About Me
Hi! I’m Jena
physical therapist & mom of 4
here to help you,
the busy new mama, with
pregnancy and postpartum safe
workouts + inspiration and
motivation so you can feel
strong and confident in
your own skin again.
Hardly Recognize your body anymore?
Yep, I know what that’s like. I had this false hope as a new mom…that my body would be normal after pregnancy. I was so wrong.
Were you like me? When you became pregnant for the first time, did you want to know everything you possibly could about baby care, nursing, sleep schedules and all the things that baby needs to become a thriving human being? I did. I never once thought about “me” in the new mom equation. Everything was about baby!
I thought that everything related to me and my body would naturally just bounce back into place the moment I finished the child birthing process. Baby comes out, and the body returns back to the way it used to be. Piece of cake…or so I thought.
I was sooo wrong. My body did not bounce back, rather it remained exactly the same as being 9 months pregnant, give or take a few pounds that went out with delivery (aka my baby and the afterbirth). My body still looked pregnant, I still felt pregnant and I WASN’T pregnant any more. Not fair!
What really boggles my mind was how little my doctors and nurses talked to me about my self care and postpartum recovery with each and every single doctor’s appointment I had. I probably had over 30 doctor’s appointments over a 9 month period, and not once did someone talk to me about ME, my body or what was going to happen to it after I delivered my first baby girl.
How will I lose the baby weight in a safe way while breastfeeding, when do I start to work on my fitness goals, how much is too much and what if I do too much, what will happen then? Will I be in severe pain or cause permanent damage?
I had absolutely no idea what to expect as a new mom who just went through childbirth for the first time.
Well, as a physical therapist trained in the human body, if I didn’t know these answers, surely other women wouldn’t know either. And so it seems, thousands upon thousands of women across the world are struggling with the same thing.
New moms, pregnant and postpartum, are lacking the self-care education factor. Baby care, breastfeeding, SID’s, postpartum depression, car seats, baby gear, I could go on and on about all the topics that moms get plenty of education on when they are in the doctor’s offices and before being discharged from the hospital.
But have you received any information on what your first ab exercise should be? How about postpartum belly wraps? This one garment is a complete game changer when it comes to postpartum recovery. I would never have another baby without having one on me for recovery.
How about C-sections and the rehab that needs to take place after experiencing SURGERY? Just knowing the simple fact that your muscles are cut open during a cesarean birth automatically makes me (and hopefully you too) think that your muscles need to be rehabbed afterwards. That makes complete sense, right? But are women getting proper education regarding what exercises they should be doing after having a C-section? Nope, it’s very unlikely.
So my mission is to be the voice of hope, furthering education on all things health and fitness for new moms, whether you are a first time mom or are on your 4th go around (like me), I want to help motivate you and support you so you can ultimately feel like you again.
We don’t want to live our entire mom lives feeling like we are pregnant forever, and we surely don’t want to look that way either. It is 100% possible to get your pre-pregnancy body back, and I am here to help you do it.
Life gets busy as a new mom, that’s inevitable, but my superpower is scheduling, routines, habits and checking off the to-do list so, ultimately, I get stuff done. And I want you to be able to check off your to-do list, but more importantly, your goals so you can walk out of here saying, “I did it” and “I feel great”.
When you feel great as a new mom your baby will notice.
Your baby will start to sense the joy you have that returns after your health becomes a priority. Your baby will be happier. And when you and your baby are happy together, life is just good! Imagine what life would be like when you and your baby are together in a pleasant place of peace. I know that’s what you want, and I want to help you get there.
Over the years as my blog has grown, so has my YouTube channel which is filled with lots of “how to” videos and workout videos specifically for moms.
Through my blog, my YouTube channel, my eBook, Postpartum Ab Rehab, and my course, Postpartum Abs Simplified, I help you navigate your postpartum fitness journey in a simplified, safe and successful way. No more guessing, no more confusion or concern, just a surefire way to get your body back to normal and feeling good again.
Thank you so much for joining me alongside my mom-of-4 fitness journey. I have lots of helpful resources for you that I know you will love and find loaded with tons of value.
FREE 10-Day Total Body Workout Challenge
Pregnant or postpartum, this workout is safe for you. But are you willing to commit to 10 minutes a day? If so, then you are on the right track to a healthy mommy lifestyle. That’s what you want, right? Start with this simple 10-Day Total Body Workout Challenge that only takes 10 minutes a day for 10 days to transform your entire body.
The Challenger
This is for the busy mama who has little time to work out let alone time to even think about what workout to do. The Challenger is the ultimate collection of workout challenges to jumpstart you into new habits and lifelong routines of a fitness-focused lifestyle. Every challenge included can be done in the comfort of your home with minimal to no equipment required.
Postpartum Ab Rehab
Transform your core back to your pre-pregnancy body in the easiest, simplest and safest way possible through my 12 week program that is outlined in my eBook, Postpartum Ab Rehab. The physcial therapy derived program only takes 10 minutes a day, and by the time you are done, you will have fully restored abs after just having a baby. Everything is mapped out for you so there’s no guessing.
Let’s Work Together
“I know life as a new mom is exhausting, overwhelming and sometimes you feel helpless…
but I truly want to be your friend and help you along this journey so that you can look back at your life as a mom and have no regrets. Your choices have a huge impact on the trajectory of your baby and your entire family’s life. You making the decision to live each day with high hopes of happiness and health has such an impact on those around you. Going at this alone is never expected, so I want to be there for you for the hard times and the fun times. Let’s stay connected and cheer each other on. DM me any time on Instagram. I’d love to chat with you.” -Jena
7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me…
“In anatomy class at Physical Therapy school our teacher asked us to find a partner to practice with who was the opposite sex. She just so happened to tell us to palpate the gluteus maximus (Google it)! The partner I chose that day ended up being my lifelong partner, my sweet husband, Darren. “
“I am not a coffee drinker, but I love a good hot cup of hot chocolate. Favorite flavor? Raspberry all the way. (Psst…I can’t tolerate the caffeine in coffee, so I stick to decaf.)”
“I have 4 kids, and with each pregnancy, we decided to be surprised and not find out the gender of our babies. To much surprise, we had all 4 girls! (and to think I was going to have all boys – I was way off)
“If you were to ask my closest 10 friends what I’m known for, they would say I’m a master at scheduling, routines and planning. Give me a task, and I’ll make sure it’s done…and done on time!”
*hence, you’ll always find me wearing a watch.
“I grew up a pilot’s daughter, flying around the US since I was a baby, even flying by myself on a plane as young as 8 years old. Still to this day I absolutely love to travel. My big dream trip is to go to Hawaii.”
“I originally went to college to be an athletic trainer but never liked the rigid schedule of night games and traveling for sports. So, I switched to physical therapy and never looked back. Grateful to have graduated from the #1 ranked PT school in the US, The University of Pittsburgh. I absolutely love every minute of what I do, serving my patients and helping them to live life wonderfully.”
“Meeting Him during the year of 2007 changed my life. It was the year that I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. If you don’t know Him yet or want to know more about Jesus, never hesitate to reach out to me. I grew up agnostic with a Catholic father and a Jewish mother and, boy, did I have a lot of questions as a young adult! Never be afraid to ask questions.”
