The Spotlight is Shining on June

 June has been a part of the Get Fit NH family since March 2014. She has an incredible story that I know many of you can relate to. June started off training four days a week at 5:30pm in Concord. After a few months her schedule became more challenging. Instead of throwing in the towel she decided to train two days a week in the morning in Epsom and two nights in Concord. June has remained committed and results speak for themselves! It has been a pleasure coaching June this past year and I am excited to see her continue to achieve her goals! I hope her story insprires you to make positive changes despite past or current circumstances. Just ask June, you won’t regret it!

I was very honored when asked by Coach Erin to share some of my story — so here it goes…. When you see me in my before picture please  know that I was at one of the many heavy times in my life (again).  I had been at that familiar place before … Lost and gained weight many, many times throughout my life– I was never an athletic type of person.  I was the bat and ball manager on the girls softball team in high school…. I hated the presidential physical fitness awards from Junior high— never could do those chin ups!! As an adult I would exercise on and off, but hated even the idea of being sweaty!!!    (Oh Boy has that changed)

 I always wanted to be a normal size, but loved the comfort of food too much and have wrestled with the whole mess my whole life.  Here is a list of some of the food programs I have used over the years; Weight Watchers ( 6 times ) TOPS ( Take Off Pound Sensibly )  Overcoming Overeating workshop, Over Eaters Anonymous, Aromatrim ( purchased on an infomercial )  The Neuropsychology of Weight Loss (another late night purchase) Free to be Thin,  YMCA fitness program, Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, and probably many other home grown diets and exercise routines throughout the years… Even met with a registered dietitian before I found Get Fit NH .

I was battling migraines, stomach pain problems, joint pain, low self esteem and low motivation (living on Pebtobismol nightly and Prilosec  and Ibuprofen )  I was getting worn out with life, work etc….I remember trying to have some fun outside  with my grandchildren in the snow —  but by the 3^rd trip up the hill pulling a couple of them in the sled,  I felt half dead!!    I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and crappy, but I was so afraid to fail AGAIN at any attempt to be healthy—-that I had stopped trying—but I knew I  had to do something so I  decided to give it one more try. I found Get Fit quite by accident searching for a diet program in Concord, NH I heard advertised on the radio … I couldn’t remember the name so luckily my search online some how took me to the Get Fit website.  I read all the Coaches Bio’s and some of the student spotlight stories– they were all very inspiring……

The 2 week free trial really made me feel like ……Well…….what do I have to loose?

And  it hooked me in—

Before

After

And then I tried

And I cried…..

And I tried again

And I cried again….

And during the 2 week trial I thought maybe I am way worse than I thought I was– I mean I knew I was in tough shape… but I didn’t realize how INEPT I felt till that 2 week trial— and 2 things happened that made me stay…. As I was walking to my car during that first week of trial training and crying my eyes out cause I was so sore and out of shape and felt sooooo incapable another fellow client in her kindness saw me sobbing my way to my car across the parking lot and yelled over to me  “ It gets BETTER ! “

(thanks Jill)  She was right— her timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

The second great thing that kept me coming was when I was almost ready to decide  (in the first 2 weeks) that this program probably wasn’t meant to be for me because I couldn’t even get to the training on time— I got tied up at work one night and arrived too late for the 5:30 class— Not to mention that I was sore, felt so inept, didn’t know anyone there, figured I would just fail again anyway , blah,blah,blah…..so why bother?  So I sat in my car, tears streaming down my face and wrote a little note for Erin that I was NOT going to continue— luckily she stopped me in the foyer area after I tried to leave her the note without being noticed…She has the eyes of a hawk you know! She stopped me in the Foyer— I don’t remember our whole conversation, but I know it involved a lot of crying on my part and apologizing for being late and explaining that this just wasn’t meant to be for me to get better etc…. and she told me — “June, I really think this program is for you. I want you to right now go get yourself a yogurt snack and some water and go relax for a bit and come back to the 6:45 training— we want you … if you want to…. “

At that moment it was like  she was throwing out the life preserver to the sinking soul on the stormy sea.…And I grabbed it!

And I am so grateful that I did! Needless to say I did come back for the 6 :45 class that day  and I haven’t stopped since. Get Fit NH has all the tools you need to save your life, but you have to be willing to grab on and hang on and listen and trust and believe your coaches and feel the support of the others around you who have been there or are trying just like you are.  I remember feeling so vulnerable, like the new kid in the class  and being so grateful to people like Sarah, another client,  who warmly welcomed me and shared her success story with me and kept and eye out for me when I wasn’t sure what to do next.   There are so ,so many good folks here.  I have seen so many changes in myself, my attitude, my health, the way I eat, my weight, my strength. No more headaches or stomach pains. No more prilosec. I am down 30 pounds now since joining last March— I cannot believe it has already been a year!

 I sure have come a long way from that emotional ball of jelly I was when I first started— don’t get me wrong— I still can be pretty sensitive and I still have some of jelly to loose, but I am certainly heading in the right direction .  I have learned that it is OKAY to put myself first. It does not mean I am selfish— it means self caring.  And if I take care of me then I will be around a long time, God willing,  for  my family  and friends whom I love so much.  This  spring and summer my husband and I will be expecting more grandchildren ….number 7, 8 and 9  — I want to be able to keep up with these kiddos— they are an awesome blessing that I want to enjoy for years to come and thanks to GET FIT NH and the coaches and the whole Get Fit Families in both Concord and Epsom I train with I feel awesome !!  I also feel happy and strong and confident and it seems I’ve found the answer to the battle— that there IS strength in numbers, accountability, fun, fitness, education, nutrition, support…….Don’t try to do it alone….. Grab a lifesaving rope when it comes to you and come get into the life boat at Get Fit NH !   

Love June

We are so proud of June and so thankful that she chooses to train at Get Fit NH!

You too can make it happen,

Coach Erin

The Spotlight is Shining On…..

Cynthia Proulx is a new family member at Get Fit NH but already her presence has made us all turn our heads. Cynthia let us know right away what she felt the first few days at Get Fit NH. “As a new member I’m sure I am not going to answer this as well as other family members. With that said, I like the idea of the family atmosphere, everyone is very friendly, and the nutrition class has really helped me. I have been exercising all my life, dancing, gymnastics, ballet, Gloria Stevens, skiing, running, basketball, gym memberships for the last 30 years. The difference that I feel now: the workouts are much more fun than all the other gyms I’ve been to. The coaching has been huge, I can finally do squats that don’t hurt my knees. I love competition and the workouts help me to be competitive within myself. They are hard for me, but I feel a lot of satisfaction when I complete something well”.

After going to the Whole 9 workshop Cynthia made drastic changes to her nutrition plan. She went – “Whole 9”. She experienced drastic results. This is thrilling to her coach and all the coaches at Get Fit NH. As you read what Cynthia wrote, think about yourself. If you can achieve similar results to Cynthia would it be worth your while to make some changes? Cynthia is discovering that the quality of food is changing how she feels. Her training is changing her physical being and as shaping her mental well – being.

“I would like you and Nancy to know that in a weeks time on the Whole 9 nutrition plan, I feel better than I have in months. I have been to nutritionists over the years and have been on MANY diet plans, We never talked about eliminating certain foods. Taking dairy, gluten, wheat, breads, etc. out of my diet has made a difference. Since last October I have felt sick most everyday, I knew I had an allergy to dairy, but continued to eat and drink some dairy products. I then began to question wheat and gluten.  I started the plan a week ago today, tomorrow will be one week of feeling good everyday and it’s not hard for me to follow. Food preparation takes time, but I have made many of the recipes in the book. The only vice is a little truvia, I’m working to get rid of that as well. I have much more energy than I did and can’t wait for that to increase even more.  I appreciate all Erin is doing as my coach to help me get the most out of my training without pain. She has been fantastic! Thank you for being part of my life, Cynthia

Cynthia has encouraged me, I know she will encourage you as well. I am looking forward to all that Cynthia is going to discover.

29 Personal Bests at Get Fit Games

What a great morning at Get Fit NH.

We had a big crew show up and participate in the “Get Fit Games”, where we come in, have some fun, and confirm we are getting better.

By my count our athletes set 29 personal bests! Now that is what it is all about! Make sure you look out for the next time we host Get Fit Games. If you wanna get better, you gotta measure!

Here’s the highlights of this mornings games.

Proud of you all!

Doreen Mathison

Deadlift, Gold level achieved

Push-up, Personal Best

Chin-up, Personal Best, Bronze level achieved

Front Plank, Personal Best

1000m Ski Erg, Gold level achieved

Jayne Millerick

Deadlift, Personal Best

Chin-up, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

Front Plank, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

1000, Ski Erg, Personal Best

Susan Moseley

Deadlift, Personal Best

Front Plank, Personal Best

Heidi Coen

Deadlift, Personal Best, Gold level achieved

Push-up, Personal Best, Bronze level achieved

Long Jump, Personal Best

Front Plank, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

1000m Ski Erg, Personal Best

Alice DonnaSelva

Deadlift, Personal Best

Push-up, Personal Best

Chin-up, Personal Best

Front Plank, Personal Best

10000m SKI Erg, Personal Best

Adam Rosenthal

Push-up, Personal Best

Front Plank, Personal Best, Bronze level achieved

1000m Ski Erg, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

Adam Davidson

Deadlift, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

Push-up, Personal Best, Bronze level achieved

Vertical Jump, Personal Best

Chin-up, Personal Best

1000m Ski Erg, Personal Best

Dick Boddie, Laura Starr-Houghton, Lori Preve, Jenn Stevens, Kim Boddie, Laurie Vallee, and Glenn Berwick were all first time participants and ROCKED IT! Can’t wait to see what you do next time around!

Encouraging you all to measure your greatness next time!

Make it Happen,

Coach Meagan

Spotlight Shines on Julia

This week’s student spotlight shines on Julia Barton, who trains at Get Fit NH Epsom. We are so excited to share Julia’s story with you! She returned to training with us last spring and has been doing better than fantastic. She works so hard and is very dedicated. Her motivation shows in all the progress she has made. We are so proud of her and hope that her story will encourage you to make it happen!

(We asked Julia a couple of questions about her experience at Get Fit NH and here is what she had to say.)

Why did you come to Get Fit NH?

“When I first came to Get Fit NH in 2012, it was because I needed to find a “gym” that I would feel comfortable at and actually want to go to. I wanted to be able to do those things that I used to do 10 years ago and I wanted to be as healthy as I could be to start trying for a baby. I started going to training 4 days a week from January to May of 2012. I felt great and could keep up with my husband when hiking or walking without being out of breath. Then, during my pregnancy, I was sick for the first 5 months and was on anti-nausea meds so that I could get to work and function. The only thing that seemed to go down and make my stomach better was Eggo Waffles – yup, waffles. I usually stay away from breads, so all the carbs made me gain weight – 60 pounds – during my pregnancy. I welcomed Caleb on May 18, 2013 and lost 40 pounds within 2 weeks of birth as a lot of it was water weight gain. Almost a year later, I had gained 20 pounds back and was not happy or comfortable with my weight. So, I signed back up in March of 2014 and made the time to come in 2 times a week. It was a bit rough to get back into it and it was difficult for me to do a lot of the exercises. I chugged on and had done well with the commitment of going twice a week, but I needed to do more about losing the weight. In August, I joined another weight loss group at work and started to eat better and lose weight. I didn’t follow their plan, but the peer support and weekly weigh-ins helped me stay on track. I started sending everything I ate to Coach Nancy as a recommendation from her since it was hard for me to log everything. I have lost at least 26 pounds since late August!!”

What did you learn after you first 2 weeks with Get Fit NH?

“I learned that Get Fit NH was the place for me. I loved how it was like having your own trainer even though you’re in a group with others. And, I loved that you didn’t have to think about what exercises you were going to do. It was very easy for me – not the workout part, but the part about going to training.”

How do you feel after training with Get Fit NH for this long?

“I feel so fortunate that I am able to do this for myself. It’s a bit more expensive than a regular “gym”, but it is totally worth it. You can’t put a dollar value on your health. I had hit a point where I was ready to make a big change; I gave it my all and didn’t give up just because it was hard. I see such a change in myself. I am able to keep up with my 20 month old, I can do more things in training that I couldn’t do when I started, and mostly, I feel good about myself! I still want to lose another 20 pounds but I feel good about where I am now because I did it the right way, I had to work really hard, and it feels really good to see the results. I have found that most good things don’t come easy; you have to work really hard for them. But in the end, after all the hard work, it makes it so much better. It gives you more respect for whatever it is that you just worked for. I have found that life is too short to be unhappy, whether it be with your weight, your job, or something else. I am the only one that can make those changes for myself, and I did.”

What has your overall experience at Get Fit NH been like?

“I have had the greatest experience at Get Fit NH. Coach Nancy is the greatest!! She pushes me when I need it and helps me when I need a little more attention, like if my back is out, which felt like most of my training in 2012. Most people would give up and think they couldn’t do it, but Nancy always gave me stretches and variations to work on so I could still come and get the most out of training. I love how there is a mix of all sorts of people who go, it’s makes it a more comfortable environment to be in. No one judges you and everyone has their own goals, which is great. I recommend Get Fit NH to everyone!!

I love coming and hope to make it a lifelong goal. I just can’t thank you enough for all of your support. I really don’t know how you are able to do that for everyone you work with and still make it feel genuine and meaningful. Thank you.”

Julia has made great strides in her health over the past year, and she’s committed to doing even more. This last week Julia and I did a Get Fit NH Kitchen Makeover. Now Julia’s kitchen supports her goal. It also goes along with her hard work in training. We are super proud of Julia’s success and we can’t wait to see it continue!

Thank you for training with us, Julia!

Coach Nancy

Holiday Hold Em’ Results are in!

Congratulations to all of our Holiday Hold Em contestants.  We are so proud of everyone who took on the challenge and held their weight through the holidays. Maintaining your weight through the holiday season is without a doubt a big challenge. We even had a bunch of you lose weight! Now that is impressive. Great job to all who participated, you are all winners!

We did hand out prizes to three of those winners. These winners won the luck of the draw. We promised that anyone who maintained or lost weight over the holidays would be entered in to win some great local prizes so congratulations to:

Kelly Gauthier: Congratulations to her and we hope she enjoys her gift card to Things are Cooking (donated by the fabulous owner and Get Fit NH’s own, Diane Beauregard)

Rebecca Baccotti: Great job and we just know she will enjoy her massage from Chichester Massage.  (Donated by Get Fit NH’s own, The Great, Amy Troy)

Jennifer Kretovic: Congratulations Jennifer! We are sure that you will enjoy your gift card to the Co-Op!

Keep up the great work! We are so proud of your accountability and dedication to yourself!

You really did make it happen!

Coach Meagan

Another Motivating Student Spotlight

The success stories are rushing in and we can’t help, but share them all with you. This week’s Student Spotlight  is going to Heidi Coen. Heidi has been training with Get Fit NH for almost 4 years! The success you are about to read was earned and well deserved. Heidi is always pushing herself, she never quits and she is always looking for ways to get better and get stronger. It is a pleasure to coach Heidi. I am so proud of her success. I want to encourage ALL of you to take advantage of the body composition we offer. We often refer to it as the truth-detector and it truly is a fantastic way to measure. If you are not having your body composition read regularly you can afford to step it up (I say that with love as always!)

Here is what Heidi has to say about her success:

“Real Results…

I have pretty much exercised in some way for the majority of my adult life (walking, body building (free weights), aerobics, kick boxing, ellipticals/treadmills, cable machines…). But, I never found a workout regime that I got the results I was looking for.

Then in May 2011 – I had heard about Get Fit NH training and signed up for the free two weeks at the Concord Get Fit, attended my first 5:00am class — and have been hooked ever since!

What I have learned is that with all my previous exercising attempts the workouts were all the same routine and none included anything about nutrition. At Get Fit this is not the case! After participating in the first detox – I discovered that I have a sensitivity to gluten. I had taken Prevacid for years because of acid reflux and Excedrin for headaches every day for years. With my changes to my diet (majority of which is now vegetables and protein), my acid reflux completely resolved and I rarely have headaches. In regards to the training, I really like the varied workouts.

But – how do I really know that what I have learned about nutrition and that the training really works? When I had my very first body composition test done in 2012 my body fat was 29.7%. Two weeks ago, I had another body composition test – and my body fat  is down to 20.5%. I have lost almost 10% in body fat! This is results! This is success!

Today – at age 51 – I am in the best shape of my life!!! I feel GREAT – inside and outside!

It’s not just the training that makes Get Fit so great – it’s also the people! The coaches are awesome and I have made the most special friendships!  I love the 5am group!!!

So Meagan and Dean to answer your questions after every class – Do I have fun? Yes! Do I challenge myself? Yes! Do I learn something? Yes! And, I plan on continuing to do so for many years to come!

Heidi”

We loving hearing about your success! The day you realize that nutrition and training go hand in hand is the day you will change your life. Heidi is a perfect example of someone who learned how to fuel her body and train to succeed. I must add that we are super proud of Heidi, who attacked the chin bar and cranked out some jumping chins for her first time this morning. We couldn’t be more proud of her!

Thank You for choosing to train with us, Heidi!

Make it happen,

Coach Meagan

Who is in the Spotlight?

This month’s student spotlight is going to Garrett Lovell. Garrett has an inspiring story and a dedicated heart to push on. I am so proud of how far he has come. Over the last three months I have had the honor to coach him and watch him change both physically and even mentally. His movement patterns have improved drastically and because of that his form has seriously improved. And because of his solid form he is now able to load a whole lot more. His results were earned, because he is dedicated to himself and committed to making a change. His wife, (almost) 5 year Get Fit veteran (Becky Lovell) keeps him on his toes and challenges him to lift something heavier each training session. This is what Garrett has to say:

“My wife, Becky, has been a member at Get Fit for over four years.  Knowing that I have struggled to find something I could stick to in order to maintain my “health” (ranging from Weight Watchers to that somewhat questionably “judgment-free zone” we all hear advertised), she had suggested and encouraged me to try Get Fit on multiple occasions.  I would regularly tell her that what I was doing was working ok for me (it wasn’t).  Sometimes I would say that I didn’t have the time or we didn’t have the extra money (I/we did).  Finally one morning I woke up and realized that I am 35 years old, I work for Under Armour, a company whose mission is to make athletes better, and here I was gaining weight, making poor eating choices, and probably in the worst shape I’ve ever been in.  By now I think Becky had given up on me ever considering trying Get Fit (which was largely validated by her reaction when I told her I wanted to try it), but I knew that she enjoyed the classes and had certainly achieved some great results and what I had been doing, or not doing, certainly wasn’t working.

It didn’t take long for me to realize how truly unhealthy I had let myself become.  My initial functional movement screening must have been somewhere between comical and soul-crushing for Coach Meagan to administer.  I quickly dubbed myself “Rainbow Bright” with the colorful collection of four limitation bands I had earned for myself.  That first week of classes was a real ego-bruiser, too.  Exercises that I had been able to do fairly easily a number of years back now seemed a lot like what I imagined were advanced CIA interrogation techniques.  When I filled out my questionnaire before starting my two week trial, I had rated my fitness level as a 2 out of 10 which in hind sight felt like I may have been giving myself a little too much credit.

Monday will mark my third month at Get Fit.  While I’m still not satisfied (and I admit that I’m one of those people that rarely is), I am pleased with the results I’ve been able to achieve with the support of my coaches, classmates, family, and friends.  I’m lifting heavier loads, have increased my flexibility, and have quite a few sweatshirts that are a lot looser fitting than I remembered them being last winter when I wore them last.

The coaching staff at Get Fit and the people in my most regularly attended 7:25am class time have been fantastic and frankly the sole reason I kept coming back at first.  They’ve been patient, supportive, and certainly not judgmental.  Now that I’ve started to see some progress and results (and friends, family, and co-workers have too), I have a whole new source of motivation.  I have a red band that I still have to test out of and I’m not fit enough to take up the mantle of Captain America yet (yes, you read that right, I’m 35 and I still want to be Captain America when I grow up), but I’m working on getting stronger and healthier and figure that I can make at least one of those two things happen in the near future.”

We look forward to the transformation. Whether that be to Get Fit NH’s very own Captain America or Garrett’s best version of himself- we’ll take either one with open arms 🙂

You too can make it happen!

Coach Meagan

Cara’s Christmas Gift

There is no greater gift we can receive from a student than a letter such as this one. Give yourself a gift and read it – the entire thing – and then ask yourself “What obstacles am I willing to overcome? This week, next week? Next year?”

Easy to do? That’s just not life, but you know that. I believe in you. I believe you can achieve anything that you want to, regardless of the obstacles in life, if you want it bad enough.

Believe!

a little something for you and Dean:

” We think of gifts and giving this time of year. You and Dean have given me the best gift of all . The gift of health, fitness, confidence, nutrition, and tools…. and finding a new me. ( I used to think of it as finding the old me again…but now that person has changed!)  You have helped me learn to manage stress, helped me work on goals that tie into my entire life…that go way beyond the walls of the gym.

I have discovered that I enjoy helping to inspire others in their fitness quest as well and I hope I can continue to do that.

Now down just shy of 100 pounds in a year and half….down 5 clothing sizes..I feel lighter, move faster, I am one thousand percent stronger and have no pain.  This is a life changing transformation..and I am so thankful for the help and that you both do what you do daily.  How did this all happen?

There is one key….determination and consistency. I stick to it and it works. If I fall off I get back on. I visualize the next goal and see that happening. I partner with like minded people who are in charge of their fitness.

And here is the real deal….I’m just like everyone else. Nancy knows…I have an extremely high stress job that has gotten nearly intolerable in this part quarter and I work up to 80 hours a week.  I had a recent surgery and we worked with that. I have 2 girls that dance in 10 dance classes a week and a child applying for college…as well as one that moved across the country this year.  I am a legal guardian for my Dad.  This is real life and fitness still can be accomplished.

You still manage to kick my butt daily in the gym…by pushing me further and challenging me. My mind no longer has the barriers that were once there about what I am capable of. I have learned the core principles of how to shop, plan, and prepare meals that help my body rather than work against it. I understand how food can heal.

My family has a new Mom, new wife, daughter, etc. At each monthly sales  meeting my coworkers call me the incredible shrinking lady.

Some of my toughest critics have turned into my loudest cheerleaders.

This spring I ran my first 5K. I climbed a few   4000 foot mountains…things I could not have done even 1 year ago. I have more  goals for 2015.

And for anyone who is struggling…or just beginning. Take it one exercise even 10 seconds at a time. One meal. Pick a better snack. Check out the nutrition classes… All of the little things add up.  Push just that little bit more. You are worth it.

Happy Holidays to you all and to your staff….To Health , Happiness and for all you do to Make it Happen.” – Cara

Student Spotlight: 5AM Laura!

It is my pleasure to announce this weeks edition of our Student Spotlight. I have had the opportunity to watch this woman transform herself over the past six months. Laura has changed her life style and for that I am so proud of her. She gets in here and she trains hard then she goes home and she takes care of “The Other 165”. She understands that nutrition plays a major role in results and she has proved that she is making it happen!

Here is what Laura has to say:

“Alienated. That is how I felt six months ago before I started coming to Get Fit. My body just did not respond. I had aches and pains here and there. My heels hurt and I wondered, is it plantar fasciitis? My back was in pain, did I hurt it?  I had constant headaches, is my cancer back, but now in my brain? That is how I felt before I started Get Fit NH. I did not know where to start. I timidly decided to try the two weeks, keeping it a secret. I did not even tell the closest people in my life. I feared their support would feel like pressure. In those first few days it felt like I couldn’t do anything! But everyone was supportive and I started feeling better right away. I started to have more energy and my mood improved, I wasn’t chasing the evil illness behind every sore muscle!

Shine Shine Shine! – Student Spotlight

Last week in our Student Spotlight, we began our two week feature of inspirational women who have continued to train at Get Fit NH throughout their pregnancies. This week’s Student Spotlight is shining on Jill E. and Kim L. Both women have continued working hard and being healthy through their pregnancies and have written about their experiences.

Jill tells us about her top five reasons for continuing to train with her Get Fit Family throughout her pregnancy:

1. If it’s good for me, it must be good for the baby – This one is a no brainer. Obviously anything that is helping mommy stay fit and happy and strong will be good for the baby.

2. I will not let 4 ½ years of training go down the toilet – This is my second pregnancy and I have trained through both so far. Part of my reason for joining the Get Fit Family was to lose weight and get in shape to have kids. I will not let all of that hard work go to waste! Nor do I want to lose my Get Fit Family!

3. Support, support, support – Super Mom/Trainer Nancy understands when you break out in tears for no reason, and doesn’t hold it against you (Sorry Nancy!). She listens to everything and helps me remember that I am changing and can’t do everything I could do before! Coming to this realization was a lot harder with my first pregnancy. What do you mean I can’t hold a plank for 20 seconds anymore without wanting to pass out? I used to be able to hold one for well over a minute. Well, your body is increasing blood cells and blood flow and doing even more amazing things without you even knowing it, so deal. What do you mean I want to throw up in a pushup hold, or mountain climbers, or renegade rows? Hello heartburn! Let’s do those off the bench so your head is elevated. What do you mean my hips are moving (to prep for birth) and my SI joints are completely out of whack and everything hurts? Well, it’s time to avoid all those exercises that create discomfort for the SI joint, focus on stretching and strengthening your core. That last one has been especially frustrating with my current pregnancy, but Nancy has been wonderful at making sure I am not in any discomfort or pain during training and modifying exercises (and making sure I am not going to burst into tears again).

4. Cool technology – This pregnancy I am hooked up to a heart monitor during training. This may be the most interesting part because I am really able to control my intensity and workouts all while keeping my heart rate in check. Who knew band hammer curls could get your heart racing so fast! I like that I am able to control when I need to increase my intensity (quit being a baby, or ‘suck it up’ as Dean says) and when I need to take a breather.

5. Astonishing people – Some people are shocked when I tell them I train 3-4 nights a week while pregnant – my parents’ and grandparents’ generation especially. But I love being able to explain that training isn’t just for me. The lowering and raising of the heart rate when training resembles labor. I am not the only one who has to go through it, this baby has to prepare too! I had a C-section with the first pregnancy (my daughter was breech), so there was no labor involved, but there was a heck of a recovery afterward! Without having the core and the arm strength I’d built up previously, I am guessing that recovery would have sucked a whole lot more! It’s too early to tell with Baby Boy Edelmann what type of delivery I will have, but they are telling me he is going to be big and tall. Have you met my husband…eek! So the way I see it, the more prepared I am while he is still in the womb, the better!

 Jill and Karl, along with the rest of us, are waiting to meet their newest family member!

 ***

Our next mom Kim explains how training with Get Fit NH has helped her through her pregnancy and in preparing for giving birth:

It gets increasingly hard to find the motivation to get to class but the payoff gets so much greater! I could be having the worst day – tired, grumpy, and not feeling well – but after class all of those feelings and emotions would be gone. Physically, I have had an incredibly easy pregnancy and I do not attribute that to luck. I attribute it to the fact that I have never really stopped moving. I refused to give up and chose instead to be tough. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but so far it has worked! (Although I can’t lie, I’ve had days where I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, but we can blame that on hormones).

I am really curious to see how my recovery from childbirth will be and even more curious to see how I handle childbirth itself with our mottos from class running through my head – “Get comfortable being uncomfortable!”, “You can do anything for 15, 20, 30, 40 seconds!”, and “Last set is the best set!”.

Little Maggie was born in August. Congratulations, Kim!

Training when it is just yourself is difficult – we should all get a high five each day for making it happen. But when you are training while experiencing morning sickness or feeling uncomfortable at nine months pregnant, you deserve a second high five! Katie introduced us to Little Jonathon this past January and later this year Amanda is expecting her second child. Congratulations to Carolyn, Jill, Kim, Katie, and Amanda and everyone else in the Get Fit Family for working so hard!