Workout Wednesday: Circuits make a comeback

Vegan Goodness:

Today we ate the following.

Breakfast: Smoothies for Dad and LP, a quick bowl of rice crispies with strawberries for Mom
Lunch: LP and dad had leftover chili and leftover potato, cabbage and tempeh skillet. Mom (and IP) had a great time at a “mom and baby” brunch where our fantastic friends made vegan quiche, vegan banana chocolate chip muffins and an amazing fruit plate! I contributed Puttanesca Tofu Scramble – it was absolutely fantastic food and company, and some much needed “fellow mom” time!!
Dinner: We had Noodle and Bok Choy stir fry, followed by some chocolate covered almonds for mom!

Money Matters:
Today we spent the following:

$30.00 for our CSA box.
$3.00 for a thai iced tea for Mom while she and IP caught up with a friend in Davis Square
$2.00 for asian eggplants at the Davis Square Farmer’s Market

Workout Wednesday

Circuits are a workout my dad introduced me to when I needed quick strength-building exercises that I could adapt to my physical needs through pregnancy. Basically, you pick a few exercises that work out different areas of your body (upper body, lower body, core/abs) and cycle through them quickly, resting only between circuits. Up until month 7 of my pregnancy I was doing five circuits similar to the one I describe below. This week I finally started up with my new circuits, this time adapted to work with a baby as my weight! Or maybe I should say “circuit” since I have only gotten through one a day during the last three days. My goal is to be up to three circuits at a time by the end of the month.

Here is my workout, with both the “I need to hold the baby while I do this” version and the “oh good, the baby is sleeping” options. To complete one circuit, do the following exercises one after the other, without taking a break. Then, between circuits take a 1-2 minute break (depending on your condition):

Mom’s Post-baby Circuits:

5 push-ups (baby awake? Put her/him down on his/her back, and give her/him kisses with each push-up!)
20 walking lunges with weights in each hand (I’m using 10 lb weights right now) or holding a baby to your chest
10-20 bicep curls (10 with weights, 20 if you are “curling” the baby)
20 stair steps or 3 30-second calf-holds (both can be done with either weights or holding a baby. IP calms down a lot when I do stair steps with her, where I just step and and down the first step of our stairs. When she is asleep I can do calf-holds instead, where I just stand up on my toes holding her for 30 seconds at at time)
10-20 bench presses (10 with weights, 20 if you are “pressing” a baby. I have been just doing this on a yoga mat since our weight bench is in the basement. Not sure if that is problem, but I figure since I’m only getting through one circuit it shouldn’t be a big deal)
5 pelvic tilts (when the baby is awake I just sit her up on my chest, or lie her down, swaddled, on my chest with her feet towards my head)