Mom-to-be getaway in Muscat

If you are looking for the ideal spa-day in Muscat for moms-to-be then look no further than The Chedi Muscat. 

I've tried a couple of other spas during pregnancy both in Muscat and Abu Dhabi and none of them have come close to the experience and relaxation at The Chedi.

I have always felt that the experience of going to a spa goes well beyond the massage or facial that you have signed up for, a spa experience should cater to the other senses of sight and scent ultimately leading to total relaxation of the mind. 

Although The Chedi is located in the middle of the city, the design of the hotel has been done in such a way that you feel a sense of escape or getaway as soon as you drive down their long driveway leading up the main entrance of the hotel. As you park your car and start zig zagging your way down pebbled footpaths and symmetrically planted trees and ponds, you already start feeling a sense of escape.

The Spa is located close to The Long Pool, and here's the obligatory photo that one must take when standing in front of it. 

As you walk up the stairs to The Spa and enter their dimly lit reception area, you automatically feel a sense of zen and healing as the aromas of spa oils fills you and a mental sense of escape lingers. 

All the spa rooms face the long pool, and that setting alone with the beach in the background creates a sense of calm. Add to that some candles and soothing music and they've really got the scene setting down to a T.

I used to visit The Chedi Spa during my first pregnancy, but 2 years down the line and they have really taken in to the next level. Instead of placing you in a side lying position as most spas do for pregnant women, they now have a special bed with a portion of it that is removable around the belly area, so that you can comfortably lay on your "belly" without any pressure on your baby bump as it hangs out of a hole in the bed.  This gives much greater access to the therapist trying to ease out those sore back muscles that us preggies always complain about. 

The ila-Mother-To-Be Massage is a 90 minute treatment which includes an exfoliation comprised of black current seeds and Himalayan sea salts, which leave your skin very smooth, followed by a quick rinse and then a massage. The massage oil used is a special blend for moms-to-be which includes organic argan oil and herbal extracts. The massage was firm (just the way I like it!) and hit certain pressure points and was finished off with heated herbal poultices (little herb filled heated up bags) placed on marma points containing herbs like lavender for relaxing the muscles and bringing harmony to baby and mama. 

The treatment is on the expensive side, rounding up to 85RO with the taxes and service fees, but definitely worth it. 

Are you a Fitness App Junkie?

So have you joined the fitness app fanatics with multiple fitness apps to keep track of your heart rate, sleep rhythm, food intake, water intake, workouts, footsteps, calories burned...etc..?

Ok well I have, here's a screen shot of my fitness apps, and that's only the first page!

I thought I'd share a bit on my experience with each one of them.

Cody

This app specifically has fitness classes that you can view and follow on your iPhone or iPad. The app comes with a few free classes as part of the starter kit including mostly yoga and some strength classes. They then have several classes that you can purchase online on  https://www.codyapp.com which include yoga, strength, flexibility, nutrition and weightlifting. I've visited the site several times and have been tempted to download classes but promised myself to only purchase classes if I consistently used the free ones to begin with. That hasn't happened yet. But the 2-3 classes that I have tried were enjoyable.

Wodify

This app was downloaded when I was still at Crossfit Tempo, you can register for classes, keep a log of your performance, and see your progress over time. You can also "like" other people's performances and workouts.

UP

I purchased a fitness wristband, the UP3 and this is the app that goes along with it. It keeps a log of your sleep (deep sleep, REM and light sleep), keeps a tab of the footsteps you've taken and whether your have reached your goals. You can also log in any workouts that you have done that day, and it will add those calories for you to give you a total of calories burnt for that day. Your passive heart rate also gets logged. If you've got friends using the same app, you can follow them, check their progress and encourage each other. The app also provides you with daily feedback on how you've been doing and recommendations for how you can improve on reaching your target. I'll be honest, when I first got the band I was constantly checking the updates on it, but have gradually lost the interest as I realized that I hardly ever meet my 10,000 footstep goal, and its a bit discouraging for me to keep seeing that. I've been advised by the app to set a lower target but am in denial and want to keep the same target. It would be good to be able to set other fitness goals related to gym workouts or gym classes that are not necessarily reflected by footsteps. On the other hand, getting the band has encouraged my partner who used to hate walking to walk more and meet his daily goals.

My Zone

This is a chest band that I first started using when I joined the Engine Room at Horizon. It tracks your heart rate during workouts and gives you the information on the workout zone you are in and the calories burnt. This is meant to be more accurate at calculating calories burnt than wristbands as it is worn close to your heart. I think it's pretty cool, but I also got a bit bored of strapping something on my chest, when all I wanted to do is just go enjoy a workout rather than stress over exact calories burnt and what zone I was in.

Wellness

This app was downloaded when I joined the Wellness Center at The Wave, and gives you the option to add or drop classes. It's pretty easy and simple to use. I haven't used it for anything other than that. If you drop classes less than 3 hours before class, or don't show up to class, you run the risk of being black listed from classes, yikes, a bit harsh!

My Fitness Pal

This app was really cool for the 72 hours that I dedicated time to use it. You can add in your food and drink intake and it calculates that amount of calories that you have consumed. Its better than the nutrition section of the UP and has a lot more variety of foods to select from, including local favorites like Al Marai low fat laban. You can sync this with other apps including UP and get your caloric intake to be reflected on your UP and get info on workouts and footsteps from UP to be reflected on My Fitness Pal. Based on the amount of calories that you have burnt, it could give you additional calories to eat up. I somehow didn't always think that enough additional calories transferred over from UP to My Fitness Pal - so I'm not quite sure how the conversion works. While its fun to do for a short time, to get an idea of calorie busters, its simply not that practical to log every single thing that goes into your mouth. The app is also linked to the MyFitnessPal Blog on which you can find recipes and other health and nutrition advice.

Libra

Welcome to the new age of weighing scales. This app goes along with the Runtastic weighing scale, which gives you not only your weight and BMI, but also your water content, fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass and tissue content. Over time it graphs out all of your data. 

Health

Is an app that comes with the iPhone, you can link all your other apps to it, and you can get a dashboard of your performances. I don't really use it that much, but maybe I just haven't figured out its benefits yet.

Nurture

This is a mummy to be app, which tracks your pregnancy - tells you how many weeks you are, gives info on the baby's growth hat week, pregnancy related tips and is also linked to a community board. Moreover, you can sync it with your UP and My Fitness Pall apps to keep track of your overall fitness wellbeing and see a full dashboard of your nutrition, calories, weight and other health info that you've entered from your prenatal visits.  

So in summary, although I may be a slave to downloading tons of apps and trying them out, I'm definitely no slave to the apps themselves!

Considering joining a gym in Muscat?

I always think its important to keep yourself physically active, no matter what the activity is, as long as its enjoyable to you and keeps you interested enough to keep coming back. Over the last few months I've worked out at 3 main fitness centers, here's a look at my experience at each of them:

Horizon Ladies Gym - Al Hail

Horizon is one of the oldest gyms in Oman, and has branches popping up all over the place. I got interested when they opened a bright and shiny new ladies gym in my neighborhood and decided to give it a try. The membership process was quite confusing, and they never had any leaflets or signboard that clearly indicated packages and membership inclusions. Instead, you get bombarded with information about membership and classes by the ladies at the front desk, talking to you simultaneously. You can't pay for classes as you go, and have to be a member, I was ambitious and decided to get an annual membership. I then realized that my membership did not include any of the classes, and that would have to be paid for separately. At the time, I was interested in the Engine Room, so I paid separately for that and for a personal trainer. Communication of the payment options and packages could have been better. That aside, my Engine Room personal trainer was great, and really pushed me the right amount that although the class is only 30 minutes it is very high intensity, I always left feeling like I was  pushed to my limit and got the best out of those 30 minutes, she would finish off the class with a quick massage and stretch, which was PERFECT!

Crossfit Tempo

Crossfit, sounds intimidating and that its for hard core heavy lifters, but everyone works at their own pace and fitness level. Crossfit Tempo is located in Al Khoud and is a man's world kind of gym, but you will find a few women who attend the mixed classes too. I tend to go to these classes with my husband. The crowd is a pretty mixed background who don't care how they look and can wear the same ripped t-shirt with holes that keep widening as the weeks pass. What's important is pushing yourself as hard as you can and topping the leaderboards or your previous performance levels. You also get the occasional neighborhood kids walking in to curiously see what's going on - before getting kicked out. Class registration is done through an app "WODIFY", and you can also track your progress by logging in your performance at the end of each workout and can also encourage each other by  "liking" other people's performances. You have the option of paying per class or getting a membership. The moves and WOD (work out of the day) are very clearly broken down and explained. A typical workout would start off with a warm-up, followed by practicing a skill (like lifting techniques), and then a breakdown of the WOD (Workout of the Day). They are usually high intensity workouts with lots of repetitions, that sound impossible to complete, but somehow you do make it through to the end of the class. Crossfit will definitely teach you to count and divide as you try to break down the workout with minimal breaks. The focus of each class on a given day may vary, from gymnastics, to weightlifting, or anaerobic based workouts. They have had a few different trainers that have come and gone since they opened last year, each with a different style.

The Wellness Center

The Wellness Center is one of the newest gyms and is the crème de la crème of Muscat gyms, really elevating the standard of service and professionalism. Its the type of place that is spotlessly clean, has a sauna and Amouage body products in the locker rooms. It the type of place that you want to walk into looking clean cut and pulled together, as the Lululemon wearing crowd definitely likes to check out who's who as you pass by. You have to be a member to attend the classes, and can choose to get a 1 month, 3 month, 6 month or 1 year membership. Registering for classes is done through an app on your phone "Wellness", and the classes are in such high demand that you may try to register a week in advance, and still be put on a waitlist. Their class cancelation policy is quite strict, and if you don't show up or cancel at a minimum of 3 hours before the class, then you risk being blacklisted from classes for the rest of your membership if it happens 3 times. I like the diversity of the classes offered and have been mostly attending the yoga and body pump classes.

I generally prefer classes over independently using gym equipment, all of these centers were enjoyable to me in their own way, it really depends what you're looking for.

Stay fit!

Early Risers Get the Best View - Wakan

What better way to enjoy a weekend morning, than sipping on freshly brewed Karak at the top of a mountain with beautiful views of the rising sun making its way over the mountain range. If you're looking for a quick outdoor trip and comfortable hike that's not too far away from Muscat, then you should consider heading to Wakan Village during spring. 

 

We usually head out around 4:00am, to make it to the viewpoint at the top in time to watch the sun rise. Waken is situated in Wilayat Nakhl, it's an hour and a half drive away from Muscat, and another half an hour of walking up 700 purpose built steps that take you along a falaj system as you walk up to the viewpoint at the top. 

The crisp early morning cool air fills your lungs with freshness as you make your way up in semi darkness, hastily so as not to miss the sunrise.

If you have friends kind enough to make you fresh Karak at the top as you watch the rising sun, that takes the experience to a whole other level. 

The village has beautiful terraced gardens and they grow apricots, grapes, pomegranate and maize from what I could see. The pathway is well built making it a comfortable climb, with lots of lookout points with seating areas to rest as you make your way up. Unfortunately, the restrooms at the final view point have not been maintained and were locked last time we visited.

 

For those who find this pathway too easy, there's a hiking trail connecting Wakan to Jabal Akhdar although it may take several hours to get there, I haven't ventured that path myself yet.


Click here for more info on Wakan.
Coordinates N23.14343 E57.73541


   

Psst, what's in that bag?

So I've been carrying around this colorful bag that I bought in Thailand to work with me everyday along with my usual handbag after returning from maternity leave.

Wondering what's inside?

• Medela Freestyle Pump
• Handsfree bra 
• Cooler bag with ice pack
• 2 medela milk bottles 

If you are not interested in a long boring story on pumping then read no further! You have been warned...

So I guess this makes me a so called "work and pump" mom. I wanted to make sure that Jude continued to have breastmilk while I was away at work so I just made sure to pump on a daily basis the equivalent of the milk that she consumed. She would typically have three 5oz bottles of milk while I was away. That equated to me pumping 3 times a day; in the morning before heading to work, at work and then at night before bed.

Jude has just turned 1 and this 1 year I have to say that I really bonded with this little palm size pump. I have used it in a lot of unexpected locations ...  in the sky (on a plane) on the ground (train, car) at sea (on a boat) ... haven't managed to take it underwater diving!  The reason that it was so necessary for me to pump in all those locations was not just to collect milk , in some cases I just dumped it, but it could get really uncomfortable if I went long hours between feeds or pump sessions. I also tend to get blocked ducts quite easily so I just wanted to keep that in check.

Now that Jude is 1 I have decided to discontinue my relationship with my pump, yes! Finally! And I must say that I feel somewhat liberated to be walking around not worrying about how or when or where I'm going to be pumping. I literally feel lighter not carrying my colourful bag around town with me. I have now replaced Jude's bottle feeds with full fat cow's milk and she gets to nurse from me whenever I'm around. I still need to figure out how and when I'm going to wean her completely but I expect it to be gradual over this year.

Here are some useful links on:
Milk storage : http://www.lalecheleague.org/faq/milkstorage.html
Traveling : http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/recommendations/travel_recommendations.htm
Work and pump: http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/bf-links-pumping/

*Note: this post was drafted over a year ago, we have long since weaned from breastfeeding :)

Has it really been 15 months?

I have just realized that its been 15 months since my last blog post! I realize that I have been away for some time, but just didn't realize how long its been exactly. Coincidentally, my absence from the blogging sphere coincided with Jude starting to stand, walk and run around. I guess I've been busy running behind her and she has been more demanding of my time lately.

I'm going to give blogging another attempt and hope to keep it up!

Bakasana to headstand I will conquer you ...

So my latest physical challenge is to get myself to go from bakasana (crow pose) into headstand.

I have been practicing yoga for around 2 years now, I started right before I got pregnant because I wanted to get myself into a regular exercise that I could continue throughout my pregnancy. Prior to that, I had been doing regular boot camp sessions on the beach, so not the ideal workout to continue while pregnant.

I started off yoga twice a week with an Iyengar yoga instructor by the name of Shipla, who works from her home in Ghubra. Her instruction uses props such as belts, bolsters, blocks and ropes to help students get into correct positions. The class mixes beginners, advanced, expecting, non-expecting students all in one class, but she groups and instructs students according to their levels. I really enjoy the benefit of the props which allow for deeper extensions, encouragement of inversions and improvement of flexibility in general. Her classes are an earful for sure as she describes the 8 limbs of yoga, and keeping your mind clear of destructive demonic forces and other such mindful teachings.

After getting pregnant , I also added on pre-natal yoga classes with Karen Wilmot at Whispers of Serenity. Her yoga classes are specifically catered to pregnant women, so it was a great way to meet other expecting mothers. The class focused on hip openers, strengthening the pelvic floor and long sessions of belly breathing. Regular belly breathing exercises made it very easy for me to switch into the mode of belly breathing during labor which I feel really helped keep me calm through contractions in labor.

I complemented my yoga practice with regular walking and even added on climbing up and down stairs as an exercise to open up my pelvis in the last few weeks leading up to my due date. I considered myself to be quite fit for a pregnant woman and didn't expect my fitness level to drop much.

What I did not realize is that although you may not feel much different from your previous self, your body really does change a lot through pregnancy. I started getting back into light exercise around 2 weeks postpartum. My super-fit mom encouraged me to get on her treadmill every now and then when Jude was napping. I can't say that I was consistent about it but it did feel good to start doing normal activities other than focusing all my thoughts and efforts on my newborn baby.

I did not feel confident pursuing other exercises right away. I did a quick self-assessment at home and realized that my abdomen had separated as a result of the pregnancy, I could literally fit 3 fingers straight through a gap in between my left and right abdomen.  Abdominal separation also known as distasis recti is quite common for multiple pregnancies , and places you at a higher risk of lower back issues and  injuries such as a hernia. Certain exercises may even make the gap wider, which concerned me.  

At 4 months, post partum , I decided that I needed to get into a regular exercise routine so that I could start feeling like myself again and stop treating myself like a patient that's still recovering from some illness. I got a personal trainer to come home and trained with her twice a week.  With my busy work schedule and rushing home to spend time with Jude before bedtime, I just did not have the energy to leave home again for a workout, so that option worked quite well for me. I was so shocked the first time I tried to do a leg raise because I could barely lift my lower legs. I had lost so much muscle strength in my abs, but I took that as a challenge. 

I also added on yoga sessions again, with another yoga instructor by the name of Tomoko whose detail-oriented instruction focuses on correct technique, flow and breathing, with a perfectly matching soundtrack for each session.  

The thing that I enjoy most about yoga, is the fact that no matter how much I progress there's always something more to attain. I've worked hard to be able to hold a headstand without wall support, this is a great achievement for me, because it makes me realize that I have managed to bring back some of the abdominal strength that I may have lost during pregnancy.

Through yoga and meditation, I have gained mind discipline. In labor, I managed to virtually levitate my mind away from my body and thus minimize my perception of pain.

My next big challenge is moving from crow to headstand, so I guess I need to work on my crow pose to feel comfortable enough to drop my head. I should add that this is just as much a mental exercise as it is a physical one. Wish me luck on progressing with this!

For more info on distasis recti visit http://www.befitmom.com/diastasis_recti.html