In pregnancy and postpartum there’s a lot of buzz around the phrase “deep core” and activating it during exercise. But I’ve found that for as often as it’s talked about, women aren’t really taught how to activate it effectively. There are tons of benefits to strengthening and activating your deep core during pregnancy and postpartum. In this post, we’ll dive into what your deep core is, why we need to strengthen it, and how to activate it correctly!  What Exactly is the Deep Core Your ‘deep core’ refers to the deepest layer of your abdominals - the TVA (transverse abdominis). The TVA lie ..read more

After having a Cesarean birth, moms are typically given little information on the recovery process. As an unexpected C-section mama myself, this topic is something I’m very passionate about. On the day I left the hospital I was given a pamphlet that simply told me to rest, not move a whole lot, and avoid heavy lifting. Thankfully I had my exercise and pre/postnatal education to lean on but, this is not the case for most. We deserve to be informed of ways to speed up the recovery process, start healing our core, and how to feel as good as possible in the fourth trimester. Let’s dive into some ..read more

The phrase “pre-baby body” is an illusion. I am very aware that this opinion may ruffle some feathers, but hear me out. There’s a lot of talk in the fitness and motherhood space about bouncing back to our pre-baby body. I call BS on this. I don’t consider anyone to have their pre-baby body no matter how much they look like they “bounced back.” When you have a baby, your body changes physically and physiologically. Striving for our former body shape can lead to disappointment if we’re not careful. Because there is no guarantee we will have that exact body shape ever again. And I want you to kno ..read more

Let’s talk about preparing your body for delivery! If you’re in your third trimester - this one is for YOU. Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the bottom of your pelvis that physically helps GUIDE baby out of the birth canal. Pretty cool right? Just as we talk about the importance of strengthening the pelvic floor, the other important (and commonly missed) piece as we enter the third trimester is learning to RELAX it. Otherwise, baby may have a harder time coming out and your odds of tearing can slightly increase. And ladies, we want to avoid that at all costs! Pelvic floor relaxing is ..read more

The pelvic floor is an underrated yet VERY important part of pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery. Keeping your pelvic floor functional is essential if you want to be comfortable (down there!) throughout pregnancy and even postpartum. This blog post is PACKED with important information on what the pelvic floor does, why it’s important, how to make sure you’re activating it correctly, and finally some exercises you can apply during pregnancy!  What is the pelvic Floor & why it’s important during pregnancy The pelvic floor – as it sounds – is a band of muscles that sit at the bottom of ..read more

If you have questions surrounding the safety of lifting weights while pregnant, you’re not alone. Have you ever wondered… Should I avoid lifting anything? Should I just do bodyweight exercises? Should I lift heavy or light weights? What’s the right amount? How hard should I push? Many expecting mamas are left confused, as they get very little (or even outdated) advice from their medical provider on this topic! I was one of those mamas! I’m here to clear that up for you and offer some science-based tips surrounding strength training during pregnancy so you’re equipped and confident ..read more

Training the body for pregnancy is not yet a common concept. Just recently there has been more and more research on exercising during pregnancy and the benefits it can have for you and baby. See all benefits for you and baby here. Typically, the advice given by the doc during pregnancy is to kick your feet up and relax, don’t lift over 25lb, and just walk lightly. And, at times, that is totally necessary. I’m not one to say you’re going to be up for working out all the time. If you have doctor’s orders to be on bedrest or are a high-risk pregnancy, do not take that lightly. However, if you hav ..read more

This was a major blind spot for me in the beginning of my pregnancy fitness journey and I imagine it could be for you too. Even after 8 years in the fitness industry, I thought staying active during pregnancy would be easy! Boy was I wrong. After going through my pre/postnatal fitness certification program (and 9 months of experience in my own pregnancy) I learned that there are several exercises that should be avoided to ensure a healthy body and baby! In this post, I will not only highlight key exercises to avoid for your healthiest pregnancy, but what to do instead! You can apply this to yo ..read more

Spilling the details today on why you get pelvic pain during pregnancy (especially in the later months) along with 4 ways to fix it! The thing is, if it’s not taken care of and you decide to just “live with it” activities of daily life become painful - walking, standing, sitting for a while, you name it. As you know, it’s zero fun and very distracting. I believe pregnancy is a time where women should feel strong, confident, and capable. Experiencing pelvic pain just takes away from all the magic your body is doing. Let’s dive into WHY pelvic pain is so common and HOW to fix it so you can get b ..read more

Ever feel like sticking to a workout routine while pregnant is an uphill battle? I feel you! Even if you loved being active before you were expecting, somehow things just seem harder now (and for good reason). I remember it coming in phases: First trimester: exhausting. A nap sounded MUCH better than a workout. Second trimester: I got some energy and motivation back, but didn’t know how to adapt my workouts to my changing body. Third trimester: more modifications needed, random aches/pains popped up, and it gradually became harder and took more energy to move my body. In this post, we’ll talk ..read more