According to the website, “BeFit-Mom, founded by perinatal exercise specialist and author Helene Byrne, is dedicated to helping women stay fit and healthy during and after their pregnancies, and to inspiring and motivating women to lead their entire families to better health and wellness.”
BeFit-Mom is an excellent resource for women who are pregnant or recently gave birth on how to stay fit. The site focuses on different types of exercises, why they are good for you, and how they can help during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and post-partum recovery. The various exercises are explained in depth, and there is great detail about how your body is structured and how different parts function in order for you to understand the importance of the exercises and how to achieve optimum results.
While I was still pregnant with DS#2, Helene had referred me to some key exercises on the BeFit-Mom website that are safe to do during pregnancy that help strengthen the abs, particularly the deep Transverse Abdominis, which is the primary "pushing" muscle. They were simple to do, and valuable to learn. I just wish I had discovered the BeFit-Mom website earlier so I could’ve been much fitter and better prepared for labor and delivery with both sons!
Why is it important to “be fit”? According to the website, “During Labor and Delivery, Fit Women Experience:
• Easier adaptation to the lower-intensity endurance activity of early labor.
• Shorter first and second stages of labor.
• Enhanced pain tolerance.
• Increased stamina for labor and delivery, with less perceived exertion during labor.
• Lower incidences of intervention during labor.
• Substantially fewer caesarian births.
• Good pelvic muscle tone—resulting in fewer episiotomies/tearing.”
A perfect complement to the BeFit-Mom website is the Bounce Back Fast! The Post Natal Core Conditioning DVD ($21.95), which “provides a unique set of progressive exercises that specifically target postnatal physiology and concerns.” The DVD includes a Fitness Band, and is basically divided into two parts—Gentle First Moves (for beginners and those less than 6 weeks post-partum), and Bounce Back Fast (for those more advanced and beyond 6 weeks post-partum).
Because I’m not past 6 weeks post-partum yet, I did the Gentle First Moves exercises. The exercises were not strenuous—they were indeed very gentle on my body. Helene was very thorough in her explanations of the different exercises and how they are beneficial. My body feels great whenever I do the exercises. I especially enjoy using the Fitness Band to stretch out my hamstrings and calves, and doing the chest stretches, which opens up my chest and aligns my upper body in the neutral position, since I’m constantly carrying DS#2 and nursing him. I sometimes do these exercises without the DVD! I know I'm helping my body recover and I'm strengthening my core little by little each time I do the exercises, and I’m looking forward to getting even fitter and doing the other exercises once I’m beyond 6 weeks post-partum.
As always, it’s important to consult your physician or health care professional before you start any exercise program.
Helene stresses it’s important to take care of not only baby, but to take care of yourself too. Be-Fit Mom and Bounce Back Fast! The Post Natal Core Conditioning DVD will help you do just that—enable you to take better care of yourself, so you and your entire family can reap the benefits of a “Fit Mom!"
Thank you to BeFit-Mom for providing the product(s) for review and/or giveaway.
Gem is a Hawaii Mom Blogger who posts reviews and giveaways, and blogs about life in Hawaii as a mom of 3 boys, including one with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. She loves to travel, bake, and eat anything with chocolate.
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