Tag Archives: moms

New Parent Posture!

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Are you dealing with ‘new parent posture’? Your new baby arrives in the world, and for the first few months you spend many hours feeding them, rocking them to sleep, and staring down at them lovingly while they are in your arms. Then, after a few weeks of this consistent posture, you find yourself with some pain and stiffness in your neck and shoulders. Sound familiar?

I call this “momma posture” but I know many dads that also can relate to this!

Truth is, physically there isn’t much difference between staring down at your phone or laptop and staring down at the newest addition to your family!

The posture is the same, which results in a tremendous amount of strain on the muscles in your neck and the associated vertebra in both your cervical and thoracic spine.  Here are a few tips to help minimize this strain for you:

Switch arms when holding baby. This is good for you and good for them! Your arms will get a rest, and you’ll develop strength in both arms in this position. Your child will also benefit in that their vision, hearing and sense of body position (think brain development) will also get stimulation from both directions.   Carry your baby right from the beginning so that you easily develop strength to hold them as they progressively gain weight. *Read this blog post on why  babies should be in their car seats only when travelling.

Use a variety of slings and carriers. I’m a huge fan of baby-wearing because it’s good for a child’s physical and emotional development, but also because in my experience it can make life as a parent easier! With your child securely attached to you your hands are free to hold the hand of another child, pick up your groceries, fold laundry, work on your laptop, or do anything else! Using different types of carriers minimizes the repetitive strain on your spine and shoulders and will help prevent injuries. When choosing a carrier there is always 1 specific guideline I give all parents watch this video

Stretch your neck and shoulders! When not looking down at your child, think about reversing the position of your neck. Tilt your head forward and back, turn your head side to side, roll your shoulders in circles forward and back, and hold your hands behind your back and open up your chest for a really great stretch. Doing these moves will help break up the repetitive strain on the muscles in your neck, upper arms and shoulders to compensate for forward postures. .

ERM 005 Dr. Ali Miller: Being a Role Model for Girls, Peak Performance Strategies & Thriving in Chaos

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aliDr. Ali Miller is a fifteen year chiropractic professional with a strong affinity for women’s and children’s health and family wellness. Dr. Ali leads a balanced chiropractic lifestyle incorporating exercise, clean eating and meditation. It is her mission to raise the level of health in her community and she thrives on sharing information and inspiring change. Dr. Ali and her rockstar husband Adam live in Bolton with their three well-adjusted daughters Riley, Bailey and Zoe. They are her everything.

On this episode we talked about how she balances her practice and the lives of her 3 girls, how she has kept her 22 year relationship with her husband strong, and the importance of taking care of herself and how workouts, connecting with friends,  are keys to making it all work.  She also shares some of her experience in dealing with her own fears as a woman, facing challenges within her family, and how she dealt with them and got through them stronger. I particularly loved how she grounds herself consistently in thinking about what kind of example she wants to set for her daughters, the kinds of experiences she wants to give them to know that they are capable as women and deserving of a great life.

ERM 004 Dr. Justine Blainey Broker: The Value of Competitive Sports, Daily Rituals & Working Hard For What You Believe In

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IMG_2535At the early age of 12 years old, Justine Blainey learned that the price of a value held dear can be loneliness and friendship, despair and elation, endless work and useful work, and the sometime sadness tinged with satisfaction of a life lived well, a life lived to serve. Her beliefs became action and five court cases later, the Ontario Human Rights Code was amended to remove legislated inequality in sports, and Justine hit the ice with the boys. Justine has not sat on the pride of her past achievements. Justine continues to believe passionately in equality.

Now Dr. Justine Blainey-Broker, Doctor of Chiropractic, she has spoken internationally about chiropractic, health and well-being. She provides entrepreneurial advice and inspiration to thousands of Health Professionals and runs a busy family practice in Brampton, Ontario.

Justine is a passionate doctor, but she is also a devoted wife, and mother to two teenagers! On this episode she shares her ideas about motherhood, we also talked about the value of competitive sports in her life and for both her children,

She also shares some of her experience in fighting for equality in the hockey world as a youth, the impact of being an activist, how that shaped her as a woman and continues to influence her today.

Justine is a very busy woman, on this episode she also shares how she manages their family’s busy schedule, the value of a few key daily rituals for her, the importance of having a support team, and some of her strategies to keeping her marriage strong.

Justine is a dynamo, is a powerhouse, a hard worker with strong values – check out her interview!