Tears started welling in my eyes as I stared at my phone- her question simultaneously reminding me of where I was a few short months ago and bringing me into the present where I am now. “When will I feel like myself again… when will I feel normal?” she asked. My heart sank- despite it being over text, I could feel the desperation. The desperation for normalcy and that strong urgency to “feel like yourself” that as a new mom you feel quite often, especially on the hardest days

As a yoga instructor, I see a lot of bodies every week and thus, a lot of postures. Of course, I'm looking at the alignment in the poses but, I'm also noticing how my students are carrying their bodies when they are sitting before and after class and, when they are entering and leaving the classroom. Trust me, I see the good, bad and the ugly (not the bodies, just the postures). The class I teach is progressive in nature and therefore, I'm able to spend an entire class each s

I hear it all the time. Hell, I've experienced it myself several times throughout my fitness career. You take a break from working out and the minute you decide you are going to start up again (or for the first time) you freeze. You think about all of the options you've seen on the internet and in magazines and ask yourself, "Where do I start?" Crossfit? Yoga? Pilates? Weights? Running? Zumba? Aggghhhhh! And then, you realize you've just whittled away the 30 minutes you had t

When I think of meatloaf, I think of the picture that used to be in my mom's Better Crocker recipe book- a giant chunk of meet slathered with ketchup. While that is all fine and dandy, it's not really my speed. I like veggies and I like variety. My husband on the other hand is a true meat and potatoes kinda guy. And, he loves himself a good meatloaf. So, after a few years of experimenting with different forms of loafed meat, I have combined a few of my favorites to make my ow

I recently started teaching a prenatal yoga series for the YMCA. The class is small but is allowing me the opportunity to talk about the things I'm passionate about- prenatal and postpartum exercise, mama-ing, and supporting other women. Each week I pick a topic to discuss that is relevant to prenatal and postpartum exercise and blab for a few minutes at the beginning. Last week our discussion topic was diastasis recti (DR). Since changing my focus to prenatal and postpartum

Let's face it, no matter who you were, how type A or organized you were before you became a mom, shit has changed. Life has changed. Scheduling has changed. Not only is being a mother more tiring than anyone could have ever told you but it is harder, and more time consuming. I bet most of the time, at the end of the day after the babe(s) are in bed and you've finished your to-dos, that you're just too damn tired to do anything but sit… especially exercise. And, I bet if I ask

I've been pretty vocal lately about returning to exercise too soon post pregnancy. By doing the wrong types of exercise or pushing too hard you can actually hinder the healing process and cause issues that could take twice as long to correct. That being said, if you're anxious to start moving, it is entirely possible to return to light exercise as soon as two weeks after giving birth. The goal at this point is NOT fat loss- I'm sorry, there's just no need for that this soon,

I want you to think about something for a moment: Let's pretend that you have just competed in an extreme sporting event- like an Iron Man or an Ultramarathon (50 miles). You finish and return home only to find out that you have an injury- perhaps a stress fracture or a muscle tear. You're disappointed but the doctor has advised and prescribed rest and rehabilitation. You comply, right? Of course you do. Silly question, hu? So now, let’s consider what happens to the body duri

When I became a mom last year, I had no idea what kind of impact it was going to make on my life or, my career. Not only did I soften as a coach, but I was finally able understand what my mom, sister, and so many of my friends had been telling me about motherhood and realized what a bunch of rock star, badass women I was surrounded by. However, at the same time, I noticed that not one of them allows themselves an ounce of credit for all they do, who they are, or even really t

I never really wanted kids. Sure, kids were cool- some cooler than others, but I never had the maternal drive to have my own that so many of my friends seemed to have. In fact, I would tell people that I was NEVER having children. And in all honesty, I meant it. I really didn't see the appeal- it ruined your body, it was messy and disorganized, they were always yelling and had snot all over their faces. What was the attraction? From an outside perspective it seemed horrible.