The Best Workout for Every Age

In your 30's:
Maybe you used to stay slim doing sporadic workouts, but now it's time to establish a regular routine to fend off loss of bone density and flexibility.

In your 40's:
Ramp up cardio to tackle the creep of belly fat that starts this decade.

In your 50's & beyond:
It's important to dd strength training to your cardio routine to fight the dreaded "flat butt" and keep muscles firm.

(excerpted from the September 2011 issue of Health Magazine)

Why not make Stroller Strides classes or our 5K Training Program part of your routine? And bring your mom so she can avoid getting the dreaded "flat butt" :) !

"Midtown Moms on the Run" 5K Training

Announcing

Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh's

"Midtown Moms on the Run"

5K Training Program!

October 4th-November 29th, 2011

Tuesdays & Saturdays @ 8:30am

Program culminates with the December 3rd Jingle Bell Run 5K

Weekday & Weekend options- accommodates both working and stay-at-home moms! Beginners and experienced runners (and everyone in between) welcome!

To all local moms of any age or fitness level:

Have you ever dreamed of making it through the finish line but don't know how to get started? Have you run in the past and would like to get back into it? Are you looking for some extra cardio and the motivation to stick with it? If you answered "Yes!" to any of those questions then this program is for you!

Our training program includes:

• 9 weeks of regular group training runs
• Weekly training program & guidance (1-2 additional runs/week completed on your own).
• Training run locations in the Midtown Raleigh area including Shelley Lake & various Greenway Trails
• Education on running form, injury prevention, increasing speed & distance and choosing the right running shoes.
• Supportive atmosphere with other moms working towards the same goal!

Strollers are welcome (but optional) during our training runs. Dads are welcome too. Please contact us about a discounted couples rate if Dad would like to participate throughout the program. missycurrin@strollerstrides.net

Enroll Now!

Fees: $70 for entire program. ($50 for active Stroller Strides Members or Class Pass holders). Optional Team jersey, $20. Race fees not included.

"Midtown Moms on the Run" 5K Training Program

SS Member/Pass Holder (without Team jersey) $50.00 SS Member/Pass Holder WITH Team jersey $70.00 Non-SS Member/Pass Holder (without Team jersey) $70.00 Non-SS Member/Pass Holder WITH Team jersey $90.00

For more information please contact: Missy Currin at missycurrin@strollerstrides.net or 888.760.0142 ext 1.

Understanding Artificial Sweeteners

It’s understandable that you might be drawn to diet foods or artificial sweeteners when trying to keep your weight down. Unfortunately, those foods may be doing you more harm than good.

Most of these are chemicals that replace the sweetness of sugar without the calories. Think about this: with real foods when you eat something that’s very sweet it’s also usually high in calories. Your brain knows this and does its best to use those calories efficiently. When you eat something that is sweet and does not have calories, your brain is confused and your body will not metabolize those calories as it should. Basically, if you eat something that tastes like it should have calories and doesn’t, it will have a negative impact on your body!

TIPS

1. “Sugar Free” does not always mean low in calories.
2. Recent studies have shown artificial sweeteners can actually increase your appetite.
3. Artificial sweeteners can still spike your blood sugar and lead to additional cravings

Just because it’s on the market does not mean it’s safe. Saccharin has been linked to cancer. Sucralose (also known as Splenda) is associated with both liver and kidney enlargement. It can also cause skin rashes, headaches and stomach pains. Aspartame (also known as NutraSweet, Equal and others) has been associated with everything from hallucinations to brain tumors.

Turn to natural sweeteners when you need something sweet. This can be honey, maple syrup and date sugar. As with any sugar, keep it in moderation as it has no health benefit. Sugar is sugar, regardless of color.

Natural Minimally Refined Sweeteners (the best for you)

•Fruit juice

•Unrefined maple syrup

•Raw honey

•Date sugar

•Molasses (blackstrap or barbados)

•Sucanat

•Brown rice syrup

•Barley malt

Refined Sweeteners (second best)

•White sugar

•Brown sugar

•Refined maple syrup

•Corn syrup

•Fructose

•Glucose

•Dextrin

•Dextrose

•Processed honey

•Maltodextrin

Artificial Sweeteners (avoid!)

•Aspartame (a.k.a. NutraSweet)

•Saccharin

•Mannitol

•Sorbitol

•Xylitol

(Originally posted on www.strollerstrides.com by Lisa Druxman 7/2011)

Understanding Sugar

No doubt about it, sugar is a hot topic for anyone wanting to lose weight. Unlike fat or sodium, you don’t actually have a physical need to eat sugar. It has zero nutritional value. However, your body naturally turns food into sugars (glucose) to fuel the body and brain. The challenge is that sweet foods tend to make us overeat. Plus, artificial sweeteners trick our body about how food should be metabolized.

We know that foods, like candy and ice cream, are high in sugar. But you may be surprised at the high amount of sugar in foods that you wouldn’t expect. It’s added to most processed foods and beverages. Sugar is added because of flavor but also because it can help preserve foods, fuel fermentation (like in bread) and serves as a bulking agent. Sugar occurs naturally in foods like fruit, milk, vegetables and even some grains. Remember sugar has n0 nutritional benefit!

Why you want to stay away from added sugars:

- Tooth decay - Sugar allows bacteria to grow in your mouth

- Poor nutrition - You fill up and then don’t eat the healthy foods

- Weight gain - It adds calories but no nutrition to foods and usually causes overeating

- Higher triglycerides - Eating too many sugars can increase triglyceride levels which can increase risk of heart disease.

The American Heart Association suggests no more than 100 calories/day (or about 30 grams) for women from added sugar. That is about 5 teaspoons per day. Most Americans are eating closer to 31 teaspoons per day! Eye opener: One soda has 9 teaspoons of sugar!

Sugar Surprise- These foods are all high in sugar:

- 1 Package Oatmeal – 15 grams

- 1 Protein Bar – 15 grams

- 1 Tbl. Salad Dressing – 6 grams

- 1 Cup Granola – 24 grams

- ½ Cup Tomato Sauce – 10 grams

- 1 20 oz. Bottle Ice Tea – 56 grams

- 1 oz. Ketchup – 6 grams

- 12 oz. Sport Drink – 42 grams

- 8 oz. Fruit-flavored yogurt – 26 to 39 grams

Eliminate Hidden Sugars

You don’t have to worry about naturally occurring sugars in fruit and milk, for example, for your health. It is the added sugars that cause the problem. Read labels and stay away from: Fructose, Maltose, Sorbitol, Evaporated cane juice, Syrups, Xylotol and sugars ending in "ol" or "ose".

More to come on artificial sweeteners later this week!

(Originally written and posted on www.strollerstrides.com by Lisa Druxman 7/2011)

Mid-Month Class & Playgroup Update

Many of you may have already received this news via your email Inbox but I want to make sure you're all getting the latest info so here it is again...

Hello Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh Members & Class Pass Holders!

This is a quick mid-month update to keep you all in the loop...

• Fall Schedule Changes: We're adding a new class time/location in late September! To accommodate a growing group of moms and varied sleep schedules for the little ones we're going to open a 10am class on Mondays and Wednesdays at Shelley Lake. The start date and exact location where class will meet will be forthcoming soon... stay tuned! Meanwhile, North Hills classes will continue to meet MWF at 9am. After Labor Day (Oct 6th) the NCMA Museum Park classes will move to a 9:30am start time on T/Th.

• Found: 2 New Playgroup Captains!: Sharon Morris will stay on to serve as Playgroup Captain for another 6 months and will be joined by 2 new Co-Captains; Krista Welty and Amy Ruetz. A big thank you to Nora Bray, who is stepping down at the end of this moth, for serving as our inaugural Playgroup Captain for the past year. We owe a year's worth of fun and friendship to your time and efforts- thank you for your service!

• 5K Training Program: Our "Midtown Moms on the Run" 5K Training Program will start Oct 4th and culminate in the Jingle Bell Run (5K) on Dec 3rd. Group training runs will be on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8:30am in the Midtown/N.Raleigh area. Strollers, beginners and experienced runners welcome! There is a discount for active Stroller Strides Members & Class Pass Holders! Click HERE for more information and to access the registration form.

~ Team Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh ~

Training with Resistance Bands

If you've never been to a Stroller Strides class perhaps you've never had the satisfaction of working out with a resistance band. You are missing out!
Resistance bands are rubber tubes with handles on each end. They vary in the resistance they offer. At Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh we use the SPRI Xertube in green (less intense) and red (more intense) and if you're feeling particularly tough... both at the same time! For some reason no one has taken me up on that last option yet. Yet.

Why tubing? Easy!

• Tubes are inexpensive. At Stroller Strides classes we sell replacement tubes for just $10 (grn) or $11 (red). They are also available at many sporting goods stores and online but don't go too cheap... quality matters!
  
• Resistance tubing is very portable. My tubing has been all over the US and Mexico on family trips. Those hotel workout rooms are always a disappointment but I'm never without a means to exercise when I've brought my tubing along. Plus- seeing it in my suitcase reminds me to fit in a workout on those busy family trips!
• Tubing is versatile and effective. You can target all major muscle groups with your resistance tubing exercises. Lower body? Target your medial glutes by side stepping with both feet on the band and a handle in each hand. Upper body? Challenge your biceps by stepping on the band with one or both feet, one handle in each hand and performing a standard bicep curl. You get the idea.
  
• Its virtually impossible to achieve this look... maybe you consider that a disadvantage?

So, have I sold you on resistance bands? If you're still not sure then come join me for a Stroller Strides class and I'll show you! And if you need to replace your bands or are ready to upgrade to a higher intensity band just drop me an email: missycurrin@strollerstrides.net and I'll get you set up with a new one.

Your Words & Thoughts Have Power

Sounds like something you would tell your children, doesn't it? Well, I have an assignment for you; Pay attention to the words you use about your body and the thoughts you have throughout the day. You may be surprised at the amount of times you create negativity about your body and/or your abilities. “My butt is big”, “I can’t do this”, “This hill is too steep. I can’t do it”, “I’m fat”…any of these sound familiar? A famous quote by Henry Ford always comes to mind when thinking about the power of thought, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right”. There is a negative spiral that happens when our thoughts are focused on the negative, we become limited by them.

The second part of this assignment is to start a negativity boycott. Stay conscious of those times you tend be negative and turn yourself around. You will see it make a big difference in the way you feel and the way you instill new challenges on yourself. You are strong, beautiful and ever-changing, don’t be the one who limits your own possibilities!

(originally posted by Stroller Strides National Fitness Director, Farel Hruska 8/2011)

Nothing to fear... one mom's tale of parting ways with the paci

This post is long overdue as Monty's paci is long gone... we parted ways last summer when he was 18 months old. But I read an article in Parents magazine the other day about another families' attempt to ditch their daughter's pacifier and it brought me back to the feelings of uncertainty and fear every parent goes through when approaching this big milestone. Would my son ever be able to fall asleep again on his own? What about car trips, plane rides, and upsetting situations that a good suck on the pacifier seemed to solve? Turns out I had nothing to fear except fear itself.

There was no "binky fairy" at our house, no mailing of the pacifier to a younger cousin or friend, no cold-turkey-cry-it-out scenarios. In fact, there was practically no strategy at all. It almost happened by accident. We'd been trying to keep Monty's paci use isolated to his crib and carseat (long rides only) and had been relatively successful. Between Stroller Strides, playgroups, and family trips last summer we were constantly on the go and found ourselves suddenly with only one pacifier. The others had been lost along the way and never replaced. I found myself always checking to make sure our last one didn't go missing as well!

One day I went to get Monty from his nap and found him playing with his last paci in his crib. The very tip of it had ripped about 3/4 of the way off. Not wanting him to choke on it I snipped that little flap right off. It dawned on me right then that this could be the end if I played my cards right. For the next few days I continued to snip it shorter and shorter until all that was left was a little rubbery ring attached to the plastic base... very unsatisfying. And that was the end. No drama. And you know what? He sleeps very well (most of the time) and has never once asked for it back.

I'm not saying it will work for every kid but if you're thinking of parting ways with a pacifier it might work for you! Best of luck and let me know how it turns out ~ Missy

Our August Mom of the Month

Our Mom of the Month program allows us to honor one of our Stroller Strides moms for her efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle while getting to know her better at the same time. Our August Mom of the Month is Shauna Elggren (aka Cameron's mom)!

Shauna rarely misses a workout- often attending 4-5 Stroller Strides classes per week. Sweet Cameron is always with her smiling and waving (one of his latest tricks) and usually sporting the cutest little baby faux-hawk you've ever seen! This fit, fun, and fashionable mama is a great asset to our program and we all love having her around!


We asked Shauna a few questions to get to know her a bit better and this is what she said...

Hometown: Born in Tuscon AZ. But I'm an army brat so I've had lots of hometowns. My family always seemed to come back to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Education: Some college

Member Since: Oct 2010
Members of your Family: 2 sisters: Shyloh (Utah) & Shelley (Nags Head, NC), ME, and 2 brothers: Jeff (Utah) & Justin (Raleigh)... also Cameron (age 1) and Greg (Cameron's daddy)
Current Career: Mommy (best job ever) and some very part time Bookkeeping
What was your childhood ambition? to be an Actress
What does motherhood mean to you? I never really wanted to have kids, but the moment I saw this little guy's face in the ultrasound I finally knew what true love really was. Then when he was born I knew my new life ambition was to help make this little boy as happy as possible. It has changed me for the better!
What is the furthest you've been from home? Hawaii or Cancun
What has Stroller Strides done for you? I don't know where I would be without you fabulous girls (prob in the corner crying everyday). I'm also starting to lose some of my baby weight & feeling more confident!
What is your favorite exercise? "Head shoulders knees and toes"...FAST...I can never find eyes, ears, mouth, and nose correctly ;) hahaha

What is your proudest moment? Becoming a mommy
What are three of your favorite things (besides your family)? I love the beach, dancing, & working out
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or that makes you unique. I got married when I was 19 and divorced at 29. Greg and I met when I was working for Gold's Gym, we always had so much fun together. We dated off and on for several month before I moved in. We were very pleasantly surprised to find out I was pregnant. We are so happy to be parents. Maybe some day we'll get married, but I'm in no rush.