Restore: Optimizing Fitness and Recovery for Active Moms

This class series is designed to address common issues faced by women during and after pregnancy. Each class focuses on a different "pain point" common to women in the postpartum period. The class breakdown is provided below.

Class 1: Core Components

Class overview: Pregnancy often takes a tremendous toll on the pelvic floor and the core muscles. During this class, we will first provide some basic information on the effects of pregnancy on these muscles and structures, including issues such as pelvic floor weakness, postural changes, and diastasis recti (belly muscle separation). We'll talk about the often unaddressed consequences of these issues, including back pain, changes in breathing pattern, and incontinence (with coughing/sneezing/laughing, or with exercise, like jumping jacks), and then provide strategies for mitigating these issues.

Class 2: Mobility Essentials

Class overview: In order to work out safely, have adequate range of motion, strength, and control in our daily lives, we require mobility. Mobility is also important to prevent feelings of pain and tightness. Pregnancy and the postpartum period bring many changes which limit our mobility and change our posture--some of which are very obvious, and others which are more subtle. During this class, we will give you tools to discover where you are lacking mobility, as well as the stretches and dynamic movement exercises needed to restore mobility in essential areas to remain pain and injury free during exercise and every day life.

Class 3: Movement Matters

Class overview: This class pulls together what you learned in the previous class and applies it to common exercise movements. We will discuss basic exercise form and provide education on the Number 1 most essential component of weight lifting to prevent low back pain, core and pelvic floor weakness, and injury. We will also provide strategies for safe weight lifting to promote optimal outcomes in the gym. This class isn't only for weight lifting enthusiasts: these concepts and principles carry over to every day life as well (consider how many times you have to carry and lift heavy items in every day life--including kids, groceries, moving boxes, furniture, and so on!).