About Me

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I am married with two wonderful sons who are 18 and 11 years old and my 2 year old Baby Girl. I currently live in Reston, VA and have been working for Verizon for 18 years. I am a Licensed Zumba, ZumbKids, Zumba Gold and AquaZumba instructor. I am a Certified AFAA Group Fitness Instructor, a Certified AAI Aqua Fitness Instructor, an RRCA Certified Running Coach and a Certified Keiser Cycle Instructor. I love to exercise, run, do yoga and Pilates and most of all enjoy time with my family.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Want to Lower Your Cholesterol? - Dr. Weil's Daily Tip

Want to Lower Your Cholesterol? - Dr. Weil's Daily Tip

Pregnancy Exercise - Forty Weeks of Fitness with Chelsea by Pregnancy Weekly

Pregnancy Exercise - Forty Weeks of Fitness with Chelsea by Pregnancy Weekly
Here is a great article on Walking for Fitness during pregnancy by Pregnancy Weekly: Walking for Fitness

Remember Walking is one of the best exercises known to man. Anyone can do it and even a little goes a long way whether you are pregnant or not or young or old!! Keeping your body moving and raising your heart rate even just a few beats will definitely help you live a longer and healthier life!!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Shoe Review: First Day in Karhus!!/Day 1
 
 

After being stuck on bed rest by my doctor due to higher than normal blood pressure for the past few weeks it was great to get back outside. I am 9 months pregnant and due anytime. I have been active throughout my pregnancy but being put on bed rest put a crimp in my activity. My running program came to a total halt while I was out on bed rest and it still isn't totally up to par but now that my blood pressure is back to near normal I am able to get out and moving again. 



My first day back on my feet I put on my new Karhu Stable Fulcrum Rides and set out for a jaunt around my neighborhood. I never used Stability shoes before in any of my runs because I have normal pronation and am a pretty good mid-foot striker. But, being pregnant and my body totally out of whack I thought that trying a Stability shoe would be a great way to get back into my running program. My feet have been pretty swollen lately due to the extra poundage from the pregnancy so I went with a half-size larger than normal. I was very happy that I did. These new Karhus are very comfortable. They have the perfect amount of cushioning in a mid-weight shoe. They felt wonderful to wear not only during my run/walk but also walking around the house. These running shoes could be worn on a daily basis for many different activities, not just running.

But, running is what they are for and I did do a little running while I was out. I have signed myself up for my first 1/2 marathon scheduled March 17, 2012 and my second 10 mile race on April 1, 2012 so I am in need of starting my race training. Not only will the exercise do me good but will definitely help me during the labor and delivery of my daughter. 
 
 

I started out walking for about 3 minutes and then went into a slow run/walk for about 10 minutes with a 1 minute run/1 minute walk transition. My pace was definitely slower than normal and I did more walking than running but that is to be expected with a baby on board! All in all I was out for about 20 minutes which includes a warm-up and cool-down. I only went about a mile which I wasn't planning on doing more than for my first day out. I will definitely start adding more time and mileage as I go further in my training and definitely once I have the baby. 



The Karhus definitely help to keep you moving in the right direction. In both walking and running I felt like the shoe was helping me along to keep my pace and keep my foot in the correct forward motion. As I was moving I definitely felt the way my foot rolled forward from landing on my mid-foot, rolling to my forefoot and then toeing off to take the next step. These are a great pair of shoes and I look forward to continual training in them!

My favorite feature of this shoe is the cushioning. It has the perfect amount of cushioning which not only made the walk/run comfortable but also made me feel like I was walking and running on air. I am a foot pounder so I really like a comfortable, cushioning shoe and these totally make the grade.

I look forward to Day 2 and beyond!

RUNNING SHOES: Stable Fulcrum_Ride
KARHU WEBSITE: www.Karhu.com
SHOE REVIEWER: Melissa Baldiwn
IF YOU WANT TO TEST KARHUS APPLY AT: http://www.facebook.com/likekarhu
IF YOU WANT YOUR OWN PAIR OF KARHUS: Karhu.com 20% off code: reviewermelissa (valid until 31 Jan 2012)

Monday, December 5, 2011

Pregnancy fitness is very important from the beginning to the end of your pregnancy. There are many ways to accomplish this. One of the best ways is walking. Even just walking up and down your street can help you and your unborn baby. Pregnancy fitness is very helpful for labor and delivery as well as post-delivery recovery. I wish I was able to continue my running from the beginning to the end of the pregnancy but different factors came into play and I wasn't able to. I do still walk and definitely Zumba but that is becoming more difficult as I get closer to my due date. I do look forward to holding my baby in my arms and being able to take her for walks and get back into my fitness regime!