I thought I’d share a few of my favorite butt toners from the 36-wk workout program I’m creating for busy mums.

Chair: Stand, feet mostly together, big toes touching. Exhale as you bend your knees, moving your bottom down and back as though sitting on a chair. Keep your knees over your toes (don’t let them go past your toes). Tuck your pelvis and think of extending it down into the ground as you reach up through the top of your head. Tighten your tummy and work towards keeping your back straight. For added intensity, lift your arms above your head, elbows in line with your ears, palms facing in. Hold for 5-10 breaths x 2.

Speed skates: Stand feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Squat then extend your right leg as you lift your left leg back at a 45 degree angle like you’re speed-skating. Squat. Then extend your left leg as you lift your right leg back at a 45 degree angle. Continue switching legs. Add in arms if you’d like. Breathe out as you extend your leg backwards. Do 10-15 reps per leg x 2.

Lunge-back kicks: Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Take a big step backward with your left leg, bend your right knee so your thigh is parallel to the ground, keeping your shoulders over your hips.

Make sure your right knee doesn’t go past your right toes. Your left heel should be off the ground, pushing back towards the ground. Lift your left leg up, then back to your lunge. Complete reps on this side. Switch legs, lunging back with your right leg, kicking up with your right leg. D0 10-15 reps per leg x 2.

I love these exercises because while they target some of my favorite muscles, they also do a great job at an overall body workout. If you want to increase the intensity pick up some dumbbells.

I feel like I’m riding the most beautiful bicycle ever made (bought it at Clever Cycles, it’s called the Oma). I love having Nadia up front – we sing and point to trees, dogs and wave at people. It’s a lot of fun.

I’ve used the Moby, which is great when Nadia was teeny tiny and is also wonderful for nursing on planes and while walking. I’m going to continue to use it. But it’s not always simple to get on and go and I’m not convinced I could do really long treks with it.

We also use the Bjorn (a wonderful hand-me-down and has been great). But I find it puts too much pressure on my shoulders and back so I make Kieran wear it – he’s big and doesn’t mind. 

My chiropractor reccomended the Ergo. Excited to go on our first spring hike with it.

Lose it! screenshots

My new favorite app for my iPhone. It’s great for tracking my exercise goals and what I’m eating. I think it’s going to help me lose the 10 lbs I want to shave off before bikini season!

Here’s a quick workout  you can add to a walk around the park: 

• 40 lunges (make sure your knee doesn’t pass your toe…same goes for the squats)
• 30 squats
• 20 calf raises (up on your tip toes then almost back down)
• 15 big backward leg circles (15 per leg) …keep your body upright and tummy squeezed

Do this set at the beginning of your walk and then again near the end. Add 50-100 sit ups at some point during the day…playing with your babe on the floor, right before you get into the shower, right after you put the kids down for a nap (and before you jump in bed for yours!). The point is you can work the exercises into your day and it doesn’t take long.

It felt amazing. But I’m not the runner I was…ooo…15 months ago. 

(Generally if you’re a runner before you get pregnant,  you can run during your pregnancy…but circumstances led my doctors to ask I quit my workouts. And now I’m way out of shape.)

But this week, I laced up.

Sandra + Nadia's first run together

I started with 30 minutes, running five blocks then walking one. I wanted to make it fun and something I knew I could achieve. By the end of the run my legs were spent and I couldn’t stop smiling. It feels good to be back. I decided to go with intervals – not only as a good way to get back into shape, but also because a University of Guelph study found that “interval training burns fat and improves fitness more quickly than constant but moderately intensive physical activity.” 

My goal over the next few weeks is to increase the speed of my intervals. Eventually I’ll rotate between interval training and 45-min runs. I want to lose a few more pounds and then tone. So I’m also doing 100 ab exercises a day. I run M/W/F. Then do resistance/weight training on Tue/Th: lunges, squats, push-ups, etc.  

If you’re starting to run, start with a manageable goal.

Run 10 min then walk for one. If that’s too much, trim a little time off the run, add more to the walk. If it’s not enough, bump up the run time. Essentially by the end of your workout you want to be tired but not disappointed that you didn’t do what you set out to.

Looking for more motivation – add music.

Put together a set of songs: start with a medium pace, build to a high and then slower for your cool down. I include songs that I loved when I was a teenager – they always put a smile on my face in the middle of my workout and get me going. My fave lately: Walking on Sunshine! Cheesy…but I get a great sweat-on.

But I’ve found some fabulous relief. Here goes: 

• lie on your bed 
• scootch so that your shoulder blades are just hanging off the bed’s edge
• let the weight of your head dangle and stretch your neck and upper back
• breathe deeply as you feel your chest open
• (be sure to keep the small of your back pressed into the bed so you don’t strain it…and be careful not to fall off!)

This is a lovely chest opening stretch. Breathe deeply and melt into your bed. Relax and feel it soothe.

To boost the calorie burn I do something I call ‘mindful walking’.

It involves: tilting my pelvis forward (tucking my tailbone to line up with my belly button) squeezing my glutes as I extend each leg, tightening my tummy, rolling my shoulders back and down and ocassionally thinking positive thoughts like “my body is strong and beautiful.”

I love walking around Portland because it’s so gorgeous and you come across some strange and wonderful sights.

The other day we saw a cartwheeling pumpkin head and a Mona Lisa art door.

Despite this (and the fact that I am a health nut fairly obsessed with exercise) I’m going to give myself nine months to tighten up my soft tummy.

Probably the weirdest thing I’ve noticed about postpartum self is there are times I even like the tummy. I never thought I’d say anything like that…but I worked hard for that blossom belly and it’s a sweet reminder. However, I do have another sweet reminder of my pregnancy – my gorgeous girl.

So I’m heading out for my daily walk. This tummy’s on its way out!