Stroller Strides Pre-Natal Classes Start in April 2009!

Calling all expecting moms!

We are so excited to announce the arrival of Stroller Strides Pre-Natal classes.We have 2 classes running starting in April 2009 which are registered at the South Arm Community Centre in Richmond.


Wednesday evenings 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm (course # SA 29515) April 8 - June 24
Saturday mornings 11:00 am - 12:00 noon (course # SA 29508) April 18 - June 27

These classes are for expecting moms of all stages of a healthy pregnancy. The class will follow a circuit-training format and will include cardio, strength & stretch components. The class will also include a series of informative information & handouts.You can register online through the City of Richmond or you can call 604-276-4300.

Current Members! Refer an expecting mom friend to our pre-natal classes and you will receive $10 off your next monthly or 10 class pass!

Learn more by CLICKING HERE!

Valuable Lessons for Stroller Strides Kids

Check out this hilarious clip!

It just goes to show how much the little ones learn from watching mom at Stroller Strides class. Yet just another added benefit of coming to class. Not only are you going to get in shape, look and feel great, you are teaching your children valuable lessons about the importance of exercise and healthy living (plus its fun!)

Learn more about Stroller Strides Richmond by using this link.

What is Diastasis Recti... and do I have it?

What is it?

In some women, pregnancy can cause a condition called Diastasis Recti, (abdominal separation) where the right and left sides of the rectus abdominus (commonly referred to as the six pack) muscle spreads apart. The separation occurs due to the combination of pregnancy hormones that cause the connective tissue to soften and the force of the uterus pushing against the abdominal wall. Diastasis Recti may contribute to lower back pain if the separation does not close after birth. In order to regain the look of your prenatal abs, you need to regain your muscle strength and tone.

Diastasis Recti Test

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your head and shoulder blades off the floor like you are doing a crunch.
   Holding that position (abs contracted), place your hand on your belly just above or below your belly button (with your fingers horizontally placed).
3. Press down on your belly with your index and middle fingers. Now, move your fingers side to side - you should feel hard muscle on either side of a soft space in the middle.
   If you can move your fingers more than two fingers width side to side, then you have a separation, and need to do special ab exercises.
4. If the degree of separation is greater than 3 finger widths, please seek your doctors advice and avoid performing exercises which involve abdominal twisting.

Diastasis Recti Exercises

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over your abdomen like you are hugging your belly.
2. Exhale as you slowly lift your head (and shoulders, if you can) while hugging your abdomen - that will urge the two sides rectus to contract closer to each other, helping with closing the separation.
3. Take a long towel and wrap it around your torso with the ends in front. As you perform a crunch, pull the ends of the towel towards each other in front of your belly button, which will also urge the muscle back together.
4. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As you exhale, slowly extend one leg along the floor, feeling your abdomen contract below your belly button. Inhale as you return to the starting position.
5. Repeat with the other leg.

There is no magic number of days, weeks or months before you will return to your pre-pregnancy self. Everyone'sbody recovers differently from pregnancy and childbirth. A lot depends on your type of birth, pregnancy exercise history and postnatal exercise regimen. It took nine months to grow your babies and your body may need at least that long to bounce back. Your Stroller Strides Richmond Instructors would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have.

Alderwood House School

It's a Wednesday and six children aged three and four have huddled in the engineering area at Alderwood House School for a meeting. The teacher has just asked – with respect to the tree house the children began building in the Fall – "What does a roof do and what should it be made of?" They are vigorously debating possible responses.

Everyone agrees that a roof should keep you dry, and that it should be a triangle "because a triangle is the strongest shape", but how to build it? "Umbrellas?"… "They aren't big enough." "Paper?"… "But it will get wet." "Wood?"… to this, there is animated response. Wood seems like a good idea, but there's a problem: "Wood comes from trees, but we can't cut down trees because it's bad for the environment." A wind and snow storm has liberated the large alder tree in the back yard of several branches overnight, providing the children with the idea, and materials, for their solution to the roof problem. "We could use sticks." But will sticks keep you dry? "We can tie them together to make a roof…." With what? Remembering the September atelier exploration on sticky things, they find their solution: "Tape!"

The group sets about gathering sticks, and then connecting them with different types of tape.

Tomorrow, they will test the tenuous stick-structure to determine the "best" tape to use on the roof. Packing tape? Green tape? Duct tape? Each will be tested against the elements overnight as it is placed on top of the partially-completed tree house they have independently designed and built over the last two months.

Inspired by the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, Alderwood House was built in 2008 with the goal of creating a functional yet beautiful space for its 37 students aged 18 months to 5 years. Reggio-inspired schools place great emphasis on the environment-as-a-teacher, and consequently, on the importance of a beautiful and welcoming campus in which the children can independently explore and learn.

The idea of the "100 languages of children" infiltrates the classroom: children are believed to have over 100 ways of expressing and exploring, and the school environment supports mastering any and all of these languages. As artistic expression offers so many languages – sculpture, painting, sketching, 3D, mixed-media, graphic design, film and photography, to name a few – the atelier is a central space for learning and complements the more academically-focused areas such as the research lab, writing centre and library.

The tree house project is an example of the inquiry-based learning that occurs within the program, where children are believed to be capable enough to set the course and so their interests drive the curriculum. This approach deeply engages children in their work, allowing learning to become more meaningful, and encouraging children to create and achieve far more than is typically expected. At Alderwood House, the traditional learning areas of reading, writing, math, motor development, biology and botany are woven into the day by the team of five teachers, two atelieristas and chef. Combined with the problem solving, social development, creativity and scientific method encouraged through projects, children are exposed to a well-rounded and exciting curriculum.

Top schools within North America have begun the migration to include elements of Reggio, following the example of Brick Church School in Manhattan and Boulder School, Colorado. Reggio Emelia's success in developing confident, capable, well-rounded children is now being emulated here in British Columbia. Learn more about registering your child at http://www.alderwoodhouse.com/.