Meet Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise Specialist Vanessa

Vanessa is yet another one of our incredible graduates of our PregActive Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise Course that is here to make a difference. She's so passionate about helping pregnant women and new mothers stay healthy and active.

What is your current profession and where are you based?
I’m a Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach for busy moms and parents seeking to build a sustainable routine around their health & fitness. I work with clients all over the country supporting them in building strength, redefining their relationship with food and living their best life as parents and full time professionals. While all my programs focus on strength training (beginner to advanced), I work with many of my clients and members on integrating their strength training with some of their more cardio based workouts (classes, running, hiking, etc.) for a well-balanced workout regimen.

All of my programs include mobility training, dedicated to supporting you in correcting and sharpening your movement patterns to prevent injury, increasing depth and range of motion for stronger, more results driven workouts and improving core strength and balance, something we all need more of as we age! Home base is about 1/2 time west coast in Reno, Nevada and 1/2 east coast in Orlando, FL!

Why is helping pregnant and postpartum women so important to you?
There is so much confusion and misinformation out there when it comes to health and fitness, and my goal is to simplify this for busy moms who already have a ton on their plate. Working with so many moms already, I wanted to expand my knowledge and expertise to include serving the newly pre and postpartum community of women to support them in feeling strong, confident, and capable during and after pregnancy!

If you're a Type A woman like me, you like to have control over situations and plan out as much as possible. But, as you may know, with pregnancy, there is only so much you can control when it comes to changes in your body! Being able to empower soon-to-be and new moms with all they do have control over—leading up to, throughout, and after pregnancy—will not only allow them to feel more physically capable, but also educate them on the movements they can do during pregnancy that will actually have greater benefits when it comes to labor and postpartum recovery!

What did you enjoy most about the PregActive Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise Course?
This course was incredibly comprehensive and so well-organized! I would recommend it to any current certified fitness professional seeking to expand their knowledge and better serve this community. I also think this course would work for women who are exercise/fitness connoisseurs and want to learn more about pregnancy and postpartum exercise for themselves.

There is just enough science-backed research included to make the light bulbs go off for a certified fitness professional while still complimenting someone who may not know the names of specific muscles, bones, and how they work together to perform movement. I truly believe that all women planning to become pregnant would significantly benefit from taking this course!

What do you plan to do now that you are a Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise Specialist?
I am so excited to start working with pre and postpartum women, specifically 1:1, as I do with many of my current clients. My clients have seen the most success with my 1:1 training programs, and I believe having that highly tailored level of attention—for anyone, let alone a woman going through one of the biggest mind, body, and spirit changes she may experience in her entire life—makes all the difference.

More to come on when I'll be available to start taking on new pre and postpartum clients. Follow @milsnerfitness on Instagram for the latest updates!

What would you say to a newly pregnant mama-to-be who is nervous about starting exercise?
You got this! While there is so much excitement, I know that there can also be trepidation and feelings of uncertainty that may come along with receiving the exciting news that you’re bringing your own beautiful human into this world! So, I want to say again—you got this!

Everyone tells you before, during, and even after pregnancy that "it takes a village," and a key person in that village is YOU! Taking care of yourself (and your growing baby) by prioritizing your health—mind, body, and spirit—is going to make monumental shifts for you and your baby throughout pregnancy, birth, and your postpartum recovery.

The best part is that your exercise and movement can meet you where you are. And I mean that literally—to the week, the day, the hour of how you're feeling throughout your pregnancy journey. Pregnancy and postpartum is a long journey, and so is exercise and prioritizing your health. Making those adjustments to sustain movement versus halting altogether or not making any adjustments is going to serve you well throughout your pregnancy & postpartum journey more than you could imagine!

What supportive words would you say to a new postpartum mother to help her get started with exercise?
Think about your starting point—with zero (self) judgment; leave that at the door! Knowing and accepting your exercise starting point—where you are now and what movement has looked like for you in the past year or so—will give you a great baseline to understand where to get started.

Especially during the fourth trimester, when you're in the thick of it and may feel like no movement sounds best, aim to commit to a bare minimum a couple of times a week, if not daily. At the minimum, engaging in 3-5 mins a day of pelvic floor exercises is a great way to check off the to-do list and feel accomplished for doing something that day. Maybe your minimum is a short, 10-minute walk around your neighborhood or workplace, or perhaps longer, mile-long walks based on the day. When walking feels good and you’re ready to take on more, adding in some light stretching and your pelvic floor exercises, which are great to do from the comfort of your own home.

You could interchange these based on your preferences, though I love opting for walking to also get outside for some vitamin D and to step out of your normal living/work space. If you went into pregnancy as a frequent exerciser (moderate strength and/or cardiovascular training) and are craving a bit more of a tiring workout, I recommend consulting with a Pre-Postpartum Exercise Specialist before jumping back into your exact same workout routine.

While many of the exercises you're used to performing may be safe during the better half of your first trimester, it's best to ensure you're progressing throughout your pregnancy and workouts in a safe way for both you and baby, without giving up what you love about your routine! This is really going to come down to the type of workouts you were used to pre-pregnancy, making this a bit more specific if you were already a very active trainer, with 3+ moderate to higher intensity workouts a week.

You can find Vanessa @milsnerfitness on all social platforms. Follow along to stay connected and send her a DM with your specific pre-postpartum exercise questions—she would be happy to provide you with some tailored support! The best way to stay updated on all things behind the scenes and get more in-depth (free) coaching is through her monthly newsletter. Contact Vanessa for monthly tips on all things exercise, nutrition, mindset, and habit-building for soon-to-be and new mamas!