Spring Minestrone with Turkey Meatballs

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

After a day of swimming and sweating, a hearty soup sounds so good.  Speaking of sweating, I think I am just as wet when I walk out of Bikram yoga as I am when I leave the pool, no joke.  Ok, back to food, and my apologies, My guess is that some people probably don't appreciate sweat and food in the same paragraph.  I did shower before I cooked, if that makes you feel more comfortable.  I know it made me feel more comfortable.  And smell better!

But what smelled even better was the aroma of the turkey meatballs I made browning in the skillet, while I prepared the beginnings of the soup.  I got the recipe from the most recent Bon Appétit magazine.  When I opened up the magazine, I realized I didn't have all the ingredients.  What's a recipe follower to do?  I didn't want to run out to the store, since I am really trying to only spend what I need to these days.  Talk about being a beginner!  When it comes to money, I am like a kid.  Money is for me to spend, share, and for all to enjoy.  If I have to do without something, it always feels imposed, and not like a choice to save.  I am working on learning how to be more thrifty, and to save more, while not losing that child-like sharing quality that I have around money.

Beginner Mind

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few. 

-Shunryu Suzuki 

Today I completed day four of the water aerobics and Bikram yoga week.  A week of ME time, since I am off of school and my kids are all in school!  A week of taking care of myself by jump starting my weight loss goal with a five day physical fitness regimen that my body has not seen the likes of in quite some time.

I am pleased to say that yoga has been a joy.  The last time I tried to go back after a hiatus, my body couldn't do certain things.  I couldn't grab the back of my heels in the Pada-Hasthasana part of the half-moon series.  I couldn't hold onto my knee during the final spinal twist.  This time around, I can do all these things again, and it feels great!  The shocker is still the fact that in Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose, my head is so far from touching the floor.  When I was doing my thirty day challenges, I remember the day I finally touched my head to the floor, and now I have so far to go...again.

It is a good reminder.  In life, we often have to start over at something.  Or simply start something new, and we find ourselves in that beginner role again.  Don't forget that being a beginner has a beauty too.  Steve Jobs had a thought provoking quote on being a beginner, he says, “I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” – Steve Jobs

What can come from being a beginner again in my life?  In your life?  I just want to make sure that I can feel that lightness of being, and not the critical voice of wishing I were already in a more advanced place.  Wishing I were in a place that I am not.  Maybe if we can remember that we are right where we need to be - no matter how far our head is from the floor at yoga class, or what job we lose, or what weight we are - maybe then we can touch that creativity that nourishes us to reach our goals and beyond.

So, for now, if you are a beginner at something...breathe, right where you are.  Exhale and know it will all be OK.

Learning to be right where I am is an ongoing lesson.  Thanks for all your inspiration along the way.

-Melissa  

Excited, but Detached

Let go, and soar high.

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
The beginning of a journey can be exhilarating.  There is hope and promise, and not enough time to have the thoughts that tempt you into giving up on those things.  I have a saying that I use quite often in life, "Excited, but detached."  When I am working toward something in life, I try to keep my mind in the excited stage, without getting too attached to any one outcome.

In my mind, setting a firm goal, and keeping only that one goal in your mind's eye, can be limiting.  With a weight loss goal, I find this particularly challenging.  I have a number I have chosen, 26 pounds.  But I have to look further, and dig past what the number represents.  On a deeper level, what I am really setting my goal for is to find my healthy, fit weight.  140 pounds is just a number that I have felt pretty fit at in previous years.

I am going to attempt to stay enthusiastic.  I am going to ride the waves of feeling down, or feeling like progress is not happening, knowing they won't last forever.  I am going to keep my goal ahead of me, and yet stay open to the possibility of even more.  Of learning more about health, and the wealth it can bring to my life.  Of learning more about my body, and how to love myself.  Of learning acceptance.  And if I lose more than 26 pounds, that's OK too.

What I long for more than anything, is to have a healthy relationship with food and with my body.  To keep making myself a priority.  To be able to eat a cheeseburger and fries and not go overboard, stuffing myself until it hurts.  I am more important than those last five bites of poutine.

I am reminded of what people say about quitting smoking.  That for some people it takes many times, and each time you practice quitting, you get better at it until you're finally completely done.  For me, quitting smoking many years ago was easy.  But my relationship with food, something that you have to eat everyday, is proving to be much more difficult.

I am willing to practice this thing called health as long as it takes.  Healthy living on so many levels.  I am making a promise to stay excited but detached, in regards to the outcome.  Who knows what amazing things lie ahead as I go through this journey with myself.  I don't want to let my limiting goal of a number hinder the world of possibilities open to me!

Today was day three of water aerobics and Bikram yoga.  I am finding that as hard as it is to walk when I get out of bed in the morning from my muscles being so sore, the water exercise really helps loosen things up.  And then in the yoga room, just as I think my arms couldn't possibly do another set of half-moon pose, after a quick rest, the heat has done its magic and I am able to continue on.  Today's class was hot, very hot, but it felt incredible.  I rested when I needed to and I didn't judge myself, I just kept repeating, "I am a beautiful person."

And when I stood there in front o that unforgiving mirror, it gave a little, it was forgiving, and I saw before me a beautiful person.  And I smiled just a little.
-Melissa

Pregnant Melinda's Next Move

Posted by Melissa Baumgart (aka Melinda)
Begrudgingly, I went to hot yoga yesterday.  I was seriously in tears the night before.  I didn't want to shove what I perceive as my chubby body into the tight yoga clothes I used to wear...and stand next to my very fit friend I was invited to go with.  I always hate that this is an issue with me, but it is.  It is ever present.  I believe at this point, that it is more about my mental state of being, and less about the way my body looks.  I would venture to say that it is a state of mind that many women drift towards; some more, some less.

The fact that I love my friend so much, and want to spend time with her, trumped my negativity.  I showed up at the 9:30 am class, nervous, but ready to sweat.  It was difficult, but not nearly as hard as I had anticipated.  The class postures were just as I had expected, 26 poses and two sets of each, and that was a comfort.  The discipline of the form relaxed my fears.  What I didn't expect was the scale in the corner of the bathroom.  Tempted as I was before class, I did not step on it, for fear that the number would haunt me the entire class.  I knew didn't need the extra mental pressure.

After class, though, curiosity won.  I stepped on the scale.  166.  It's not my top weight, but it is up there.  On the BMI calculator, I qualify as overweight, by 3 tenths of a point.   I am 25.2, and normal range is from 18.5 to 24.9.  The calculator I used allows you to set goals, and gives you caloric requirements per day to achieve those goals.  I set my goal to lose 2 pounds per week, and reach a final weight of 140.  That should take 13 weeks.

I have done this before.  Two years ago, I lost 30 pounds.  I know I can do it.  But it is scary to publicly set forth a goal like this.  And it's a little humbling to have worked so hard for something and then realize you chose to let it slip away.  My mind races with questions.  What if I don't follow through?  What if I fail?  What if I succeed and then give ti all away again?  What if...?

I would venture to say that my larger fear is that I will meet my goal and still be in this mind frame.  That I will still see my problem areas as if they are highlighted in bold print.  My simple task in this area is going to be as follows:  As soon as I hear that inner voice being critical, I will say to myself, "You are a beautiful person."  Simple.  We all are, right?  Who am I to argue with that.  Beauty, after all, is more than skin deep.

In order to kick start this goal, and since I have the week off of school, I am devoting my free day time to ME TIME!  Everyday this week I will go to water aerobics and Bikram yoga.  I will turn down the potato chips and french fries and opt for kale and almonds.  And every time I am critical of myself when I look in that unforgiving mirror at yoga class or in the ladies locker room at the pool, I will remind myself, "I am a beautiful person."  Inside and out.

It feels good to be transparent.  What do they say?  Acceptance is the first step?  It's all out there now!

Right now, I am off to my favorite Green Lake water fitness class, and then to my favorite yoga studio, The Sweatbox!  I can't wait to see all the familiar faces.

-Melissa

Quick Update:  I went to both classes and I feel great!  Day two of water aerobics/Bikram yoga is finished!  And YES, I did have to use my little mantra many times.  But the point it, that I remembered to use it!

Water Blogged

Posted by Amy Baranski

With big travel this past weekend I was remiss in blogging. But I did go to water aerobics four consecutive days last week! Exercising consistently felt phenomenal. So it was very hard to get on a plane and take a three day rest.

That's because exercise provides this great ripple effect:  I drink more water, I eat healthily, and I find increased focus and productivity in my work.

Of course, at the beginning of the month after class I would make a big meal, take a cat nap, startle awake and go on with the rest of my day. That crash effect stopped after I made exercise my regular routine. I now sleep really well at night after a good work out during the day.

Taking off three days of water aerobics to go visit family...I wouldn't give that up for the world.

I've attended all but one of my classes this month at Medgar Evers pool. It's so close and feels like "my" neighborhood: parts hipster, gentrified, African American, and new-immigrant communities. The demographic is young. In the evenings the lap lanes are full of eager-bodied teens swimming swiftly from end to the other. I love the energy of the place, even if all the instructors are not equally motivating. Yesterday I stepped back in the pool after the weekend hiatus. The flotation belt had been causing some chaffing on my arms so I'm wearing it below the bump, which prevents the chaffing but presents it's own difficulties (such as slipping down over my hips or creeping up onto my bump).

Today however, I'll miss my usual noon-time class to go to Melissa's favorite Senior class at Greenlake. That pool is fun too, it just doesn't feel like "home" to me. I guess I like the industrial (concrete/low natural light) feel of the Medgar Evers building. Really it's the people I like most, and the smell of Ezelle's fried chicken every time I emerge from the building. But when in the water I feel the same no matter where I am. So here I come Greenlake!

Project Simplify: Drawers: Before and After

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
The Drawers Went From This:

To This:

And let's hope they stay this way!  I think investing in the containers that connect to each other is a good step in that direction.  

What's in store for the next week of Project Simplify?  Simple Mom has left it up to me.  I get to choose my most needed "hot spot" of mess.  It was a tough choice, but I am picking the book shelf in my hallway.  It is in an area of my apartment that people don't see, which means it is a place that I shove things when I don't know where else to put them!  Time to clean up my hidden spot!

Here's to a week off from school, spent doing water aerobics and cleaning!  Oh, and I am revisiting hot yoga this week too.  Yikes, I don't know if I am ready for this.

-Melissa

When did I turn into a pregnant woman named Melinda?

Note, the glistening light.

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
It all happened yesterday at my noon water aerobics class.  Mostly I chatted with Amy during class.  You can have some pretty good conversations while bobbing around in the water.  Like wondering if being in the water reminds us of what it was like in the womb, our limbs always moving through liquid.  Then Amy reminded me that our heads stick out of the water, so it really isn't like being in the womb, unless we're talking right after crowning during birth.

Here are a few snippets of the conversations I had with people other than Amy.

An elderly woman makes eye contact with Amy.

"Hi.  Are you new?  What's your name?
"Amy."
"Oh, well, we have two Amy's then." And then she looks at me, "And what's your name?"
"Melissa."
"Melinda?"
"Melissa." I repeat with extra emphasis on the ssss.
"Melinda."  She repeats, with confidence, and aqua jogs away.

Later during some abdominal crunches, the instructor, with the microphone at his mouth, says to me,
"Are you pregnant?"
"No."
"Oh, it's just that you're in the water and the light is glistening on your suit and it's hard to tell."

Thanks, buddy.  I am here to get fit, not to feel fat.
I think I'll find another pool for today.
-Melissa

What to do if you get a foot cramp.

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
Believe it or not, Lily, my 12 year old, did join us for the trip to our water aerobics class last night.  And then, once in the confines of the dressing room, her face reddened and her voice nervously uttered, "I don't want to do it, Mama."  I had a moment of wanting to tell her, "Well, you agreed to come, so you better get in the water.  Plus, I paid for you already!"  Then I recalled it was only $3.50 and that if she didn't get in the water, we could maybe get some good photos.  No, really, I just decided not to push it.  She seemed really adamant about not joining the class.

It was probably my worst class yet.  My foot started cramping up after only 10 minutes in the water, and it didn't help that I had gorged on tortilla ships only a hour or so before class.  By the end of the 45 minutes workout (if you can call it that) I could no nothing besides hold onto my right foot and massage it, thankful for the floatation belt I had around my waist.  Then, when I tried to climb up the ladder to get out, both of my feet seized into a painful cramp, and I nearly panicked.

Somehow I made it down the length of the pool, holding onto the edge with one hand and massaging my foot with the other.  The fear that you will not be able to manage relieving the cramp is overwhelming.  The possibility of the muscles tightening beyond your control is truly something that can only be experienced and not explained.  I wish it on no one.

But, if you are to get a foot cramp, here are some tips from myself and the internet on what to do.  Most of them are intuitive, but in the panic of the moment, intuition can be hard to find.

1. Take the cramped foot in your hands. Slowly, but firmly, move it in the opposite direction of the cramped position.
2. Keep the foot in this position until the cramp disappears.
3. Gently massage it for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Take a pain reliever, if desired and repeat the dose after 4 hours.
5. Drink lots of water, and add in some electrolytes.  I use NUUN tablets.  Some people swear by eating a banana, because of the high potassium level.
6. Elevate your foot on a pillow to the level of your waist.  Or, if you're in the pool, with a floatation belt, keep your leg up as you tilt your body backwards.
7. Apply an ice pack. Place the ice pack around the cramp, not directly on it.
8. Use moist heat on the cramping muscle 3 times a day if cramping is chronic and persists longer than 24 hours. A warm foot soak may be beneficial.
9. Consider wrapping the foot with an elasticized cloth bandage or sports wrap. Be careful when wrapping under the arch--too much pressure against it can cause pain.
10. Rest and stay off your foot. Give the muscle, tendon or nerve mass time to heal.

Armed with "what to do if you get a foot cramp", I am going to go back today.  A little apprehensive and missing my other class a lot.  The other pool has more light.  And more smiling, old people.  I can't wait until Green Lake's pool re-opens next week!

-Melissa

Will she go?

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
I was trying to talk my 12 year old into coming with me to water aerobics tonight.  She requested a video, you know, to see what she might be getting herself into.

This is what we found:

I am still not sure if she is a YES or a NO.  What do you think she'll choose after watching this?

-Melissa

Perfection and my attempt at avoiding it

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
First off, the good news:  I am going to water aerobics tonight!  It has been too long.  What with my school finals and the pool being closed for renovations, it has been well over a week since I have been in the pool.  I am really looking forward to being in the water, feeling its buoyancy and healing nature.  I'll let you know what I think of the deep end at Medgar Evers after tonight.

And more good news!  
Project Simplify: Kitchen.

During the freezer re-org.  Yes, that is a snowball and some
random blueberries.  I have no idea what the red stuff is.

Last week I started on an organizing journey through my kitchen.  I thought of it like exposure therapy; the more I see organization, the less I will resist its double edge sword.  While it feels so good to be tidy and together, it can also create a bit of an obsession with perfection.  I can easily name many areas of my life where this push and pull can be played out.  I don't have to be perfection's martyr.

The freezer BEFORE.

So, I went out and bought some cheap organizing supplies.  I usually don't buy these because I want the really nice stainless steel ones or even bamboo.  I want to limit my consumer consumption of plastic and stuff made in China.  Plus the nicer ones just look and feel nicer, let's face it.  But instead of holding out for something that seems to never happen, having the extra cash to spend on such fancy items, I went for the cheaper plastic version.

I am so happy I did!  It is way better to look at organized plastic, than the mess I lived through for all these years.  Now, when I come home, the first thing I want to do is look in my freezer or fridge, and the real shocker is that I am not looking for food to stuff my face with...I just want to relax into the sublime organization before my very eyes.  

The freezer, AFTER.

This week's goal, as set forth by the blog, Simple Mom, is countertops, closets and drawers.  Remember my life as a junk drawer?  And how awesome I felt then I got it all organized?  Well, it's back.  back to a mess.  I am re-inspired by my quote I found in a Martha Stewart magazine last week, "Staying organized is an ongoing process; if something isn't working well for you, change the process until it is."

I need to invest in some better organizing tools for this drawer.  Made in China, here I come.  My 12 year old would be rolling here eyes and stomping her feet at me for saying that, as she is an avid "buy local" fan these days.  The truth is, I agree with her, which creates quite a dilemma.

My finished container storage.

Does anyone have any fabulous ideas for reusing something to create a drawer organizer?  Last time I tried various plastic containers from food we had bought, but they float around too much in the drawer and everything falls out eventually.  It really wasn't working for me!  Let me know if you think of something brilliant and I'll do the same.

-Melissa

Life without a buoy

Posted by Amy Baranski

Yesterday I took a nooner at Medgar Evers and jumped into the Aqua Jog class. My headband fell off immediately.

Equally stressed about my hair getting in my face during class and littering in the pool I urgently dove down (with a flotation belt harnessed around my torso), opened my eyes in the chlorinated water and blindly grasped for my head band.

I actually got it.

When I bobbed to the surface a few wrinkled faces looked concernedly at me. I almost said, "I'm OK," but sloughed it off and faced the instructor.

I saw another pregnant lady in class! 

But instead of introducing myself like a normal person I just kept glancing over at her during class to exchange a kind of knowing look. I can be such a nerd. She seemed my age, and appeared to be in her third trimester. Introducing myself after class in the shower just seemed awkward, so I pulled a Seattle and didn't say anything.

The teacher made us work hard.

Should I be so surprised? I'm at the pool to improve my cardiovascular strength and endurance during this pregnancy, but man, aqua jog sprinting pumps your heart like mad and makes you feel like an insane doggy-paddler. Except you're not doggy-paddling your moving your legs in a jogging motion.

The woman next to me turned and muttered "this is completely futile." It sort of felt that way, but then I realized we made it halfway through the deep end. The instructor gave us ten seconds to rest, then made us turn around and sprint again.

Aqua jog may confuse lap swimmers.

As we sprinted toward the deep end a very muscular lap swimmer rested between lamps and watched our class. I flashed him the biggest smile I could that was supposed to read: I know I look like I'm in aqua jog but I could totally lap swim. I told my blog readers I would and I'm going to do it. This is just my warm up. He looked through me. Puzzled.

I've never had a leg cramp before.

At the end of class I unbuckled my belt and ditched my weights. After two pridefully earnest breast-strokes to the middle of the pool my right calf spontaneously contracted in a painful leg cramp. I cried out. No one heard me. I kicked and pulled water with my left side and sidestroked my right arm to the edge of the pool. I tried not to move my right leg. It throbbed.

In my daze I pulled a Costanza and cut in front of a senior lady to climb the ladder out the pool. The pressure of my foot against the steps provided immediate relief. For a split second during the leg cramp I reached into the water to touch my muscle. It felt rock hard and I thought: damn that's a sexy leg. How can I be so vain during times of distress?

I was on my own. 

When the belt came off I immediately sensed the distance to the pool floor seven feet below. It was just me--two arms and two legs kicking and pulling to stay alive.

It hit me almost as suddenly as the leg cramp: our own resilience and buoyancy is strengthened in unexpected ways at unpredictable times.

Giving birth this year will bring about one of the greatest responsibilities of my life--keeping someone else afloat and teaching them how to swim and cope with the unexpected seizures of life that bring us to our knees sometimes. With the echo of my leg cramp still attached to my calf I keep telling myself, no matter what happens during the next several months, or the months after that: just float.

Into the Deep

Posted by Amy Baranski

***Update: read Out of the Deep for a summary of my first lap swim!***

Since there's no water aerobics class offered on Fridays at my local pool I considered trying lap swim this past week.

Lap swim intimidates me. 

It makes me think of really strong and long people with amazing bodies (not just to look at but in the cardiovascular sense).

Swimming seems easier to me now that I'm older, but I'll never forget the Herculean effort it took during middle school swim class to finish laps. Maybe I was doing it wrong? Or maybe the other students were counting their laps incorrectly, which I repeated to myself in class often enough to remember that mantra 20 years later. Just thinking about lap swim takes me out of my comfort zone.

That's exactly why I'm going to try it.

I skipped the pool on Friday, but on Saturday I bused there for the 10:00 a.m. water exercise class. I showed up early. So early that I got to take a snapshot of the locker room without looking like a total creep. It was empty.

Obligatory locker room shot.

The Saturday morning class is not Hydrofit nor Aqua Jog. It takes place in the shallow end and constitutes a lot of undignified jumping up and down. You have moderate impact with the bottom of the pool. If you don't feel it at the time you certainly do the next day. It was an interesting class with a 50-65+ year-old set. But I did not like the jumping up and down so much; it did not feel so great on my belly.

The entire time I kept staring at the lap swimmers, like they were the cool seniors while I was just starting freshman year.

They were at the other end of the pool and my whole water aerobics class experience morphed into this mental obsession, needing to know if you had to be able to execute a flip turn in order to swim in the lanes. I saw many of the swimmers somersaulting underwater and emerging towards the opposite end of the pool from whence they came. I saw several lanes designated by the words fast, medium, easy, very easy. I was relieved to see the last label, but when I studied that lane it did not look very easy. I have no idea if I'll be able to make it one length of the pool and back, but I really want to try. I actually only want to try in a completely private setting so no one can see me.

It would be OK if a lifeguard were on duty. 

Other than that I'd prefer no one with better athletic ability to be around. Even though those are the exact people you want in the pool with you. It's silly but it makes me uncomfortable to even think about it. So I'm going to do it. There's even a session tomorrow morning at 6:30...

Aqua Jog at Medgar Evers

Posted by Amy Baranski

Yesterday evening after speed cleaning the dishes I ran out the door and made haste for the #48 bus. Point of destination: Medgar Evars pool. Sadly, in the 12 years I've lived in Seattle I'd never been to Medgar Evars. Prior to this month, I'd never dipped my toe in any public pools around town. Lake Washington is my better known summer swimming hole. But the pools! I've underused this public resource for over a decade now. For shame.

I missed my bus.

Maybe it's the people I've associated with, who prefer natural swimming holes, or maybe I never asked the right question to the right person. But typically it's been easier to find sun worshipers in Seattle rather than swimmers. I can't ever guess why. I'm more the latter. I love the heat of the sun, but I'm not a fan of ultra violet rays. I'd rather be in the water than on land. My favorite all time place to swim is in the ocean. Wow I love the ocean. It's buoyant and there live wild creatures!

Fortunately another #48 came barreling down 23rd Avenue. I jumped on.

Most of the public swimming pools look funny from the outside. They are industrial and public and remind me of the Soviet construction we saw prevalent in Cuba during a trip there with my husband in 2008. Medgar Evars pool is most peculiar looking. Cemented and angularly institutional it isn't the height of welcoming save the murals depicting its civil rights era namesake on the building's cold exterior.

I went in.

The pool was hopping with teenagers. Now that I'm pregnant teenagers don't scare me anymore. Not that they scared me, but now I see them better, or maybe they see me better. Members of the Cascade Swim team crawled and backstroked in the pool, parents sat in the bleachers. A good looking young swim instructor worked with little kids in the shallow end. I made my way into the women's locker room.

Medgar Evers feels bigger than the Green Lake pool, although it probably isn't. It reminds me of the pool I swam in as a child. Within walking distance of my house I'd head there after dinner in the evenings for the public swim and practice and practice. For me, swimming came with work.

I was early.

So I got dressed in my suit and tried to take a stealthy picture of myself in the locker room. Major fail. I showered (a requirement before getting in the pool) and eventually headed to the deep end. Other aqua joggers gathered. No seniors. Just thirty-somethings, forty-somethings, and fifty-somethings. At least 20 people in total. We did not conduct the course in a circle as I experienced at Green Lake. Instead we went from one end of the pool the other. The workout differed too.

I was the only pregnant one.

While the other students worked on abdominal crunches in the second part of class the teacher made me jog, then run, then cross country ski. A woman looked at me, "I think you're getting the shorter end of the stick here." I smiled. This time my belt felt different, perhaps I had the wrong size. The result felt like treading water for 45 minutes. After class I chatted with the instructor. "I'm a horrible teacher. They make me do this class because I've been here for three years. I tell them stick me in the water with kids I'll do anything. I hate teaching adults."

I thought he was perfect.

There's an upcoming Aqua Jog class at Medgar Evers on Wednesday at 6:00 pm. See you there?

Exercising While Pregnant

Posted by Amy Baranski

Taking on 12 new things for our blog this year, in addition to being pregnant for the first time, did make me think what the hell am I doing? I decided to take advantage of our blog's format to accomplish things I've been dying to do before baby arrives. It provides a framework for my mental and physical preparation for baby's big debut.

I purposefully picked activities to complement my 12 exciting months of 2012. This month we are taking the plunge with water aerobics! I have always loved the water, specifically being in water. Fresh water, salt water, even pool water. Will my baby love water too?

I joined the fun last Friday at the hydrofit deep water exercise class at Green Lake Park. While baby works out in utero I jumped into an 85 degree pool for some hydrofitness. I adore experiencing new things with my baby already. Squee!

Aerobic exercise during pregnancy?

Old beliefs and lack of scientific research have led many people to think it's bad for pregnant women to practice aerobic exercise. The guidelines published by the ACOG (American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology) actually recommend 30 minutes of it a day! Always consult your doctor or midwife before starting any new work out routine. Each woman carries her own set risks and needs.

Read ACOG's FAQ on exercising while pregnant, and bookmark their site for general gynecological health awareness for you and or your teen girl. Lastly, monitor your heart rate during aerobic exercise. This practice is good in general. Use a tool like the Mayo Clinic online heart rate calculator to see what your target range is. Ask all questions and air all concerns with your health care provider before starting something new.

Is hydrofit deep water exercise okay for me and my baby?

I had the same question the night before my first class and texted my friend Ann for advice. She said I could totally do it. After going, I agree! If health care provider encourages moderate exercise during your pregnancy water aerobics such as hydrofit deep water may be right for you. Take the plunge.

Hydrofit is a class offered by Seattle Parks and Recreation. Their website describes it thus:

"This non-impact deep water class incorporates muscular strengthening, aerobics conditioning, and abdominal toning exercises. In it you'll use flotation equipment for buoyancy and water resistance. Participants should be comfortable in deep water."

You may find a similar class in your area. The class lasts for 45 minutes and entails jogging, sidestroke, abdominal stretches, otter rolls, and weight lifting. It's an amazing non-impact work out.

Ten tips I learned from hydrofit class:

1. There may be two classes going on at one time at either end of the pool. 
2. Choose which one to join. 
3. Shallow end classes have more impact on your joints. 
4. Deep water classes are non-impact.
5. In either you can work at your own speed and level.
6. Before getting in the pool find the instructor let him/her know you're pregnant.
7. Secure your flotation belt above your bump.
8. Grab two hand weights and set them on the edge of the pool.
9. Bring a water bottle and keep it by the side of the pool.
10. The class moves in a circle; try not to bump into people.
11. Talking in class is totally okay!

Remember that moderate exercise is important during pregnancy it can help with your over health maintenance, labor, and beyond. Talk to friends with babies, mommas-to-be, your doc or midwife, and find what works for you. I love water aerobics so far and would say give it a try!

How can water do all that?

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

The Ballard Pool

As I drove away from the Ballard Pool today, I was filled with total peace.  I breathed in and out with mental and physical contentment.  I carried this state of mind with me for a few hours afterwards.  It was not unlike the feeling I used to have after Bikram yoga.  I didn't think I would find anything else that brought me to that place.  A place where the physical meets the mental, and transcends them both to place of pure bliss.  I know, seriously.  It is that good.

I think it is something about the water.  In these deep-water classes we get to wear a buoyancy belt, so you are floating in the deep water.  While I was waiting for the class to start, I floated around a bit, looking down to see the blue water continue deep down below my feet.  I felt like a kid again.

I always like pools.  When we go on vacations, I love playing the the pool with my kids.  We swim races against each other, we see how many flips we can do without taking a breath and splash and play.  In water aerobics, I get to exercise and get a little bit of that vacation feeling all at once.

And better than that, the water just plain old feels good.  Good in a way that words cannot express.  Believe me, I have been sitting here for way too long, putting off my kids bedtime trying to figure out some damn words.  It feels good on my skin.  It feels good to be weightless.  It feels good to be massaged by the water.  It feels good to be held by the water.

I guess it was a lot of things that gave me that euphoric, yet calm sense of being when I left the class today.  After searching the internet for some study to prove what I experienced, I found nothing noteworthy or peer-reviewed for that matter.  So,  I'll just have to be OK with it being a mystery.  One that I intend on repeating tomorrow.

Anyone else getting to the pool these days?
 

Who goes to Water Aerobics?

Before the sparsely attended class at Medgar Evers pool.

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
Why isn't there a documentary about water aerobics?  I was at near-threshold for crying almost the entire class, moved by the beauty of the moment.  Moment after moment continued to hit me filled with pure human experience.  Why is it that the elderly always bring that out in me?  I think back to tai-chi in the strip mall and my night out in Snohomish with Glory.  All of a sudden, there I am in an everyday experience having an odd clarity about my priorities and what really matters in life.

My emotional water aerobics experience happened at a Friday morning Hydro-fit class at Green Lake's Evan pool.  After my first class at Medgar Evens pool, I was not prepared for the age of the crowd that gathered to change in the locker room.  My first class never reached any high capacity at only six participants.  And we were all somewhere between 30-50 years old.  Mostly hovering around the 40 year old mean, you know, I bet the standard deviation would have only been about 2 at the most.  Sorry, statistics class is really infecting my life.  And I love it!

So, the Thursday night class, Water Exercise, was intense.  There was nothing magical about it, aside from the Miami Beach pop tunes to keep us pumped up and the entertainment of the instructor showing us what to do in the water from the cement above.  But no life clarity occurred for me in that pool.  I did, however, get an amazing workout.  The kind of workout that leaves you sore for a couple days.  And I like that.  I left that class liking my first experience, and a little confused about the population.  I really had braced myself to be the youngest person there.

Then Friday morning, Amy and I showed up early to the Hydro-fit class.  It was packed.  There were two classes; one shallow end, one deep end.  And there must have been at least 20 people in each class.  Some people were clearly there to get fit, and others were there for the social party like atmosphere.  I wondered if some guys were there in hopes of a pick-up.  I wondered what it would be like to be 80 and single.

I can't wait to get back.  I want to be a part of that "in-crowd."

-Melissa  

Take the Plunge!

Posted by Melissa Baumgart & Amy Baranski
Welcome to Water Aerobics Month!

We are clearly very excited about it.

Are you up for the challenge of the month?  Are you going to jump in the pool and get some exercise with us?  We have a new poll on the sidebar, up top under our monthly photo, where you can share your intentions.  

If you're new to this blog, we have a monthly activity, where we step out of our comfort zone and try something new.  We always have a lot of fun with our monthly photo shoots, this month being no exception.  

If you are in Seattle, the Parks and Recreation Department offers a Fitness and Aerobics Swim Ticket (FAST) which is an unlimited monthly pass for a great price. This includes public swims and classes, such as water aerobes, aqua jog and deep water fitness.  Our guess is there is something similar in your area if you don't live in Seattle.  

Here's to looking better in our swimsuits by the end of March!  

If you're new to this blog, check out what we do, why we do it and like our Facebook page to stay up to date and participate.