BOOTCAMP BLOG MUMS on the RUN, part 6

If you are looking at this for the first time, read through and check out the 'At a glance' schedule below. You will need to go back and look at previous week's posts for more info on what to do each week.

This week we will be focusing on bottoms!

I once had a bottom of some worth. That was in the days when I did tons of running, including lots of sprinting and hard core stuff that I neither have the inclination or time to bother with now. There are two points in my life when I lost my bottom...1) When I had a knee injury and couldn't train for 4 months and 2) When I had my son - Despite having trained throughout my pregnancy, I struggled to keep up an exercise regime once he was born. This was the main reason why I set up Baby A-Wake and produced the Baby A-Wake Complete Antenatal and Postnatal Exercise and Wellbeing DVD to ensure that new mummies didn’t find themselves in the same situation as me. My bum had disappeared, gone flaccid, turned south. This was because I spent far too much time sitting on it and not nearly enough time using it. Now my bottom, is not exactly J-Lo-esque, but it is vaguely respectable (for a mummy of two, aged 41). In fact I quite like my bum! And here's the thing, if you want your bottom, other wise known as the Gluteus Maximus or Glutes, to not only look better but also help you with your running, you need to give it a bit of unconditional love. Here's how...

Do the following exercise regime - it takes 5 minutes - at least 5 x this week. Continue with the exercises at least 3 x week, after each run is ideal. Also try to activate your glutes when ever you can - when walking, running, standing, lift up tall and give them a little squeeze (think 'penny up there and hold it tight!')

- Make sure you are warm - after a run is ideal. If not do some lunging actions for 2 minutes to get your legs moving.
- You are now going to stretch out your hip flexor muscles. These are the muscles that act across the front of your hip. When they are tight, your bum muscles are restricted and can't fire up so easily, hence why you need to stretch the hip flexors first in this routine.
- Kneel on a soft surface on your left knee with your right foot in front so that both of your knees are bent at 90 degrees, right leg in front, thigh parallel to the floor, left leg behind, thigh going vertically towards the floor. It’s best to do this now while you read. Get rid of your chair and kneel at your desk or download this onto your phone so that you can move about.
- Place one had on your tummy and, if the other hand is free, place it into the small of your back.
- Lift your tummy up and in with your front hand and gently press your tail bone down and under with your back hand.
- At the same time, actively pull in your deep abdominal and pelvic floor (PF) muscles (see previous posts).
- You should now be feeling a stretch at the top of your left thigh, over the front of your hip. Hold for 45 seconds and change sides.
- Now lie on the floor, on your back, knees bent, feet hip width and on the floor.
- Take a breath and as you exhale, pull up through you deep abs and PF, tilt your pelvis and lift your bottom off the floor.
- Now squeeze your bum muscles like there is no tomorrow. Aim to feel your backside muscles working like a lift to bring the pelvis up off the floor.
- Hold the lifted position and, without moving or twisting your pelvis, do 10 alternating bum squeezes. Keep your breathing regular and relaxed throughout. Lower and repeat 3 times.
- Hug your knees, one at a time, into your chest, other leg extended, to stretch out your bum. Hold for at least 30 seconds each.

Schedule at a glance

WEEK 1 - Preparation week, find 3 slots in which to run

WEEK 2 - Walk 4 mins run 1 min, x 4, 3 x per week

WEEK 3 - Walk 3 mins, run 2 mins x 4, 2 x per week, Walk 3 mins, run 2 mins x 5, 1 x per week. Do pelvic floor exercises every day.

WEEK 4 - Walk 2 mins, run 3 mins x 4, 2 x week, Walk 2 mins, run 3 mins x 6, 1 x week. Focus on Pelvic floor and running technique.

WEEK 5 - Walk 1 min, run 4 mins x 4 x 2 week, Walk 1 min run 4 mins x 6 . Pelvic floor and abdominal exercise, every day.

WEEK 6 - THIS WEEK’S POST! Run continuously, 20 minutes 2 x week and 30 minutes 1 x week.

BOOTCAMP BLOG MUMS on the RUN, part 5

In an attempt to make my blog roll a little less lengthy, I am going to make this succinct. My words of wisdom this week?

RUN MUMS RUN! (And a bit about abs and stuff at the end!)

Your running plan at a glance

WEEK 1 - Preparation week, find 3 slots in which to run

WEEK 2 - Walk 4 mins, run 1 min, x 4 (i.e. for 20 minutes), 3 x per week

WEEK 3 - Walk 3 mins, run 2 mins x 4, 2 x per week, Walk 3 mins, run 2 mins x 5 (i.e. 25 minutes), 1 x per week. Do pelvic floor exercises every day.

WEEK 4 - Walk 2 mins, run 3 mins x 4, 2 x week, Walk 2 mins, run 3 mins x 6, 1 x week. Pelvic floor exercises every day and work on your running technique.

WEEK 5 - THIS WEEK'S POST! Walk 1 min, run 4 mins x 4 x 2 week, Walk 1 min run 4 mins x 6. Pelvic floor and abdominal exercises every day.

WEEK 6 - You should now be running continuously! 20 - 30 minutes, 3 x week. Enough to get you through (just) a 5K Race!

So if you are up to week 5 you should be running now with only a bit of walking in-between. On your shorter runs, try slowing down your pace and see if you can run all the way.

Now, to your tummy we go...In part 3 I talked about feeling your tummy come in as you pull up your pelvic floor. In part 4 I talked about drawing your tummy in and feeling your waist wind up as you run. If you have followed the advice on these posts then you should already be using your deepest abdominal muscle - the transversus abdominis (TA for short). This is the muscle that is a major part of your core muscles, is responsible for supporting your back and is the one that gets stretched to oblivion when you have babies. The good news is, with MUMS on the RUN you can get it back and flatten that belly, a) because you are about to reacquaint yourself properly with your TA and b) because running burns more fat than other forms of cardio. Muffin tops beware - no longer are you to rise above the top or, as fashion dictates, squelch behind a zip. Here's how...

As in part 3, sit tall and pull up through your pelvic floor. Imagine your pelvic floor is a lift going up 5 floors, start to pull up through the floors and at the same time, start to draw your tummy horizontally back 5 floors. Now stand with your feet hip distance apart - imagine a spirit level running from one hip to the other. Take a breath and as you breathe out, pull up through the pelvic floor and TA to 2nd floor, i.e. a third of your total effort. Now take your right foot off the floor. STAND TALL, DON'T let your hips tip, i.e. keep your 'spirit' level. Hold for a count of 10, change legs and repeat 3 - 6 times on each leg. Keep breathing and standing tall. Feel it in your pelvic floor, abs and buttocks (More about your backside in next week's posts!)

And what do you mean you haven't done it yet? STAND UP now! There's no time like the present!

MUMS on the RUN has been created and written by Jane Wake, the UK’s leading authority in exercise for mums and mums to be. Check out her recently released ,Baby A-Wake Complete Antenatal and Postnatal Exercise and Wellbeing DVD.

BOOTCAMP BLOG MUMS on the RUN, part 4

Due to my rather late posting, I am going to give you a schedule of the whole thing so far plus an insight into the next two weeks so that you can see where you are going. That means if you are looking at MUMS on the RUN for the first time, you will have all the info you need to start, right here. For more background info, please go back and read previous posts.

WEEK 1 - Preparation week, find three times to exercise, 20 minutes minimum and start doing something, e.g. walk, in these slots this week.

WEEK 2 - In your scheduled three slots, start doing bouts of 4 mins walking, followed by 1 minute running and repeat at least 3 - 4 times. For info on warming up and stretching out, please see part 2

WEEK 3 - In your scheduled three slots, increase your level of running so that you are walking for 3 minutes and running for 2 and repeating at least 3 - 4 times. Also lengthen one of your run/walks this week to at least 25 minutes. Focus on pelvic floor exercises - see part 3 post.

WEEK 4 - THIS POST! You should now be officially running more than you are walking. In your scheduled 3 slots, walk 2 minutes and run 3 minutes and repeat, at least 3 - 4 times with one run consisting of at least 30 minutes. This week is also about 'looking good' whilst you run - see below!

WEEK 5 - You should now be up to running for 4 minutes and walking for 1 minute x 4 including one long session of at least 30 minutes. We will also be looking at ABDOMINALS this week.

WEEK 6 - You should now be running continuously! 20 - 30 minutes, 3 x week. Enough to get you through (just) a 5K Race! If you want to do more than just get through, it's time to now up the pace.


Now I have a confession to make, I am a compulsive running watcher, I can't help myself, If I see some one running I may as well be dropping my jaw and gawping uncontrollably in a potentially illegal manner. The thing is I just can't stand it if I see some one running poorly. I don't mean it in a bad way, in fact I worry about the potential damage they could be doing to themselves and it takes huge strength of will not to run up to them in a desperate attempt to help. If I did they would definitely mistake me for some sort of lunatic and probably want to knock me sideways, but honestly, my intentions are good.

After a rather pathetic athletics career at school I fell victim to the 'toe runner'. A toe runner is someone who never puts their heels down as they run. This results in rather tight calf muscles. You get the same effect if you are permanently ensconced in high heels. It took me 5 years to get over a nasty bout of Achilles tendinitus - sore heels that feel a bit like they are going to snap - not nice. This is therefore my attempt to reach out to all those runners who run a bit...well,...like they shouldn’t...

Adopting good running technique can not only save you precious energy but also the odd hip, knee, back or, as in my case, Achilles heel. Follow these rules, memorise them and use them like a mantra as you run. Start from your feet and work up. Focus on each body part as you go through the mantra...

- As you take a step, aim to strike down with your heel first in a heel to toe, rolling action – don’t force it, it should feel comfortable. Ideally you should feel a push off on the toe from the inside of the ball of your foot. There should be little or no sound coming from your feet.
- Aim to lengthen your stride slightly and think about creating more movement at your hip joint. Do this by extending your leg behind you and squeezing your big bum muscle - the gluteus maximus.
- Now aim to lift your torso up high. Do this by pulling and lifting your tummy muscles in and up, NOT by lifting your chest up.
- Now shake your arms out by your side and gently bring them back into a natural swing - your arms should be working in opposition to your legs, i.e. right arm forward, left leg forward.
- The above creates a wind up feeling in your waist (that’s if you are contracting in with your tummy - try it NOW at your desk – pull your tummy in and swing your arms in a running action).
- Draw your shoulders back and down to create length from your ears to you shoulders.
- Look straight ahead and dead central, relax your face, relax your jaw and breathe deep and slow.

Follow this and you will not only run better but you will look better too . You are also less likely to be gawped at. Well by me that is - Can't account for the abusive drivers but who gives a sh-t about them anyway!

MUMS on the RUN has been created and written by Jane Wake, the UK’s leading authority in exercise for mums and mums to be. Check out her recently released ,Baby A-Wake Complete Antenatal and Postnatal Exercise and Wellbeing DVD.