Being pregnant is a time in a woman’s life when there is a whirlwind of changes occurring. Whether they are happening for the first time or not it is a massive time of change.

As I was preparing dinner last night, something on the news caught my attention. Some opportunitic people out there have invented exercise equipment for children. And some gyms have now set up areas where children can work out.

Now I'm all for getting kids active but I don't agree this is the way to go about it. I don't have kids, so I admit that I may not fully appreciate the difficulties that parents have trying to encourage their children to be active. I don't want to be too judgmental but I feel that this is a bit of a lazy solution and doesn't really instill the right philosophies about being active. And it doesn't seem like it would be particularly good for a toddler's bone/muscle development.

One of the parents interviewed for the feature said that it was great being able to put them in front of cartoons on their treadmill. This just seems so wrong.

The show also spoke about baby bootcamp. Now don't even get me started on that!

Does anyone have equipment like this? Or would you consider it? I'm interested to know whether this is a trend that is going to stick. 

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My Mum wasn't particularly athletic as a child. She spent her days running around the hills near where she grew up but didn't go out of her way to be involved in formal sport. In high-school she was a reserve for the netball team. She always enjoyed watching sport though, and actually met my dad in Holland because she was scoring for the cricket game he was playing in! She has been a mad keen spectator of any sport - live or on tv for most of her life. As a mother, she spent her days ferrying my sister and I to training and events for all the sports we were involved with. Like most working mums, there wasn't a lot of time left to pursue her own interests.

But now that my sister and I are older, she has discovered something that she absolutely loves. Bushwalking. And all the associated activities. Last year, Mum joined a bushwalking club and now all her waking hours (and probably the sleeping ones!) are spent training for, planning or doing an expedition. A few years back she took up running and did a few fun runs (including the Sydney City-to-surf) but that wasn't enough to keep her hooked. Bushwalking isn't just about exercise and endurance, it also involves learning about nature and learning survival (think WoMan vs Wild!).

If you’ve ever been pregnant you know too well the ridiculous situations you find yourself in, whether it’s bending down to pick up a tired toddler or trying to paint your toes. So to imagine contorting your pregnant self into impossible yoga poses might be a bit of a stretch! But if you can get your head (and your body) around it, could yoga mean a smooth pregnancy and natural childbirth? According to some professionals and mothers who have first-hand experience, the answer is yes…with exceptions.

Happy Mothers Day to all women! ‘All women?’, you ask. Yes, because all women have ‘mothered’ someone at sometime because of the fact that we are wonderfully caring creatures! Wishing everyone a beautiful day.

What an amazing bunch of ladies! x

Everyone’s heard the saying: “I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself!” But nothing rings closer to the truth than when you’re heavily pregnant. As I write this article, I myself am 38 weeks pregnant, and have had a few ‘close calls’ when I’ve decided this really is no laughing matter

The truth of the matter is, that urinary incontinence (or leakage) is very common during pregnancy, and that one in three women continue to suffer these symptoms for months or even years after the birth of their baby. So it is a VERY common problem, and we really need to talk about it!

Active Women Australia chats to 37 year old open water swimmer Nicole Chester. This crazy woman trains in the chilly waters off the Victorian coast!