New Lily

Pregnancy and Weight Gain (or Weight Loss)?

February 14, 2013 by 1 Comment
Wendy Powell from MuTu System pregnant with her second child

Wendy Powell from MuTu System pregnant with her second child

Today I am posting an article by Wendy Powell of the MuTu System about pregnancy and nutrition.   Wendy decided over ten years ago to take her health seriously and that decision has been life-changing.  She became qualified as a personal trainer in 2001, and has founded a system for new “mums” and not-so-new-mums (she’s from the UK!) to help them stay in shape, get back in shape, and develop overall core strength.  Wendy has been a great resource 9 Kid Fitness as I am always researching the newest in fitness for women of all ranges and ages.  Hope you enjoy her post!

Pregnancy and weight loss are jarring concepts because you can’t deny your body food when you have a baby depending on you for its nutritious breakfasts, lunches and dinners! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Nutrition, Women's Health Tagged With: , ,

Filling the Shoes of the Fisherman

February 11, 2013 by 3 Comments

Pope Benedict XVII

I am moving off the regular topic of fitness today…I guess when it’s my website I can do that!

        I remember when Cardinal Ratzinger became pope. I wondered, like many probably did, how he would fill the shoes of Pope John Paul II.

          Converting to Catholicism and coming into communion with the Holy Roman Catholic Church in 1991, I came into the Church when John Paul II  had already been the pope for 13 years, and I like to say that he is the pope of my conversion (he would serve as pope for another 14 years after that).  Pope John Paul II became for me a source of strength, and remained a light for my faith in the years to come as I was learning more about Catholicism, raising my children, and developing an understanding of what it all meant for my own life as a wife and as a mother.  I related to John Paul II in an oddly personal way. This is something I have heard others say as well. I certainly did not know him, yet he touched us with his charisma, his love of sport, fitness, and the outdoors, and his tremendous optimism.  “Be not afraid”  was his motto, which resonated with youth from all over the world. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Spirituality Tagged With:

A Must Read…Key Reasons We Can’t Ignore the Pelvic Floor

January 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

elizabethPelvic floor health is crucial.  As a mother of nine and an exercise enthusiast, I realize that probably one of the most important things that I can do is to strengthen my pelvic floor muscles. For women especially, the pelvic floor should always be thought of as key to the core muscles.  While  it is far too under-emphasized, it has gained attention since our mothers were giving birth.  For that we should be grateful!

I remember being told by my ob/gyn, Dr. Tommy Megremis, after the birth of my sixth child, that I should seek out the help of a physical therapist who specialized in pelvic floor therapy because I was having symptoms of a weak pelvic floor.   I actually had no idea what he was talking about!  I had figured that I would simply have to bide my time before a surgical procedure would become a necessary and “normal” part of the aging process.  I am grateful to Dr. Megremis for sending me in a better direction, and after working for about 4-5 months with the physical therapist, I really noticed a change.  I was so encouraged. [Read more…]

Filed Under: My Favorite 9 Kid Fitness Posts, Pelvic Floor Tagged With: , ,

Vanity of Vanities…Do we Think Too Much about Our Bodies and How We Look?

January 20, 2013 by 10 Comments

This is a post I wrote a while ago, but I have been thinking about the subject matter again lately…What do you think, do we care too much about how we look?

woman's body imageMB900442449

“Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes,… and all things are vanity…”Ecclesiastes 1:2.

“We can’t take them with us when we die.” This is something we might think of in terms of our material possessions, yet it also pertains to something else as well…our bodies. If we are fitness enthusiasts we tend to care about our bodies…maybe too much at times. Yet, in terms of the spiritual world, they are fleeting too. I think it is good, every so often, to contemplate vanity. Its counterpart, pride, is said to be the root of all of our sins, and is one of the Seven Capital Sins. We can fall prey to this sin when we place too much importance on our appearance. Let’s face it, one of the main reasons most of us exercise is because of the way it makes us look. Sure, there are plenty of other good reasons; health, wellness, mental and emotional well-being, and so on. We all know that exercise keeps us strong and healthy throughout all the stages of our life. But the bottom line is that for many of us, the main motivator for working out is our physical appearance. The definition of vanity is, “excessive pride in one’s appearance. Also… clinging to things without solidity and permanence (such as physical beauty)”.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Family Life, Spirituality, Women's Health Tagged With: , ,

She Lost Almost 20 Pounds…And Kept it Off

January 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Diana Sibley 1I wrote recently about long term weight loss, and Diana Sibley is an example of someone who has accomplished just that.  She lost almost 20 pounds over one year ago and has kept the weight off.  One of the amazing things  was that she was actually only trying to lose five!   I talked to Diana about her weight loss, how she did it, and why she is confident she will keep the weight off.  Her experience is probably not unlike many others’ experience…it came down to a decision, a commitment, and common sense.
Filed Under: Nutrition, Women's Health Tagged With: , , ,

7 Side Effects of Soda

January 11, 2013 by 4 Comments

 

Bottom line…soda isn’t good for you!

My sister-in-law sent me this link regarding the effects of soda.  I know that giving up soda can improve my health in more ways than one.  All I really need to do is look at these seven ways it can harm to recognize the negative consequences of drinking soda…and diet soda is no better!  So why haven’t I given up drinking the bubbly stuff?!  What about you….do you drink soda?

 

Filed Under: Family Life, Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

Five Secrets to Life-Long Weight Loss

January 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

In the end, gimmicks are not effective for long term weight loss. Tried and true, these “secrets” are actually simple common sense.

My friend and physical therapist, Alan Tyson, gave me this excellent article.  It is right on the money.Weight loss always seems to be at the forefront of  goals for the new year and there is ample talk about ways to take off those excess pounds.  But keeping it off is the real prize. While many have success for a while with their weight loss plan, often, over time, the pounds creep back.  The real question isn’t really an annual one…it is a forever question… How do we keep the weight off — today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our life? Not even everyone with “lucky genes” can stay slim for a lifetime without the help of a few basic strategies.  I trust Alan’s judgment because he works with elite athletes and with weekend warriors alike, and his focus is prevention through strength and nutrition.  Let me know what you think of the article, and check in later this week for a look at someone who lost 20 pounds a few years ago, and has kept it off. I will talk to her about what she feels is the “secret” to her success.

Five Secrets to Life-Long Weight Loss [Read more…]

Filed Under: Motivation, Nutrition, Running, Women's Health Tagged With: , , ,

2013 New Year’s Resolutions

January 1, 2013 by 2 Comments

My family’s experience with cancer last year has a lot to do with this year’s New Year’s resolutions….

Happy New Year!  I hope and pray that 2013 will be a wonderful year for all.  That is what I hoped and prayed for last year as well.  In fact, last year at this time I had no idea what was looming just around the bend.  I didn’t know that in less than two months time my husband of 24 years would be diagnosed with stage IV cancer.  I didn’t know that it would be a year of visits to the doctor’s office and to the hospital…to the chemotherapy infusion room and the radiation oncology facility.  What a difference a year makes. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Cancer, Family Life, Motivation, Nutrition, Running Tagged With: , , ,

9 Kid Fitness Year in Review

December 31, 2012 by 2 Comments

Typically I am not one to regularly look back over the past and reassess things for the future.  It always sounds good in theory, but in my world the reality is that I usually just plow ahead, hoping for change in areas that need it… and just as typically doing the same things with the same results.  However, I think this year calls for something different.  So I will try to view the last year, especially in terms of health and fitness, a little more analytically, to see if I can improve on things in 2013. My post today will look back…and tomorrow I will look ahead.  I updated my workouts this morning and took the time to really inspect last year’s fitness regimen.  There were a few things I noticed….some good, some not so good.  I’ll start with the good… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Running, Strength Tagged With: , ,

Cold and Flu Season…How Can Exercise Help (or Hurt)

December 28, 2012 by 2 Comments

Should we exercise when we have a cold?

Should we workout if we have a cold or a cough…or should we lay low for a while? Well, that depends on what the ailment is.  If your symptoms are from the neck up, meaning you have sniffles, a runny nose, headache and perhaps a very mild cough, it’s probably OK to perform a mild workout. The key is to make sure you have no difficulty breathing during or after a workout. Experts agree that going at one third your normal pace might be the best way to proceed and if you feel worse a few hours later – a few days rest are in order.

Fever is the limiting factor, says Lewis G. Maharam, MD, a New York City-based sports medicine expert. “The danger is exercising and raising your body temperature internally if you already have a fever, because that can make you even sicker,”  he says in a WEBMd article. If you have a fever greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, sit the workout out, he says.  I don’t know about most people, but when I have a fever of 101…the last thing I want to do is exercise. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Running, Women's Health Tagged With: , ,
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