NEED to be moving now more than ever for our mental, physical and emotional health. If you think this might work for you, comment below, send me a message, or an email at [email protected] and let's get you moving.

I was honestly devastated last Sunday when I realized I couldn’t run my in person classes going forward. I LOVE helping people to feel confident and strong in their bodies, and couldn’t imagine not seeing the 40 women that come into my home studio each week to sweat, laugh and cry together. Shortly after I realized I actually have so much more to be grateful for than not, and that we are definitely all in this together. So many people are right along side me in all of this u...ncertainty, for our health and the health of our loved ones, our businesses, our jobs, etc. Looking back on that last week (which feels like a month), I’ve been forced to use new tools, new strategies and new ways to communicating. And I still connected with people, we still sweat, laughed and cried together. About to make a coffee, sit down and finish setting up this weeks workouts, live sessions and one on one coaching and workouts. So grateful for the amazing community of people I have around me. If you need community or support right now, let me know. - Link below for our free Facebook group - comment below - send me a message Let’s lean on each other and we will come out of this stronger than ever. https://www.facebook.com/groups/234525066910906/?ref=share

How is your pelvic floor handling COVID?.NO - COVID-19 does not directly affect your pelvic floor. However, STRESS can. . Many of us are dealing with new s...tresses, big stresses anxiety uncertainty. There has been so much change and we’ve all been asked to social distance and STAY HOME while we process it all..It’s your healthiest option right now to stay home, but your physical body might not be feeling its best either. At Nurture Her, we decided to close our doors to in-person visits on Monday BUT we still want to help you with your health and wellbeing.. We have plans to roll out virtual (telehealth) physiotherapy as soon as we have the best privacy and security for you with our technology (hopefully by April 1!). In the meantime, we want to connect with you in other ways. The best way to stay in touch with us right now is to join our email list (nurtureher.ca/community). Please come and connect with us there!.We also have plans to bring you great free education and support in other ways, like a group where we can hang out online and be together. . We’re thinking of you and your families. We want to stay connected and see how you are all doing and managing. We also want to help your physical health and wellbeing and your whole-body health and wellbeing! See more

Hey hey everyone. Currently working on some workouts for the next coming weeks. We’ve got some live classes happening on Zoom and some do it yourself workouts going out for those of you who just can’t imagine planning your own workouts right now but know you need to move. This space is usually heavily focused on core and pelvic floor, getting in exercise with kids around and how to learn to feel good in your new body during big life transitions. ... I am NOT jumping on the bandwagon that covid-19 is the time for you to get in the best shape of your life and finally get that 6-pack. I’ve seen a lot of that from other fitness spaces and it’s just not resonating with me. When my life stress is high, I find I don’t have as much energy to give to exercise. A burpee sounds like the worse idea ever during these times, for me. But I also know that if I don’t move my body during these times, my mind will go willllllllld which makes my body feels crummy, my parenting short and unkind...... and it all spirals from there. So friends, if I can help you find a way to move your body right now that makes you feel better, not further depleted, please let me help. We truly need to take care of ourselves and each other during this time. I’ve got a few structured classes running online, a DIY program, and also a free Facebook group with lots of ideas to get you moving so you can get into your body and out of your head. If you’ve got some friends who need this support too, please spread the word. Link below to join our Facebook group (FREE!) and get some resources to help you through this wild time. https://www.facebook.com/groups/234525066910906/?ref=share

If I can help, please reach out!

If you need a giggle. Thanks for sharing Ali

Building our bone density every week:). Seriously though, sooooooo many benefits to strength training and bone density is a BIG one!

So many people don't see inequality or choose not to notice it. 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, regardless of age, b...ackground or country. This is a fact we simply will not ignore. Watch our short film to find out how your voice can alter the road map for good. Learn more about how MUTU System is empowering women all over the world https://mutusystem.com//international-womens-day-eachforequal #IWD2020 #EachforEqual

Chelsey of Mommy Connections was so fun to work with! She went from being terrified to move (and worsen her prolapse) to kickin butt at roller derby! If you have been wondering what it is like to try one on one training, read more here.

Very true for me and my experiences postpartum. The way I felt in my body ignited a passion to learn everything I wished I had been told and to share with anyone willing to listen:)

Recently someone asked me why I run. It made me pause, for sure. Because the reason is different, yet again, than it has been in previous phases. As a child I would guess I ran for fun, joy and purely to love my body.... As a teenager and young adult I ran for fitness. I wanted to be strong and to perform well in sport. As a new mom, I ran because I wasn’t quite yet sure who my new self was and so I held on desperately to the pre baby self for some normalcy and identity. Then my body pushed back (with leaking, back pain and hip pain) and I stepped back to figure it all out from inside out. After my second baby I learned how to build a strong foundation with my core and pelvic floor first, and I ran simply for a break in the day and to get out of my house, mostly for my sanity. Also, my second was a handful. I literally needed to be able to run to catch him from running into traffic. After my third baby I took my time to heal and strengthen. Then I started running to train my body for impact and sport. I hadn’t played sports for a few years and I knew that getting out and chasing a ball around would get me out of my head. It did. Today, with my youngest being 4, I look back at the last 9 years of parenting and think woah.... what a ride. Lots of ups, lots of major downs. Major emotional work that came from learning to parent, learning to be married and parent together, and figuring out how to be a mom and also not only a mom. So right now, my reason for running is to push myself physically and give myself a break emotionally. I want to get out for long runs on trails and mountains. I want to take in the beauty around me and the gift of a body that can get me places. To feel the strength that I’ve developed emotionally over the last 9 years expressed physically. Also, I strongly dislike playing little games on the floor where my children tell me what to say and where to move my doll. I much prefer to run and splash in a lake with them:) Do you have a reason to run right now?

I hate running, but I equally hate not being able to do it. I want to learn how to do it so it feels good in my body. I just want to put my shoes on and walk out my door. I need it to be that easy. I used to run a lot and it feels like a piece of old me. I want to find that again.... I’ve got goals for myself- I want to run races and prove to myself that I can push myself and get stronger. But I’m leaking and have pain and I know I should address it. I want to be the kind of parent and grandparent who can play with their kids and aren’t stuck on the sideline. It’s been a long time since I set aside time to take care of me. I think running can help my physical and mental health. I need to run. It’s who I am and who I was before kids too. All reasons I hear from women about why they want to run. All valid. All important. And there are so many other reasons too that Michelle and I hear and motivate us to help women run. Registration for Strong to Run opens tomorrow! We start March 1st

If you don’t want to feel fragile as you age, pick up those weights!

Do you warm-up before a run? No? I get it. The best part about running (for me) is that I can put on my shoes at anytime of day and just step outside and go. It’s a break from my house and the chaos of kids, the fresh air and the chance to move my body. Most of the time, our bodies allocate the majority of circulation to the brain and nervous, organs and glands. When we are exercising, our muscles demand an increase in that circulation and a warm-up will shift that gradua...lly. But the most valuable part of the warm up for me, and most moms I work with, is the shift in my mental focus from stress and overwhelm to the time ahead for myself. It doesn’t need to be fancy or intense, but doing something before you start your run can be really helpful. And if you are working on strengthening certain areas or resolving some symptoms, a specific warm-up related to that can be so so helpful! So excited to tell you more about our 2020 Strong to Run program. Details coming this week. So, do you warm-up? let me know if you need ideas!

It’s literally easier to run if you smile a bit. How cool is that? It’s also easier to run if you have progressed your training in a smart way and you have a strength base in all the right muscles needed for running. Michelle Friesen and I are getting ready for our next 12 week Strong to Run program and we are so pumped to get going. Last year we had a group of women who started out with symptoms and pain. Some even admitted to hating running. But they wanted to be able t...o, for their families and for themselves. 12 weeks later we CRUSHED the summer solstice run as a group. And it was easy because look how big those smiles are If you are curious about Strong to Run or just have questions about running, send me a message. Helping women feel strong, capable and at home in their bodies is one of my favourite things

Advice for the running (and wanna be) running mamas!

A legit strategy I use when I need to workout but also feel like there are 100 other things to do in that 30 mins. Set a timer for 1 min of an exercise and 1 min of folding laundry. 8 mins later the laundry was folded and the exercise done. If there is one thing that I think is vital to prioritizing self care after transitioning into parenting it is this: get creative. Be flexible. Know that in this phase, things will need to look a bit different than they did in the last phase and that can still work for you.

Peeing while running is a common mom joke, but it actually shows decreased function in the core which also means decreased performance while running. Often a female who leaks will be told to do more kegals. This may or may not help to solve the problem. Here are a few other things to consider:... 1) Do I have adequate strength AND endurance for this task? 2) Am I holding too much tension throughout my body? This can create leaking and a lack of control in the pelvic floor. 3) How am I breathing? 4) How am I landing? What kind of impact does that create in my body? 5) How is my mobility? How free do I fee in my movement? 6) What is my alignment like while running? Want to learn more and help to tweak these strategies? Join us Feb 2nd at Xtend Barre for a workshop for female runners. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/strong-to-run-tickets-896815449

For everyone who is feeling smothered by children.

9 years ago I could not WAIT for my 6 week check up with my doctor so that I could start running and working out again. I had no idea that there could be a smart way to progress back to running. My doctor didn’t either. I just went from not running at all to running for 20 -60 minutes. And I felt fine. At first. I totally thought I had bounced back well, because from the outside, it looked like I had. ... But then the back pain creeped in, my pelvic pain increased, I started leaking in my stroller boot camp workouts, and running literally felt like I was crushing every joint. At that point, I had no idea that finding my deep core could change how I felt running. I had no idea that how I kegalled or didn’t kegal, could make such a difference in how I exercised. I didn’t realize that if I was smart about my strength training that I could prepare my body to run vs just hitting the road. If you are a runner, were a runner, or want to be a runner, thing about a progressive plan to help you get there. It does feel slow at first, but I promise, in the big picture, taking the smart path now will help you feel better for longer. Find your deep core, strengthen your connection with it. Strengthen your glutes, your single leg strength, your ability to hop and jump, and then you will be well prepped to run! If you have questions, please ask! If you want to learn more, join me and pelvic physio Michelle Friesen in a workshop Feb 2nd to learn what you need to know about your pelvic floor and running, how to strengthen your body to help prevent injury and symptoms and simple changes in running technique that can literally change your running (and symptoms) in minutes. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/strong-to-run-tickets-896815449

Just listen to your body! I heard that a lot in pregnancy and early postpartum. It was so frustrating to hear because my body felt like no body I had been in before! This article gives more details on HOW to learn about your new body so that you can listen to it.

For all of you who want to feel strong running without the pain and peeing that many female runners experience. Join us at Xtend Barre on Feb 2nd to learn what you need to know about your core and pelvic floor as a runner, strategies to change your symptoms (sometimes in seconds) and key areas to strengthen before you hit the pavement this spring.

It looks different for everyone, but most moms are not recovered at 6 weeks!

Yes I am training for my life right now (carrying kids etc) but also definitely trying to pack in the bone density for later in life. Check out this awesome video of women who are using lifting to protect themselves! https://youtu.be/2fx_LfZFxv0

Feel like you aren't working hard enough? Intensity isn't even close to the top of my list of priorities in postpartum training. Much higher would be consistency. For nearly 3 years all I did was two workouts a week, rarely longer than 45 minutes. It was all I could handle. But it gave me a pretty decent base of strength to build on now that I feel able to add more. See original post for more:)

This little man turns 4 tomorrow! So grateful for him and these giggles, even if he interrupts my workouts all the time:)

Yup yup yup! This is what we do in our classes. We don’t lay around lifting our pelvic floors for an hour. But we do work on squats, bench press, and all sorts of movements in a way that also supports your pelvic floor strengthening. #yegexercise #yegmoms

4 years ago I was waiting for my third baby to arrive and also encouraging him to arrive sooner by walking the winter trails a LOT. It’s crazy to think about how different my life is since that time. Becoming a mother has been transformative. ... Each time I welcomed a baby I also felt a shift in myself. Looking back each year when their birthdays come is so interesting because I can see how far they have come, but also how far they’ve helped me to come.