Pre & Post Natal Training
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We have trained many women through pregnancy and beyond, at in2great wellness. As movement specialists, we understand the changing mechanics and posture pregnancy creates, and the physical demands a mother faces through this huge transformation.
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We have first hand experience with the challenges of birth, birth trauma and injury. Priscilla suffered a severe perineal tear, levator avulsion and prolapse after problems wth retained placenta post birth, and understands the immense physical, and especially psychological challenges these injuries can take on a new mum.
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A healthy, functional body is key to a comfortable pregnancy, labor, post-natal recovery, and of course a healthy baby. As a mothers resources are diverted towards growing a whole new being, the path to labor can be exhausting an overwhelming. Movement is imperative to a healthy and pain free life, and in pregnancy it becomes even more important.
A mother picks up her child on average 58 times a day, that’s worth training for so that you can do it safely, and prevent injury. Movement is anti-inflammatory and helps increase circulation, optimise hormones, reduce pain, and helps every single body system function better, which is always a great thing when you are growing a new human!
Traditional pregnancy exercises tend to be centred around floor work, pelvic floor strength, or very basic isolation type strength exercises, but these leave a lot to be desired in building a healthy, happy and resilient mamma’s body!
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We Do Pregnancy Training Differently:
Full Body Movement Training
This style of training best reflects the way we need to move on a daily basis for health. When load is shared through the entire system efficiently, no one area is subject to overuse, and thus prone to injury. Full body, integrated training is the ultimate way to build resilience for whatever life throws your way, making you able to accommodate bending at awkward angles, carrying uneven weights like a baby, getting down to the floor and up again, and simply being strong in a variety of ways.
Heart Rate Monitoring For Babies Safety
Watching your heart rate is CRUCIAL in pregnancy for your babies safety. Keeping the heart rate below 150/160 beats per minute is the international standard for pregnancy training to avoid adverse effects and keep your baby safe. This means that a mother’s heart rate intensity bests mimics a steady state style, low intensity aerobic heart rate zone, rather than high intensity! We ensure all our mothers wear heart rate monitors during training in both classes and personal training.
Barefoot Training
This ties into integrated training, because a healthy foot is adaptive to load, and shares load transmission with the whole body. Training in shoes reduces our proprioception, or sensing of the ground beneath us, and reduces the functionality of the structure and function of our foot. This is especially important in pregnancy, when a mothers centre of gravity and balance are constantly shifting. Having a healthy, mobile and strong foot is imperative to healthy joints up the chain, and closely tied into pelvic floor strength. Additionally, moving barefoot helps to create a better ‘pump’ of the lower legs to increase lymphatic drainage and help avoid the pooling of fluid or ‘pregnancy cankles’ that occur from poor circulation.
Vibration Training & Release
We use certified medical grade vibration devices. We limit vibration training to the lower limbs (calves) while pregnant, and use it to hydrate connective tissue, increase mobility, enhance circulation of fluid, blood and lymphatic waste, as well as increasing recovery. Post-natal vibration training is even more important, and we use it to release stuck tissue around the pelvis after the trauma of birth. Vibration training or flushing rapidly increases healing of injured tissue, and helps restore pelvic health. Vibration training also helps create an accelerated training effect due to the increases forces the body is subject to, creating up to 40 contractions per second, allowing for fast gains in muscle and bone strength. Read more about the benefits of vibration
Pelvic Floor Efficiency
We don’t bother with kegels or any single muscle activations, because they isolate an area that needs to be able to share load with the rest of the body. Laying on the floor and activating your core isn’t very appropriate for a mother who doesn’t get to lay down much, or for post-natal recovery when pelvic trauma, stitches etc are at play and the rest of the body needs to pick up the slack. True pelvic floor strength comes down to the efficiency of the whole body and how force is shared through the entirety. Many women have stuck tissue or tightness around the pelvic region, which creates a break in the flow of energy through the system, often resulting in pain, leakage or pressure. We use manual therapy or fascial release to enhance glued up tissue and optimise postural alignment, and vibration and movement to train the hips and pelvic floor to share load with the rest of the body. Download our free Pelvic Floor eBook
Read more in our popular blog '10 Unexpected Pregnancy Training Pointers'
“Training during pregnancy is hugely important to me. Carrying a child and giving birth has to be the most physically and mentally demanding time for a woman’s body. And having a body that recovers quickly and feels well post birth is of even higher priority as you then have a new (very high demanding) family member to support! I know that by training at In2great Wellness I have my bases covered. The training style that you get to experience with Nathan and Priscilla is thorough, inclusive (even if you’re the only prenatal client in a group session), smart and fun! Having to wear a heart rate monitor during all sessions allows me to know when to take the pressure off and better understand how my body should be working during this time. Nathan and Priscilla also consider the importance of pelvic floor health - nothing is missed! I’m feeling a lot stronger and even better prepared both mentally and physically than my first pregnancy and look forward to a healthy and strong birth, and post natal period."
- Natasha Mason, Founder + Director, Nourish Melbourne
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"Nathan and Priscilla really changed my pregnancy. I joined them when I was about 5 months pregnant with my second baby and I trained until a few days before delivery. I had a very bad 1st pregnancy with pains in my back and legs to the point that the last 4 weeks of the pregnancy I couldn't even walk. I started feeling that I was heading in the same direction with my 2nd and that's when I decided to join in2great wellness. The knowledge of both Nathan and Priscilla was extraordinary, I gained a great range of movement and it was a pleasure training. Everything we did was gentle and safe and it gave me great confidence to return to the gym very soon for some recovery work. I would recommend Nathan and Priscilla to everybody, they are absolutely amazing! ."
- Marilena
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“Training at In2great fitness during my pregnancy has allowed me to stay active and make any necessary modifications under the guidance of Nathan and Priscilla. The heart rate monitor technology allows me to know when to reduce intensity to stay safe during training and the vibration training is really helpful for recovery. I’m really looking forward to continuing training at In2great for the remainder of my pregnancy and post partum."
- Elizabeth
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“I was warned by my obstetrician at the start of my fourth pregnancy that I would have additional pressure on my hips and pelvis due to my age and number of pregnancies. However training at In2Great Fitness helped me to avoid any issues or pain at all. I trained all the way up to last week of the pregnancy. Using the heart rate monitor, vibration training and low intensity exercise helped me to feel great through the whole pregnancy and recover quickly from my sessions. I also took their advice to stop eating sugar, dairy and gluten which I think helped to avoid fatigue and fogginess and best of all reduced weigh gain. I would highly recommend Nathan and Priscilla for their ability to tailor a training session for exactly what you need so you can keep moving. This pregnancy was by far the best out of the four."
- Juls