Yo, Momma . . . May 2005

"Action is eloquence." -William Shakespeare

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "action" as the bringing about of an alteration by force or through a natural agency; the manner or method of performing; a function of the body or one of its parts.  I wonder which definition Shakespeare was referring to in his above quote. 

In its earliest incarnation, Fit For 2 was strictly about action as a function of the body  it was designed, after all, to be a fitness class.  However, over the years, Fit For 2, like the babies born to our Fit For 2 moms, has grown and developed into much more.  It is now not only about action of the body but also about action in a much broader sense of the word.  Fit For 2 takes action within the media through personal appearances and interviews with print, radio, and television journalists.  We also take action within the community by sponsoring and supporting fundraising activities, building awareness around political issues such as childhood obesity, and participating in research studies alongside university faculty and medical professionals. 

My hope is that our next dozen years serving pregnant women and new mothers, like our first 12, will lead us to many more opportunities to take action, both inside the gym and outside of it.  Thank you for continuing to support us as we seize those opportunities to act on behalf of moms everywhere!

**IN THIS ISSUE**
~New on FitFor2.com
~Report on the Fit For 2 Maternity Team
~Fit For 2 in Atlanta
~Mother's Day Special
~Fit For 2 Instructor Training
~Book of the Month
~Featured Site
~Nutrition Tip of the Month
~Recalls

**NEW ON FITFOR2.COM  Fit For 2 seems to be making the media rounds these days!  Take a look at www.fitfor2.com/exercise.shtml to see our latest appearance!

As I mentioned in last month's issue of Yo, Momma . . ., 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 .

**REPORT ON THE FIT FOR 2 MATERNITY TEAM  As many of you know, Fit For 2, in conjunction with Expecting Fitness ( www.expectingfitness.com) and Mothers In Motion ( www.mothersinmotion.com), put together the first ever maternity teams for the March of Dimes WalkAmerica events in Atlanta and Los Angeles the last three years.  This year (our fourth!), sadly, the Atlanta Walk was rained out (actually, thunderstormed out!), but we were still able to raise some money to help prevent premature births.  Thank you to everyone who made a donation to our Maternity Team, either directly or through your purchase of a March of Dimes wristband!  For those of you who would still like to make a donation, you can do so online at www.walkamerica.org/fitfor2 - thank you in advance!

**FIT FOR 2 IN ATLANTA  Our new Summer Session of classes begins next Monday (May 9)! If you'd like to register online, you can do so at www.fitfor2.com/reginfo.shtml . Class members returning for a consecutive session receive a 10% discount! Plus, if you register by 5pm EST on May 3rd, you'll receive an additional 5% discount!

And, don't forget about setting your health and fitness goals for this new session! You can fill out the worksheet online at www.fitfor2.com/goalsetting3.shtml .

**MOTHER'S DAY SPECIAL!  We want to help you celebrate Mother's Day this month, so we have a FREE GIFT for you!  With every order you place at fitfor2.com during the month of May, you'll receive a FREE Fit For 2 jar gripper  very useful for opening those baby food jars!

**FIT FOR 2 INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION  If you've ever taken part in a group fitness class and thought, ?Hey, I could do that!? then you might be just the person to become certified as a Fit For 2 instructor!  If you'd like more information on our instructor training and licensing opportunities, please call us at 770-509-8078 or email me at lisa@fitfor2.com.  Our next training is May 12-13 in Akron, Ohio.  Go to www.fitfor2.com/instructor.shtml for more details.

**BOOK OF THE MONTH  While not exactly a pregnancy or parenting book, I just had to choose ?Trillion-Dollar Moms? by Maria T. Bailey and Bonnie W. Ulman as our May Book of the Month.  Why?  Because I was interviewed for the book!  Check it out at www.fitfor2.com/bookmonth.shtml .

**FEATURED SITE  Go to www.ediets.com to sign up for free nutrition advice.  You'll receive a daily nutrition tip and other valuable information.  Be sure to check it out!

**NUTRITION TIP OF THE MONTH 
Cravings usually are usually more psychological than physical. You can avoid cravings by eating small, frequent meals. When you get hungry between meals, enjoy a healthy snack. Another tip is to drink water instead of searching for a snack. Oftentimes, we confuse thirst with hunger. By not giving into cravings, you'll be amazed at the amount of empty calories you save.

**RECALLS  Graco Recalls Toddler Beds, Fined $4 Million

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Graco Children's Products Inc., a unit of Newell Rubbermaid Inc., has been fined $4 million for failing to report hundreds of incidents, some fatal, involving products ranging from infant
carriers to high chairs, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (news  web sites) announced on Tuesday.

In addition, 1.2 million toddler beds made by Graco have been recalled because children's limbs can get trapped between the slats in the guard rails or footboard, resulting in broken bones or sprains, the Commission and Graco said.

The CPSC, which said the $4 million fine marked its largest civil penalty ever, said Graco failed to report hundreds of incidents and injuries involving 16 different products from 1991 through 2002. The 12 million items involved were designed for young children and include infant carriers, high chairs, infant swings, strollers and toddler beds.

The injuries ranged from bruises and fractures to strangulation, including some deaths, the CPSC said.

The commission said Graco's failure to report the safety concerns related to the 1.2 million toddler beds subject to the recall was one of the violations leading to the $4 million provisional penalty.

Graco received reports of 77 entrapments related to the toddler beds, resulting in 13 broken arms and legs and one broken foot, the CPSC said.

The recalled beds were sold from 1994 through 2001 under the names "Cozy Toddler Bed," "Glow-in-the-Dark Toddler Bed," and "Classic Toddler Bed."

There is a label on the guard rail or leg containing one of the following model numbers: 8801, 8801WR, 8821, 8824, 8828, 8833, 30066, 34434 and 11030.

Consumers should remove the guard rails from the recalled beds and call the firm to receive a free retrofit kit.  Consumers can contact Graco at 800-837-4404 or go to the company Web site at www.gracobaby.com.

If you have a pregnancy, parenting, or fitness tip or a recipe 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 . . ."


Have a very happy Mother's Day!  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 recently had a baby.