How Grace Used PregActive to Strengthen Her Core and Pelvic Floor

Today we hear from our inspiring PregActive mama Grace as as she talks about how she used PregActive to strengthen her core and pelvic floor.

1. Why is including exercise into your day / week so important to you?

Grace: Exercise is important because being able to move my body and use it to its fullest, is a gift not an entitlement. I notice how much more content I am when I get outside, when

I prove to myself that my body is capable of hard things, when I am free to move and be silly with the people I love. I want to be able to enjoy the fun and spontaneity of these energetic years in my children's lives. I want to make the most of it by keeping active to prolong that for as long as possible.

2. What has been the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome to get you to where you are right now?

Grace: In the last few weeks of my first pregnancy, my pelvis started to seize up especially when exercising and unfortunately it didn't go away postpartum. In fact, it got worse and when my son was 9 months it was so severe I couldn't walk.

I was afraid walking would always be difficult, I wouldn't be able to carry my own baby without limping or pain, or just have the freedom of dancing and jumping around with him as he grew up.

Physically doing exercises and being persistence in caring for my own body, was essential in helping my body heal and recover. Core muscles do so much and make such a difference and the feeling that came, months later, when I was pain free was unbelievable!

3. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?

Grace: Treasure the journey and take each day as it comes.

I am tall, I make big babies, I have a long gestational period, I put on weight in pregnancy, I carry my baby differently to other people, I have a sore pelvis that makes exercise hard. But my body has worked so beautifully to carry my babies and my insecurities are not what I will remember when I look back.

So I took weekly photos despite how I was feeling and I chose to be active in simple ways, as regularly as was possible and being active looked different each time and that was ok!

4. What advice would you give another Mama who is nervous to start exercising in her pregnancy or postpartum journey?

Grace: 1. It is worth it. Keeping active in the lead up to giving birth gives you greater confidence that you can do birth. If I can do squats at 41 weeks pregnant, I can keep up those squats in labour.

2. Have realistic expectations and set boundaries. Know when to stop and change things up when something doesn't feel right in your body or you know it hurts. You don't have to prove anything to anyone.

3. Do the exercises that don't mentally hurt your brain! Start small and get good at exercises that work for you. When I struggled to comprehend exercises as my physio explained them to me, I knew they wouldn't become a regular part of my routine. The ones that made sense, I perfected!

5. How has PregActive helped you? And why are you so glad you found our Online PregActive Studio?

Grace: I began my PregActive journey attending weekly classes in person during my first pregnancy and joined the Online studio during lockdown when postpartum classes couldn't continue. I was in pain and needed options that would help support my recovery and I knew PregActive would do just that as pelvic floor and core strengthening are at the backbone of every one of Kerryn's videos.

I love the flexibility in being able to choose a video that works for me and that I don't have to do something everyday, but the option is always there.

I really appreciate how both the pregnancy and postpartum classes are sequenced and build on the weeks that have come before.

I'm amazed at how I have developed my own knowledge of exercises that really work for me and sometimes create my own short routines, knowing that I'm still targeting my core and strengthening my pelvic floor.