Reverse Jumping Jacks Do you want to be active and feel strong and energetic as you move through your day? Then try our Move of the Month, where we feature one exercise you can incorporate into your day as a quick movement break or include as a new move in your personal workout. This month, we’re highlighting REVERSE JUMPING JACKS Why do we Love this Exercise? This exercise is great for both cardio and lower body strength. It's also works on upper body range of motion. We love that even the low impact version will get your heart rate up, if you quicken the pace. We love this variation of the j ..read more

Why do we Love exercising with babies? At FITMOM, we talk a lot about mental health and wellness (we have a whole month dedicated to it!), especially when a new baby comes into your life. Add the shorter days, and long winters in Ottawa and you’ll find a higher instance of depression, anxiety and mood disorders, especially in the post partum period. It’s been proven that exercise is one of the best ways to help improve our mental wellness. We’d like to take it a step further and encourage you to exercise with your baby! And here’s why ..read more

Plank with Shoulder Taps Do you want to be active and feel strong and energetic as you move through your day? Then try our Move of the Month, where we feature one exercise you can incorporate into your day as a quick movement break or include as a new move in your personal workout. This month, we’re highlighting the PLANK, with a variation… Shoulder Taps. How to do this exercise Begin in a plank or push up position with wrists directly under the shoulders.  Modify to a bear claw if your wrists are sore. Cue your core breath (inhale to expand and exhale draw pelvic floor up and belly button i ..read more

Summer Activities to keep you busy in Ottawa with your Babies, Toddlers or Kids! I‘m always so happy when the nice weather arrives because it means that FITMOM classes can be outdoors again! Even though the weather is sometimes an issue to deal with, I know that we all enjoy being in the sunshine and warmth for a change after the seemingly never-ending cold and rainy months. The summer also means that as parents, we're often looking to keep busy with our kids. Schools across Ottawa are wrapping up their year and while camps and family vacation time will soon fill some of our summer days, the ..read more

How to get More Sleep after you’ve had a Baby Recently, I stayed up far later than normal to watch a movie that, if I'd thought about it much, was not really worthy of losing sleep over. Clearly, I wasn't thinking about getting through my morning fitness class when I was stretching my bedtime! The workout turned out to be far more difficult than it would have been if I'd gone to bed at the proper time. I come from a family of women who complain about being tired ALL THE TIME, no matter how much sleep we've had. My mother, my grandmother, my aunts, my sisters and I have all complained about no ..read more

The Importance of Rates of Exertion The fitness world is filled with numbers. How many minutes are you working out? How many pounds have you lost? How many calories have you burned? How many steps have you walked? What is your heart rate? Measurement and goal setting are very common.  As with any analysis, numbers give us information and can play an important role in our health and fitness decisions. One often overlooked figure that we might want to consider more regularly is the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). RPE measures the level of intensity exerted at any point during an exercise peri ..read more

As the snow melts away and Spring begins to warm up the city, Ottawa residents start feeling the itch to get outside to satisfy their fitness needs. However, between slush, puddles and icy patches, this time of year can be difficult to navigate an outdoor workout. You need to consider proper footwear and rain gear as well as exercise caution on the pathways when going out for a walk, run or bike ride. To avoid the messy situation outside, it might be the time to think about an indoor fitness class, a gym membership or to check out other offerings in your community instead. The nicer weather w ..read more

My Top FIVE Reasons for Staying Fit I spend lots of my time motivating others to improve their level of fitness so I felt it was time to share my own reasons for working out and staying fit! 5. To Sleep Better The fitter I am, the better I sleep. And now that my babies are all grown up, I do LOVE to sleep for the entire night. When your body is physically exhausted, it has no choice but to shut down and rest, which means that you can sleep all night and feel refreshed and ready to go in the morning. I still enjoy my cup of ..read more

FITMOM's Top 5 Tips to Live your Healthiest Life There’s never a bad time to reflect on your past physical activity and begin planning how you’ll stay active moving forward. Often, our plans may include some high level fitness goals, such as: I want to be stronger I want to be more fit I want to run up the stairs faster I want to walk taller I want to touch my toes I want to run my first race Whatever your goals are, you'll need a solid plan to reach them! Here are FITMOM's top FIVE tips to help you live your healthiest life: Find something you LOVE: One of the most important gifts you can giv ..read more

It's official! The holiday party season is upon us. Family calendars are filling up with lunch dates, open houses, potlucks and holiday parties to deck the halls and celebrate. The holidays can be a busy and stressful time of year, so here are a few tips to keep you feeling fit and fabulous over the festive season! Get Moving. Not only will staying active help you burn off those extra calories consumed at parties, it will also help you feel less stressed about the holidays. If you don’t have time for your regular workout, try a shorter version. Eat. Having a snack before you leave for a part ..read more