Monday, August 16, 2010

SyntheCore - A Pilates Mommy (or Daddy) and Me Workout

Our next gathering held on Saturday May 6th, 2010 was definitely a fun and active one!  The Family Love Village had a guest speaker, Michelle Starlin who gave us a free class on a very fun, interactive and effective workout called Synthecore

Synthecore - the brain child of three families was dedicated to helping parents maintain and improve their bodies while bonding with their children.  Synthecore’s president and exercise expert is Michelle F. Starlin. Michelle lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Drew, and their two wonderful children.  What had first began as a Baby and Me Pilates class at the park had evolved into the creation of Synthecore and the new dvd.

Their goal is to create workouts you can do at home which integrate your children into the activities and keep them where they should be, in your arms and close by. Synthecore is a green company concerned with how we will pass along the earth to our children. They believe in and live by the saying, ‘ We do not inherit this land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children’. 

Michelle is a dedicated advocate for attachment parenting and for those who strive to stay fit while spending quality time with their children. Being an environmentalist is also a high priority and Michelle intends to keep Synthecore as green as it can be. When I checked the website under "EcoCore" just to see how green they really are, I was very impressed with what I discovered.  Below are some of the steps they have taken to reduce their carbon footprint on the world.

  • Their DVD eco-jacket uses post consumer recycled card stock.
  • The DVD jacket is entirely recyclable and printed with vegetable ink.
  • During the dvd filming, no disposable products were allowed & the fruit/vegetable remains were added to a compost.
  • The exercise mat used in the video is 100% recyclable.
  • All of these toys used during the shoot are PVC free.
  • Their website is powered by wind energy.
  • Their mailing envelopes, mailing labels and receipts are made from post consumer recycled paper.
  • They have an electronic office, only printing necessary documents.
  • They recycle everything possible.
  • They strive not to buy any single use products.
  • They drink out of stainless steel re-usable bottles.
  • They use incandescent light bulbs.
  • They have given green talks and are helping their charity recipient, Alexandria House, become eco conscious.
  • They all use either cloth or non-bleach diapers on their babies.
I was also very happy to hear that not only are they eco-friendly but they support others in need.  Synthecore also believes in paying it forward. They are happy to give a percentage of their sales to the Alexandria House. It is a transitional residence and house of hospitality providing safe and supportive housing for women and children in the process of moving from emergency shelter to permanent housing.

All of the above resonates so well with the Family Love Village beliefs so when Michelle mentioned that she would be happy to give us a free class, I jumped at the opportunity!  We had a nice intimate class that day.  And it was so nice to have some of the fathers there with their babies too (not just the moms).  The class started off with some stretches with our lil ones in tow.  Then we began the workout.  What I found to be the best and most original part of the class was actually wearing our babies in their slings/baby carriers while working out.  This was definitely a fun workout, not only for the adults but for the babies too!  It truly incorporated bonding with our babies while getting a very effective exercise. 

I was so impressed with the workout (and let me tell you, I did get a good pummelling -even through the breaks in between with grabbing my son in between distractions of wanting to play with toys and the other babies).  I even purchased the dvd.  Although I have to admit, I've been a bit lazy these days (or is it just extremely busy chasing after an 18month old running around) and have only done the video once.  They say it takes 21 days to get rid of an old habit or to start a new, healthy habit.  I better get on that healthy habit and start working out to Synthecore soon! 

All in all, it was such a great way to spend quality time with our lil ones and get a workout other than my arms (from picking up my son).  :o)  I highly recommend it to everyone wanting some exercise with baby in tow!

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