Wow the weeks are just whizzing by!  Maybe I’m noticing it more because my husband is a teacher, and my eldest is now at school, so I know how many weeks are left before the end of the school term, and my next family holiday!  Ooh I can’t wait, we are managing to escape the winter for a couple of weeks overseas!  The kids first trip out of NZ so my 5 year old is super excited!  I’m not sure how many of you out there in parent-land have had to go through this process yet, but even attempting to try and get a 2 and a a half year old to 1.  stand in one place.  2.  not to smile/suck their thumb or do anything else with their hands/ and or feet  3.   look straight ahead at a camera long enough for a stranger to get a half decent, non blurred photo is…… MISSION IMPOSSIBLE! After talking, pleading, bribing, and holding him on the spot for as long as possible and then trying to duck out of the shot – we got a half passable photo!  Fingers crossed it makes the cut at the passport office!

We’ve had a great week at Wheelie Fit Mums.  One of our members, Sarah, got married in the last couple of weeks, so getting to see the sneak peek of some of her photos was really cool.  I loved every minute of planning my wedding, and LOVE checking out wedding photos when I get a chance!  We gave away a 10 session Wheelie Fit pass for a very deserving mum for Mothers Day, who was nominated by one of our current mums.  Having been stuck in the PGC building in the Earthquake, married 4 days later, home red zoned, living with her in-laws, and a premature baby I thought she was a very deserving winner.  I hope you all enjoyed a great day with your child/children.  I spent the day at the Tiddlers Multisport event, where my daughter raced.  She did a run, bike ride, run to a bouncy castle and goop slide – what a fantastic way to introduce your children into a lifelong love of physical activity!

Now continuing on from last weeks tips on walking techniques with a stroller.  We have talked about body positioning, today we are looking at foot position.  Most people don’t think much about the way they walk, however the postnatal stage in particular it is very important.  Your joints/ligaments are weakened from pregnancy due to the hormone relaxing, and your body has been pulled and pushed out of alignment.   Many mums will suffer lower back pain, and poor posture is a contributing factor, as well as core strength.   Many common problems can occur with the foot, these are:  dropped arches, toeing out, and ankle aversion (rolling in).    These all reduce ankle stability, change the action of the foot, and compromise absorption of ground forces.  Today will are concentrating on the heel strike.  When you walk, your heal should strike the ground first.  This seems simple, but many people will be more flat footed than they think.   Below are some photos to show how you should hit the ground with your heel first, following through to the big toe pushing off the ground.  Think about these the next time you go for a walk, and try and combine the heel strike with the correct body positioning and handle bar height. 

Next week I will talk more about rolling in and rolling out,  and some basic exercises to get those abs in shape!