ProNatal Fitness

Big news! 🎉 We’re excited to share that ProNatal Fitness is now partnering with Inspire360 Club.

Inspire360 is the leading learning and workforce development platform for health clubs.

Through Inspire360 Club, they’re bringing education, certifications, product knowledge, career pathways, and exclusive partner benefits into one place, helping club operators develop their teams, create new services and revenue opportunities, and give fitness professionals clearer paths to grow.

Through this partnership, club teams will have access to ProNatal Fitness education to help coaches train their clients with greater clarity and confidence.

At ProNatal, our mission has always been to transform the way the fitness industry views pregnancy, from a condition requiring restriction to an athletic event worthy of preparation.

Partnering with Inspire360 Club allows us to bring that mission to even more clubs, coaches, and communities.

Together, we’re creating more opportunities for fitness professionals to grow their expertise while ensuring pregnant clients receive the knowledgeable, confident coaching they deserve.

We’re excited for what’s ahead!

Strength and endurance definitely come in handy during labor, but so does mobility.

Certain pelvic positions create more space for your baby to move through the birth canal, and the more you practice these positions during pregnancy, the more options you’ll have during labor.

Here are a few of our favs:

▫️ Windshield Wipers
Improves hip mobility by taking the hips through internal and external rotation.

▫️ Frog with Foot Lift-Off
Builds on the Windshield Wipers movement by strengthening the muscles responsible for internal hip rotation.

▫️ Deep Squat with Wide Knees
Improves hip and pelvic mobility while creating more space at the top of the pelvis (the pelvic inlet), where baby begins their journey through the birth canal.

▫️ Happy Baby Pose
Another great pelvic inlet opener. Explore this position by adjusting the width of your knees relative to your feet while breathing comfortably throughout.

▫️ Supported Hinge with Knees Closer than Feet
Creates more space through the lower part of the pelvis (the pelvic outlet), helping support your baby’s movement lower through the birth canal.

📌Save this for your next mobility session, or share it with someone preparing for birth. 🤍

Being cleared at 6 weeks postpartum is not the same as being ready to return to pre-pregnancy intensity.

There’s a lot of confusion around this fact, and it’s understandable. You might think hearing “you’re cleared” means you can jump back into what you were doing before pregnancy. But there is some nuance to the 6-week clearance.

🎯What it means:
The 6-week clearance means key medical markers have been checked (bleeding stopped, stitches healed, etc.)

✖️What it typically does not cover:
It doesn’t always include an assessment of your core or pelvic floor, and providers often don’t give guidance on how to safely resume exercise postpartum.

When returning to exercise postpartum, remember: your body is still healing at 6 weeks.

Start with core and pelvic floor recovery, along with movements that mimic the activities you’re already doing every day as a new parent.

⏳ Take your time as you progress and build intensity, and always remember…Slow is fast.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and unfortunately, it often sparks more fear and confusion than clarity.

Here are 5 things we wish everyone knew when it comes to Pre/Postnatal Fitness ⬇️

▫️Exercise CAN begin during pregnancy
ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) encourages those with uncomplicated pregnancies to engage in moderate physical activity for at least 20-30 minutes per day on most, if not all, days of the week. Even if you weren’t active before, pregnancy is a great time to start as it has a host of benefits to not only support your pregnancy, but labor, birth, and postpartum as well.

▫️Postpartum leaking isn’t normal
“Peeing a little” postpartum may be common, but it is not normal. It’s a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction, and treating it can improve both your core strength and quality of life.

▫️Heart rate is not an accurate gauge of exertion
Heart rate response to exercise varies widely during pregnancy, which is why ACOG recommends using “Rate of Perceived Exertion” (RPE) instead. RPE relies on listening to your body and gauging effort based on how you feel, which is a much more reliable indicator during pregnancy.

▫️Core work is not just safe, it’s essential
Core work isn’t just safe during pregnancy, it’s essential. It helps reduce common aches and pains and sets you up for a smoother recovery postpartum.

▫️6 Week clearance ≠ return to pre-pregnancy intensity
Getting cleared by your medical provider means that stitches have healed, bleeding has ceased, and other medical markers have been cleared. It does not necessarily mean your body is ready for pre-pregnancy training intensity. When recovery is rushed in favor of higher-intensity training, your body is often not yet ready to manage those stresses, which can ultimately slow progress and increase the likelihood of injury. Remember, slow IS fast.

📩Share this with someone who could use more clarity and less confusion around pre/postnatal exercise