To Sara of Fit by Sara: ”I am the early stages of pregnancy (1 month) and my current workout plan includes walking on the treadmill at a 5.2 speed for 30mins. do i need to stop this as it may harm the baby?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara: “First I would consult with your doctor about any exercise program.  As long as you have a healthy pregnancy and your doc gives you the thumbs up you are good to go and can continue to do exercises you’ve done prior to getting pregnant. Walking is an excellent choice to do before, during, and after pregnancy.  The key is to listen to your body, and reduce the speed and/or hill instensity as your pregnancy progresses (your body will let you know!).  If you ever feel out of breath, dizzy, or overheated take a break and have water.  Be sure to stay hydrated during your workout.  

 Stay active as long as you can…you’ll be glad you did because it can lead to an easier pregnancy (less aches and pains), easier labor (shorter time), and quicker bounce back (less baby weight to lose).  Besides walking, other great exercises for pregnancy are prenatal yoga (visit my website for pre and postnatal dvds) and walking.” -Sara Holliday, MFT, CPT

**Have a question for me? Email me at info@fitbysara.com or leave a comment.

To Sara of Fit by Sara: “I read your post about yoga for low back pain.  What specific yoga postures do you recommend to relieve low back pain?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara: “There are many great postures to release tension in the low back, many of which lengthen the hamstrings and thus reduce tension on the low back.   A great foundation posture, downward dog is excellent for stretching and lengthening the muscles in the buttocks and hamstrings.  Try this simple move–In the downward dog position, bend your knees towards the ground on the inhale, than as you exhale extend your legs as straight as possible while pressing your chest and shoulders towards the floor.  Repeat 5 times, and notice the release in your hamstrings.  An example of a posture that releases low back pressure is the “cat and cow”.  On all fours inhale sway your back and look up.  As you exhale pull your belly button towards your spine and look down.  Repeat several times.  You can also do this move while taking a shower.  The added heat will losen up your back even more.  To modify the move for your shower, place your hands on your upper thighs–repeat the move as you would on the floor while allowing the water to fall on your low back.” -Sara Holliday, MFT, CPT

**Have a question for me? Email me at info@fitbysara.com .

To Sara of Fit by Sara: “I regularly experience a stiff, sore lower back.  I’ve been told by my doctor that I should try yoga.  I’m a little afraid too, because i don’t want to make it worse.  What do you suggest?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara: “I agree with your doctor, yoga is an excellent way to reduce stiffness in your low back.  My guess is the back of your upper thighs (a.k.a hamstrings) are really tight.  When your hamstrings are really tight it triggers stiffness/muscle soreness in the buttocks and low back.  A regular practice of gentle yoga will lengthen your muscles and thus release the tension in your hamstrings and low back.  Prior to starting a yoga program be sure to talk to the yoga facilitator about your low back pain, and ask to be directed to a gentle yoga class with an instructor who has specific knowledge with this area.  Many studios now provide specific classes geared towards releasing the low back.   Besides releasing low back pain, I have a good feeling you’ll enjoy the many benefits of yoga as well– a calm, peaceful body, mind and soul!” -Sara Holliday, MFT, CPT

**Have a question for me?  Email me at info@fitbysara.com

To Sara of Fit by Sara: “I know I need to eat more healthy snacks in between meals, but am in need of HEALTHY snack ideas that actually taste good.  What do you suggest?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara: “You’re right eating healthy snacks between meals will keep your body “fueled” so you have the energy and mood to keep going throughout your day.  Some delicious healthy snack options are- whole wheat pretzel sticks with natural peanut butter, apple with low-fat mozerella cheese, almonds with dark chocolate chips, and raisins with walnuts.  Enjoy!” -Sara Holliday, MFT CPT

**Have a question for me?  Email me at info@fitbysara.com or leave a comment.

To Sara of Fit by Sara- “I’m a mom of 3, and I’m out of ideas for a quick healthy dinner we all can enjoy.  What do you suggest?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara- “One of my family’s favorite meals is my homemade turkey and bean tostadas.  I cook up extra lean turkey meat in a skillet with a touch of olive oil, garlic powder, salsa, pepper, salt, and a can of drained black beans.  Next I heat up corn tostada shells and melt shredded mozerella cheese in the microwave. Then I smoother the cheesey tostada shell with fresh avocado.  After the avocado, I top it with mixed green lettuce, the turkey bean mixture and a little more shredded cheese.  The result is a filling, healthy meal that takes less than 20 minutes.  The best part is your whole family will enjoy it!” -Sara Holliday, MFT, CPT

**Have a question for me?  Email me at info@fitbysara.com or leave a comment.

To Sara of Fit by Sara: “I recently started taking Vinyasa yoga.  I love it!  I want to lose a dress size in a couple of months, do you think this is possible if I solely do yoga?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara: “You can definitely lose a dress size in a couple of months from doing strictly Vinyasa yoga.  In fact several of my clients who take yoga at my private studio in San Diego 3 X a week have lost a dress size within a couple of months.  They were happily surprised by their results, not only physically-mentally and spiritually as well.  The key to getting the results you want is to get your heart rate up a minimum of 3 x per week for 30-45 min. combined with healthy eating.  Once you get consistent with your yoga practice, I have a feeling that your focus will change from wanting to lose a dress size to how great you feel during and after yoga…enjoy!” -Sara Holliday MFT, CPT

Today I took “Zumba” for the first time at a 24 hr. Fitness Club.  I have to say that I had soooo much fun!  It’s a great workout, (evident by my sweat drenched clothing), and such a blast!  There were about 50 people of all ages and body types.  Mostly women, but a few men too.  Dancing for an hour went to so fast, you don’t even realize that you’re working out! If you don’t have any rhythm it may be a bit of a challenge the first few times, but I quite sure they repeat the routines, so you’ll pick it up.  Overall, I say give Zumba a try! 

To Sara of Fit by Sara: “What abdominal equipment do you recommend to get flat abs?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara: “You might be surprised to know that you don’t need any abdominal equipment to get great abs. Flat abs comes from consistent cardio (3-5 X per week, 30-45 min. each session) to burn body fat combined with eating healthy- low fat, low sugar- with a good mix of low fat protien and carbs, plus an awareness to your portions.  A woman can have strong abdominals, but you won’t see flat “strong” abdominals until body fat is lost. So set your focus on increasing your cardio, awareness to your portions and healthy eating.” -Sara Holliday MFT, CPT

**Have a question for me? Email me at info@fitbysara.com or leave a comment.

To Sara of Fit by Sara: “When I take Vinyasa yoga I work up a sweat and feel I’m working hard, but I’m wondering if I get the same cardio with yoga compared to going for a jog?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara: “You can definitely get your heart rate up and get a fantastic cardio workout from yoga- particularly vinyasa or ashtanga styles.  It’s hard for me to say whether it will equal the same cardio you get with your jog, because it depends on how fast your pace is and how far you jog.  I can say however that a class taught in a flowing style with strength building moves should be a sufficient calorie burning workout, and you wouldn’t need to do anything extra for the day.” -Sara Holliday, MFT, CPT

**Have a question for me?  Email me at info@fitbysara.com or leave a comment.

To Sara of Fit by Sara: “I’ve been working out consistently for over a month now and I’ve only lost 4 lbs!  My pants are a little loser, and I feel more toned, but I’m unhappy that my weight hasn’t gone down much.  Any suggestions?”

From Sara of Fit by Sara: “If you notice a difference in the way your pants fit then you’ve defnitely lost inches.  If you’ve added weight training you may have built some muscle which could translate to less of a drop in your weight.  If you feel that you should be losing more inches AND more weight then I recommend that you look at your diet.  Keep a detailed food journal for a week and you’ll likely notice patterns of unnecessary snacking and large portions.  Once you see your pattern you can make minor changes that can result in significant weight loss.” -Sara Holliday

**Have a question for me?  Email me at info@fitbysara.com or leave a comment.