The Fit Skool » recovery

Casein Protein vs. Whey Protein

Kelly @ The Fit Skool — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 14:07:23 +0000

Although I try to get most of my dietary protein from healthy whole foods, I do consume Whey Protein after some of my intense workouts or Casein Protein during the day!

If you aren’t familiar with Whey Protein it is considered to be a “fast” acting protein, meaning it is absorbed quickly. Casein Protein is considered to be a “slow” protein, therefore the protein digestion is prolonged.

This is helpful to know when timing protein ingestion. In the mornings when I teach Group Power I immediately have a Whey Protein Shake to help my muscles recover fast. I have noticed when I don’t have that shake sometimes I am a little more sore after or my energy doesn’t last as long.

I started adding in Casein as a morning snack to fuel my busy days at work, it keeps me a little fuller longer. I even had one this morning, the cookies n cream flavor is like a treat!

The Casein provides a steady release of amino acids which is a great choice for long lasting muscle protection. As a former athlete and someone who is highly active I know that taking care of my body is important and to be honest some days are harder then others to get the adequate protein that I need.

Do you use Whey or Casein Protein? Do you notice a difference when you are using a protein supplement?

the importance of physical therapy

Kelly @ The Fit Skool — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:40:32 +0000

Yesterday I had physical therapy and I was thrilled that planks were one of my new exercises! I know I know, but it’s the small things guys…

It has been about 3-4 months since I last did a plank (seems like an eternity) and I was definitely not as strong as I used to be. It felt good to really feel my core working and also to have my arms shaking from fatigue at the end of my session.

Along with the planks I did rows using a resistance band, reverse shrugs using my body weight on a chair, and a lat exercise over head with a 3lb dumbbell. I will be practicing these exercises daily until my next PT visit on Monday.

Now onto the importance of Physical Therapy. Over the last few years I have had a couple of injuries and I have grown to LOVE PT. Of course I hate being injured but I have learned more about injury recovery through personal experience from my hip and shoulder. This has made me a better personal trainer. One of the main things I learned were The phases of recovery:

1. Rest 2.Range of Motion 3. Strength

Obviously the strength phase is the most fun and motivating but the first 2 are so IMPORTANT. If you do not rest and recover in phase 1 you can risk re-injury or delayed recovery. As part of the treatment the second phase is to restore range of motion. The 2nd Phase Range of motion is crucial so that the joint can move properly and in the future there is no injury because of a limited range of the joint. Phase 3 you get to exercise the shoulder either using bodyweight, bands, or weights! It’s the best part for me.

Although physical therapy can be painful because of massage and getting back the range of motion I know that as the weeks pass I am closer to having my strong shoulder back! It is awesome to see the progress. On my first PT session I could barely lift my arm up straight in front of me and now I can extend my arm fully over head using weights!

My advice for anyone that is going to physical therapy is be PATIENT. Recovery doesn’t happen over night but be diligent with the exercises you are given and you will see progress!

(this was Take 1 of my plank picture… as you can see Cooper was quite curious of the camera haha)

Happy First day of spring!!

2 Week Postpartum Baby Update

Kelly @ The Fit Skool — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 14:00:20 +0000

I cannot believe 2 weeks has passed since Ava was born. Time flies when you are changing diapers, feeding a newborn and trying to catch up on sleep.. all while leading a normal life!! I think I am managing well and I can honestly say I am not stressed one bit and I am feeling more like myself this past week.

My normal self doesn’t sit still and I am constantly finding something to do around the house. My energy has increased and I have been able to clean, do laundry, organize, study for work, get paperwork done and bills paid. When it comes to daily tasks I am usually on top of things and now I can truly say I feel that I am able to do everything I was doing before Ava’s birth. The only thing that has not been the same is exercise.

Exercise

oh my dear friend… exercise. I definitely didn’t miss it or think about it for the first 10 days. I was too caught up being amazed by everything Ava did that I hadn’t given it a thought. This is also because my body wanted nothing to do with it and needed rest and recovery. My recovery has been smooth and pretty fast however I took it very seriously. As hard as it was to sit and do nothing for a few days, it was necessary and my body appreciated it. After a few days I felt comfortable moving around more and sometimes moving made me feel better. I think we all know our bodies and can tell when they need a break or when they are ready to go.

I am mentally and physically ready to do some sort of activity… Yesterday I took Cooper out for a stroll, it wasn’t a long walk but it felt amazing and I can tell he enjoyed it! I think I might take him again today and try to increase the distance. I am not ready to jump into a boot camp or group power class but I can’t wait to build back up to it!

Everyone recovers differently. and I am feeling like I make progress each day. Once I get the all clear from the doctor I will expand my activities. I really feel fortunate that I was able to exercise right up to my labor and delivery.. I had literally done a workout 4 hours before I went into labor! This has played a huge role in my postpartum recovery, and I am thankful for it!

AVA

Ava has been such a joy and we couldn’t be happier that Christmas came early for us. The past two weeks have been amazing but definitely an adjustment. We were more then ready to have her join our family and we have been loving all the late night feedings and diaper changes. Ava eats just about every 3 hours.. sometimes more, sometimes less, but she is pretty punctual. She starts squirming and moving like crazy when she’s hungry so it’s not too difficult to realize she needs to eat. I’m the same way, I can’t focus or relax if I am hungry!!! She is very alert and lifts her head off my chest/shoulders when I hold her. I can already tell she is going to be an independent girl and want to be on her own crawling before we know it.

Weight loss

I wasn’t too sure I wanted to post about my weight loss because it hasn’t been a priority since her birth. I decided that because I had shared my pregnancy journey with you, I should post some updates so you can see my progress. I had focused a lot on healthy eating during my pregnancy, and after Ava’s birth I’ve been eating very healthy. This has helped tremendously with shedding the baby weight. I had gained 22 1/2 pounds during my pregnancy and I am officially back to my pre-birth weight. I couldn’t believe it when I stepped on the scale, it was pretty amazing. I owe it to the healthy food choices I made during my pregnancy and also keeping up with my exercise. Does my body feel the same?? NO. Not yet. My mid-section feels a whole lot different. It is a little mushy and definitely not tight at all. Regaining core strength will be my primary focus when I do get back to training. I can’t wait to incorporate balance and stability exercises to my workout routine to increase my abdominal strength!

My Goals

One of my top goals going forward is to regain muscle. Being strong is important for me and will help with taking care of Ava. I feel like I am already getting exercise from carrying her around the house and going up and down stairs! My second goal is to increase my core strength. I will do this by doing full body training once I am cleared.

We are off to Ava’s 2 week doctor check up! I am sure she’s packed on some weight this past week and a half, she eats like a champ!