A Few Fitness Myths

Don't lift weights otherwise you'll get huge arms or too big of muscles. MYTH!
It takes so much work to build that kind of muscle bulk in your arms. Lifting weights can help slim and tone your body and help you burn more fat!

Working out while still nursing will cause your breast milk to go sour and the baby won't like it. MYTH!
Some women think they can't work out after having a baby if they are nursing mothers for fear of spoiling their milk. This isn't true. If your doctor has given you the green light to work out and you feel up to it, then by all means, get some exercise!

You can spot reduce fat. IE-get flat abs from merely doing crunches. MYTH!
In order to get a smaller waist or flat abs, you have to burn fat. This means working up a sweat from doing cardiovascular exercise. Creating a routine combined of cardio and strength training will help reduce overall body fat. You can do all the sit-ups that you want, but without burning off the fat, you'll just have mud on rocks.

No Pain No Gain! MYTH!
We've all heard the saying "no pain no gain" when it comes to fitness but it's just not true. If you are in pain while working out, you are either doing it wrong or have an injury. To make gains in your workout, you may work yourself to the point of fatigue or exhaustion, but remember, muscle fatigue and pain are not the same thing. Pain in the form of soreness a day or two after working out is normal, but pain during your workout is not.

See Mommy Run

Sheryl Crow walks with her son

Ready to get motivated and feel good about yourself? Want to make friends with common interests in walking or running?

Stay fit. Stay healthy. Join other moms in your area to run or walk or to share health, fitness, and everyday living tips. We invite you to join an existing group in your area or start your own.

seeMOMMYrun is a free site to locate or start your own running or walking group in .

Here is how it works:

1. Register
2. Join a group.
3. OR start a group.
4. Communicate with other members.

I've met with moms through this website to have someone to walk and talk with while getting fit. It's SUCH a great resource, especially if you don't have any mom friends yet. This site is a must try. Look for groups in your area or start your own group. The only bad thing about starting your own group is that it can take a while before anyone joins it.
You don't have to be a runner, you can join a walker's group.

If you want to start running, here is a video you might find helpful:

How to Start Running for Beginners

Think Your too Busy? Think Again!

Among moms there is a common dilemma...When are we supposed to have time to stay in shape? We're busy taking care of our kids, our home our partner and maybe even a job, there is just not enough hours in the day to do everything we need to do, let alone the things we "should" do, like taking care of ourselves.
Well, next time you are at the playground with your kids, if they are old enough that you can just keep an eye on them while doing this playground workout, you can totally multitask. Check out the video below for the playground workout to trim down, tone your body or at least just keep from losing your body completely. For other easy ways to squueze in exercise while taking care of kids, check out this article: How to Exercise While Taking Care of Kids.