HELLO MAGAZINE recommends new mums seek advice from Pushy Mothers in their New Year Beauty Book.

Pushy Mothers of Hampstead ran 6k in Battersea Park to raise money for Disability Snowsport UK.

Purpose:
To increase spinal movement and reducing joint stiffness as a result of pregnancy
posture. To maintain balance and breathing throughout each movement to stabilise your abdominal corsette.

Get Set:
Lying on your back place both feet on the ball, legs stretched. Arms resting on the ground by your sides, make sure the backs of your shoulders are relaxed and resting on the floor.

Action:
Inhale to prepare and as you exhale draw your tummy muscles firmly whilst smoothly lift the pelvis up off the floor . Peeling each vertebra one at a time off the floor until the tips of the shoulder blades are slightly hovering above the floor. Try not to let the ball deviate and keep it as still as possible. Keeping the buttocks lifted, inhale again and as you exhale reaffirm the abdominal tension, hinging at the ribcage and slowly lower the spine back down to the ground. Imagine you spine is a string of pearls and each one has to be placed back carefully to the ground, avoid lowering two or three vertebra at a time.

Rest and repeat 8-10 reps.

Technique Tips:

Use the abdominals to create the movement in your spine
Slow down through any problem areas to improve the range of movement
Imagine your spine is a telescope and keep lengthened at all times.

Pushy Philosophy:
Respect and reward your body for getting through the challenge of pregnancy.

Purpose:

To strengthen your leg muscles for lifting and carrying and to help realign and flatten the abdominals.

Get Set:

Stand by a wall, ball positioned between your lower back and the wall. Feet should be hip-width apart.

Level 1 Hands on hips

Action:

Breath IN before you start then as you bend the knees, breath out rolling the ball vertically down the wall. Keep your posture upright, and lightly draw your tummy in through out ,return to the “Get Set” position, fully stretching the knees. Really push the floor and feel your bottom squeeze!

Tips:

Knees should be over your ankles in bent position.

Don’t go lower than a 90% angle.

Speed should be slow and steady

Do 1-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions so you can feel the muscles fatigue and ache on the last few, then have a rest.

Encourage your tummy to flatten by slightly drawning in throughout each movement.

Progression:

Level 2 Holding dumb bells or 2 x large water bottles (1.5ltrs) with arms by the side of the body

Level 3 Add a bicep curl on each squat to increase arm strength.

Pushy Philosophy:
Slower feels harder! Focus on the quality of each movement rather than loads of quick reps.

Rachel’s Hampstead running mums completed the Cancer Research 10k Race for Life in Finsbury Park today! Well done to Genevieve, Anamica and Angie (and Rachel) who completed the distance in just under (and just over) one hour. Half Marathon next then girls?

Debbie and 14 of her Newcastle Pushy Mothers on the Run successfully completed, for what was most of them, their first 5K run. Pushy Mothers north and south are really stepping out to support Cancer Research’s Race for Life.

Pushy Dad Nik, together with Max & Oscar, have converted an old Phil & Teds’ Explorer buggy into a super fast gravity racer go kart! Check out the video and then why not have a go yourselves? Share your ingenuity with us and we’ll post it on Pushy Mothers. Who’s the Pushiest Dad in Britain?

Congratulations to the team of Hampstead Pushy Mothers on the Run who completed the 5K Race for Life yesterday. It was a great atmosphere oodles of “girl power” and a real achievement for the team who have been regularly attending their On the Run sessions twice per week. Top work girls let’s make the next one a 10K!!!!!!

Pushy Rachel gives the readers of glossy Baby London magazine some expert advice on how to prepare to bare in those summer months. Her top tip is to defy gravity and keep up the good work all year long and not just for when the “bikini fear” creeps in.