Guest Post: Rebecca Christian, Certified Yoga Instructor & Personal Trainer

I'd like to welcome Rebecca Christian to our San Diego Mama blog as a monthly guest blogger. She is a fellow San Diegan and certified yoga instructor who is committed to helping pregnant moms stay healthy, and new moms get strong, healthy and into their jeans again!

She will be joining us monthly with fitness tips. Check out these tips for pregnant mamas.

Congratulations, you’re pregnant! You already know that your midsection is about to go through some MAJOR transformations. Fear not-with a little bit of work you can quickly squeeze back into those skinny jeans!

First, the facts: As your bundle of joy grows, your abdominal muscles stretch and your center of gravity pulls forward, placing strain on your lower back. In order to alleviate some of this pressure you need strong core muscles. Exercises that strengthen the back and abdominal muscles are your best defense against low back pain. As an added bonus, a strong core will help you to “push” during delivery and make it easier to recover post-partum.

Following is a brief list of exercises to get you started:

“Suck it in”- it’s the easiest thing you can do to keep your tummy muscles active and you can do it anywhere. While seated or standing, focus on drawing your navel to your spine. Having trouble finding your navel these days? Take a deep inhale through the nose, exhale all the air out through your mouth. That feeling at the end of your exhale when your abdominal muscles draw in and up is what you want to create. Try to work on this while in your car, standing in line at the grocery, or at your computer.

“Zip it up”- maintaining strong pelvic floor muscles is key during and after pregnancy. Weak pelvic floor muscles lead to incontinence, and let’s face it, you’ve got enough going on. Best exercise-Kegels. The muscles “down below” contract, as if stopping the flow of urine, while your navel draws in and up. This creates a sensation as if you were zipping up your core from the pit of your belly up to your breast bone. Practice holding the contraction for about 3 seconds to start, and work your way up to 10 seconds. Try to complete 5-10 repetitions.

“Cow and Cat” – Beginning on your hands and knees, inhale through the nose as you gently drop your belly towards the floor, reaching your gaze and your chest forward. Concentrate on opening the chest with on your inhale. As you exhale, draw the tailbone down towards the floor and round your back like an angry cat. Draw your abdominal muscles into the spine and exhale completely. Repeat several times, allowing your breath to move your spine.

“Alternating arm & leg lift”- Beginning on the hands and knees, lift the right arm and the left leg, ensuring both are parallel to the floor. Maintain a straight line from your fingertips to your toes, keeping the hips level to the floor and the abdominal muscles drawing in. Hold for 3-5 seconds, and switch sides. Perform 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Stay tuned for next month’s tips on a killer lower body workout to keep your legs strong and shapely!