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In Diastasis Recti Prevention

How To Effectively Prevent Diastasis Recti During Pregnancy

April 4, 2020 No Comments

I am pregnant with my 4th baby now, and I am very determined to prevent Diastasis Recti again this time. I was able to bring my abs back together after my last pregnancy, and I have everything I did in my postpartum program once baby arrived. Since becoming a Pre/Post Natal Fitness Specialist, I have even more moves and exercises I am focusing on now in pregnancy! I am determined to keep my abs as strong as possible this pregnancy, to make it even easier to heal after birth.

I’ve put all the exercises that I will be doing in my Belly-Only pregnancy plan, and I am also filming and creating more workouts to protect your core and pelvic floor through your whole pregnancy. If this isn’t your first pregnancy, you really know the importance of maintaining fitness and caring for your core during pregnancy. It helps eliminate the work we have to do when baby arrives, and helps us heal after baby as well.

Why preventing diastasis recti during pregnancy is important:

Preventative exercises during pregnancy develop muscle memory. This is just as important as muscle strength and endurance. We need to teach your muscles early how to work properly. Then, after some rest period, the process of returning to normal and working again will be much easier. Basically, you are teaching your muscles what to do after baby arrives. Then you have the muscle strength and endurance aspect. In order for your muscles to properly fuse back together, they need strength and endurance. The strength factor is what will create the tension. The endurance factor allows them to work and hold your body throughout the day. Practicing these moves will encourage your muscles to repair faster.

How to prevent diastasis recti during pregnancy:

Your basic plan to prevent diastasis recti involves doing the correct exercises consistently. I found that consistency was the hardest part for me. Each pregnancy workout felt rushed, with two toddlers running around me or waiting for me to grab them at the gym nursery, so the diastasis recti exercises were the easiest to skip. I prescribe practicing my diastasis recti prevention plan 3-4 days a week along with the strength training plan. This will help you make progress and build the muscle memory, yet not feel like it is too repetitive. The key is to build muscle memory, just as much as strength.

Why muscle memory plays a role in Diastasis Recti prevention:

Muscle memory is really what is sounds like. Your muscles store activity patterns and “remember” how to engage and work together. It is very similary to riding a bike. Your mind and muscles just never forget how to work a bike without flling over. The more you work on muscle memory and engagement during pregnancy, the easier it will be postpartum. Practice engaging your core with breaths either on an exercise ball, while standing or on your back if you are early in pregnancy. Doing prenatal Pilates is an amazing way to practice core work and breath. I was a Pilates instructor many years ago. Pilates is the foundation of my pregnancy and postpartum programs, and I highly encourage you to start working on your muscle memory now.

Doing the correct exercises is super important to prevent diastasis recti during pregnancy as well.

You don’t want to do planks or crunches, or many ab exercises lying on your back. In my postpartum program, we do a lot of Pilates moves to restore your abs, which is great because you no longer have a big belly to worry about. Many of these moves are great for the first trimester, and beginning of the second, but not so much for the third. Sticking with ab exercises you can do on an exercise ball is wonderful because it involves balance as well. Exercises while down on all fours are good exercises to do too. Practicing good posture while pregnant also has numerous benefits to your abs in general, and it will help you continue the correct posture post-baby, which will pull your abs in even further. The correct exercises will involve breathing with your contractions properly, because breath is important to the pelvic floor as well.

5 exercises you can do to help prevent diastasis recti during pregnancy:

Exercise Ball Single Leg Lifts:

Sorry this angle is a little weird!

This is where you sit on the exercise ball, and you will alternate lifting one leg at a time. Basically you are marching in place, while sitting on the exercise ball. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhaie lift one leg straight up, keeping your knee bent. Inhale as you lower your leg, and exhale as you lift your other leg. Try holding your leg up for about 5 seconds or so. The key is to contract your ab muscles as you exhale and lift your leg. You are also forced to balance on the ball at the same time, engaging other core muscles.

Standing Single Leg Lifts:

This is the same exercise we did above, but now that you are warmed up, move to standing. This requires a different kind of balance, which will continue the ab work. Remember to contract your abdominals on your exhale, as you lift one leg at a time.

Ab Contractions on All Fours:

This one is very simple. Get down on all fours, and you will feel like you are going to do the cat/cow pose. You can warm up with a few of those if you want. Here, you want to keep your back straight. No arching or rounding like you would in cat/cow pose. Use your breath to help you contract your abs and pull them up into your back. As you exhale, you want to contract. Inhale and relax. Do not use your back to help you. Focus only on your abdominals moving.

Side Planks:

Side planks actually work the full abdominals, not just your obliques. You can lay on your side with your legs out straight, or with your knees bent, depending on what is more comfortable. Inhale, then as you exhaie lift your side off the flour. Hold for a few seconds, then inhale as you lower down. Make sure to do reps on both sides.

Posture Breaths Using A Wall:

Use a wall to help you stand with correct posture. Align your heels, shoulder blades and the back of your head to the wall. While standing in a good position, take a deep breath in, and as you exhale pull your belly button in. Do not tilt your pelvis to help you pull your abs in. Imagine a string from your belly button pulling your abs towards the wall. No other body parts need to be helping. Practicing posture while engaging your abs will be so helpful when baby comes, and it helps with your overally movement throughout the rest of the day.

Practice these 5 exercises 5 days a week, and do enough reps per side or exercises to feel a burn. The key is repetition to build the memory, not necessarily making your abs super sore.

Glute and hamstring exercises also help prevent diastasis recti during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, a common posture issue that develops is a lack of strength in the glutes and hamstrings, which tilts your pelvis and pooches your tummy. By learning to stand in neutral spin, without tucking your butt underneath you is super important. Maintaining strength in your gluts with donkey kicks, single-leg dead lifts, squats and lunges to maintain strength in your posterior chain, which will help support your abs and the correct posture. Everything works together, so you don’t want to neglect other muscle groups just because you are worried about your abs.

In my program, I have a lot of balance movements to further activate the core, with hip and glute strength movements to ensure you don’t lose the support you need. I also have strength training workouts that will help with this as well.

Making the time do to these exercises weekly, throughout pregnancy is really important. Your abs and pelvic floor will heal much faster postpartum, and you can help your tummy get back to flat now. These exercises can also help prevent bladder issues, pain and more that can heppen postpartum.

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In Fit Pregnancy Tips

How To Have A Belly-Only Pregnancy

March 29, 2020 No Comments

A belly-only pregnancy is where you gain mostly belly, and the limited recommended weight. This involves water weight, and some fat that is necessary for breast milk production. A belly-only pregnancy is a super fit pregnancy, where you maintain muscle mass, eat healthy, and ultimately look all belly! I LOVED working out during pregnancy. It made me one million times happier as a pregnant mama. I was able to stay much more energetic, as well as keep up with my two toddler boys while pregnant with my third. A belly-only pregnancy is a fit and healthy pregnancy, and it is completely possible. Here are three simple steps to a belly-only pregnancy to keep you fit, happy and healthy. This will also make losing the baby weight so much easier and faster!

Start With Protein and Fiber:

I don’t want to be general here and tell you to just have a clean diet. That is obvious, and I have a great clean-eating challenge that is free for pregnant mamas. BUT, the key to feeling full and satisfied is high-fiber carbs and protein. Your baby uses carbs and protein as the main source of energy, so you want to eat both, but you don’t want empty carbs. Those just make you eat and eat. High-fiber fruits and vegetables are ideal, and I go more in-depth on this in my program. I personally love a my complete protein powder, which has all the amino acids you need, and is perfectly safe for both you and baby! Making a protein shake in the morning, or for dessert with delicious frozen fruit and the powder is so yummy and filling!! I have some recipes in my program, and I highly recommend this for all my pregnant mamas looking to stay nourished and FULL!

I do have a prenatal protein powder out now, called Bump Dust. It is the protein powder I love, and the sister product to my amazing Milk Dust. I can’t tell you how simple protein powder makes nutrition. It really helps me get in those fruits and veggies without having to make a salad or do a lot of prep.

For me, when I am pregnant, healthy salads and food is less appealing. I LOVE french friens and chips. I could live off of them all day, but I KNOW that doesn’t work, and that it isn’t good for baby. Our nutrition, as mothers during pregnancy, plays a vital role in fetal genetic development, so good nutrition is so much more than just not gaining too much weight. It is really important for baby as well. That’s where I’ve found protein shakes to be a super helpful, yummy way to get in a lot of nutrition.

The Belly-Only pregnancy fitness program is a specific program for pregnant mamas looking to stay as fit and healthy as possible while pregnant. This program is also designed to prepare you for labor, as well as protect your core and pelvic floor for after baby. I’ve had three babies, and I wish I did a program like this! I was able to gain minimal weight during all three of my pregnancies, and lose it all within a few months because of my diet, but I didn’t focus on the repair work my muscles needed to recover and heal! That is why I first created my postpartum program, The Postpartum Cure. After popular demand, and many requests for a pregnancy program, I now created this program for mamas wanting to do some prep-work, eat clean and gain minimal weight while pregnant!

I have a very specific pregnancy diet plan that is actually super simple, yet the key to gaining minimal weight while pregnant. As a certified Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist, I studied the massive benefits of nutrition during pregnancy for both mamas and babies. I included lots of recipes in this program to help you feel motivated and full of ideas to eat healthy.

Exercise 6 Days A Week:

I am serious on this one! There is a lot of prep work you need to do to make labor easier, and your body needs exercise even when you are pregnant. In my program, I have specific workouts to protect your core from Diastasis Recti (or watch this video on 5 moves you can do NOW!) as well as workouts to strengthen your pelvic floor, and plans for each trimester. These involve strength workouts and walking as your cardio. I prescribe walking 5-6 days a week if you are fit-enough to handle it. My goal is to get a minimum of 10,000 steps every day. Even without working out, I can do this by playing with my kids, cleaning and going on walks. Walking is amazing because you can safely work your heart while walking with extra weight. This makes it an amazing cardio workout, and if you were a jogger before you got pregnant – keep jogging! Working out during pregnancy involves using a special method to determine your exertion level, not heart rate. I also explain this in the program too. Basically, in order to have a belly-only pregnancy, you need to do strength exercises and cardio 5-6 days a week. Your strength days can be about 3 days a week, and your cardio or walking, 5-6. If you have access to a gym or machines at home, getting your steps in should be no problem. I also have free workouts here you can do at home!

First Trimester Fat-Burning Cardio Workout At Home

Drink A Lot:

I hate that this concept is almost over-talked-about, but it is because it is super important. You just need more water as a pregnant mama, and you will be less swollen if you drink and flush your body with a lot of water. Water can also help with headaches and cravings. If you fill up on water, you won’t be able to eat as much at once, so you can help yourself not binge on all the nachos (did anyone else love nachos while pregnant like me??!!). I am adamant about this one, so please get yourself a huge water bottle, and guzzle it down all day. Also, just be prepared to use the bathroom all the time. It is one of the consequences of drinking a lot even when not pregnant. This will also help you if you are working out regularly and sweating. I get so annoyed with how much water I have to drink when I am running and working out, then with pregnancy on top of that, I might as well have a camel back on at all times. Anyways, this one is the least fun, but still very important.

Every snack should have protein and fiber:

You’re probably not surprised I am saying this again, but I want every snack to be a fruit or veggie with a protein. By keeping it just this simple, you are going to be fueling your body, and nourishing baby! Her are some snack ideas:

Just The Bump Snack Ideas:

Carrots and hummus (or peppers, cucumbers, etc.)
Turkey and avocado (good deli turkey, wrapped around avocado)
Apples and peanut butter
Berries and non-fat greek yogurt
Protein shake
Hard-boiled egg with fruit
Low-fat Cottage cheese and fruit
Simple salad
Lettuce wraps with ground turkey or tuna

There are so many ways to combine fiber and protein, and it really is the most filling and nutritious way to nourish youself without gaining a lot of weight.

My basics for having a belly-only pregnancy are fiber, protein, water and exercise. It is actually amazing how far you can get just by focusing on those things. If every snack and meal is clean, full of fiber and protein, with a lot of water, you can’t eat too much at once. If you are working out too, then you are feeling great and taking good care of your body too!

How To Burn and Lose Fat During Pregnancy – Yes You Can!

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In Fit Pregnancy Tips

5 Smart Exercises For A Belly-Only Pregnancy

March 19, 2020 No Comments

A belly-only pregnancy involves working hard on your fitness game even as your belly grows. Staying fit during pregnancy is super important, more than just for gaining only a belly. It has numerous benefits on mama and baby in terms of health, nutrients and mood. As I get into my second trimester of my fourth pregnancy, I am super excited to really start working out again. I have a lot off fatigue and neausea from about 8-12 weeks, where I literally just eat and sleep. Mentally, it is really depressing for me, but it also reminds me just how important exercise is feeling better during pregnancy.

Related: Why I Take Folate Not Folic Acid During Pregnancy

I’ve talked about how my first and second pregnancies I was less active, and ultimately gained the most weight. My third pregnancy, I was determined to get my steps in every day, workout and be much healthier. It works! I am telling you that staying focused on activity, workouts and a clean diet REALLY works to have a belly-only pregnancy.

My free, clean-eating challenge is going to do amazing things for you, especially if you do it while adding in some of these exercises. I am currently doing a 21-day eating clean challenge with the mamas in my postpartum program (they don’t know I’m pregnant yet!), and I’ve been really feeling so much better. You can even burn off extra fat you’ve already gained by eating clean and exercising.

I have a very specific pregnancy ciet plan that is actually super simple, yet the key to gaining minimal weight while pregnant. As a certified Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist, I studied the massive benefits of nutrition during pregnancy for both mamas and babies. I included lots of recipes in this program to help you feel motivated and full of ideas to eat healthy.

Why are these exercises smart ones for a belly-only pregnancy?

These exercises are called compound exercises. This means you are working mulitple muscle groups at once. You get a bigger bang for your buck. Rather than just doing squats, you are adding a press at the top to work your arms too. You burn more calories at once, and get more muscle groups engaged. You can save time, yet still do a lot of work.

Related: How To Run Safely During Pregnancy

5 smart exercises for a belly-only pregnancy:

Squat Press:

These are hard, which is why they are the first move. All you need is a pair of dumbells. Place the dumbells on your shoulders and squat down. As you come up, stand up then press them straight up. That is one rep. Do 10 total for one set. I want you to go through one set of each move, then circle around and do 2 more sets. Start with light dumbells, then you can progress to heavier as you get into better shape.

Single Leg Dead lift with Row:

This one requires your core, legs and arms, so it is a great one. I want you to grab one dumbell in your hand, hinge at the hips and bend over, lifting the opposite leg as your dumbell. Your leg will lift straight back, your arm straight down. Hold your leg back, row the weight back so your elbow comes even with your side. Come back to standing and do it 10 times on one side. Switch sides for 10 times on the other side. That is one set.

Crab Walk:

This involves now weights, and it is totally awkward. Start by sitting on your glutes, knees bent and prop yourself up behind you. Lift your hips off the ground and walk with your hips raised. Leading with your heels pulling you, and your arms pushing behind. Choose a distance to walk and walk it 10 times. A full-body workout yes!

Lunge + Bicep Curl:

This involves the dumbells. All you have to do is stand in place with your dumbells in hand, hanging at your side. Lunge forward with one leg, hold position and curl your dumbells up. Face your dumbells parallel to the floor. If they are perpendicular, you will be still working your arms, just different muscles. Do 20 lunges, 10 on each side.

Reverse Lunge + Tricep Curl:

The reverse lunge activates the hamstrings and glutes just a bit more than the forward lunge. You will need your dumbells again. Start standing with dumbells at your side. Lunge backwards with one leg, lift the opposite arm so your elbow is near your head. Hinge so you weight is behind your head, then extend your arm straight, so the dumbell goes towards the ceiling. Bring your leg back in. Do the same side for 10 reps. Then switch sides for 10 more.

Some great pieces of equipment for a prenatal workout are:

Exercise Ball:

This will come in handy as you get farther into your pregnancy. It can help with stabalization as you isolate muscles, and there are a lot of labor prep videos with a ball.

Bands:

Dumbells or Kettlebells:

I use both. I have a lighter set of dumbells and my kettlebells are heavier. I have found that these come in handy when wanting to do lower reps with heavier weight, and just get it done!

A good mat:

There’s a lot of stretching and floor work you can do that lowers the impace on your joints as you get farther a long. A good mat is super important, with a thicker base to make it more comfortable.

These are a lot easier to keep around the house for strength work. I do a lot of hip and glute work with bands. Many people underestimate the power of small resistance.

I want you to do one set of each move. Then, circle back around for the next set. Three sets total to get you through this belly-only workout!

I love compound moves like these ones because you get more done at once. In my program, we do a lot of compound moves in addition to cardio, so you stay as fit as possible during your pregnancy. Also, I have some awesome recipes, nutrition guidelines, and lot of details on the amazing benefits of exercising while pregnant. I hope you try the free clean-eating challenge too!

In addition to doing strength work, stay active and walk throughout the day.

Strength workouts can be around 15 – 30 minutes, depending on how many exercises you are doing. This should not be your main activity all day. I HIHGLY encourage the mamas in my program to walk at least 30 minutes 5 days a week. Walking will help with swelling, keep your blood flowing and overall help you burn fat. I also tell the mamas in my postpartum program to get 10,000 steps in a day. That usually means staying fairly active cleaning, cooking and wrangling children as well as a 2-3 mile walk. Same goes for pregnancy. Focusing on steps is a great way to get more activity in, without having to carve out time to actually work out.

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