WATCH - Fitness Training for the Real Life Demands of Motherhood

This should help alleviate back pain during bath time, feeding time, carrying groceries time, and the millllllionzzzz of times we bend over each day for our little ones.

Having babies and toddlers is a VERY physical job. As fitness trainers I believe we need to train pre/postnatal women for our activities of daily living... Not to just 'get your abs back'.... which is nice too! LOL...

I had the honor to chat with @pronatalfitness about how to prepare our bodies for the athletic event that we call pregnancy, labor, and motherhood. Pronatal Fitness is who I have my Pre/Postnatal Performance Training certification through.

We have some exercise ideas to help you save your back from pain during bath time... carrying around our toddlers... bending over the crib... lugging around groceries andddd our kids.... awkward positions we get in to take care of our little ones.

Brittany Citron is a real thought leader in this space. #pronatal also has a recent IGTV about core changes during pre/postnatal that is worth a watch!

💧Getting enough water as a pregnant or postnatal woman can be tough!! Here are my three FAV simple, hydration drinks!
🍊 Fizzy Water + Squeeze of Citrus
🍓 Fresh Mint + Berries Infused Water
🍋 Lemon & Ginger Tea

Always consult with your own doctor/nutritionist to understand what serves your specific needs.

Motherhood has created the biggest identity shift of my life. Can you relate?

Between our new responsibilities, the hormone shifts, the body changes, and on and on and on.

I also had a major identity shift going from successful television host in New York City to mamma, entrepreneur, and women’s fitness trainer.

It has NOT been an easy transition. But it feels like the right one.

If you would like to hear about what this transition has been like for me - and why my work is enriching my life - please listen to my guest appearance on Michelle Boyde’s Floetic podcast, The WEL. I hope it inspires you to follow your heart.

You can listen here on the Floetic website. Or on Spotify or Apple Music

Here's to snuggles, cuddles, Christmas movies and yummy food with the ones we love.

🇺🇸❤️🇦🇺 As an American living in Sydney with my Aussie husband - I still can't get used to the hot weather compared to my New York City snow! Instead of egg nog and spiced apple pie it's all about champagne, mango, and prawns... AKA shrimp! LOL

🎁 My gift to you this Christmas is 50% off Strong Sexy Mammas memberships. Tell your girlfriends!

COUPON CODE: 2021RESET

Don't miss our 2021 Mamma Reset, 6 Week Programs!

How Mammas Can Reset for 2021: Fitness, Nutrition, Mindset

💥 January is going to be an INSANELY productive month for our tribe, Mammas!

Our signature 6 week programs take off January 11th.

Fitness. Nutrition. Mindset.

2021 Mamma Reset!

✅ Pregnancy Fit School - All trimesters.

✅ Mamma Fit School - three different tracks for post-pregnancy, progressive, and strong

⭐️ COUPON CODE: 2021RESET to Save 50%

BONUS: In addition to the 100+ videos in your on-demand library, We will also have LIVE Zoom classes we're fondly calling 2021 Mamma Reset (replays will be in your Gold Member Library). Bonus LIVE classes start January 1st/2nd so sign-up for the Gold Membership if you haven't. WATCH your email for the Zoom link.

Mamma, I know you wanna enjoy the holiday season. I am all about helping you stay active and remembering to nourish our bodies so we can be the best version of ourselves. But that does not mean not enjoying yummy holiday food!

Watch this video to see a couple of my hacks for cookie making…

Here are a few extra tips:

1. Make the cookies smaller! That way you can go back for a second or even third and you haven’t scrapped your healthy eating for the day!

2. Replace the oil in brownie and cake recipes with applesauce. Yes applesauce! You will get the same consistency and cut the unnecessary fat.

3. Here’s one I love… Save time so you can actually get in a workout! Grab a pre-made cookie dough log from your local bakery. You’ll still get yummy cookies and have a fun experience making them with the kids… but save time so you can still squeeze in that 20-30 minute workout.

ALSO! If you haven’t REGISTERED for our FREE ZOOM home fitness class - reserve your spot HERE. Less than 24 hours from now!! This will be holiday theme — 12 Days of Christmas! 12 different exercises. Yassss! 🎄 See you there. Sign-up!

Do you love lasagne as much as I do!?!

I make this healthy lasagne every few weeks. It is pasta free and low carb (if you're watching that)... and so yummy. I use eggplant and zucchini in place of pasta sheets…. and reduced fat cottage cheese instead of fatty ricotta cheese… and light mozzarella in place of full fat mozzarella.

WATCH VIDEO

It is also packed with lean protein and veggies... So quite filling!

DOWNLOAD FREE RECIPE

I often make two of them. I'll pop one in the freezer to take out for an easy dinner on a hectic night... or share with a friend in need!

Please use my recipes as a guide. Make it your own by adding your FAV veggies.

Tag me on Instagram if you decide to make it! @annakooiman & @strongsexymammas

Need that recipe? DOWNLOAD IT HERE.

Enjoy!

BTW to our Gold Members and 6 Week Challengers... Please keep sharing your own recipes inside the Private Facebook Group!

For those of you who haven't signed up to one of our Strong Sexy Mammas programs... What on earth are you waiting for!!?

My husband Tim and I would like to say....

Please welcome to the world - Annabel Kooiman Stuckey.

8.3 lbs - May 23, 2020

We took these pics minutes after she was born.

Annabel and I are still covered in blood enjoying our baby bliss hormones as they set in!

Thank you so much for all the well wishes on Instagram!

I can't wait to share more about my experience. But first.... a quick note...

Here’s something to ponder…. What if a traumatic labor and anxiety filled postnatal experience with your first child made you question if you even wanted to have another child? That’s how one of my friends (and Strong Sexy Mammas participants), Jo, felt for quite a while. But after a lot of soul searching and recovering, Jo and her husband are now the proud parents of a newborn baby boy, Finn. Jo’s inspiring story is so relatable. These stages of our lives are incredible in so many ways, but I think we can all relate that they can also be HARD as hell.

Jo and I were chatting on the phone last week about her labor experience and I was so inspired. I am only a couple weeks away from delivering my second child, a baby girl. I will definitely be using some of Jo’s tips during my own labor. Be sure to watch the video above to hear about the specific affirmations and visualizations that worked for her this time around.

Jo says she feels like she was able to ‘rewrite’ in her mind what birthing babies is all about. So impressed. This birth story gives me chills.

Jo is a participant in my Strong Sexy Mammas online workouts. You may recognize her from some of our Toned in 25 classes! Can’t wait to have her back in a month or two for more training sessions that offer prenatal and postnatal modificaitons.

After having a bit of anxiety about birthing during this pandemic, I have forced myself to have a mindset shift. And it's working. The mind is a powerful thing, hey?

Lots of ladies from my Strong Sexy Mammas fitness classes have been sharing similar emotional struggles with me.

Watch this IGTV LIVE chat I did with Nadine Richardson, She Births founder, doula, prenatal yoga teacher, mother, and Strong Sexy Mammas participant.

I was having recurring stress dreams about Tim and Brooks dropping me off at the hospital doors while I wailed in pain. Bizarre I know. But another pregnant friend was just telling me she had been having the same dream! (Probably due to the headlines of women in NYC for a time being forced to give birth with out their partners present.)

I've just started getting back into my She Births, holistic, childbirth education training. It is giving me even more confidence that I can once again have a beautiful birth, even if circumstances change.

I was able to deliver Brooks without an epidural and I am hoping to have a natural birth in a few weeks with baby girl. We obviously can't script these things though, so I will cross my fingers for the best!

So much to think about. And so much to chat with Nadine about in our IGTV LIVE interview!

Here's a little insight for all my preggo Strong Sexy Mammas from Nadine,

"YOU CAN DO IT - you were made for this, designed to birth, designed to love. And despite all the craziness going on birth is still a normal physiological event. Remember that your baby doesn't know the difference between you in a pandemic or not, both in pregnancy, birth or afterwards. They simply want to be with you, hear you, smell you, see you and work with you during labour to come into this amazing world we all share."

We will put the replay in the Strong Sexy Mammas Free Women's Fitness Guide in your library.