Tag: fitness

TRUTH BEHIND MY 3 WEEK POSTPARTUM BODY

posted by Elshane on Apr 28 2016, under Baby/Motherhood

Says the girl who always worked hard on maintaining her fitness...

If my body can't be where I want it to be right now, at least my workout lewk can be on fire! Grab this Alo Yoga lewk here.

The human body is pretty amazing. It's been 3 weeks since I delivered my little baby chica and I'm still under doctor's orders to refrain from working out (mega tear). I wanted to take these "before" photos to remember a few things, 1- how important it was that I worked out throughout my pregnancy, ultimately allowing my body to bounce back after birth to a fairly good state, and 2- to see how I can transform back into my good ol' self once I get the nod from the doc to hit the gym again (hopefully around 6 weeks postpartum). 

Most women can start working out two weeks after delivery, but I got diagnosed with something called Diastasis Recti during my pregnancy which means my ab muscles basically split down the center and broke in half as the baby started growing inside. It was a huge bummer and source of depression for me throughout my pregnancy because I knew getting back my pre-baby six pack would be a very difficult endeavor. So what does this mean for my postpartum fitness routine?

2/3 of pregnancies end in Diastasis Recti, but most women don't know it happens until after birth. Mine was pretty severe during pregnancy so it was very obvious that I had it. How'd I know?

When I would lay down and then lift my upper torso in a crunch position, my abs from belly button upward towards my chest would form the shape of a Mohawk in the center, "tenting" as they call it technically. The tenting is a result of the abdominal muscles splitting in half and sort of just floating on each side of your belly. And what's underneath that belly Mohawk? My non-doctor approved guess is your skin, your baby, your belly, etc... all just chilling there with no connected core tying it all together.

Before I go back into abdominal workouts, I need my core to reconnect so I don't continue to separate the muscles even worse. I'm hopeful that I can work around this issue and get my pre-baby body back in no time by working all of the other areas of my body instead. Maybe by the time that happens, this not-so-cute linea nigra pregnancy line on my belly will disappear! At least my very obnoxious pregnancy outtie belly button has RIP'd already. ;)

Only time will tell! 

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RECLAIMING MY PRE-BABY BODY: PHYSIQUE 57

posted by Elshane on Aug 2 2016, under Health/Fitness

I'll be the first to admit that I was nervous about what pregnancy could do to my body. Fitness has always been important to me, and being fit has always been a major part of my identity.

I enlisted myself in a 57 day challenge with Physique 57 the moment my doctor gave me the thumbs up to work out again at 6 weeks post partum. I had done barre-inspired workouts for years and I always knew they were the best for my body type. The mix of ballet-inspired movements with small intervals of light cardio had always been a successful way for me to stay lean and toned. 

So the question remained... would 4 days per week of Physique 57 workouts for 57 consecutive days be enough to reclaim my pre-baby body?

At 6 weeks post partum, I was 10 lbs away from my pre-baby weight. I had love handles, a bit of extra "skin" ;) on my belly, my hips were wider, and my thighs were bigger than normal. I could sort of fit into my jeans, but only the stretchy ones. But I wouldn't dare wear any of them because I didn't feel thin enough to wear pants. 

In Physique 57, a large part of the workout emphasizes core, which as many of you know, is at the root of my postpartum recovery issues. I have Diastasis Recti (my abdomen split in half during pregnancy and is still working to reconnect), but the instructors are all well-trained in Diastasis Recti and pregnancy in general, so they were able to offer me safe modified abdominal workouts. 

Other than core, Physique 57 focuses heavily on butt and thighs, with a light arms section in the beginning. The movements are small and refined, allowing you to carefully tone each part of your body while actually having fun and listening to pop music. Squatting and pulsing to Rihanna and Beyonce is always a thumbs up in my books!

So the results... did I drop the 10 lbs???

 

I lost 7 lbs in those 57 days. I regained my 6-pack and now fit into all of my jeans again. I'm still fighting to loose these stubborn last 3 lbs, but I know I'm closer than ever. Physique 57 chopped off nearly all of my final baby weight, and now it's up to me to finish what I started.

For being not even 4 months post-partum, I'm pretty proud of my recovery. Blame it on summertime and bikinis... but I can promise you that I'll loose the rest by end of summer.

Or at least try...

Are you interested in trying Physique 57? There are studios in New York City, the Hamptons, and Beverly Hills, and they're offering the first class free with code P57EW at checkout on their website.

If you don't live in one of these cities, or simply don't have the time to leave the house for a workout (shout out to all the times I did my very own P57 workouts from my living room floor streaming through my television while my baby was napping in the morning), you can score 2 weeks of free video on demand by using the code P57EW at checkout of the Video On Demand section on their site!

 

Photographs taken at the Beverly Hills Physique 57 studio by Sabrina Hill.

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ATHLEISURE ALL DAY

posted by Elshane on Oct 25 2016, under Health/Fitness

Free the legs!!!!

We've all heard it enough, athleisure is taking over the fashion space in a big way, but what is exciting and new to share to the world is that the silhouette of the women's workout pant is expanding (literally and figuratively), finally!

I love me a good yoga legging, but something just felt right about putting on these not too loose, but not too tight jogger sweatpants for my workout. It gave me a little fire in my step and a little extra motivation in my workout. 

Yeah, OK, I got some "oohs and ahhs" at the gym. Some wandering eyes... "What is she wearing? Are those sweatpants?" "Wait, no they're Lululemon workout pants that give her a little more swag than our BASIC spandex," they all gasped in exhilaration! (In their heads, I know this for a fact!)

I wore them to dance class and felt a little more soul in my step. And then of course I wore them around town for the rest of the day and felt like I was in pajamas. It was a great day.

 

**Pant sizing: I stuck with my true size-- Lululemon's smallest size which is a 2-- I tried the 4 because I wanted them nice and roomy but the 4 was way too big for me.**

 

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A MAUI SWIM STORY

posted by Elshane on Jan 23 2017, under Health/Fitness

It felt really good being back in the sand without the remains of my baby weight. At 9 months postpartum, I feel 100% back to my old self. It seems that for as long as the baby takes to grow inside of you, it takes just as long to leave.

Being out of the swimwear mentality last summer due to pregnancy, it was fun to experiment with new swim trends this time around. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely one of those preggos who went teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot-bikini-and-bump at the beach, but I just didn't invest in new suits at the time.

So this trip was the perfect excuse to get me back in the swimwear game. I love the new bikini styles that wrap around your waist like this Vix swimsuit-- it felt crazy, sexy, cool. Ya feels? 

Photographs taken on Maui, Hawaii at 9 months postpartum.

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HI! IT'S ELSHANE FROM LOS ANGELES, CA
(BY WAY OF NEW YORK CITY)

I STARTED MY BLOG IN 2010 AS A WAY TO ARCHIVE ALL OF THE ONE-OF-A-KIND RUNWAY PIECES THAT I OWNED FROM WORKING AS THE IN-HOUSE STYLIST FOR DIANE VON FURSTENBERG IN NYC.

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