Healthy Survival Guide to Christmas Lunch

"Moderation, not self deprivation is the answer"

Christmas is coming and while the goose may be getting fat, you may want to avoid busting your healthy eating routine for the sake of one day of indulgence!

On a typical Christmas Day, the average Brit consumes a staggering 7,000 calories. A normal daily intake should be about 1,800 for women and 2,200 for men. But Christmas pudding and brandy butter alone can add up to 1,200 calories. To burn off just that pudding energy you would need to run for two hours or complete a half marathon. It’s no wonder there are so many detox diets and people rushing to join a gym in January.

But the really scary facts are that over the Christmas season, the ‘average’ person puts on between 7-9lb of fat (1/2 stone) and loses 3-5 lbs of muscle by vegging out on the sofa. The more fat your body has, the fewer calories you need, even when you are resting. So by increasing the fat in your body, the slower your resting metabolic rate will become, making it even easier to pile on the pounds.


Still, nobody wants to be a party pooper. Here’s my guide to a guilt-free Yuletide.

* Plan ahead – write a list of all the food shopping you need and buy the store cupboard essentials well in advance. Leave the fresh produce until as late as possible so it won’t go off. This way you won’t end up foraging for fatty leftovers.

* Prepare yourself – it’s more fun and you’ll then be able to control salt, sugar and fat content. Ready meals often have a lot of added extras - so try to avoid!

* Moderation not deprivation! Enjoy your treats but don’t blow out. So, a chocolate here and there is OK but eating the whole box is overdoing it!

* Water up – no doubt you’ll be drinking alcohol so avoid getting dehydrated. Water is key to sustaining energy levels; if you don’t drink enough water you’ll feel lethargic.

* Veg out – not of the sofa variety but of the fresh, seasonal type – these will power you up with antioxidants and nutrients to help boost your immune system after the partying has finished!

* Breakfast – avoid the trap of skipping this just because you think you’re having a big lunch. A light breakfast is important to stop you reaching for the biscuits and chocolate mid morning.

* Booze – Mix spirits with slimline tonic or fresh orange juice and sparkling water. Red wine contains about 85 calories per glass compared with 110 calories for sweet white wine or cider. A less calorific cocktail would be a vodka or gin pub measure, mixed with some pomegranate juice, sparkling water and slices of fruit. At least that way your body will take in some vitamin C. Alternatively, try tomato juice with vodka or white wine mixed with sparkling water, to dilute the alcohol and make your drink last longer. Mulled wine is a better option for Christmas Day, again add lots of fruit slices and avoid adding extra sugar.

* Move the body – best cure for a hangover is some fresh, crisp winter air and some quick steps. A power walk for 30 minutes mid-morning will clear the head, ready for your festive lunch.

..and if all that fails, plan your fitness plan for 2010 BEFORE the new year. Book a Beez Kneez Post Natal Fitness Course, ask for fit vouchers for Christmas, join a running club, check out Gym membership deals. New Year's resolutions are SO old hat, they usually fail by the end of January as you slip into bad habits. Break that mould and think about how you're going to rid your self of the Christmas excesses before Christmas day begins.

CHRISTMAS - A HEALTHY FEAST

A boost for Breakfast
Make up a delicious fruit platter the day before, cover it and place it in the fridge. Go for the citrus fruits that are in season. Try grapefruit, oranges, kiwis and red apples. Add figs and pomegranate (you can blend up the seeds to make a juice and pour it over the grapefruit) for more variety. Serve up with natural yoghurt, some chopped nuts and a drizzle of honey. This will then keep you going until lunch.

Serving up Lunch

* Turkey is one of the leanest meats around and a great source of protein.
* Roast the turkey on a rack so the fat can drip into a tray below and peel off the skin.
* Add fresh herbs – thyme or rosemary and some olive oil and pepper.
* Try sweet potatoes and new potatoes to make you feel fuller for longer and increase your fibre intake. Roast the sweet potatoes in small amount of oil and steam the new pots.
* Wrap ready-to-eat prunes in small strips of back bacon, stretching the strips so they go twice as far.
* If you’re having sausages, buy organic ones and grill them, don’t roast them.
* Get stuffed. Use brown breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion and fresh herbs, bind together with egg and cook in the oven.
* Gravy. Use a few tablespoons of red wine and add to the meat juices, then mix in a tbsp of flour. Add stock (made with a cube) and some lemon juice, stir until thick.
* Veg up. Steam these just before you are about to serve up. Add a small knob of butter and some fresh parsley or other herbs to Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Steamed parsnips are great with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese; you can just grill them for a couple of minutes to make them go brown.
* Pudding –try making up some Christmas Knickerbocker Glories with jelly and berries and crème fraiche. Grate dark chocolate over the top.
* Make mince pies without the pastry lid or cut off the lid if you have brought them. Add a dollop of natural yoghurt or teaspoon of crème fraiche.

Scrumptious Supper

Serve up cold meats with loads of colourful salads, peppers, avocado, tomato salsa, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. Wholemeal pitta bread with hummus is light and tasty.

Chomping on chocolate

It’s tricky to not eat chocolate at Christmas – so treat yourself to dark chocolate or a small bar of chocolate that contains a high percentage of cocoa solids, like Green & Blacks. The less room there is for sugar and fat and the greater the chocolate taste to get your chocolate fix. Or dip some strawberries in melted dark chocolate - then you have some fruit and less chocolate!

Nice but not as naughty nibbles

Yes to: pistachios, mixed nuts and raisins, mini oatcakes, mini wholemeal pittas with pesto, pretzels and plain popcorn; soft cheese wrapped in salmon, salsa dips with carrots and crudités or sushi.

No to: fatty crisps, salted peanuts and all pre-prepared dishes like mini samosas, prawn toasts and cocktail sausages.

Fit Fun

In the afternoon, get outdoors for a burst of fresh air, even if it’s just a bracing walk or a bike ride.

Last, remember Christmas is supposed to be fun! If you do overdo it and feel guilty afterwards, just look forward to the New Year, get back on track with your eating and take some exercise!

For more articles and free resources, www.beez-kneez.co.uk

How to boost your energy with five easy steps

1. Have protein and Low GI foods for breakfast
Protein sustains the appetite meaning you are unlikely to snack mid morning and your energy levels remain stable until lunch. Many people grab some cereal or quick slice of white toast as they rush out of the door in the mornings. Big mistake.
An egg – boiled, poached or scrambled with a slice of wholegrain toast and piece of fruit may sound like a lot for breakfast but your energy levels will stay up all morning – you won’t need a ‘pick me up’ come mid morning and the savings you make by not needing to snack later means that during the course of the day you are likely to eat less.

2. Up your Iron
Low Iron level is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy and post baby. Iron is needed as your body needs to make more blood when you are pregnant to carry the oxygen around the body. Therefore you need more iron. Without the body’s tissues and organs will not get the oxygen needed to function properly. Your body needs more during the last trimester to maintain placenta and fetus stores. You need 30mg per day in pregnancy and after childbirth. Best food sources are: Red Meat, dark poultry meat (the dark bits of the chicken and turkey), fish, eggs (well cooked) and molasses.
Ensure you have foods rich in vitamin C (50mg a day) when you are eating the iron rich foods, otherwise your body will not be able to absorb the iron. Broccoli, Blackcurrants, red peppers, green peppers, Watercress, Curly Kale and Savoy cabbage, Brussel sprouts (steamed). Kiwis are your best snack option. Spinach actually doesn’t have has much viatmin C as Watercress (26mg versus 62mg per 100g).
Steaming vegetables is best as it will retain all the nutrients (plus it’s quicker!)

3. Improve your Sleep
When you sleep your body re-generates and repairs to bring it back into balance (known as homeostasis). Sleep is also very important for hormone regulation. Hormones have certain jobs to do such as how much fat you store in your body, your heart rate and blood pressure and have a vital role in how or when you get pregnant. Melatonin is key sleep hormone to it regulates when you sleep and quantity of sleep you need. Low levels in your body will result in restlessness, poor sleep and night or early morning waking. It’s produced by the pineal gland and increases during dark or reduced light. Melatonin production is optimum between 10pm and 2am. By dimming the lights an hour before you go to bed you are giving your body the sign to increase production of melatonin. Then make sure you sleep in a pitch black room for great sleep – blackout blinds will help you achieve this.

4. Boost Mood with Selenium
Selenium is a powerful nutrient vital for helping boost immune system, warding off disease and boosting mood. Sickness makes us feel low and lethargic and in pregnancy illness can be make you feel terrible! So snack on foods rich in selenium - brazil nuts are right on top of the list. Chop them and add to muesli or natural yoghurt. Five brazil nuts provides you with your daily recommended amount.

5. Rewire your body
It’s important to learn to relax properly – with today’s ‘racy’ society with everyone on the ‘go’, it’s difficult to ‘switch off’. These two exercises will release tension and boost you.

Shoulder release.

• Lift your shoulders to your ears and place one hand on your chest.
• Does your chest rise as you breathe? Note: This means it is short and shallow and will leave you feeling anxious and low on energy.
• Bring your shoulders half way down, but still in a held position, then imagine they are softening and melting like ice cubes.
• Let them drop naturally to where they should be.
• Feel the back of your neck lengthen and try to breath from your stomach, rather than chest.
  

Neck release.

• Place the palm of your hand against your forehead.
• Press your forehead against the palm of your hand so your head comes forward.
• Keep breathing and avoid pushing your hand or head too much.
• Feel the muscles in the side and front of your neck stand out. Release and let your neck soften.

Two of the best exercises to strengthen and tone your bottom without the gym

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Top exercises to lift and sculpt your bottom

Our bottoms are the largest muscle groups of the body and it's important to strengthen it - not only will it become more toned up, it means it will also mean the body will recruit this muscle when you perform activities such as walking or jogging. These two exercises will help strengthen your bottom and a strong bottom is a toned bottom.

Mini Band Ankle Walks

How to:
1. Start by placing a mini band around your ankles or tie a resistance band around your ankles (with so that your feet are just less than shoulder width apart with the band stretched). Stand with your feet parallel.
2. Keeping your hips level throughout the movement slide your left foot to the left about 6-12 inches or until the resistance is too great and then slide your right foot to a parallel stance again.
3. Repeat this movement for the desired reps or distance.
4. Repeat with the other leg.
5. Make sure you keep your hips level and do not hike your hip to left the lead leg. This will defeat the purpose of the exercise.
It does take some time to master the subtle lifting of the lead foot and abducting it out to the side. Start with a light band until you have mastered the technique. Your foot should only raise just enough to slide it to the side which is like 1/4in.

Dosage: 2 sets of 10-12

Supine hip extension with resistance band

How to:
1. Lie on the floor and place a resistance band across your waist and pin it to the floor with your hands.
2. Extend your hips up towards the ceiling keeping your feet and back on the ground.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Dosage: 2 sets of 10-12

So what do you think? I’d love to hear your comments or answer your questions - post feedback or leave your comments, or feel free to forward this blogpost to your Mummy friends.

Halloween recipe: Curried Pumpkin Soup

This soup is a power food for all mums who have had sleepness nights and need some energy. It is great to have for lunch or dinner. Easily digested and the seeds are good for you being rich in Iron for energy, phosphorous and potassium for metabolism, magnesium for proper nerve and muscle functioning and zinc, improves immunity and (wait for it) sex drive!

A nutrient rich food, pumpkin is rich in Vitamin A and E - good for you eyes and skin. It also contains Antioxidants helping to prevent cell damage that can lead to types of cancer.

Plus - It's quick, and easy to make. Prepare a big batch and keep it in the fridge when you need something 'instant' to eat.

Ingredients
serves 4:
2 tbsps of Vegetable Oil
1 large Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1-2 tbsps of Curry Paste
900g Pumpkin, peeled and diced
900ml Vegetable or Chicken Stock
Black Pepper

How to cook:

1. Heat 2 tbsps vegetable oil in a large saucepan, add the large onion and Garlic (crushed)and cook for about 5 mins or until onion is softened.

2. Stir in Curry Paste, according to taste and cook for a further 2 minutes

3. Add 900g Pumpkin, peeled and diced and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes

4. Add 900ml vegetable or chicken stock and black pepper, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.

5. Allow to cool slightly then blend in blender or liquidize in food processor until smooth.

6. Return the puree to pan, adjust seasoning and add a little more stock if necessary.

7. Add 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt if you like for a creamier texture.

8. Reheat until hot and serve with warm, crusty wholegrain bread.

Exercise of the Week: The Monster Walk

A Taster from our Beez Kneez Mums and Baby fitness session and Mums exercise this week and one of my personal favourites, the Monster Walk.

Target muscle: Gluteus Medius (bottom). This is one of the muscles, aside the tummy, that a new mum wants to tone up and strength first. The role of this muscle is to stabilise the hip during running or walking. If it is weak, it can be a contributing factor in knee pain.

Technique:
• Loop a small length of elastic tubing around thighs, just above the knees or use a resistance tubing with handles and stand on it with feet shoulder width apart.
• Bend knees slightly and start stepping sideways, taking small steps.
• Avoid excessive motion: shoulders should stay over hips and avoid any see-saw type action
• Change direction and repeat

For more exercises, see information on our group fitness courses.

Top Ten Foods to flatten your Mummy Tummy

1. Porridge Oats
Perfect fat fighting food. Oats fill you up as they contain fibre and keep your blood sugar levels even. This means they stop sugar cravings and give you more energy which lasts for longer!

2. Apples
A great ‘handbag snack’ as they are easy to grab and go. Apples contain pectin - which lowers cholesterol, can help diabetes and improve insulin resistance, relieve diarrhea, and acts as a detoxifier, meaning they help empty the stomach and digestion. This improves bloatedness and aids a flat stomach.

3. Blueberries
Perfect with porridge or natural yoghurt at breakfast. A bag or pack in a handbag serves as a good portable snack. An anti-aging superfood, high in antioxidants. Also containing tannins, which bloatedness and promote a healthy flow of food being digested through the intestines.

4. Almonds
Add to chopped fruit or great as a snack to stop sugar cravings. Keep to 1/4 cup and carry in a small Tupperware box. Good for skin and hair condition

5. Eggs
Great source of protein to help build lean, toned muscle. They also keep you satisfied and energised. Great for a quick, easy breakfast – boil and egg in 3-4 minutes.


6. Spinach
Not just for popeye. Spinach contains 5 calories per cup and is incredibly versatile. Add to omelettes, chicken or turkey sandwiches, wraps, salads. Add some cream cheese and lemon juice for a tasty accompliment to salmon. Very good for energy, boosting metabolism and protecting the body against cancer.

7. Yoghurt
I love Greek Yoghurt with fruit and nuts for breakfast as it’s quick and easy to prepare. Yoghurt is a great source of protein helps digestion and makes you feel fuller for longer. Be careful of your choice of yoghurt here – avoid fruit yoghurts and ‘low fat yoghurt which contain High Fructose Corn Syrup or artificial sweeteners, like ‘yoplait’.

8. Chicken
Grill, roast, bake or poach! Very lean and really satisfies the appetite. Great in a wrap or pitta bread. Ideal to help build muscle tone.

9. Wild Salmon Steaks or Fillets.
These contain omega-3′ - essential fatty acids that lower cholesterol and promote fat loss. Salmon regulates insulin levels so good for diabetes and improve blood sugar control and stops cravings which can lead to overeating. Plus omega-3s help your body to burn off calories before they get stored as fat.

10. Figs
These tasty super fruits are full of fibre to prevent you over-eating on other not so healthy foods. Reach for one of these instead of chocolate – you can bake them and eat them with feta cheese for variety and interest!

BONUS TIP: Beat the Bloat with Peppermint Tea.
Peppermint relaxes the muscles of the digestive system – it helps relieve stomach ache, bloatedness and tension. Great to help digest a heavy meal – opt for this ‘superdrink’ rather than coffee when you eat out. My friends over at Teapigs do a delicious ‘Peppermint Leaves Tea’.

Three easy exercises to flatten your mummy tummy,

Discover your abs again and reduce the ‘bulging’ appearance of the mummy tummy and relieve back ache with these easy to do exercises, which focus on the very deep muscles known as the ‘transverse’ or ‘core’. They can be done if you’ve had a c-section or if you gave birth 24 hours ago!

Get ready to elevate your mood, energise and relieve anxiety and stress without pounding a gym or doing crunches.

Plus you can do them feeding the baby or online shopping or reading emails!

For all these exercises you want to imagine your lungs are in your stomach. Your stomach is like a balloon, inflating as you breathe in.

The ‘Belly Breath’
Most people don’t give much thought to how breathing can help them work their abdominal muscles! That’s because many people are ‘chest breathers’ - ‘anxiety’ led breathing in response to everyday life stressors. Correct breathing comes from the rib cage, taking air in and out from the part of the belly right below your ribs and feeling the inner most abdominal muscle move forwards and backwards.

Babies breathe deeply and correctly – just watch when they are sleeping their abdomen goes forward and backwards, which demonstrates my point!

Deep controlled breathing is also an exercise in relaxation, perfect for a new mum who feels overwhelmed or stressed out.
What to do:
1.Sit in a chair with your back supported against the back of a chair or sit against a wall, lower back touching the wall.
2. Place your hands on your stomach above and below your belly button.
3. Breathe in through your nose and blow out your stomach – your stomach is filling with air so watch it expand!
4. Breath out through your mouth, empty your lungs and draw your belly button back in towards you and towards your spine.
5. You should feel your muscles going in and out, forward and backward.

When? When feeding baby, driving, sitting.
How many? 30 breaths drawing your belly button back x3 times a day.

Tip: If your chest rises up and down, this means you are not breathing from your diaphragm, rather breathing too quickly and with your chest. Keep focussed on breath from your stomach.
Relax your shoulders, pulling them down and back.


Stomach Flattener 1: Belly Stepping

What to do:

1. 1.Start seated and place one hand on your belly button and one hand above with fingers spaced.
2. 2. Imagine your transverse (or corset) is a sideways muscle with six steps from belly button round to the parallel point of your spine (lower back). Move one hand around from belly button to the parallel point of your spine.
3. 3. Take a ‘belly breath’ in, as above, feel the transverse muscle expand. Breathe out, pull your belly button in as if you are step backwards to the third step (half way between belly button point and spine). Hold your belly button here and continue to breathe in and out, counting out loud to ten.
4. Now pull your belly button in more, imagine you going back two more steps to the 5th step. This point is ‘belly button to spine’. Count out loud to ten.
   
   CHECK: Keep shoulders pulled down and back.
   CHECK: Your chest has not risen. You should feel your ribs coming together.
   
   Once you’ve mastered this, pull your belly button back one more step to the 6th step, as if it is pushing against a parallel point of your lower back.
   How many? 30 repetitions x 3 a day.

Stomach flattener 2: Contractions
Not the contractions you had during labour! These are more pleasant and get you to re-discover those deep stomach muscles.

What to do:
1. Start seated in a chair or against a wall, with lower back supported.
Place one hand above belly button, one hand below so you feel upper and lower abs, moving backwards.
2. Take a ‘belly breath’ in and your belly inflates.
3. Breath out and pull belly button back to the 3rd step. This is your start position. Now hold the belly button at that position and continue to breathe in and out.
4. Draw the belly button back further to 5th step (Ribs come together)
5. Then release just slightly go forward a little to 3rd step (avoid relaxing belly button completely – you need to keep holding). Count out loud for 3 counts.
6. Draw back to 5th step and hold. Count out loud for 3 counts.

How many? Repeat x 50 (starting at 3rd step, back to 5th step and back to third step is 1 repetition).
When? Whilst feeding the baby or online shopping. Babies love this too – they feel the motion of your transverse muscles as it’s the same side to side movement they felt when they were inside you and you were walking.

Why Bread WON'T make you put on weight

I hear a lot of clients say to me “Bread makes me put on weight” or “I’ve eaten too much bread this week”. Here’s the deal with bread.

It’s what you put on or serve with your bread that can make you pile on the pounds.Plus it’s the type of bread you eat that counts.

The butter, margarine, jams, cheese you put on your bread is fattening, not the bread itself.Fat is fattening – fact you cannot argue with! Here’s why - Carbohydrate (bread, cereals, rice, pasta) has four calories per gram. Protein (fish, meat, eggs) contains four calories per gram. Fat has more than double at NINE calories per gram.
So, you can see which food group is really fattening!

Bread is a source of fibre and complex carbohydrates, it is low in fat. This means it will fill you up, without lots of calories - so you are less likely to snack too often. Plus it aids digestion and reduces sweet cravings.

Norwegian scientist Dr. Bjarne Jacobsen found that people who eat less than two slices of bread daily weigh about 11 pounds more that those who eat a lot of bread.

Certain research from Michigan State University shows that certain types of bread actually reduce the appetite. The research compared white bread to dark bread and wholegrain, high fibre breads (with small nuts and seeds). The students who ate daily slices of dark high fibre bread felt less hungry on a daily basis and lost five pounds in 8 weeks. The others who ate white bread were hungrier, ate more fattening foods and lost no weight.

Plus, as well as not sustaining the appetite, white bread will give you a very short term energy ‘buzz’ but you’ll actually feel lethargic pretty quickly and want another ‘pick me up’.

So you’d want to choose to eat dark, rich high fibre breads – pumpernickel, wholegrain, mixed or multi-grain or granary. The average slice of wholegrain contains only 60-70 calories and will provide you with a steady release of energy and combat any lethargy for the day.

No time to exercise? Top tip to get fit without you even realizing.

Today’s mum is a superhero! Being a mum, juggling chores, taking care of your other half, errands and admin plus working can play havoc on any exercise programme or prevent finding time to get fit.

Yet it can be done, without even realizing it. The key is the intensity of what you are doing. Now, you don't need to think 'pain'! What's key though is that you get a challenge, one that makes the 'activity' worth doing for you to see the benefits! Here's a great example:

I am always running late! I leave myself too many things to do before I get out of the door resulting in a rush. My son's nursery is a 20 minute walk but if I really power walk I can do it in fifteen. Plus he loves it when the buggy goes quicker.

Now I could just hop in the car and whizz him around and get there in about 5-10 minutes. However, with the traffic, the road bumps, pedestrians walking in front of 'amber' lights, the odd wobbly cyclist - i find it rather more stressful than walking really briskly, getting the fresh air, having my son get the fresh air and clearing my head ready to start the day! Plus as I do this journey four times a day (there and back and there and back to collect), I'm actually clocking up four miles a day, cardio (three times a week). If you do the maths, that's 12 miles a week - nearly a half marathon! That does wonders for your cardio-vascular fitness and for burning stored energy without really realising it.

Plus I find it ‘moving meditation’. The breathing and repetitive movement involved with really brisk walking or jogging promotes feelings of calm and tranquility and reduces stress. Being outdoors releases endorphins, natural hormones which promote a sense of feeling good. Increasing your pace means you burn more calories in less time (very important for a new mum).

So my message is, think about where you can make a small change to your routine and the benefits that would be associated with it. Think smart and try combining fitness with taking care of the baby at the same time!

Fitness Balls, why and what to do with them!

This week, I received a question about the Fitness Balls (Swiss Balls or Exercise Balls, they have a few names) from a client who recently completed my Prenatal Fitness Course.

"I found the Swiss ball really useful for antenatal exercise - can it be used for postnatal exercise too?" Hilary Hall

Answer: “The Swiss ball is ideal for Post Natal exercise, every mum to be and new mum should have one!
Basically the ball is ‘wobbly’, an unstable surface, so your body has to draw on more of the deeper and outer muscles to remain stable.
Simply sitting on the ball will have you working harder to perform upper body strengthening.

By working on the exercise ball you will automatically and often subconsciously correct and improve your exercise technique. Your posture will be corrected as it forces you to sit well and be posture aware - the ball will wobble so reminding you to correct your posture.

In addition, the ball improves your ‘core stability’. This is a bit of a buzz word - what it essentially means is that your deep abdominal and spinal muscles (which layer around the bones of your spine) are engaged and therefore strengthened. The deep abdominal muscles have been stretched and weakened during pregnancy and childbirth so it’s essential to start strengthening them again. If not, a host of issues can result – back pain, pelvic floor incontinence, a ‘doming’ effect and laxity of the muscles (blatantly put, sagging ness of the stomach!)

In the first instance, perform pelvic tilts on the Swiss Ball, these are gentle and can be done as soon as you have given birth.
Then try sitting on the ball (once all is comfortable) and draw in your belly button (at the same time relax your rib cage), keep your feet about hip width apart (the closer the feet, the more of a challenge – so position the distance of your feet where you feel stable) and lift one foot off the floor about 4 inches, hold for a count of 5-10 seconds and then repeat the other foot. If this seems easy progress to holding for longer – up to 60 secs. or extending the leg straight out. Practice this daily.

After 6 weeks, you can move onto more challenging abdominal work with the swiss ball. Avoid sit-ups until the separation of the abdominals has returned to normal – you need to perform a rec. test for this”.

Run for 30mins in 8 weeks

So you've decided to run a 5km?

If you're fairly new to running here's a good plan to follow.

Following a plan means you stay motivated, reduce risk of injury and can see your progressions.

Here's a sample programme for 8 weeks which I use with clients who can jog for about 15 minutes. By the end of 8 weeks with this progressive programme you should be able to run continuously for 30 minutes!

Happy running!

Week 1:
Monday: Jog 15 mins, brisk walk 2 min, Jog 5 mins.
Wednesday: Jog 15 mins, brisk walk 2 min, Jog 5 mins.
Friday: Jog 15 mins, brisk walk 2 min, Jog 5 mins.

Week 2:
Monday: Jog 18min, walk 1 min, jog 5 mins
Wednesday Jog 18min, walk 1 min, jog 5 mins
Friday Jog 18min, walk 1 min, jog 5 mins

Week 3:
Monday: Jog 20 min, walk 1 min, jog 5 mins
Wednesday: Jog 20 min, walk 1 min, jog 5 mins
Friday: Jog 20 min, walk 1 min, jog 5 mins

Week 4:
Monday: Jog 22 mins, walk 1 mins, jog 5 mins
Wednesday: Jog 22 mins, walk 1 mins, jog 5 mins
Friday: Jog 22 mins, walk 1 mins, jog 5 mins

Week 5:
Monday: Jog 24 min, walk 1 mins, Jog 5 mins
Wednesday: Jog 24 min, walk 1 mins, Jog 5 mins
Friday: Jog 24 min, walk 1 mins, Jog 5 mins

Week 6
Monday: Jog 26 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins
Wednesday: Jog 26 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins
Friday: Jog 26 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins

Week 7
Monday: Jog 28 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins
Wednesday: Jog 28 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins
Friday: Jog 28 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins

Week 8
Monday: Jog 30 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins
Wednesday: Jog 30 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins
Friday: Jog 30 min, walk 1 min, Jog 5 mins

Remember to always warm-up first with dynamic mobility stretches and light brisk walking or jogging and cool down and perform static stretches for all muscles of the leg and bottom.

I strongly recommend that you consult your doctor and get medical approval before beginning any fitness and / or exercise programme. This information, instruction or advice obtained from Vicky Warr or Beez Kneez is not intended as a substitute for your doctor's advice or treatment and you use it at your own risk. Vicky Warr and Beez Kneez does not take responsibility or liability from injury arising from your participation in any exercise program designed by Vicky Warr or Beez Kneez on your behalf.

Running, a goal and a plan - why?

Running is one of the best ways to increase your cardio-vascular fitness and lose some fat. It's also great to get outdoors - the daylight releases hormones called 'endorphins' which are known as 'happy' hormones. They lift your spirits!

As with taking up any fitness regime, it's essential to follow a plan. Failing to plan means planning to fail. Without a plan you lose interest, and are unalbe to track your progressions. this results in becoming demotivated and giving up.

In addition to your plan, you need a goal. With running it could be a 5km, 10km, half marathon or even a marathon. An event such as this, whether it's a charity run or a more serious for the competitive more advanced runner means you have something to run for - a journey with a destination! This means you are not just training for training's sake and brings a whole new meaning to stepping out of the door (or even getting out of the door) when the weather is not so good or you don't feel like running.

I've done the 'Race for Life' for breast cancer 5 times and it is great - the atmosphere is very encouraging and there are women at all levels running, jogging or walking the 5km, 3 mile race. I've also trained over 50 clients for running events over the last 5 years, with several competing and completing a marathon for their first time. One client has even gone on to coaching young athletes at her school.

So:

• Choose your running goal
• Devise a plan
• Take action!

Wishing you every success.

PS. If you are participating in an event, please let me know you fitness or runing tips to help others!

How to do the 'Rec Test'

The 'Rec Check' is a helpful test for you to see if abdominal separation took place during your pregnancy or labour.

Abdominal separation can be anything from 2-3cm to 12-20 cm long and occurs between the two recti abdominus muscles (otherwise known as six pack), it usually reduces 6 weeks after the baby is born, however there are some cases where the separation may stay for longer.

This test will indicate if your abs are still separated past 1.5 - 2cm and therefore the are certain exercises you must avoid which would make the condition worse.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat to floor. Make sure your lower back just brushes the floor underneath you - avoid pressing it too flat into the floor or over-arching it.

2. Take your index finger and third finger together and vertically place them just under the bra strap (breast bone). Then turn them horizontally. and pass them, quite firmly, down the cenre of your front (known as the linea alba). It is the line from the breasts bone down to the belly button.

3. Now, inhale and exhale - just pulling in slightly the abdominal muscles at the same time lift your shoulders off the floor. Press your fingers down your vertical line (as in 2)., keeping gentle pressure. Take the fingers down to the belly button quite quickly.

4. Notice if the gap between the stomach muscles is greater than your two fingers. If so, there is still some separation, which indicates some instability.

If the gap is greater - we would concentrate on pelvic floor exercises/tilts and lower abdominal strengthening. You would avoid any kind of stomach crunches until the gap is smaller than the width of the two fingers.

With care and correct exercises, the gap will reduce and more advanced stomach exercises including crunches and curl ups could commence.

No more Backache

No more Backache ...strengthening the stomach muscles will help.

Many new mums experience back ache – either in the lower back or sometimes – all down the back.

One of the most common post natal complaints, along with the other aches and pains that can be experienced.

The pain is usually experienced in the lower back although women may feel it all down their back.

As a mummy’s role involves constant lifting and bending - bending over to change nappies, lifting and placing a car seat, carrying and lifting the baby around or putting him into the bath or cot. The spine and pelvis can easily be twisted or placed under strain – performing these demanding actions.

On top of that, the stomach muscles have been stretched and weakened during pregnancy -causing them to become weak and less able to support the spine as effectively. Just when you need your back to be strong!

If the large muscles of the legs are not used for bending and lifting this can also contribute to placing strain on the spine and back.
So what can be done to reduce the pain?
The back and spine are supported by the abdominal muscles, the key muscle being the transverses abdominals, which wrap around the centre of your body from one side of the lower back to the other.

Strengthening this muscle will create a flat, long stomach and also means it will then give support and stability to the lower back.

Key factors need to be considered when strengthening the abdominals post natally:

1. Technique – poor technique can result in using the incorrect muscles and not strengthening the ones you want to.
2. The amount of abdominal separation the female experienced during pregnancy – this affects the choice of stomach exercises some would be inappropriate, so the muscles remain weak and stretched.

How do I get a Flat Tummy post baby?

How do I get a Flat Tummy post baby?

After having a baby many women have distended stomach muscles for years afterwards making them feel that they will never get flat abs again. Why??

Let me explain, I’ll try not to get to technical.

The stomach muscles go through a stretching and lengthening process during pregnancy. As the fetus grows, there’s more of a stretch on the abdominal (stomach) wall from the inside and it causes them to separate. This is normal and painless part of pregnancy. The technical term is diastasis.

After the baby is born, this stretch starts to go back so the muscles of the stomach wall return to their normal length.

However if the woman becomes pregnant again quite quickly the chances pf the stretch naturally reducing are less. If the postural changes that happen are not restored or if a female gains excess weight or has a cesarean the stretch may stay and not reduce. Multiple births or repeated pregnancies also increase the risk of the stomach wall remaining separated and becoming dysfunctional.
I’ve noticed with experience that mums who have had two children within a two year period are more likely to have dysfunctional abs.

What happens is the stomach muscles ‘switch off’ - the body and muscles forget what they should be like and how to function.

This results in the muscular imbalances and an impaired movement plus increases the chances of back pain. You can feel ‘de-conditioned’ and often discouraged about ever getting flat abs!

The wrong type of stomach exercises can exuberate the problem and give the stomach a ‘domed’ appearance or ridging.

A poor diet – (sometimes pregnancy is an excuse to eat everything and anything!) or ‘disordered’ eating will worsen this too as your stomach doesn’t know the difference between stretch from a fetus and stretch from fat – either will cause a stretch force, keeping the muscles long.

Traditional sit-ups and crunches will make the problem worse.

The good news is – you can get flat abs, post pregnancy!

My approach:
To get your abs back, take these steps:

1. Eat ‘quality’ food – real food with good balance
2. Drink water
3. Perform some core function tests (the rec test) and corrective core work. Core work such as the plank is more effective.

Five Myths to getting a flat stomach

"I want to get my stomach back!"

One request I get asked for very frequently from new Mummys!

Before I reveal the best methods on Friday, I must first set the record straight on a few flat stomach MYTHS, that I see or hear of - five things that will NEVER work to get you that streamlined stomach.

1. So-called "health foods" e.g low fat, 'good for you' ranges etc., These are often cleverly disguised not-so-good foods. Fat is often removed but in order to keep the product tasting good, they add sweetener or other sugars using different terms (like corn syrup, maltose etc.,) instead. Low fat", "sugar free", "low-carb.", or "whole grain" are good for you, right? Think again!

2. Ab exercises such as crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines are actually the LEAST effective method of getting back your stomach muscles.

3. Long, slow cardio-vascular exercise routines such as treadmills, cycling at a low intensity are NOT the best way to lose fat from the stomach.

4. Expensive "fat burning or weight loss" pills or other dodgy supplements don't work either.

5. Ab rollers, ab-belts that shake, ab-loungers, and 'abby- fabby' - gimmicks don't work either.. they're all a complete waste of your time and money. Despite the adverts and photos of fitness models with flat abs they did not get their perfect bodies by using an "ab contraption".

So you want to know why and what will work, right?

Stay posted for Friday's blog and I'll reveal some top, key tips and we'll bust that belly!

Top exercise to flatten those abs

How do I flatten my abs after I've had a baby?

A question I most often get asked and one which takes a while to answer - it's a combination of the right kind of exercise, top abs exercises to strengthen and good nutrition!
To provide you with all the information would mean righting a mini booklet, but one of the best tips is here, to get you started onto the path to a flatter tummy, mummy.

Top exercise for strengthening, toning and stabilising your ‘core’.

The Plank is a very effective exercise for Mums. It strengthens and stabilises the entire core region, as pregnancy and childbirth have had a dramatic effect both de-stabilising and weakening the ‘core’ muscles.

The core muscles are all the muscles of your mid section - the obliques (side stomach muscles or “love handles”), stomach and lower back, along with muscles in your mid section and muscles in your back and around the spine.

Good technique is crucial when you perform the plank – you need to do it properly in order to exercise the correct muscles and avoid any pain or harm to your lower back.

So here’s my ‘how to guide’ to The Plank. I’ve provided 2 variations here. Level 1, the basic position (good if you are 6 weeks post natal – with a C-section or vaginal birth.

Level 1: The Elbow/Knee Plank

How to:
➢ Start on the floor and balance on your knees and elbows, with your upper body torso about 6 to 8 inches from the floor.
➢ Hold your torso, neck and head in a straight line by looking directly towards at your clasped hands without dropping the head.
➢ Tighten your abdominal muscles.
➢ You want to build up to holding this static position for 30 seconds, keeping your body parallel to the ground with 30-60 secs rest in between. Repeat x 3.
➢ When you rest, you can assume the ‘child’s pose position – pushing you bottom back to your heels and forehead to the floor.

ProTip
➢ Align your head and entire spine straight

Common Mistakes
➢ Dropping the head
➢ Drooping the lower back
➢ Sticking the hips up too high

Once you have mastered this position, you can challenge your muscles by moving to Level 2

Level 2: The Elbow/Toe Planks


How to:
➢ Start face down on a mat balancing so your body weight is evenly distributed between your elbows and toes.
➢ Keep your abdominals held tight to support the lower back
➢ Your body should be in a straight line from the shoulders down to the toes.
➢ Keep head inn line with spine by looking directly at your clasped hands.
➢ Build up to being able to hold this static position for 30 seconds with 30-60 secs rest or stretch ‘child’s pose’ and repeat x 3.

ProTip
➢ There should be a slight curve in your lower spine – without sticking the hips to high or completely flattening your lower back.
➢ If you perform this exercise sideways to a mirror you can check your bodies alignment.

Common Mistakes:
➢ Letting your hips to sag
➢ Sticking your hips too high – highing than shoulders