MSI Press Blog

For National Women's Health and Fitness Day, Julie (author of 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas) provided us the following guest post. My 3-year-old does Downward-Facing Dog and Tree Pose. Even at her age, she’s learning how simple and fun it can be to fit in exercise and that exercise is integral to mind-body wellness.   Since she and her brother were newborns, they’ve seen mama stretch, run, walk and lift weights. And some days they exercise with me. The message they’re getting about exercise is: “Fitness is fun and it helps keep us healthy!” As they grow, they’ll know exercise is just as much a part of their day as brushing their teeth and washing their hands. I wake up knowing when I’m going to workout. Fitness fits in the nooks and crannies of almost every day. Sometimes it’s a 20-minute yoga video before breakfast; other times it’s a 30-minute walk outside with the family after dinner. Scheduling time for exercise

As my fitness training intensifies, I find that I am as overwhelmed with math, as I was as a humanist, in math classes as a child. I got the "necesssary" A in all my courses, but I took only the routine high school college-prep math courses and nothing fancier. Sometiimes, numbers become completely meaningless. So, trying to put meaning into what is a good heart rate has become a nightmare of numbers rolling over me, of a cloud puffed high like a thunderhead, spewing showers of unrelated digits down upon me at night when the sorting out should happen during my sleeping hours, but it does not. This past week I was at a conference. The fitness center had little equipment other than treadmills. And, the treadnills had just too much information: BPM at 65% for each decade, ages 10-90 (guess not many centenarians find their way onto that moving belt) BPM at 80% for each decade). I had been operating with one figure, which is a comforting way of operating. No need to

  excerpt from Exercising in a Pandemic   by Pat Young:  (note: good information for any time where opportunities are limited)  Healthy Advantages             A leading medical journal, Lancet, states that people who are physically active have only 35 days of poor mental health per year on average, compared to those who are not physically active, who have closer to 53 down days.             Another medical establishment, Nuvance Health, states that exercise boosts the immune system and keeps it functioning optimally. This is certainly an advantage during a pandemic such as the corona virus outbreak. Exercise reduces stress, prevents weight gain and improves sleep. Many exercise enthusiasts say they are actually energized after a workout. Exercising also offers the opportunity to enjoy social activities, something curtailed by pandemic safety precautions.             By working and exercising with family and friends (following social distancing rules), using online fitness resou

  Brittany Renz is a successful personal trainer and mother in Hollister, California. A popular trainer with a very large, stable clientele, she trains together with her family, as well as coaching others. After years of people asking her how she does it all, she finally decided to take her experience and share it with the world. Her book,  Girl, You Got This ,  that focuses on fitness for pregnant mothers-to be, has piqued the interest of fitness fans and sports doctors.  Brittany's first book includes pictures of the whole family participating in fitness efforts. Now, she is working on a new book for mothers--and, for sure, it will include, again, the whole family. Watch for it. For more information about Brittany and her book(s), click HERE .

  Today's book back story is about Brittany Renz's book, Girl, You Got This ! From the publisher --  Brittany (author) was my (publisher) trainer. I was working on a book, Grandma's Ninja Training Diary (still am and someday it will see the world on a printed page). As we worked month by month, Brittany and her husband decided to expand their family of one son to two children (ultimately, Brittany delivered a daughter). As she became more and more pregnant, Brittany continued working with her fitness clients -- and maintained her own fitness routine. One thing we both noticed: no other pregnant women were working out in the gym. Brittany figured it might be because they did not think that they could or did not know how to. Hence, the origin of the book, Girl, You Got This!, which has caught the eye of doctors and women's magazines with its unusual content. Yes, you can be pregnant and also be in the best shape of your life. (And the whole family can work out together;

One of the first things I learned as part of my fitness training -- and am still learning -- is that when it comes to physical fitness development of any sort, slow is better than fast. That came as a surprise to me, especially since I have been impulsive and near-hyperactive my entire life. Doing things fast comes naturally. Doing them slowly does not--and frustrates me as well. However, I now understand that I MUST do fitness activites slowly for a number of reasons: to avoid injury to let your muscles fully experience the activity not to confuse cardio training with muscle training to get the full benefit of each activity  to build muscle faster -- more time under tension Try it. Lift 20 pounds rapidly 20 times. Then lift 20 pounds slowly 20 times. Slowly is harder to do; it taxes your muscles more; it build muscles faster. (Though with faster, you can live more weight or do more repetitions.) A length of 2-6 seonds between repitions seems to optimal. What you wil

  Excerpt from Parenting in a Pandemic by Dr. Liz Bayardelle Chapter 2: Personal Trainer Exercise is important for everyone, but it’s even more important for kids. Kids who get at least some activity on a regular basis are less likely to be overweight, have lower risk for degenerative diseases, have more confidence, do better in school, and are more successful when they finally become adults. [1] Who doesn’t want this for their kids? That’s why we usually make sure they participate in PE class, put them in sports, ensure they have time to play at the park, let them run around with their friends, and do fun family activities like go to a trampoline park or some other playplace. But wait, due to the rampaging virus we can do exactly none of those things. Great. Even when all you want to do is hand your kid an iPad and get about your quarantine day, it’s important that we still ensure our kids are getting at least a baseline amount of exercise. Before I go into how to do that, let me in