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Start Small, Start Now

I'm doing some business training at the moment and its all about five year plans and dreaming big.... I've been finding it very difficult as my business has really grown organically and I've never really had a big plan in mind.

Sarah Parker Fitness has just turned twelve and when I started out 12 years ago I certainly didn't envisage where I am now. Especially as I only became a fitness instructor to supplement my acting "career"! But I'd left teaching classes at various gyms to have my first chi…

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Dealing with DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

I was at Blush dance studios on Friday for a taster session of aerial hoops and pole dancing. It was great fun, I was pleased with all that I could do (may not have been effortless but at least I could do it!!) and I loved trying something completely new.

I really expected to be covered in bruises the next day as I could feel them forming but what I didn't expect was just how much I would ache!

This is the known as DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - and is usually experienced when:
  • trying o…

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A pill to replace exercise

So we're a step closer to a pill that can replace exercise.
I know that there is an obesity crisis and things need to be done but this makes me sad, as if exercise is a thing to be avoided.

This news came out the same day as my car broke down.  I had to cancel a class and then arrange a lift to my evening classes - I was particularly stressed by the time I got to the church ready to teach!!   But a healthy dose of exercise later I felt much better.

Benefits of exercise

From those three classes …

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JERF, CRAP and Clean Eating!

I had a request from one of my email subscribers to write about clean eating. Now those of you who know me will know that I'm not averse to eating cake or having a drink. To my mind, it's just food - there is no point in labelling things good or bad.

 

But I do try to eat as healthily as possible - following the JERF principle of Just Eat Real Food.  I cook from scratch every day and avoid ready-meals - anything with a huge ingredient list is out!  I also try to avoid artificial sugars and manufa…

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How you can help your pelvic floor

I was asked by someone this week about rehabbing the pelvic floor post birth, in preparation for getting back to running.  I was so pleased that she was aware of the importance of taking her time - things keep popping up in my timeline about postnatal classes where people are running with buggies, skipping and even doing jumping jacks! All of this can have a deleterious effect on the pelvic floor and continuing to overstress a weakened pelvic floor can lead to prolapse.

However taking your time, …

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Happy New Year/You?!

I'm not really into New Years resolutions. And I'm definitely not into the the new year new you thing - there's nothing wrong with the 'old' you!

But I am into goal setting.

I've just bought myself a shiny new business planner and right at the front is a blank page to fill in hopes and dreams for 2017. Most of mine are tied up with family life as I feel that's the area that needs the most work done right now!

But there's also some goals for me and my work too...

Now from the business coaching I've d…

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Heal your diastasis with food!

I really enjoyed listening to a webinar from Jessica Drummond of the Integrative Women's Health Institute last week.

One of the sections that I was particularly interested in was on postnatal soft tissue and wound recovery - applicable particularly for those with diastasis or a c-section and perineum wound.

My advice nutritionally has always been to use bone broth either in soups or gravies but her information will give you a few more tools to use!

Eating foods that are high in collagen can help t…

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5 tips for preventing back pain when caring for children

As I was walking home from class yesterday a father and his toddler walked past me.  The dad was taking tiny baby steps in time with his son, was crouching in a squat position to be at his son's level and was leaning over to one side in order to hold his hand.  This reminded me of how Becky used to love to hold my finger as she walked - up until her hand was big enough to hold mine.  And how it hurt my back let alone nearly dislocated my finger!!!

The trouble with having bad posture when you're c…

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Walk this way!

I'm a bit obsessed with walking...  There are so many health benefits to it and it's so easy to fit into your day and yet I read a report that said that 45% of people would rather take public transport than a short stroll.  And 1 in 20 would use public transport rather than walk for 5 minutes!  And yet walking is the easiest way to fit in the suggested amount of exercise we should be doing plus is like medicine for all the health benefits it has!

For those of you, like me, with older kids who rea…

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Words of advice for new mums

And your first piece of advice is - feel free to ignore this advice.  As a new mum you are likely to get a lot of advice in the next few weeks, most of it unasked for and much of it unwanted.  The biggest thing you can do is take courage, forge your own path and not worry what anyone else thinks.  If there was only one way of doing things then there would be only one parenting book...

The right way to parent

Having said that, here's some things that helped my mums - many of the same things came up…

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