Yo, Momma . . . April 2005

"And in green underwood and cover/ Blossom by blossom the spring begins." -Algernon C. Swinburn

Ahh, Spring!  It's my favorite season in Atlanta  everything seems to come to life overnight!  It's a season of new beginnings, new birth, and new growth.  And, it's the perfect season to re-visit the goals we set for ourselves at the New Year.  Do those same goals still apply?  Are the same things still important?  Are we doing all we can to attain them?  What changes do we need to make in order to achieve our goals? 

One of my goals for 2005 is to be more diligent about taking care of my own health.  As a mother, the health of my husband and kids has always come first.  I'm great at scheduling doctor and dentist appointments for my three kids, making sure they get enough rest and eat a healthy diet, watching out to be sure they get enough physical activity.  Every January, I vow to have a physical, a mammogram, and a Pap smear.  Some years I'm better than others.  This year, it took a while, but I finally scheduled my mammogram.  After going in for the ritual smushing of the breasts last week, I got the phone call that every woman dreads - there was something on my mammogram that warranted another look.  So, I went back to the Breast Health Center for an ultrasound.  Again, something unusual showed up on the scans - probably just a cyst, but the radiologist couldn't be sure.  Back I went the following morning for a cyst aspiration, NOT the most pleasant experience I've ever had!  But, the result was the best I could hope for - it was indeed just a cyst, and I watched it collapse right before my eyes on the ultrasound monitor as the doctor drained the fluid.  Whew!  When I asked the radiologist what caused the cyst in the first place, she said it was probably genetic and asked if any of the women in my family had a history of cystic breasts.  The sad fact is that I didn't know the answer to that question!  So, the next day I made a phone call to my mom and found out that, yes, she and her mother both had had cysts removed over the years.  I guess it's just another thing that connects me to my ancestors, kind of like my hair and eye color.  Anyway, the moral of my story is TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH!  HAVE ANNUAL SCREENINGS, EAT LOTS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES, GET SOME EXERCISE EVERY DAY, and IF YOU SMOKE, QUIT!  Your family depends on you to be here to take care of them, but first you need to take care of YOU!

Happy Spring!  Now, get outside and enjoy the gifts of the season!

**IN THIS ISSUE**
~New on FitFor2.com
~April Special
~Featured Product
~Fit For 2 Instructor Training
~Book of the Month
~Featured Site
~Tip of the Month

**NEW ON FITFOR2.COM  We have been presented with a tremendous opportunity at Fit For 2!  We are working with the University of Georgia and world-renowned expert Dr. James Clapp (?Exercising Through Your Pregnancy?) on a federally-funded research project to study the effects of exercise on back pain during pregnancy.  If you live in the Athens, Georgia, area, and are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant in the next 2 years) and interested in participating in the study, please contact me or the project coordinator, Tameka Gude at tgude@uga.edu.  We will be recruiting participants from now until October 2006.  For more information on the study, visit http://projects.coe.uga.edu/bpepstudy .

And, a big Fit For 2 welcome to our newest licensee, Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama!  For information on Maxwell's classes, go to www.fitfor2.com/schedule.shtml.

We have also added several new sites to our Links pages.  Take a peek at www.fitfor2.com/links.shtml!

**APRIL ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!  Fit For 2 is turning 12 this month but you get the gift!  We'll include a little token of our appreciation with your order when you purchase any item on our web site during April.  You'll also get FREE SHIPPING when your Fit For 2 order includes the Fit For 2 . . . On The Go! walking CD.  Be sure to enter coupon code APR05 in the Order Instructions area of the online order form.  www.fitfor2.com/shopping.shtml

**FEATURED PRODUCT Fit For 2 . . . On The Go! fitness walking CD is a wonderful companion for your Springtime strolls!  This fun music compilation with tips courtesy of Walking Magazine will keep you singing along as you walk your way to fitness!  Visit www.fitfor2.com/tape.shtml for more information.

**FIT FOR 2 INSTRUCTOR TRAINING Fit For 2 is growing and growing!  If you're interested in becoming a certified Fit For 2 Instructor and/or bringing the Fit For 2 program to your community, please call us at 770-509-8078 or email me at lisa@fitfor2.com.  Our next Instructor Training will be held in Akron, Ohio, May 12-13.  For more information and/or to register, go to www.fitfor2.com/instructor.shtml.

**BOOK OF THE MONTH  Due to much recent discussion on this subject in my Fit For 2 classes, this month's special book is "After the Baby:  Making Sense of Marriage After Childbirth" by Rhonda Kruse Nordin.  Find out why at www.fitfor2.com/bookmonth.shtml . If you have a book that you would like to see featured in this section, please email me at lisa@fitfor2.com.

**FEATURED SITE  Visit www.kidsmartcorp.com, for an innovative vocal smoke detector.  Hopefully, you'll never need to put it to the test, but just in case . . .

**TIP OF THE MONTH  And, in keeping with our FEATURED SITE this month . . . While the following isn't exactly a fitness tip, it is information that will keep you and your family safe!

HOME FIRE ESCAPE PLAN
Hopefully none of us will ever be exposed to the ravages of fire, but if you had a fire in your home, would you know how to get out? Once your smoke alarm sounds, you may have only two minutes to exit safely. The Nation Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends developing and practicing a home fire escape plan. Below are recommendations made by the NFPA.

-If you live in a hi-rise building use stairs, avoid the use of elevators
-Have your entire family practice the escape plan twice yearly
-Don't skimp on smoke detectors, make sure to have at least one smoke alarm on each
level of the home and in or near each sleeping area
-Ideally you should have two escape routes from each room, first way would be the door,
and the second could be a window
-Close all doors behind you as you exit, to restrict the spread of fire and smoke
-If your path of exit is blocked by fire and smoke, use the second exit
-Select a meeting place a safe distance from the home, and insure it's visibly marked
-Your house address must be visible from the street to insure visibility by firefighters
-Memorize the local fire department emergency phone number
-Never go back into a burning building
-Visit the NFPA website for more fire safety tips at www.NFPA.org

And, finally, in honor of April Fools? Day, a little humor . . .
Eleven people were hanging on a rope under a helicopter, ten men and one woman. The rope was not strong enough to carry them all, so they decided that one had to leave, because otherwise they were all
going to fall. They weren't able to name that person, until the woman gave a very touching speech. She said that she would voluntarily let go of the rope, because, as a woman, she was used to giving up everything
for her husband and kids, or for men in general, and was used to always making sacrifices with little in return. As soon as she finished her speech, all the men started clapping their hands.......

If you have a pregnancy, parenting, or fitness tip you'd like to share, please email it to us at webmaster@fitfor2.com.  We'll publish it in an upcoming issue of "Yo, Momma . . ."

Thanks for visiting us at Fit For 2.  If you have comments or suggestions, we want to know!  Contact us at webmaster@fitfor2.com or call 770-509-8078.  Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you know who is pregnant or has just had a baby.