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In Your 1st Trimester? We Have A Collection For That
Have you heard the news? We launched all-new Prenatal and Postnatal Collections to guide you through pregnancy and beyond. We recently sat down with Director of Research & Development Lisa Schale-Drake to learn about what went into creating the 1st Trimester Collection. Read on to learn how the workouts support your changing body, why it’s important to start embracing modifications if you haven’t already, and why you shouldn’t skip the cool-down.
B3 MAGAZINE: Even if pregnant women don’t see a big physical change during the first trimester, their bodies are working hard and changing daily. Can you talk a little bit about what those changes are and how you built the 1st Trimester Collection to support them?
LISA: A lot is happening to the body in the 1st Trimester. The body is “moving mountains” when you first become pregnant. It releases a bunch of hormones to support the pregnancy, and the amount of blood in your body increases. These shifts can cause a lot of new symptoms, including fatigue, nausea, heartburn, and soreness in the body. When we created the first-trimester content, we really wanted to address this and have an open conversation around modifying for your energy levels. I think people often associate modifications with physical needs, like injuries, muscle fatigue, soreness, lack of range of motion, etc. While you might not need modifications for your physical body, you might need them for how you are feeling.
B3 MAGAZINE: Women’s experiences during the first trimester of pregnancy can be wildly different. Some feel incredibly fatigued, others have nausea, still others feel next to nothing at all. How did you design this collection in a way that accommodates such a wide range of experiences?
LISA: It all comes down to providing modifications when needed. It’s true, there will be days that you might feel amazing. The workouts still provide ways to deepen your practice and push yourself. Other days, you might be experiencing one or more of the symptoms and taking some to all of the modifications will allow you to react to your ever changing body and meeting your energy levels where they are at today.
B3 MAGAZINE: For people who are trying barre3 for the first time, the whole concept of listening to your body and honoring its needs might feel new. Do you have any advice for how to shift your mindset to start thinking this way? Why is it especially important during pregnancy?
LISA: Yes, this shift can be challenging for some at first, especially if you are the type of person who always pushes hard in every workout you do. There is more and more research showing that pushing hard in every workout can actually hurt your ability to progress and can even lead to burn out and/or injury. Pushing in a workout is not a bad thing, but it should be balanced with awareness of what your body needs today. So, here’s what I recommend. When you are moving, take a deep breath. As you exhale, listen. How does your body feel? Do you feel in control? Do you feel successful? Are the sensations healthy and good sensations? Or are you feeling depleted? In pain? The simple act of observing is step number 1. After that, making the choice to adjust and change what you’re doing is not a sign of weakness, but instead finding movement that is right for today. This is especially important when you are pregnant because your body is literally changing daily.
B3 MAGAZINE: What are some of the most important modifications to keep in mind during the first trimester?
LISA: First, not pushing yourself to the point of depletion is crucial. Your body is working so hard internally to support the prenatal development. While you might be able to physically do everything you did before, be aware of those final few moments of a posture or movement where you want to drive past your edge. Instead, take deep breaths and be okay with backing off a little bit.
The second thing is that you might be feeling some new aches and pains in your body. Instead of fighting them, embrace the modifications provided to better support your body. One of the hormones released, Relaxin, actually loosens the joints in your body.
Lastly, try not to skip the cool down. This is an important part of recovery. I once heard from a fellow trainer that recovery is actually your prep for your next workout. I always think of this when I’m cooling down and stretching. This will help your body recover stronger and support your ever changing body.
B3 MAGAZINE: Finally, as a mom yourself who did barre3 during your pregnancy (with twins!), any last words of advice for people during the first trimester?
LISA: My first trimester was ROUGH! I felt sick for most of the time and the fatigue was REAL. I felt frustrated with my body that I couldn’t do my workouts to the fullest expression. I felt like I was failing or doing something wrong at the time. I was also freaking out because I was showing at 8 weeks! However, once I took a breath and realized how much my body was working, I made adjustments to my workout routine. I backed off challenging postures in classes, I added in easy walks into my day and focused on listening to what my body needs. Also, the Instructors were some of the first people who knew I was pregnant. I wanted them to know so they would understand why I wasn’t pushing as much and they could support me with my daily needs.
For a limited time, get your first month of barre3 online for just $1. Sign up here. Or, sign up for our free trial and choose from 3, 6 and 9 month subscriptions to suit your needs.
Have you heard the news? We launched all-new Prenatal and Postnatal Collections to guide you through pregnancy and beyond. We recently sat down with Director of Research & Development Lisa Schale-Drake to learn about what went into creating the 1st Trimester Collection. Read on to learn how the workouts support your changing body, why it’s important to start embracing modifications if you haven’t already, and why you shouldn’t skip the cool-down.
B3 MAGAZINE: Even if pregnant women don’t see a big physical change during the first trimester, their bodies are working hard and changing daily. Can you talk a little bit about what those changes are and how you built the 1st Trimester Collection to support them?
LISA: A lot is happening to the body in the 1st Trimester. The body is “moving mountains” when you first become pregnant. It releases a bunch of hormones to support the pregnancy, and the amount of blood in your body increases. These shifts can cause a lot of new symptoms, including fatigue, nausea, heartburn, and soreness in the body. When we created the first-trimester content, we really wanted to address this and have an open conversation around modifying for your energy levels. I think people often associate modifications with physical needs, like injuries, muscle fatigue, soreness, lack of range of motion, etc. While you might not need modifications for your physical body, you might need them for how you are feeling.
B3 MAGAZINE: Women’s experiences during the first trimester of pregnancy can be wildly different. Some feel incredibly fatigued, others have nausea, still others feel next to nothing at all. How did you design this collection in a way that accommodates such a wide range of experiences?
LISA: It all comes down to providing modifications when needed. It’s true, there will be days that you might feel amazing. The workouts still provide ways to deepen your practice and push yourself. Other days, you might be experiencing one or more of the symptoms and taking some to all of the modifications will allow you to react to your ever changing body and meeting your energy levels where they are at today.
B3 MAGAZINE: For people who are trying barre3 for the first time, the whole concept of listening to your body and honoring its needs might feel new. Do you have any advice for how to shift your mindset to start thinking this way? Why is it especially important during pregnancy?
LISA: Yes, this shift can be challenging for some at first, especially if you are the type of person who always pushes hard in every workout you do. There is more and more research showing that pushing hard in every workout can actually hurt your ability to progress and can even lead to burn out and/or injury. Pushing in a workout is not a bad thing, but it should be balanced with awareness of what your body needs today. So, here’s what I recommend. When you are moving, take a deep breath. As you exhale, listen. How does your body feel? Do you feel in control? Do you feel successful? Are the sensations healthy and good sensations? Or are you feeling depleted? In pain? The simple act of observing is step number 1. After that, making the choice to adjust and change what you’re doing is not a sign of weakness, but instead finding movement that is right for today. This is especially important when you are pregnant because your body is literally changing daily.
B3 MAGAZINE: What are some of the most important modifications to keep in mind during the first trimester?
LISA: First, not pushing yourself to the point of depletion is crucial. Your body is working so hard internally to support the prenatal development. While you might be able to physically do everything you did before, be aware of those final few moments of a posture or movement where you want to drive past your edge. Instead, take deep breaths and be okay with backing off a little bit.
The second thing is that you might be feeling some new aches and pains in your body. Instead of fighting them, embrace the modifications provided to better support your body. One of the hormones released, Relaxin, actually loosens the joints in your body.
Lastly, try not to skip the cool down. This is an important part of recovery. I once heard from a fellow trainer that recovery is actually your prep for your next workout. I always think of this when I’m cooling down and stretching. This will help your body recover stronger and support your ever changing body.
B3 MAGAZINE: Finally, as a mom yourself who did barre3 during your pregnancy (with twins!), any last words of advice for people during the first trimester?
LISA: My first trimester was ROUGH! I felt sick for most of the time and the fatigue was REAL. I felt frustrated with my body that I couldn’t do my workouts to the fullest expression. I felt like I was failing or doing something wrong at the time. I was also freaking out because I was showing at 8 weeks! However, once I took a breath and realized how much my body was working, I made adjustments to my workout routine. I backed off challenging postures in classes, I added in easy walks into my day and focused on listening to what my body needs. Also, the Instructors were some of the first people who knew I was pregnant. I wanted them to know so they would understand why I wasn’t pushing as much and they could support me with my daily needs.
For a limited time, get your first month of barre3 online for just $1. Sign up here. Or, sign up for our free trial and choose from 3, 6 and 9 month subscriptions to suit your needs.
