Walk yourself happier & WIN my book and a voucher!

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Walking.
How excited are we when we first learn to do it, the mums and dads who read this will remember the utter joy of those first few steps our babies take. Then they are off, walking, running, hopping, dancing with the utter delight and joy that is thee human body, their own body moving in such magnificent ways.

And then for some reason, as we reach adulthood we turn on the miracle that is walking and tell ourselves it is tedious and time consuming and in the can't be bothered basket. We lose fitness, we might even gain weight or gain lazy habits like circling the car park until we can find a really close park, rather than just walking from the back edges.
We might even take to driving to the local shop or school when really we could walk it, we might even occasionally re-park the car a block up when out shopping when truly that could have just been walked.

After my first baby, Lily I re-discovered the joy that is walking. And not just walking to get from A to B but also walking for enjoyment. What started out as walking to lose the babyweight (all 40 kilos of it!) became the tool that got me through Post Natal Depression, led me down the path of health and wellness and writing my very first ever book about my journey and experiences, The Pram Diet.

Walking is wonderful. It really is and somewhere along the line it gets a bad rap but it truly is one of the best ways to get more active, exercise with your kids everyday, exercise if you have a lot of weight to lose until you can handle other forms, kick start a new fitness routine and help ease depression and stress.

It is easy to start, even just around an average block or it can be a challenging fun exercise like a 12 km bush or national park hike. It can be as gentle or as full on as you chose.

For me I like to do a good 3-5 km pram walk when I can after a school drop off, I like to do a gentle stroll on the beach or with the kids around the neighborhood in the late afternoon when the birds and noisy and active, making the kids laugh and I love to take the kids on a hike into nature most weekends, up a mountain, to a waterfall, visiting national parks.

I re-found my joy of walking  and I am so glad I did!

To celebrate the joys of walking I am able to help you with your walking with a $30 voucher for some gorgeous new walking shoes at Paul's Warehouse!

How cool is that!

All you have to do to be in the running is:
Be a blog subscriber
Leave a blog comment below! That is it

Happy walking,

Bek XX

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The Mums behind the Push - Sunday Mail Feature

Sunday Mail Feature - The Mums Behind The Push

We are really excited to be featured in the Sunday Mail newspaper with our charity pram walk and Guinness World Record Attempt!

You can read more of the why's, our personal stories and what our very exciting Maleny Supa IGA Pink Pram Push is all about
BY CLICKING HERE

Rebecca x

Shedding the Baby Weight with Pram Walking Bliss

Pram Walking is simply one of the easiest, cheapest and most accessible ways for mums to get out there and start their journey to be healthier, happier and have more energy.
In fact it's FREE!

But WHY is pram walking so good? You have a pram-so no upfront cost there, your baby is with you-so no worrying or juggling babysitting, your getting out of the house-something every mum needs to do on a daily basis, your in the fresh air-this will make you feel SO good, your getting those great feel good endorphins-something mum's need! And you can even make it a social outing!-Adult conversation!
And new research has shown that regular pram walking can help prevent and ease the symptoms of post natal depression. Read my post on popular parenting website sunny coast kids on pram walking and the powerful link between exercise and depression HERE
It's also great for effective, long term weight loss and you can do it wherever you live without spending a cent!

Pram walking isn't just good for mum-its good for baby too.Your baby takes in more than you realise, when they are relaxed and comfortable in a pram they listen to the birds, the breeze in the trees, the different engine noises of cars, trucks and motorbikes. They see the dogs they pass, the bright flowers, the smiles from people you pass.
It becomes just as much of an outing for them as it does for you. If you time it right you can even have them drift off to a soothing sleep to the relaxing motion of the pram rocking as you walk.

Read my tips on a happy, successful pram walk with babies HERE
As they get older it become a real interactive experience and you can sing and talk and point out things as you go. You can upgrade to a toddler bike so they are really so much more involved in the whole experience but under no pressure to peddle the whole way (trust me pushing a little trike 2 or 3 km's and carrying a toddler is not much fun for your back.)

This is a great time to practise songs and nursery rhymes together, to teach them words and the names of the things they see. You can incorporate a play at the park in the middle of the walk to wear them out and make it really fun for them or a trip to a shop or post office-maybe they can even post a drawing to a Grandad or an Aunt?

 As they get older still they can ride a bike or scooter along side you and you realise you have started a positive active routine as a family! Keep this going if you have more babies and the whole family joins in, in what becomes a beautiful way to bond and be active together.
I myself have found that during our family pram walks is when my oldest really opens up and tells me all about school and things she has been doing and learning, she has my full attention, I'm not thinking of housework, my toddler is generally happy chattering away, nibbling, looking about or listening in so Í don't have to worry or entertain her, I can actively listen, we have a real conversation in between bursts of fast paced walking.
How do you get the most benefit out of a pram walk? 

To get the real weight loss benefit you should start small and gentle so you don't put yourself and then build on that routine. The first week should be just enjoyable-nothing over the top.
You also need to get your doctors full permission after a health check up to make sure everything is o.k.
You will need to get the timing right for YOUR baby. Every baby is different and there will be a different time of the day that suits your baby best, work that out and it will be a great outing for you both.Pick up the pace. Once you have got that first week off to a flying start you can start to really pick up the pace, make your walks work for you and get the best results.
Go further and walk faster. The faster you walk and the longer you make your strides, the more you will get from it. Keep good posture as you walk and use your stomach muscles, feel the effort in your arms, your legs, your bottom, everywhere. be conscious of your body and how using all the different muscles feels. This is your body get to know it.

Challenge yourself. If you keep doing the same route at the same pace your body will just get used to it so mix it up. Some days add some hills, push the pram through grass verges or sand. Go longer distances add in some short bursts of jogging into the mix.
I also recommend stretching before and after a pram walk.

Keep it interesting. Find some great areas around where you live to go for a walk, maybe its in a national park? By a beach? Along a river walkway, through a forest or around a cute little town. Join up with a friend and have a coffee afterwards and a park play or explore somewhere new.

As you become more confident in your body and exercising you can really amp things up a notch by joining a mum's exercise group, trying a sport, a marathon or even joining a gym. Using your pram walks as the foundation of your new and exciting vibrant lifestyle!

Pram walking is something I cannot recommend enough-it helped me through PND, helped me lose a LOT of weight after 2 babies and gave me a love of exercise, seriously walking works!

You can read ALL my tips, how I got motivated and STAYED motivated, how I lost over 30 kilo's, How I started growing my own food, what I ate and all my delicious recipes that the whole family will love in my uplifting book The Pram Diet R.R.P $19.95
Winner of the 2011 People's Choice Australasian AusMumpreneur BEST PRODUCT Award.
LIKE my FACEBOOK PAGE and you automatically get a liker discount through the facebook shop too!

 You can also read my TIPS on losing that baby weight for free over at BLACKMORES
And WATCH one of the television stories on my pram walking weight loss on A CURRENT AFFAIR

Rebecca xxx

Walking and depression-a powerful connection

Walking is something that the human body is meant to do, everyday. Yet walking is something I personally spent years trying to avoid.
First it was the push bike as a child then it became the car as an adult. Walking became something I did as little as possible.
I will admit to circling shopping centre car parks to get as close as possible parks. To reparking the car on the same stretch of road when I could have easily walked. To embarresingly driving my car around the corner maybe 500 metres to buy fish and chips.

Yes, I didn't like walking at all.

After having my first baby, Lily everything changed.
A couple of months had gone by and I was a mess. Depressed, overweight, tired, stressed out and just plain down in every sense of the word.

One day that started out just like any other, a bad nights sleep, an unsettled baby and me swimming in emotions of guilt, negativity, anxiety and hopelessness something snapped.

I was angry, I was frustrated, I was lonely, I felt such anger towards what my life was like and I didn't even really know why.
I stormed off. With tears in my eyes, dishes in the sink and my house a complete mess I went out that front door.
My baby in her pram, packed with every perceivable single thing I could think of, from a first aid kit, to nappies, to bottles to baby clothes.

It wasn't a walk to get somewhere. It wasn't a walk to achieve anything.

It was a walk to get the emotions out of my body and to get me out of that house!

It was about half an hour into that first fast paced walk that I began to notice it.
That I began to notice the feeling that this walk was creating.

The wind blew through my hair like it was blowing away the tired, drained and over emotional feelings that had clouded my days and left me feeling so low.

I began to feel the gentle warmth of the sun on my skin and I could feel a little of the cloud that had been following me around lifting just enough to let peeks of sunny blue skies in.

That was all it took for me. I was hooked on walking. Everyday it was my part of the day. Every single walk led me to feel that little bit better, think that little bit clearer and return to the happy, bubbly woman I once was; and 6 months later my feel good walks had transformed me.

I was happy, I had energy, I was no longer feeling depressed at all and amazingly I had lost 28kilo's in weight!! Just from walking.

And the very best part was my baby was with me the whole time and my baby had loved the walks too. It became our special active time together. We laughed, we sang and talked about what we saw as we walked. We walked to parks, shops and the beach. We walked through national parks, along rivers and all sorts of scenic trails.
We wore out 2 prams, 2 stroller's and a toddler bike in those early years and now today she walks with me as we puch her new baby sister in her first pram.

Walking might not be the quickest or the snazziest way to lose weight. It might not be your first idea for exercising when you decide to go a health kick and it absolutely might not be something you at first think you might ever enjoy but it is something we should all make more time for in our lives.

Walking is something that is not just good for the body but for the soul also.

Rebecca x

Walking works!

Read my whole story in my inspirational book that I wrote to share my experiences and help other mothers

The Pram Diet

Pram Walking Tips-Babies

Tips and Tricks for a happy pram walk with babies

To make walking with your baby in the pram a pleasant and beneficial experience for you both there are some handy tricks and tips I have discovered with my two girls and our pram walking and from the many other mums I have had the pleasure to pram walk with.

Remember ever child is so different because we are all unique so different things work for different babies. To make you walks successful try different things until you are both happy and enjoying the experience and then it can become a beautiful routine you'll both look forward too and a great way to lose weight, get fit and healthy and spend some time together.

You want baby to love their pram.
This is quite a crucial early part of getting into a pram walking routine. It does seem that it only takes one or two 'unpleasent' experiences to make a baby not like something and then react fearfully about it and you can't blame them.
IE: Baby-Last time I was in here was horrible, please don't leave me in here mummy! Cue crying.
So how to get baby to love their pram??
If baby doesn't love their pram they won't want to A go in it and B stay in it for a walk and this can effect you in more than just your pram walks, it can effect shopping and family outings in general. So it is in everybody's best interest to make the pram a fun, lovable place for baby.

• Make the pram a pleasant safe feeling place to be.
• Always try to pick a good time for your walks, i.e when baby is due for a nap and they can gently fall asleep to the soothing pram motion, just after a feed so they wont get hungry during the walk or a time of day when you know they are usually in a happy contented mood. TIP Avoid the hottest parts of the day.
• Always make sure a young baby is well fed before you set out; being hungry especially for a demand fed breastfed baby is one of the quickest ways to upset the walk for you both!
• Be prepared. baby's are growing little new people, sometimes they just don't fit into the normal routine on an odd day so even if your baby has 'never before' needed a feed at that time or a nappy change etc be prepared that it could happen, just in case, allow for it and attend to baby until they are happy again. It really just doesn't hurt to have extra items in the pram.
  I have always also carried things like a first aid kit, hat, insect bite cream, paw paw cream, blankets, extra dummies/soothers, extra bottle if they are bottle fed etc.
• Stop and feed them. If baby is grizzling and they are hungry the best thing to do is stop your walk and feed your baby until they are happy again. Again this refers to baby 'loving' their pram. Neither of you will enjoy the rest of the walk if you try and 'just keep going' even if it is only just a little bit further. It is always going to be worth your while to stop and feed them. 
• Adjust the position to baby's mood. Sometimes baby will want to look out and see whats going on, put a good comfortable hat on them to keep the sun out of their eyes, prop them securely with blankets so they don't slide about or feel insecure.
  Sometimes they will be just wanting to see a bit and be slightly reclined where they can still see you clearly but feel rested and safe.
  Sometimes they might want it to be lying flat so they can sleep, play with toys, look up at toy's and have a kick at them or doze on and off. I have personally found this can make a huge difference to baby's happiness during a walk and can be something so easily overlooked.
• Always pick up baby if they cry. Again you do not want baby to hate their pram, at all. They need to know its a safe place, they need to know that when they are in their pram and if they get upset mum or dad will pick them up and see to them. If you do this right from the start they will feel more secure and content and they will trust and enjoy their pram-sometimes the pram can even become a most beloved place for them!
  The amazing BABY WHISPERER, Tracey Hogg has an awesome technique in her books loved by mums all over the world that she refers to as 'Pick Up Put Down', where you pick up baby from their cot every time they cry but as soon as they stop when you are holding them you put them back, if they cry you pick them up again and so on. You can find out the whole technique in her books. I too do not personally believe in letting a baby just cry, it only really makes things worse in the long run and causes a breach of trust between you.
  Remember to check all possible reasons baby might have started to cry like:
  Was the sun in their eyes? Were they bitten by something, a mozzie perhaps? Where they uncomfortable? Was a toy poking them? Did they get a fright and just need a little cuddle? Are they tired? Are they hungry? Do they want to see you? Is their nappy hurting them? Do they need a nappy change? Are their feet cold? Do they have wind? Need burping? Or are they hot/cold? Is wind annoying them? I don't know how many times I have picked up my crying baby and for them to give a huge burp and then happily settle again!I have personally found that by seeing to all these sorts of needs when they cry, giving them some comfort and 'time' they will go happily back into the pram and feel more secure the next time because they know it's safe.
• Be sun savvy. Think hat for baby, sun shade, sun umbrella even muslin cloths. Some prams even have reversible handles so you can adjust to match the sun. Having the sun in your eyes is just awful-check this regularly as you walk.
• Stimulation. As baby's grow we know they need different things to look at and play with, well the same applies to the pram. Keep a box of interesting toys aside that are just for the pram and no other time then rotate which ones you take on each walk so baby isn't always looking at and playing with the same things.
  Even stop sometimes to show baby a tree, colourful sign or something interesting.
• Communicate. Try not to take your mp3 player, instead talk or sing to your baby as you walk. Even if they are really little you can still point out things and noises along the way, they do love to hear your voice.
• Relax! Babies are so intuitive. They really pick up on your mood. If you are stressed, anxious, worrying, angry, frustrated they will not only feel this but will become unsettled even 'clingy' ( nI use this term loosely), irritable and anxious themselves making eveybody unhappy!
  Remind yourself, there is nothing that you have to think about on your walk other than your baby and the beautiful experience of the walk. Everything else can wait an hour! Put your mind and worries on pause. 

By putting in the effort in the first few main walks and making extra sure baby is happy during walks you really do find it sets you and baby up well for many great pleasant walks together, sometimes it just takes a little patience to get in the swing of it, sometimes it might mean being late, sometimes it might mean trying different scenarios, sometimes it might mean an unexpected pit stop or two and after 2 babies I can tell you personally it was different with them both, and so wonderfully worth it!!

(c)RebeccaMugridge2011

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