appreciation post
5 days before my sweet baby girl came to meet us
Is this feeling of confusion and overwhelm normal? Getting pregnant and facing the bodily changes it brings is difficult for every athlete, right? Wait…is it difficult for every woman? Or only for women who are used to pushing their bodies to the max and feeling that sense of control? For someone like me, that knows how to work out and train by body - am I doing this right as a soon-to-be mom? Is my pregnant body able to withstand all of this healthily? Is the level of toughness I feel normal? Can I push my body how I’m used to pushing it? What are the right workouts for me right now?
Welcome to the typical conversation inside my own head throughout my pregnancy.
I’m here to share a short story of appreciation for someone that popped into my life and my pregnancy at just the right time.
I know I met this human for a great reason…my hope is that one of you reading this will benefit as well and the chain of positivity will continue.
Jason is a fitness coach, a pre and postnatal coach, an incredible human, and has an array of other credentials that put him into the class of “overachievers” with his level of knowledge on what the human body is capable of and how to bring the best out of it. Seven months into my pregnancy I received a message from an Instagram account called Synthesis Human Performance. There in it was a male named Jason asking if I had some available time to share my pregnancy journey and workout routine with him on a Zoom call. I did a minute of research, saw what Jason was passionate about on his website, and I responded with a “yes”. If I could share my story and help him along his path…why not offer an hour of my time? Our scheduled one hour call turned into almost two and by the end of it I felt very inspired. Up until this point in my pregnancy I had been staying active: I had gone through a jogging phase, I played beach volleyball up into 33 weeks, and I had been trying to get in the gym when I felt mentally strong enough to overcome the nausea and/or lack of motivation mentally that plagued my brain daily. Overall I felt pretty good physically and was truly doing my best to navigate what was right for myself and for this baby growing inside of me. At this point, after chatting with Jason, curiously overtook me. Could someone that has never worked with me in-person actually teach me something and help me train through these last couple of months of my third trimester? Over Zoom? I’ll admit I was skeptical at the time…but what evolved is something worth writing home about.
Jason and I decided to give a couple of sessions a-go. Best decision ever.
Those few sessions over Zoom turned into almost 6 months of training together. Here I am three months postpartum with not only a solid coach in my corner but an incredibly passionate friend and human being that has helped me during one of the most difficult periods of time in my life.
With Jason’s help I’m a firm believer now that lifting weights, pushing your body, maintaining fitness levels, squatting, etc…these things that initially may seem dangerous for some new moms - these things are good, no they are GREAT - if they’re done right, with the support of a great knowledge base behind you.
Looking back I’m sure I would have been fine had Jason not come into my life when he did. I was doing what felt ok…I was getting by. BUT since the day I said yes to Jason I up leveled instantly. I learned so much from Jason and I found ease in the fact that I was being led by someone who had my best interests at heart and who knew what kinds of exercises and movements would actually help the birthing process and the recovery that follows.
Jason is the epitome of what a good coach stands for. He leads with an incredible knowledge base, he provides a foundation of trust and commitment to the process, he is open to the athlete - meaning he will adjust and he wants to adjust based on what you need.
If you’re a mom.. An athlete.. A woman.. Or even just someone who wants to learn how to train your body in the most efficient way possible…you should head over and introduce yourself to Jason. Share your story with him and allow the magic to unfold. I’m already feeling excitement for what is in store for you.
If you’re eager to know more about my story with Jason, please connect with me and ask. The time is always NOW to get started…
If there is anything I’ve learned this past week it’s that we should never take our time for granted. If we want to be doing something we should start now. Right now. In this moment. This is the best moment. The one you have right here, right now.
Thank you, Jason.
The work continues. <3
Connect with Jason here:
https://www.synthesishumanperformance.net/