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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 …

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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…

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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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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 …

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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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Is postnatal exercise just for YOU?

I saw an advert for a postnatal exercise class the other day that had a line about how mums were deciding to be selfish and take time for themselves.  Now I'm all for me-time as an essential part of a mums postnatal recovery and don't see that as being selfish at all - in fact, if anything, mums aren't selfish enough and always seem to put themselves at the bottom of the to do list.

But in addition to mums deserving to do something that benefits them, I also see so much benefit to the babies comi…

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