March 2016: BIRTHFIT Online Coaching Day 5

Warm-Up

Draw your attention to your Posture and Breath. Take 5-10 minutes to breathe. Sit on a block, stand proud, or lie completely flat on your back. Check-in with yourself. Start to bond with your baby.

Movement, Mobility, & Activations

The Functional Movement Progression is a series of movements that we use to support and train natural movement patterns. Dr. Erica Boland (BIRTHFIT Wisconsin)breaks the Functional Progression down here (while she’s pregnant with #4). This is a new movement and perspective. Perform at least 10 reps in each part for each side.

Strength & Skill

Pause Front Squat is the strength and skill movement for the day. Focus on keeping an engaged spine through the whole lift, even in the bottom. Doing this movement not pregnant you may hold your breath. However, I want you to take a big breath in before each set and exhale from the bottom up. Once you hit the bottom you will start to exhale, so you have to have a nice big, juicy belly inhale. If 2 reps is too many for you to do this, then perform 1 rep at a time. Not a big deal. You can do this movement with a barbell, PVC, dumb bells, or kettle bells. Remember, rest as much as you need between efforts and choose weight that you are confident you can make.

Pause Front Squat

2-2-2-2-2-2-2

Conditioning

Today’s conditioning is an EMOM. This means EVERY MINUTE ON THE MINUTE you will perform one movement. The first minute you will perform a 10 calorie row. If you are not rowing, then performing something to get your heart rate for 30 seconds. This can be jump rope, bike, step-ups, a short shuttle run, or even modified burpees. The second minute you will perform 5 single leg kettle bell deadlifts on the right, and the third minute you will perform 5 single leg kettle bell deadlifts on the left. The EMOM is 15 minutes so you will be doing a total of 5 rounds with built in rest. This style of workout is actually pretty great for labor and delivery training.

Contractions during labor will last anywhere from 60-90s. Contractions peak in intensity and discomfort for 10 seconds, so there is some sort of build up. After each contraction I tell my doula clients to take a nice big CLEANSING BREATH. Try to apply the CLEANSING BREATH after you complete each movement within each minute.

EMOM 15

• ONE: 10 Cal Row
• TWO: 5 Single Leg Kettle Bell Deadlift
• THREE: 5 Single Leg Kettle Bell Deadlift

Accessory Work

We will finish today with some posterior chain work and deep hip flexor stretches. Keeping the hip flexors, especially your psoas, mobile is super important for maintaining an optimally functioning pelvis for birth. If hip flexors are too tight, they can tilt the pelvis and actually decrease room for baby’s head within the pelvic cavity.

Banded Good Mornings
4 x 25

Wall Lunge / Couch Stretch

2 Minutes Each Side

Accessory.

Perform 20 Wall Angels. Be sure to watch video to make sure you are doing correctly.