a peek inside the fishbowl

… although this one is not ours this time. Meet Coco, a sweet little Shorkie who has been adopted by my in-laws.

Tennis ball has been placed in the photo for reference. :)

There has been a sudden influx of joggers in our neighbourhood. I am cool with the joggers. I like them better than many of the cyclists. At least I can hear the joggers coming and they don’t race past me within a hair, scaring the crap out of me.

I am not a jogger myself. I would safely classify myself as a Brisk Walker. I jogged home from the gym yesterday, but that’s about it for now.

I am tinkering with the idea of becoming a jogger, but first I need to look into a really good pair of shoes. And work up the courage. In the meantime I am happy just to watch the joggers and cheer them on from the sidelines.

Some people jog in organized groups, some jog with dogs, some push strollers (HOLY WORKOUT), and some jog alone with nothing but their music to keep them company. Go joggers!

Surprisingly, I often see women out there slogging away without proper support. And I’m not talking about ankle support.

All of that bounce bounce bounce up and down up and down action. Some women’s boobs look like they’re having a workout of their very own.

Ouch.

It’s nice to have some spring in your step but that ain’t pretty.

This is what I know: smaller-chested women, ahem, can get away with a compression bra (this means that everything is squeezed in) but larger women need a firmer, more supportive bra that holds each breast individually. Otherwise you know what happens right? Irreparable damage. (And I, for one, like mine the way they are and want to keep ‘em this way for as long as I possibly can.)

That’s why I invested in a proper sports bra some time ago during my last bra-related shopping spree, even though the bounciest I get nowadays is on the elliptical trainer at the gym (which results in moderate bounce).

I have never regretted this purchase. If you do any kind of exercise, I heartily recommend investing in a good sports bra.

I asked Donna Davis from Movement to Health (one of my advertisers) if she could pass along some pointers. She’s a runner (and more!) and teaches running workshops. If anyone knows, she knows.

Here’s what she said:

1. 1. Buy your sports bra at a running-specific store. They have bras for high impact sports.
2. 2. Make sure the bra is made of moisture-wicking fabric, not cotton. Cotton holds moisture and will cause chafing when wet. To avoid chafing make sure the seams are flat and comfortable.
3. 3. Make sure the bra is comfortable in the store when you try it on. Do the bounce test in the changing room – minimal movement is the goal!
4. 4. If you are up to a C cup you can go with a one piece compression bra. For some C cups (it’s very personal) and all sizes above, look for a bra with wide padded straps. The bra should encapsulate the breasts (as opposed to compression), and have hook closures in the back. Adjustable shoulder straps are good too.

Donna specifically recommends these brands:

• Sports bras from Moving Comfort. This is the one she wears. She swears it’s great for C cup and up.
• Compression bras from New Balance Ottawa. They’re wide across the back and are great for smaller C’s on down.
• The All Sport Bra from Lululemon – it crosses over at the back and is good for medium support up to a C. Donna doesn’t recommend it, however, for high impact sports if you are larger than a C.
• She also says that if you do experience chafing to try Body Glide.

Here’s where I’d like to hear from you. Do you have a fave brand? Other tips to share? Please stand up and tell the class! Help take the spring out of our step! :)

It is a weird coincidence that Emma drew this activity last week:

“For your next birthday celebration try including relay races, bowling or skating in your party.”

And the tip with with it was matched was:

“87% of children and youth are still not meeting the recommended 90 minutes of physical activity a day.”

Sarah’s birthday party was this past weekend, which we happened to have booked at our local swimming pool. We walked to the pool, swam and goofed around the water for an hour, and walked home after having stopped at the park for a few turns on the slide. (You can read more about the party here.) It was a hoot.

I have two observations to make about this.

1) Kids who’ve been active are better behaved. Not just at parties, but overall. If your little one is whiny and/or arguing with their siblings, run them outside. (Same goes for puppies.)

2) It’s good to let kids invent their own fun. Too often we as parents are tempted to create fun for our kids. This is especially true at parties, when we often feel that every second must be filled with a planned activity. For me this is an incredibly stressful way to host a party. When I started letting go of the idea, I was (and remain!) amazed at how easily kids are able to invent their own fun, that is, if we let them.

At this particular party I organized a couple of activities, and Mark played “shark” with them, but otherwise the girls amused themselves quite nicely.

This is almost a whole other post, but this is why I think unstructured play is so important. It is good for the body, the mind, for developing social skills… unstructured play has countless benefits.

Anyway, I’m getting off track. :) Our “big” gift to Sarah was a pair of inline skates, along with new knee, elbow, and wrist pads. Mark and I both want to encourage active outdoor play, and there’s no better way to do it than to give them something they love to do – OUTSIDE. 

She loves her new skates. In fact, she is so keen to get better at it that she skated to school this morning. AND she’s inspired me to dig my roller skates out of the basement too. :)

We’ll be drawing for a new KMDM activity tonight, which I’ll summarize next Monday.

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