This past month my workouts have been more consistent. I’ve been able to better manage my time to squeeze in some at home workouts in addition to the classes that I am currently teaching. Once I started putting myself first and getting in those extra workouts my mood increased dramatically. Fitness is a HUGE part of my life and it was on the back burner for a few months because of postpartum recovery and adjusting to my busy life as a mom of 2.

Now that my workouts are part of my daily routine again I feel like I’m functioning better all around. My mood has increased, my energy, and my fitness performance is getting better. My body isn’t quite where I want it to be but I have some big goals for myself these next 6 weeks.

I also stepped up my nutrition game and cut out sugar and processed foods. It makes a BIG difference in how I feel and I’ve seen a difference in my stomach.

I know I’m starting to ramble…

Anyways my workouts lately have been quick, intense & tiring. I have been teaching a few classes a week and besides that I do a couple at home workouts. During those workouts I try to pack in as much as I can in about 20-30 minutes so that I can get back to mom duties.

I have popped in T-25 Dvds, insanity Max30 Dvds, and have created some of my own workouts involving the kids. I find that mixing it up helps me to stay motivated and pushes me on different levels. I’ve started to incorporate Ava into my at home workouts again so that she sees how important it is to be active and stay healthy. We did a mix of yoga, squats, planks, boxing and jumping jacks. It’s fun to see her in action and she’s becoming a phenomenal counter.

I want her to know that fitness/health is my passion and hopefully one day she will find something she is passionate about herself!

Here is one of the at home workout that I created on a day when both kids were napping and I needed fresh air. I headed into the backyard to get my workout in.  This workout requires a Jump Rope, stairs, and weights.

FULL BODY BACKYARD BLAST

WARM UP with 5 Minutes of Jump Rope

10 PUSHUPS

15 STEP UPS (Each leg)

20 WALKING LUNGES

30 SQUAT TO PRESS

1 MINUTE of JUMP ROPE

Repeat 3-5x or as many rounds you can.

The jump rope warm up got my heart pumping and the blood flowing for this workout. You could always do some extra squats, lunges and stretching to increase the duration of this warm up. I will definitely do this workout again for sure

I’m receiving questions daily about my workouts and how long I will continue to workout while I’m pregnant. The truth is I don’t really have an answer. My goal is to continue up until the end (like I did with Ava) but that will depend on how I feel and if my doctor approves.

I have found exercise to be not only a great energy booster, but it helps my mood, it helped with my nausea in the first trimester, and I just feel better when I’m active!

There were things that I did avoid or adjust to accommodate my changing body and also to keep the baby as safe as possible.

Things I avoided during pregnancy:

• After the first trimester I avoided lying flat on your back.It effects blood flow to and from the heart.
• I avoided exercising in rooms that had higher temperatures or if I was training outdoors I was conscious of the temperatures or heat index. I always wear comfortable clothing and not anything too tight.

Things I adjusted while exercising during pregnancy

• Keep a water bottle around at all times.
• adjust core training by doing ab exercises on an incline bench.
• Reduce intensity. Instead of going 110%, I scaled back so that I could still sweat but not become exhausted.
• At each appointment I discussed exercise with my doctor.
• In my case I am the instructor but if I took a class I would definitely listen to any advice or suggestions my instructor had.
• Adjust range of motion and remember your flexibility and ligaments are looser during pregnancy don’t over stretch.
• Adjust jumping and twisting exercises. Instead of Jumping Jacks I will do single leg step outs and still use my arms.

My list is constantly changing and there are definitely things that feel comfortable one day and not the next so most importantly I’m listening to my body and doing what I feel is best!

Did you exercise when you were pregnant?

What exercises did you avoid? 

**Always consult your doctor or physician before beginning a new workout program**

I know you are probably thinking, why is that challenging if you are feeling great?? Well, when it comes to exercise during pregnancy it’s not really okay to push your body to exhaustion with workouts or even daily activities. I have to remind myself some days that I’m pregnant and to SLOW down. Other days I really feel pregnant and don’t need the reminder but I have to constantly keep that thought in the back of my head. I’m sure in a couple of weeks I won’t have to EVER remind myself, but for right now I’ll enjoy feeling normal!

With that being said, this past Saturday I chose to do a workout at the gym that can really be done by anyone (not just pregnant ladies).

This workout incorporated both upper & lower body and I found my heart rate to be in a good range the whole time. During pregnancy it’s important to listen to your body so I rested when I needed to and drank water throughout this 30 minute workout. I also took a bathroom break. Yes, I have a weaker bladder these days.

Anyways, here’s the workout:

Warm Up

10 minutes of light cardio (I chose the elliptical) walking, biking or jogging is great too!

Krazy Kettlebell Circuit

Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell Squat to Upright Row

Kettlebell Lunge to Row

Complete each exercise for 30 seconds, repeat circuit 5-7x (rest 30-60 seconds in between each round)

Cool down 

Perform some light stretching or walking for 5-10 minutes

(20 weeks Pregnant)

I completed 5 rounds of the above circuit and my rest times got longer as each round passed. I used both a 20 & 25lb kettlebell for this circuit and while I felt I could do more weight I didn’t push it!

For Demonstrations of some of these exercises check out the links below.

Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell Squat to Upright Row

**Please check with your Doctor or Physician before beginning a new workout program**

I actually didn’t take many pictures this weekend! I know I know, that’s part of my blogging job but sometimes living in the moment is better.

Friday night we had a fabulous dinner at Villa Italia Ristorante in Stamford, CT with my family. I literally had my phone out to take pictures, but when you are presented with amazing food and delicious smells your pregnant belly takes over and you dig in only to realize oops my meal is gone and I forgot to snap a picture to share this lovely meal with my blogging friends.

Well… I had Mussels in a Garlic White Wine Sauce with roasted veggies on the side, and some italian bread. Ava had some meatballs, carrots (from my veggie mix), french fries (from uncle Jeff’s meal) and some bread. She ate so much food.

Marc had lobster ravioli which to be honest doesn’t excite me but he said it was delicious!!! It was a great night and we had fun!

Saturday we were up early as usual, Marc bought us coffees and we went to visit my friend Danielle at her deli The Pemberwick Exchange in Greenwich.

Ava loved all the bacon!!!

We had an impromptu playdate with our neighbors which Ava thoroughly enjoyed

and then we ate a quick lunch. Salads topped with Rotisserie chicken!! yum.

See that belly popping??

I hit up the Gym to get a quick workout in and I will share my workout with you tomorrow. It was pretty good!

The night was relaxing, we ate dinner at home with my family and made meatballs & chicken Marsala.

When they left Marc & I watched Scandal on demand from Thursday night and munched on some popcorn. Love that show and it always keeps me on edge!!!

I worked a little Sunday morning and then the afternoon was spent hanging with Marc and Ava.

We also took Cooper for a nice long walk because the weather was great and did some stuff around the house.

Marc and I also made this delicious Lemon Chicken dinner. Sorry for the messy pic. We were hungry!

After 2 back to back family filled weekends I can’t help but smile. I don’t dread going to work on Mondays and I’m super thankful for that. Now I am off to teach Group Power and get my sweat on with my baby bump!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?

Do you dread Mondays or do you not mind them?

I have been keeping an eye on my heart rate throughout my workouts. I don’t look at it every second but I am trying to make sure I don’t overdo it with exercise. For someone that’s used to pushing 110% I have to remind myself to keep my exertion at a moderate pace.

When I was asked to review the Beets Blu heart rate monitor strap I was super excited and immediately said yes. I currently have a Fit Bit and Polar Heart Rate Monitor watch/strap but I question their accuracy.

Here’s some information from the Beets Blu website about monitoring your heart rate:

Why do I need to monitor my heart rate?

“Control of your heart rate is very important for your training, as it helps you to achieve your desired results. Depending on the goal of your workout, you can:

• Strengthen your cardiovascular system
• Increase your stamina
• Burn fat
• Avoid your heart beating too fast

This is especially important for those over 50 years of age or for those recuperating.
The results of your training depend on your heart rate zone. This has a lower and upper limit. If your heart rate is in the target zone, you will achieve the expected results from your training.”

Product info:

• adjustable strap: small to x-large
• lightweight: 16g
• slim: 11mm
• 1 year battery life
• you don’t need an adapter just a compatible smartphone
• no connecting or adjusting you use an app to monitor heart rate

When I first tested out this product I downloaded the free Runtastic app to pair it with. I didn’t really like that app so I deleted it and downloaded the free Runkeeper app. It was super easy to set up and paired quickly with the bluetooth function. I actually really liked that I didn’t have to connect anything else with it. I was able to review my workout at the end and view where my heart rate was at it’s max during my exercise routine.

You need a phone device with this product which for me was simple. The only time I had an issue with the product was when I was teaching my fitness classes. Sometimes I went out of the 25 foot range of my iPhone so it wasn’t picking up my data. For those who keep there phone in their pockets, or strapped onto their arms or waist this product would be perfect.

If you have your phone around during your workout you can easily check your heart rate to see your progress.

(this shows the back of the strap where the sensors read your heart rate)

The strap was comfortable and to be honest I was used to wearing it from my old watch so that didn’t phase me. It’s kind of like wearing a tighter sports bra, for guys maybe it would be a little weird but I think it’s something you get used to

During one of my workouts I wore my Fit Bit along with the Beets Blu strap to see the difference in my heart rate throughout a boot camp workout. I felt that they were both pretty similar but I trusted the Beets blu more because it was strapped to my chest and not my wrist. I find the Fit Bit to have a harder time tracking the heart rate from the wrist.

Overall I really liked the product and would recommend this heart rate monitor to anyone looking to strengthen their cardiovascular fitness!!

The Beets Blue Heart Rate Monitor is available through beetsblu.com for $44.95.

*DISCLAIMER*  THE FIT SKOOL IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS TO TEST AND REVIEW.

My productivity was through the roof this weekend and I have ZERO complaints about anything I did over the past days.

I can’t help but smile when I think about all the things I accomplished. I guess when the past 3 months involved only thinking about being pregnant and the nausea that came with that, and the fatigue that laid me up on the couch after work I am grateful for feeling NORMAL!!!

Here’s a quick low-down on what I did this weekend:

Friday involved dinner with Marc at our favorite local spot Barcelona. My dad offered to watch Ava so I didn’t hesitate to get a quick dinner with Marc.

I would’ve taken more pictures but the pregnant lady was hungry which means, eat quick and forget the blog pics. Marc and I enjoyed our night out together.

Saturday morning we woke up ready to tackle the day. Marc ran some errands and I did a quick workout at home. The Hammer & Chisel Cardio workout is awesome. It reminds me of my boot camp class.

I loved that I didn’t have to talk, yell or teach. I just worked on getting a good workout in for myself.

In the afternoon we headed to my niece Emily’s First Birthday party at Dinosaur BBQ in Stamford. The party room was amazing and the perfect spot for all occasions, I highly recommend it.  Ava played the entire time! We enjoyed delicious BBQ food and I got to see some friends I haven’t seen in a while. It was FUN.

Sunday involved a trip to the YMCA to play with Ava. Ava played in the tumble room.

She smiled and laughed the whole time and she ran around like a crazy women.

After an hour we were all wiped!!!!!

My afternoon involved computer work & a long walk with Cooper (it was cold out and my legs went numb). Besides that we relaxed cooked some dinner and got ready for the week ahead!!

I’m sad to see the weekend go but I’m so happy to be feeling like myself again. I won’t repeat it again because I don’t want to jinx it!!! Fingers crossed..

What fun things did you do this weekend?

Do you try to accomplish a million and one things on the weekend?

I’m PREGNANT.

We are so happy to be expecting our second baby July 13, 2016.

Over the last 2 months I have struggled to keep this secret 1. because I wanted to tell you so bad and  I felt the need to wait until our 12 week ultrasound and 2. I’ve felt so sick that I thought maybe if I vented all my miserable symptoms they might just go away.

But I held off on telling you because I wanted to wait to make sure everything was okay first. I may have given away some hints to you in my WIAW posts on some random foods I have been loving these past few weeks like chicken cutlets, meatballs, actually all the protein, eggs, cheese, chocolate chip cookies, potatoes, cereal. Maybe if I said those were daily staples it would’ve given it away or you would just think I was weird.

The day I found out I was pregnant I was beyond THRILLED, I was super excited and I was feeling good. Fast forward 5 days and my days were filled with nausea, fatigue and pure laziness! I went through this before with Ava but I prayed it wouldn’t happen again.

I had big ideas of posting something a little more creative then this, but it ended up being just what I wanted. A genuine picture of Ava being excited to be a big sister by touching the baby in my belly and her giving me a hug because she’s so lovable! She’s going to be an amazing big sister.

To answer some questions you may be having I did a little question and answer session for you

Pregnancy Q & A:

How did you find out you were pregnant?

I found out I was pregnant on a Thursday morning. I had taken a pregnancy test 2 days before and it was negative but I had a very good feeling so I decided to try again. To my surprise it was POSITIVE. I ran to tell Marc and we couldn’t believe it

What were your first symptoms?

My first symptom was nausea then came fatigue and the nausea hasn’t stopped.

How did your family react?

I told my mom and dad separately because my dad was still at work and I couldn’t wait any longer to tell someone. I wrote down on a piece of paper saying “I’m going to be a big sister!” I had Ava hand it to my mom and she immediately got excited and said yes!! A couple hours later I drove to my parents house with Ava, and she handed the paper to my dad. It took him a second to process it, he looked at me and said you’re pregnant??!?!! I said yes and he was excitedddddd. So were my two brothers

Friends?

I told my friends about 9 weeks into my pregnancy. I figured they would start being skeptical when I went MIA or if they hung out with me and I didn’t have a glass of wine. I told them while we were walking on the Avenue around the holidays. They were super excited for us.

Due Date?

JULY 13, 2016

Will you find out the gender?

YES I can’t wait. We found out with Ava and I am counting down the days to find out this one

How many ultrasounds have you had? 

We have been fortunate to have 3 ultrasounds so far. The first one was super early and the Doctor couldn’t see much so we had to come back a few weeks later. Our most recent ultrasound was great we got to see the heartbeat and see our little baby moving around.

What are your symptoms?

Nausea, migraines, headaches, fatigue, I’ve had occasional mood swings and I blame it on feeling so yucky. If I were feeling good I would not complain!!! The nausea has taken the cake. I feel better when I eat and drink something every 2 hours. If I miss that window the day seems to fall apart and I find myself on the couch and unable to function.

What week are you?

I’m 12 1/2 weeks so I’m praying that this first trimester sickness ends soon!

I will be posting some pregnancy updates for you so that you can see how I’m doing with everything!

Have you ever been pregnant before? if so have you experienced morning sickness?

How was your holiday weekend?

Sometimes I pop in a 21 day fix or Insanity DVD and other times I just create myself a challenging workout!

I decided to share with you a workout that I plan to put myself through today. I chose a 20 minute workout because I assume with both Marc & Ava around my time will be limited and plus 20 minute workouts are over in a jiffy!! What’s not to love?

Before completing the below bodyweight circuit make sure to warm up. I chose a 5 minute bodyweight warm-up of jumping jacks, jogging in place, skaters, butt kicks, and light stretching.

If you are looking to get in a quick workout try this QUICK N’ SWEATY NEW YEARS EVE WORKOUT:

Complete each exercise for 1 minute. Repeat circuit 2x for a 20 minute workout. If you have more time complete another round

**Please consult your doctor or physician before beginning a new workout program**

How did that happen?? I’m super excited, but I can’t believe it is here already. I mean I guess I can, we have been watching Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas for a month now… so it makes sense that Christmas is almost here. I hope you all had a nice weekend and you have all your Christmas shopping, wrapping and errands done!!!????

I thought today would be a perfect day to share with you an article that I wrote for one of our town newspapers, The Greenwich Sentinel. It was published last week, and I was thrilled to be a part of their holiday newspaper.

You all know be my now and I love to preach healthy eating and living year round so you can sort of guess what my article had to say. While I do indulge in my favorite treats on occasion here and there I do like to be mindful of keeping a good balance.

Click on my article for more details on how to HAVE A HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON

In case it’s too hard to read from the picture link here’s the article:

HEALTHY HOLIDAY EATING

With the holiday season approaching, are you already thinking about how you are going to work off all the extra plates of turkey, stuffing, pies & cookies? There’s no need to add stress to your upcoming busy social schedule. Learning how to find the right balance with food will allow you to indulge in that cookie or cocktail around the holidays without doing any damage to your waistline.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a struggle, focus on moderation. If you are mindful of everything you put on your plate, you can save room for those special foods you look forward to every year!

My 4 Quick Tips on how to plan for a healthy holiday:

• Plan ahead. One of my key tips is to plan ahead. Write in your planner or your phone calendar which events you are attending and allow yourself to celebrate with 1 food or drink item at each special occasion. Remember you want to enjoy your indulgence, you don’t want to regret it. Take your time eating or drinking your special treat, and enjoy the social aspect of the holiday season.
• Exercise 30 minutes each day. Now that you have your plan, make sure you include 30 minutes of exercise on most days.  Put it in your planner and get to it. A 30 minute walk with your dog counts and of course that 60 minute Boot Camp class is even better. Stay active!
• Load your plate with an assortment of colors. Balance each day with a variety of different fruits, veggies, protein, carbs, and fats By doing so you won’t deprive your body of any nutrients, and you won’t have any guilt when you reach for that holiday cocktail!
• Enjoy your time with family & friends. Remember the holiday season isn’t just about gifts, food, desserts, and cocktails. It’s about spending time with your loved ones and enjoying the company of those around you. That’s what the holidays are all about!

Keep these tips in mind as you dive full speed into the holidays. I am confident with your focus and mindful choices you can make it through all the celebrations without adjusting a notch on your belt buckle!

Kelly Garofalo is a lifelong Greenwich resident that has a strong passion for all things health & fitness. As a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, Health Coach, Mom, Blog Writer (www.thefitskool.com) and health enthusiast she strives to help others achieve their wellness goals no matter what size they are.

What are your goals during the holiday season?

What’s your favorite holiday goodie to indulge in?

On Saturday I was looking to do a quick workout before Marc’s parents came in town for his Birthday but I didn’t feel like going to the gym.

I knew I wanted to use weights and I needed the workout to be quick and effective.

I started out with a 5 minute warm-up alternating between jogging, Jumping Jacks, high knees, butt kicks. I then completed this workout:

Quick Full Body Toner

10 SQUAT TO SHOULDER PRESS

10 PUSHUPS

15 SUMO SQUAT TO UPRIGHT ROW

REPEAT 4-6 ROUNDS (4 rounds is about 20 minutes, but you can always add on 2 rounds to make it about 30 minutes) Rest 30-60 seconds between each round and cool down at the end with some light stretching.

I really loved this workout because it was challenging, quick, and effective. My heart was pumping the entire time and by the last round I needed to switch to knee pushups because I was so fatigued. My legs were sore the next day and I didn’t like lifting my arms over my head because my shoulders were wiped.

I used 12 pound dumbbells during this workout, but next time I will go for the 15 pounders!

For all you moms out there this is a great workout to do during nap time!

Do you like full body workouts?

**Please consult your Doctor or Physician before beginning a new workout program**