hiiiii! #throwbacktuesday cause with my brother leaving back to Afghanistan and all yesterday i screwed up my blogging streak. no worries though, i’m back! so after a two-week break/vaca from my Lifetime classes cause of the holidays, i woke up at the crack of dark and hit the road on prolly one of THE coldest days this Winter so far. had a couple new members attend along with most of my veterans. ready to rock 2014 with those guys!
Q: did you join a new gym for the new year? trying different classes? doing something different period?
ok this post is all about preggo and new beginner core exercises that can be done anywhere. i actually got crazy and did like 42 thousand vids but i didn’t want to cram them all into one post and overwhelm you. i stopped doing core almost completely with my first pregnancy and i’m keeping it going this round. i honestly had no energy to push in the delivery and ended up getting an episiotomy after just 20 minutes. maybe things will be different this time! anyway, pain-free back, easier labor, and faster recovery? SIGN ME UP. mom’s-to-be, start a belly and back building regimen NOW. the further along you get, the bigger you get, and the more exercises you will have to eventually cut out. so, get going and build up that strength for the delivery room and recovery while you can. don’t wait! let’s start here with these two exercises i did a few days ago at home:
- center planks w/ variations
- side planks w/variations
#1. center plank variations:
it’s all about BUILDING core strength. you’re not born with it! and once i pop baby #2 out, i’ll have to start all over again myself. my newbies might not be able to start out on their and toes and that’s ok. same for preggo ladies- the bigger my tummy gets, the shorter my hold time becomes for regular planks on my toes (and it’s also kinda uncomfy). so i modify the exercise to my knees while keeping proper form.
keep your:
body flat
hips towards the floor
booty down
chest lifted
shoulders down and square
then try this low-high plank transition move:
start on your toes though and when you can’t hold it anymore, drop to your knees and keep going.
more hi/low center plank variations to try:
(*my knees are going outside my body in the high planks video (top right corner), not towards my chest*)
#2. side plank variations:
you can stagger (L) or stack (R) your feet for side planks. plant your elbow firmly into the mat making sure your shoulder is directly above it. try your feet both ways and do whichever feels most comfy.
then, if you’re up for this advanced move, take your top leg and arm up in the air and hold it. the modification is to come down on your bottom knee. once you got that down, turn it into a side oblique crunch! i’m not doing center abdominal crunches anymore but my obliques are not off-limits 😉
next batch of core exercise vids coming really soon. like tomorrow cause i have the patience of a child. our fridge and pantry is in need of a ton of love so grocery shopping is happening today. which also means more recipes are headed your way! have a blessed Thursday.
le
fit foodie le 
Great post!
Have you heard of Young Living Essential Oils? I subscribe to http://www.we stopped popping pills and she talks about being pregnant and how she uses the Young Living Essential Oils during pregnancy. They sell the oils, I do not use them but a friend loves them and also sells them.
I thought of you when I read the post and thought you might like to check their site out.
Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year, Susan! i haven’t heard of the essential oils, nope. thanks for the link though; gonna check it out. thanks for thinking of me 🙂
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The site should be http://www.we stopped popping pills.com
I forgot to add the .com!
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