 You just had a baby and now they have cleared you to workout. Now the real work comes into play, how do you schedule the time to workout? Well, what if you knew that you could do a great workout in just 45 minutes once or twice a week? Getting fit after pregnancy suddenly becomes more feasible.
Think about this scenario: You and your family have boarded an airplane, stowed away all your luggage, strapped the baby into their car seat and the flight attendant begins..."if there’s an emergency, place the oxygen mask over your face first and then help those around you." That is not selfish it is smart! Listen, lifting that baby over and over again for the next year...or more is going to wear out your body. You have got to start lifting weights and continue working on that core. Not to mention the importance of cardio when you are having to run after your little tyke! Mamma it is so important for you to get back into shape so that you can be your best to give it your best! I have openings throughout the next few months each week. Contact me for more information on how to get you on my schedule!  The doctors cleared me at 4 weeks postpartum to begin exercising and I was so excited. I had gained 44 pounds during pregnancy (when I was already 10 pounds over my "comfortable" weight to begin with) and I was hurting. Hurting from ligaments being stretched, my knees hurt from the weight, and my back was struggling. Oh, how I ached everywhere. I was consuming too much and not enough of what I should have been focusing on. More importantly, I was not working out like I should my last trimester, but I was in pain and having to run after a toddler. My heart hurt the most because I didn't like what I was seeing in the mirror, it just didn't look like "me". This was the toughest for me because I respect my body so for what it has had to go through to get pregnant, carry a baby and give birth.
What I needed was to get back in the pool, but lugging a newborn and a toddler to the pool just was not going to work. So I joined a local fitness program that in the end I know I would've loved to continue but I don't like shuffling my kids around and to be quite honest I didn't have the strength yet to do it. My last day with the program I was exactly 6 weeks postpartum and I felt great. I was excited about attending my third fitness class, things were slowly getting back to normal...a new normal! It was halfway through the workout when running up and down a hill doing jumping jacks that I knew something wasn't right. It didn't physically "feel" right. Let's just say I thought my uterus was going to fall out. So I backed off. Then on to burpees, I felt fine and I didn't push myself too much. I left feeling great, unfortunately, I didn't feel great later that day. I had strained muscles and all of a sudden my chest was cramping and I couldn't catch my breath. It physically hurt to breath. Fortunately, I was not having a heart attack. It was a muscle spasm in my chest but it felt like I couldn't catch my breath...I thought I was dying. Seriously it was that bad. So for three long weeks, I waited for my muscles to heal and finally, I felt like I was ready to exercise again. I decided to take it slow and take my kids to my pool with me. PK is 2.5 and she is an ISR baby so I knew having her right there with me she could swim and play, as well as join in some of my aquaBaby workouts. CL is only 3 months and he could sit in his bouncer and watch! First full workout...amazing! I was in tears because I felt great, it was what I needed all along and I felt at peace. This was the beginning of my fitness journey! It's been almost two months now and I've lost over 10 pounds. I realize now that slowly increasing exercise over time is more important than starting right away after childbirth. aquaBelly respects that time period and the in water workouts feels as if you are being fully embraced and protected. Pounding the pavement that soon was unkind to my body and that's never happening again! Postpartum fitness is so much more than losing the baby weight. Our aquaBelly classes helped me to feel refreshed and confident in my post-birth body. I can safely focus on pelvic floor health and bring my muscles back to where they belong. My time doing aquaBelly is between me and the water, nothing else. The moment the water encloses me, and I begin my warm up I am, grateful and truly blessed.  I thoroughly enjoy the parts of our aquaBelly workouts that incorporate ballet and pool barre. At the pool barre, we utilize ballet steps such as demi-plié, grand plié, and dégagé. At our pool barre, we utilize squats and grand Pliés, which are more natural in terms of standing tall and keeping our backs straight.
In addition to our barre exercises, we also mix yoga, pilates, hip hop dance, weight training and aerobic exercise to give you a well-balanced, full body fitness class each time you come. Our classes are conducted in the water and are based upon the ACOG guidelines for safe exercise during pregnancy and beyond. So what are the best noodle workouts that focus on core exercises? An effective pool noodle workout while pregnant should be both safe and beneficial focusing on both strengthening and engaging your core during each trimester. Strengthening your core helps your body prepare for a healthy delivery as well as helping your body bounce back quickly post baby. So how can using a pool noodle help strengthen your CORE? As the picture demonstrates, we are using a pool noodle which is effective due to its buoyancy in the water. Once you submerge the pool noodle you are probably not aware of all the different muscles you are using to keep it from rising to the surface. In turn, you are burning calories and toning muscles at the same time!   Pre and Postnatal fitness is rapidly growing in popularity across the country. At aquaBelly Fitness of Lake Lanier, our pool used for aquatic fitness has a large flat floor with no hidden obstacles. The buoyancy of the water and the controlled temperature make it perfect for a variety of pre and postnatal fitness exercises. You can jog in place against a gentle current, use resistance bands, free weights, large noodle floats, or our unique aquatic exercise equipment. With the jets off, you can experience the benefits of resistance training and range of motion exercises including Yoga, Pilates, Ballet and Cardio and Strength Training.
Our pool also features stainless steel grab bars to allow for balancing and perfecting that perfect ballet posture! |
aquaBelly® Fitness BlogFrom workouts and healthy meals, fitness tips and fashion, to baby love—I'm excited about keeping my clients informed about their health, fitness and life on Lake Lanier! I am a certified pre and post natal fitness specialist, entrepreneur, wife and mother! 
20 Weeks Pregnant Baby #1
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Photo used under Creative Commons from Debs (ò‿ó)♪