BLOG

How to prevent morning sickness?

morning sickness blog

For many women, a bout of morning sickness is when they first realise they are pregnant. 

It's also one of the reasons women stop exercising in their first trimester - that and the exhaustion you feel in the early weeks of pregnancy.

It's worth nothing that that tiredness can also be a factor in morning sickness, so it's important to prioritise rest whenever you can - avoid bright lights, loud noises and rapid head movements too

Hopefully some of the tips below will help you so that if you wa…

Read more…

Is the way you sleep making you ache?

According to the poll I put on Facebook yesterday - 83% of you ache in the morning! Could the way you sleep be the reason?


We’ve been thinking about shoulders all week and I realised a lot of my aches and pains have stemmed from bad sleeping habits.


I had a cat when I was a girl and she liked to lie between my legs. This taught me to lie very still so she wouldn't jump down. We’re supposed to move a bit when we sleep. But I pretty much stay in the same position for up to 8 (if I’…

Read more…

Faecal Incontinence - the last taboo?



On the second day of Women on Fire I went to the Bowel and Bladder Health Extravaganza! talk, as requested by one of my clients. To start with I was kind of yes, yes, I know all this. And then the bombshell hit - Faecal Incontinence in Menopause.  



1 in 5 women over the age of 40 experience faecal incontinence.  Yet it’s not really talked about - you don’t see happy adverts of women in pads getting on with their lives. It’s not a little “ooops! moment”. Is this the last taboo?



The change i…

Read more…

My breastfeeding story

As it’s National Breastfeeding Week I thought I would share my breastfeeding story in case it’s helpful to anyone.

My first birth was by Caesarean section. The baby was whisked away straightaway - I didn’t even get to see her. Even when I was in the recovery room she wasn’t handed to me. I think because it had passed that golden hour of first contact that no one really bothered.

So there I was with a crying child beside me that I had to ask for them to pass me. I needed help getting her latched on…

Read more…

You are the sun

So it’s July and we’re half way through the year. In my business training it’s all about looking at where I am - seeing what’s worked, what’s not and what I need to do going forward.
In my personal life I’m doing the same.
At the beginning of the year I was in New Zealand having the time of my life. I was the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Because of this I brought home a lot of the habits I started there. As a family we were happier too.  So I decided I should put more effort into time out …

Read more…

With Love on Mother's Day

One thing I've been thinking about this Mother's Day is how parenting never gets easier. When I had my first I was completely overwhelmed - with love for this thing that had been pulled out of me, but also with all the new things that I had to learn. None of it came naturally, everything was a struggle to start with. It took a good four months before I even started to find my feet.

And even then I seemed to be doing it all wrong. In a world of Gina Ford I had no routine, I was feeding to sleep, m…

Read more…

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…

Read more…

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…

Read more…

Can you train your abs in early pregnancy?

abs and pregnancy blog

What do you think?  Should you work your abdominals in pregnancy?  Or are they a no-go area?  And if so, what exercises are appropriate.

When I polled people about this recently I had a varied response but most tended towards yes you should, but gently.

My answer is... it depends.

It depends what you think of as the abdominal muscles.  

For most people, it's the ones you can see - the six pack muscles. The guidelines for these muscles (the rectus abdominis) is that there should be no direct …

Read more…

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 …

Read more…