📲 APP Access! A lot of you have been asking if you can access my workouts via app. The answer is YES!! This is only for paying members— and you must first purchase the program from us at StrongSexyMammas.com — Then download (free) Kajabi. Login one time and you’re in!!! Anytime access to our @strongsexymammas workouts and educational videos. Woop woop!! THIS video shows you how to use it.
Read MoreWATCH the short post-pregnancy Q and A I did with Dr. Jill Gamberg from Double Bay Doctors. (Be sure to ALWAYS listen to your own medical carer’s advice first and foremost.)
ANNA: When can new mothers return to low impact exercises?
DR. JILL GAMBERG: New mothers can return to low impact exercises at around 6-8 weeks. If the delivery was complicated or there were any birth injuries, recovery time may be longer, and the return to exercise may be delayed.
It is important to check with your GP, midwife, physiotherapist or obstetrician before returning to exercise after childbirth. Mothers who have issues with incontinence, or develop incontinence once re-starting low impact exercises, should seek professional help before continuing.
There are general guidelines from the Australian Continence Foundation to follow to help plan your return to post childbirth fitness:
0-3 weeks after delivery:
gentle walking
abdominal muscle bracing (tightening your abdominal muscles without movement)
pelvic floor exercises
6-8 weeks after delivery (wait until your six-week doctor/midwife check before starting a group exercise program or going back to the gym):
walking
low impact aerobics or post-natal classes
low intensity water aerobics class and swimming (once vaginal bleeding has stopped)
gym program (light weights)
abdominal muscle bracing
pelvic floor exercises
8-12 weeks after delivery:
follow the same guidelines for 6-8 weeks, gradually increasing your intensity and weights
progress your postnatal abdominal muscle bracing
continue pelvic floor exercises
12-16 weeks after delivery:
consider seeing a women’s health physiotherapist for abdominal and pelvic floor muscle testing before returning to high-impact exercise, running, sport or abdominal exercise programs
16 weeks and more after delivery:
you may be able to return to previous activity levels IF your pelvic floor muscles have returned to normal and you are not experiencing any back pain, vaginal heaviness, or urinary incontinence during or after exercise
Ya’ll know how much I love intense exercise. But plank exercises need to be modified in later stages of pregnancy.
Diastasis recti or abs separation risks are increased when women plank during pregnancy. Plank exercises must be modified as our pregnancy progresses and our bellies get bigger.
Diastasis recti after pregnancy can lead to a bulging ‘mum tum,’ back pain, muscle imbalances, pelvic floor dysfunction, etc.
In this video, I share how to modify plank exercises like push-ups and mountain climbers to protect our tummy muscles. Pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, and diaphragmatic breathing are also covered.
If you want to get back to running and jumping after having babies… it’s a good idea to be diligent about looking after the integrity of your belly tissues and pelvic floor during pregnancy and the early post-natal period in particular.
My Strong Sexy Mammas fitness classes are PERFECT for this! Check them out. Try a 7 day free trial. What do you have to lose!?
Read MoreAfter we give birth... the thought of running and jumping for many of us is... 🙄
Heavy boobies... extra 'baby weight'... the thought that... 'I want to get in shape again... But... If I run or jump... my insides just may fall out of my lady bits!' Or... my hips hurt... Or... my back hurts... blahhhhh😫
My Strong Sexy Mammas program teaches ladies like me to listen to our bodies and recognize ways it is telling us we are pushing too hard.
WATCH: In this Strong Sexy Mammas (women’s at-home fitness) interview…
You will learn: The importance of gradual progressions. The most powerful way to prime your pelvic floor before workouts. Why getting your CONFIDENCE back after baby is even more important and satisfying than getting your "body back!" My StrongSexyMammas.com workouts are all about starting slow and progressing as you get stronger. We bring the FIRE when you're ready for it!! But there is something to be said about taking small steps to get you running and jumping again. While some programs advocate going hard and fast early... I know through all my education, first hand experience as a mom, and as an certified personal trainer - that this increases our risk for injury. Our tissues are still soft and our hormones are still in a different state. Returning to running too soon can lead to prolapse. A big thanks to physical therapist, 'Dr. Bri' from https://www.femfusionfitness.com/ for this chat!
Check out Strong Sexy Mammas for all things fitness related to pregnancy, post-pregnancy, and beyond. We are unique. We do pelvic floor activations INSIDE our fitness classes. Found out why!
Read MoreThis is something I struggle with! It seems so easy. But for some people (like me) it is a genuine nutrition challenge. This is why getting a minimum of 2-3 liters of water a day is week #1 in my 6 week fitness and nutrition challenge for Strong Sexy Mammas.
Here are simple ways I’m using during this challenge to get it in….
#1 FRUIT INFUSED WATER:
-One of my FAV fruit infused waters? Sliced strawberry + orange + lime (+ optional basil)
#2 SIP ENTIRE GLASS OF WATER BEFORE EACH MEAL OR SNACK
-Very often when we think we are ‘starving’ we are actually more dehydrated than anything. If we drink water first and then we are still ‘starving’ then we truly need to eat eat eat! But it’s quite possible our body is craving high quality H20 more than anything else!
#3 DOWNLOAD AN APP TO TRACK ON YOUR PHONE
There are loads of free apps you can find now such as Daily Water Free or Daily Water. Simply download them to your smart phone to set daily reminders and fun alarms. I am not into apps like this but many women see success with these and seem to love the techy way of tracking!
#4 SIP GINGER OR RASPBERRY TEA
-These herbal teas are awesome because they have quite strong flavors that leave you wanting more. Plus! It may help us kick our afternoon coffee habit. Turns out… many of us just want something warm to sip and don’t necessarily miss the coffee!
#5 SET A WORKOUT RULE
-Pour a glass or water bottle and keep it at your ‘workout station’ during your Strong Sexy Mammas workout. Set a rule for yourself that you’ll finish the entire glass or bottle before rolling that yoga mat back up and packing away the weights.
WANT TO TRAIN WITH ME!? I specialize in attainable fitness for women. I help you succeed by offering progressions and regressions of exercises to get women excited about fitness rather than dreading their workouts.
LEARN MORE about Strong Sexy Mammas. CLICK HERE.
Read MoreNeed to ‘social distance’ from your refrigerator!? LOL
GET DETAILS: 6 WEEK FITNESS & NUTRITION CHALLENGE
Join us on StrongSexyMammas.com for the 6 Week Fitness & Nutrition Challenge!
We take off July 12. Sign-up! Here's the basics about our nutrition challenge.
Week #1: Extra Water - Every Meal Week
#2: Vegetable - Every Meal Week
#3: Lean Protein - Every Meal Week
#4: No Sweets Including Juice Week
#5: No Processed Food Week
#6: No Alcohol + Limit Coffee
Endless snacks... sugar... salt... alcohol... processed food... comfort foods… of all stripes, really… have been the ‘drug of choice’ for many of us all over the world during Covid 19 and home isolation.
Of course Strong Sexy Mammas exercise can give us a nice endorphins rush… but even if we are sticking to our 15-30 minute workouts… exercise is only part of the equation isn’t it?
My 6 Week Fitness & Nutrition Challenge will help you put down the wine, cheese, cookies, and crackers to lean up!
If you’re finding value in these women’s health interviews and you’re looking for a fit girlfriend to be your training buddy - that’s meeeeee!
JOIN Strong Sexy Mammas for female specific workouts that offer prenatal and postnatal modifications! Safe. Fun. Effective.
Read More🚨 Ab Rehab! I am 3 weeks postpartum with Annabel. Restore your core with me. Whether your kids are 3 weeks old, 3 years old, or 30 years old... these simple exercises will serve you well! 🔖 SAVE this post using to watch later if you don’t have time right now. Send it to your girlfriends too. Core restoration is not talked about enough and many women injure themselves by doing improper exercises at the improper time. 👌In this video, I go over three valuable exercises that work the pelvic floor, diaphragm, and transverse abdominis to help flatten tummy after baby, get pelvic floor functioning properly, improve posture, decrease back pain, lower stress, improve intimacy, etc. The potential benefits are endless. If you have a few minutes - watch til the end and follow along with me. Head to strongsexymammas.com for coached workouts with Anna Kooiman. We have a brand new *6 week challenge* starting soon! Reserve your spot by joining our full year or monthly membership. Places are limited! Don't delay!
These exercises can help you get back to high impact exercise in a shorter amount of time. Some women never get back to high impact exercise. Building a strong foundation is so important!
Read MoreEndless snacks... sugar... salt... alcohol... processed food... comfort foods… of all stripes, really… have been the ‘drug of choice’ for many of us all over the world during Covid 19 and home isolation.
WATCH this interview I’ve done for Strong Sexy Mammas with nutritionist, Chrstiana Velis about how to beat it.
Christiana is gifting a FREE download. You can access it below or in your Strong Sexy Mammas Women's Fitness Guide:
You'll Learn:
How to eat for a restful night of sleep.
What to drink to ease anxiety and bring on the calm.
PLUS for the preggo & postnatal mammas like me… we talk about how to beat nausea, how to get enough iron, folate, vitamin C, and B vitamins to nourish both mamma and baby.
How are you feeling about many of the stay-at-home orders being lifted? What about our alternative? Being stuck inside the house during this pandemic? Anybody else feeling a little anxious or sluggish from being out of your normal routine?
WATCH this interview I’ve done for Strong Sexy Mammas with nutritionist, Chrstiana Velis about how to beat it. PLUS! We chat pregnancy nutrition tips that are particularly helpful in the time of a pandemic.
Christiana can be seen in one of our ‘Baby Involved’ Strong Sexy Mammas workouts. We met in one of the group fitness classes I teach in Bondi Beach. We immediately bonded over babies… my Brooks and her Georgia are about the same age. Christiana has a newborn at home and I am currently 40 weeks pregnant with Baby Girl!
Personally - what’s been my struggle is reaching for choices that I normally would keep as a treat. My FAV excuse has been… “the baby made me do it!” or… “the baby wanted that chocolate!” or… “I’m eating for two.”
Processed foods can be sooo yummy, tempting, and comforting… but in the end… it’s the whole foods that boost our mood while fueling our mind and body.
I find myself eating more crap than I normally would simply because we haven’t been going to the grocery store as often to avoid ‘the germs.’ But I have to say, now I’m sick of the junk and I’m like… “Gimme alllll the fruit and veg you can find!”
In this Strong Sexy Mammas interview we talk about how to eat for a restful night of sleep. What to drink to ease anxiety and bring on the calm… PLUS for the preggo mammas like me… we talk about how to beat nausea, how to get enough iron, folate, vitamin C, and B vitamins to nourish both mamma and baby.
If you’re finding value in these women’s health interviews and you’re looking for a fit girlfriend to be your training buddy - that’s meeeeee!
JOIN Strong Sexy Mammas for female specific workouts that offer prenatal and postnatal modifications! Safe. Fun. Effective.
Read MoreAnna Kooiman of Strong Sexy Mammas interviews Dr. Jill Gamberg about the following:
1. Why exercise is beneficial for mom & baby?
2. How much exercise do we need each week?
3. No contact sports or those that risk falling— but does that include things like bike riding & snow skiing?
4. Avoid hot Pilates and hot yoga.... or exercising in hot & humid outdoor conditions.... why?? And does this also mean we should stay out of the sauna, steam room, & hot tub?
5. How intense should we exercise? Why do we use RPE & talk test rather than heart rate?
6. How heavy or light should weights be for classes?
7. Why is it important to pay attention to our pelvic floor for both short term and long term health?
8. How can certain exercises help and hurt our chances of abs separation?
9. Old recommendations to stay off back completely.... have been replaced with something less strict- why? And how do we know if we should be conferenced and get off our back?
10. Is it okay to run and jump in pregnancy? How much? And how do we know if/when we should slow down?
11. Every women is different. Every pregnancy is different... what are some common aches/pains/issues to be aware of as it relates to exercise? (incontinence, pelvic pubic pain, round ligament pain, back pain, swelling, carpal tunnel)
12. Breathlessness... how do we know if it’s something to be concerned about?
13. Basic water & super quick nutrition tips?
