Certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach Krista Williams dedicates herself to educating women and mothers about physically preparing for and recovering from pregnancies, along with advice under the heading ‘I wish someone had told me...'
As a personal trainer for 20 years, Newtown-headquartered Krista knew volumes about how bodies work. What she discovered about persistent bodily changes due to pregnancies was a whole other dimension.
At a six-week postpartum appointment after Krista's first son was delivered through a C-section, she says she got a doctor's clearance to resume normal activity without restrictions. She recalls thinking: "I knew better than to take that ‘without restrictions’ line seriously," especially given how sore her body still was.
"It’s no wonder most women do nothing to promote healing their core and pelvic floor in the first six weeks postpartum. It’s no wonder so many women return to exercise too soon and do too much. It’s no wonder back pain and pelvic floor dysfunction are made worse," she says.
Krista decided a better approach was needed. "When you know better, you do better!"
Because she wants other women to "do mom life better," she conducts classes for safe prenatal exercises and postpartum strength rebuilding. She offers a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Clients can book 1-hour Group Strong in-person classes held in a private space on the property of Newtown Athletic Club. Her all-access fee includes recorded strength and foam rolling sessions to do at home; video library and resource pages; and monthly social events. She also provides an early postpartum series called Diapers to Dumbbells, and free 45-minute community classes.
"Women come to me scared, and particularly in postpartum, just exhausted and not in a good head space because they don't feel like themselves. The reality is women don't get educated in high school years about how to prepare for pregnancies, or what their true needs are going to be," she says.
For moms or soon-to-be moms seeking more information prior to participating in Group Strong, or any new client starting a personal training membership, they can book Krista for a private assessment/foundations session, either in-person or virtual. Krista says this session evaluates posture, alignment, and muscle recruitment, and assesses common tendencies that may affect exercise progression.
"For women told they need additional surgeries for post-pregnancy issues, they should first try strengthening their pelvic floor because surgeries don't always hold over the long haul. Sometimes, our challenges are due to trauma to our cores, or postural patterns after birthing that cause other complications," says Krista. "Our whole bodies can shift without us actually realizing it."
She says the wonderful news is most post-pregnancy physical problems or pelvic pain can be resolved fairly quickly, even though the issues might seem like such a huge mountain to climb. "With proper steps taken to restabilize the core and pelvic floor, results can be seen in the first month."
Catch Krista and co-host Jenn Perna, DPT, on their podcast: Moms in Motion. The episodes drop once weekly on Monday mornings.
"We educate moms regarding safe prenatal exercise, postpartum core, pelvic floor rehab."
"It’s never too early or late to get the help you need!"
