While the holidays can be fun, they can also bring on a lot of stress.

Especially with this year being the year of COVID-19.

We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?

So put on some comfy workout clothes and press play on this quick full body workout!

[Read more…] about 10 Minute Workout to Boost Energy & Relieve Holiday Stress

I wasn’t prepared to feel as weak as I did after my first baby.

My abs felt like Jell-O.

My back was tight and stiff and sore.

I felt like I could barely lift or move without something, somewhere aching or feeling about as strong as a limp noodle.

So I did what most new moms do. I worked on rebuilding my core and pelvic floor strength.

But what I didn’t realize at that time was that there was another key area of my body that I wasn’t focusing on. And it’s as important – maybe for some moms even more important – than your core and pelvic floor.

That’s why I always make sure my clients don’t forget about this during their workouts.

[Read more…] about Are You Forgetting About This During Your Workouts? A Lot of Moms Do.

When you have no symptoms (like pain, pressure or leaking) and you’re feeling good, can you just dive right back into your usual workouts after pregnancy?

What about if you are having symptoms? What do you do then?

One of the reasons I decided to focus on coaching postpartum exercise specifically is because – even though more education is out there – there is still a lot of confusion and frustration over, “What can I do? What can’t I do?”

And one of the biggest sources of frustration is when to know it’s “safe” to go back to your usual workouts. Especially if the workouts are more challenging and include movements like running, jumping, heavy lifting, little to no rest…

There will never be a one size fits all approach to returning to exercise postpartum. But there is a mistake I see a lot of new moms commonly make.

And it can cause or contribute to issues now and in the future, so you need to be mindful about this.

I made this mistake after my first pregnancy. I don’t want you to make it too.

[Read more…] about How to Avoid the Biggest Mistake That Most New Moms Make When They Return to Exercise Post-Pregnancy

The other day I was leading a workshop for a local Mommy and Me group and I brought up the fact that, when your doctor or midwife says you’re “cleared” for exercise at your 6 or 8 week check-up, that doesn’t mean you’re cleared for all the exercise.

I talked about how our bodies go through some significant changes in a very short period of time and our entire body, but especially our cores and pelvic floors, need some support before we can expect things to feel and function well when we go for a run, do that HIIT class, or challenge ourselves with that heavy barbell.

We need to restore our core and pelvic floor strength so that we’re actually physically capable of pushing ourselves in our workouts – and even just in our everyday lives.

Mom life is so physically demanding and we need the strength to keep up.

So here are 5 ways you can help restore your core and pelvic floor strength postpartum.

[Read more…] about 5 Ways to Restore Your Core and Pelvic Floor Strength Postpartum

Since returning to the gym postpartum you’ve probably already recognized that things are feeling different.

Maybe you’re getting some symptoms – like heaviness or bulging in your pelvic floor.

Maybe you’re feeling a heck of a lot weaker than you used to feel.

Maybe you didn’t expect to have a tough time doing even a pretty basic exercise like a lunge or plank.

The truth is that your body just went through an insane amount of change in a relatively short period of time.

And if you want to feel stronger, and capable of lifting heavy weights, skipping, running, going to HIIT classes and doing all the fitness and active adventuring you loved pre-baby, then you need to know this.

This is critical to your success in the gym (and it’s absolutely tied to your capacity to feel like a healthy, happy mom).

[Read more…] about Why You Won’t Get The Results at the Gym You’re Hoping For Unless You Know This One Critical Thing

Do you ever see a post on Instagram and think, “YESSSSSS!!!”?

That’s the feeling I got when I recently read a post by Dr. Carrie Pagliano. She’s a women’s and pelvic health physical therapist with nearly 20 years of experience and she’s also a mom (so you know she gets it).

Carrie was posting about running postpartum and I couldn’t help but nod along as she said things like, “OB said you’re back to everything at 6 weeks. Whaa? In most cases at 6 weeks you’re just starting to feel human again. There’s nothing physiologically that says that you’re ready to hit the trails just like you did before baby.”

And I was definitely empathizing with her when she said, “My most horrifying run made me dash into the local gas station convenience store, less than a mile from home, barely making it another mile to a local high school restroom & then just making the final mile back. I was devastated.

The urgency had been excruciating, the leakage constant & my ❤️ was broken. I’d been a runner since 7th grade.

Was it over?

Would I ever run again?”

If you’ve heard or can relate to any of this, then you won’t want to miss today’s interview. It’s full of relatable, actionable advice that will have you shaking your head yes and feeling like finally someone gets what it’s like and has the tools to help you get back into running safely postpartum.

[Read more…] about How to Safely Return to Running Postpartum