Live it Fitness
Woodbine Calgary, AB, Canada

That good old sayin’ When you know better you do better... #tbt to 10 years ago when I ran a half marathon about 4 months after birthing our third babe. This was at the time seen as: wow! Good for you! That's amazing! But, it really wasn't. Yes, it was great for my mental health to run. Yes, it was smart to find that "thing" for me away from the kids that made me feel good, and was me being "me"...not da momma.... But...physically, not smart. I probably started running a couple of weeks after delivery (I mainly ran to prepare for this one. Didn’t really cross train). I don’t remember if it felt "off" on my pelvic floor, core or body. I just know that that was a big piece (and in those days maybe the only!) of my self-care and it had helped me with anxiety that I struggled with postpartum with my other 2 kiddo’s. Should we stop women postpartum from doing the things they love if it has all those other benefits? I'd say no, but let's go about it in a smart, safe way. I could have started with gentle strength and recovery of my core/pelvic floor and build up for running. Still that goal to work towards. Still that time for me. Still the benefits of movement for my mental health. And gentler on my system (incl. hormones). Just because we CAN participate at a certain level, intensity or format doesn't mean we should. YET. Let's get back to the basics first and BUILD upon that. Let's learn to actually find joy in that process and honour the season we’re in.

I truly think THIS is the missing component when we talk about CHANGE sometimes. Hear me out (and let me know in a comment below if you made it to the end and can relate to what I’m saying!) We might want to pile on new habits in order to achieve x, y, and z but instead we might need to look at what we are CURRENTLY doing and thinking that hinders our growth. ... Which habits (which most likely boil down to beliefs) keep us stagnant? Which ones hurt us (physically and/or mentally)? So instead of doing more, we might need to start with tuning in what we are already doing on a daily basis that’s not serving us. This takes being vulnerable with yourself. Being able to take a step back and look at yourself and your ways in a compassionate way. Really trying to get to know YOU and understanding yourself. It might mean going places where you’d rather not go, because it’s easier to just pile other things on top of it versus addressing some of the root issues and FEELING them. But holy cow. This IS the work I think we’re all meant to do and go through in order to live happier, more aligned, more authentic lives. This is SO powerful in order to instil lasting change and growth. In order to get ‘unstuck’. I’m going to start sharing a bit more of my own journey with this in regards to mental health, body-image and self-worth. I’ve never really gone there before, because it’s so personalbut I think it’s important because even though it’s personal, I know it’s also very universal. And a big part of my angle and my voice within my business. What are your thoughts on this on the above? On the concept of unraveling current habits versus adding new ones?

Am I trying to strengthen my calfs here? Nope, I’m trying to resist the urge to pee and will share some tips and tricks for bladder calming techniques. Do you struggle with bladder urgency and/or frequency?... These heel raises are one of the tricks that you can try next time you feel that sensation, but you want to be able to hold a little longer (don’t wait until the urge is too strong, but tune in when you start to feel it come up). You can do this standing or seated without anyone really noticing. Click on the link below to get a video training and downloadable PDF with more helpful tips and do’s and dont’s in regards to bladder urgency and frequency.

Do you agree? I LOVE seeing women in their 50s and 60s in my classes embrace strength training for the first time in their life. It’s so empowering to see them challenge themselves and see their strength increase. What happens to our body with age if we don’t actively try to combat this? ... Muscle mass decreases approximately 38% per decade after the age of 30 and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60 (Holloszy JO. The biology of aging. Mayo Clin Proc. 2000). With ageing there is muscle weakening and changes to the connective tissue which can also affect pelvic floor health at menopause. The good news : We CAN do things to offset this. We CAN do things to combat this process of aging. Let’s take action! Unsure where to start when it comes down to taking care of your pelvic floor health and overall strength? In my 4 week online pelvic floor course, I support you with bridging the gap between theory and LIFE. Learn what affects your pelvic floor health and get practical, bite-sized strategies to implement into your day to day life that adds up to foundational habits and strength for life. Send me a DM if you’re interested in learning more!

In instructor FB groups I see a LOT of posts about the oh so common issue of peeing your pants throughout class (let’s just call it what it is!). It is the worst feeling ever. I know first hand, because that used to be me! ... The embarrassment, fear that people notice or smell...all the tricks like pads and period pants we try out and spend money on to offset the leaking You might wonder why this 9 second clip is worth posting? Because of the following key words: TOOLS and LONG TERM. Let’s stop the bandaids! Time to educate yourself about what you CAN do that will make a difference LONG TERM. Spoiler alert: It does NOT have to look like doing kegels for the rest of your life. It DOES involve getting (re)connected to your pelvic floor, and implementing (tweaking) little habits in your day to day life. Interested to learn more? Send me a DM, I’m happy to chat.

The unedited quote is what you see kicking around most often; Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow. There’s definitely truth in there. Your daily actions add up to change and growth over time. BUT, your internal chatter and your beliefs are the driving force. ... They get behind the wheel and steer you in different directions. They can get you feeling either positive and empowered or negative and fearful. Tune in to that inner-chatter. Notice it’s narrative. And see if THAT’s getting you closer to how you want to feel and where you want to be tomorrow.

Hi! In case we haven’t met yet, let me introduce myself! I’m Mireille Nalder, owner and trainer at Live it Fitness and mom to 3. I’m Dutch and live in Calgary, Canada since 2004. Which leads back to meeting a Canadian (now husband) while traveling in Australia in 1999. Some things that I have learned over time and that have become core-values within my biz and training approach: ... I believe In the power of movement and community for mental health; That if you use exercise mainly to cancel out calorie intake (or to earn food) it will also cancel out some of the therapeutic benefits; movement and nutrition becomes obsessive vs. enjoyable; and we might spend a lot of mental energy on labeling ourselves and our actions good and bad. That self care and putting yourself first is imperative, should never have to be justified and doesn’t always look the same; That showing up can at times be the hardest and bravest part; That inactivity breeds more inactivity. Meaning: we might need to force ourself to show up; That other times we might need to honour what our body tells us and realize that rest (or taking it easy) might be what we needbe flexible in your approach and expectations of yourself; That self-awareness is power and getting very intimate with your inner-critic is needed in order to turn limiting beliefs around. That doing it all, overdoing or even just doing doesn’t equal success or worthiness. . I’d love to hear some of your life lessons in a comment below! : @alexia.coelho.1

Yessss! Resisting. Dodging. Fighting. Denying. It only works for so long and it costs a heck of a lot of energy. Coming at it with kindness, compassion and a willingness to get up close and personal to understand what’s underneath it allhas been my way through a lot of shtuff.... That doesn’t mean enabling. That doesn’t mean making excuses. I think that is the misconception when we talk about kindness and compassion in order to instil change or growth. We think beating ourselves up, criticism, and perhaps shamewill be more effective and the way to motivate ourselves to change. It might for a moment. But, shaming and fear-mongering yourself into action is a SHORT-TERM motivator, plus it has a 100% success rate in making the process and yourself feel crappy. If you tried that, and it hasn’t got you anywhere. How about give self-compassion and kindness a try and see what happens? It will allow you to be truly honest and open with yourself. Without fearing you’re going to be judging yourself for what it is you findyou’ll be getting closer to actually understanding and dissipating your fears.

Slow is the way to go! 100%. When you strength train, slow your movements down and notice how you can focus better on that mindful connection to the muscle you’re working. More bang for your buck that way! ... Plus, the muscle is under tension longer, which provides a great challenge. This was part of a video in which I go over my 3 FAV upper body exercises (and the what, why and how behind it). Comment below with a if you’d like me to send that video your way!