My good friend invited me to join her at Dancers Shape for a Shape class last August since she knew I loved Barre. I was 23 weeks pregnant at the time and have been hooked ever since!

When I became pregnant for the second time I was carrying extra weight. I thought I'd surely be "stuck" with it because I had already been trying hard to tone up and how was I going to work even harder now while being pregnant? I was so lucky to find DS because it was a better barre workout than I had been doing before; it incorporated more muscle groups while using larger muscles, burned more calories, and got my heart rate up higher than my previous barre workouts or any workout I had tried on my own. I was also able to work out with more consistency because my body felt leaner and stronger instead of being sore, tired, and worn down. Within 2-4 weeks of doing Shape I noticed significant changes in my body--increased metabolism, more muscle tone, and less muscle imbalance. Cardio is mental therapy for me so I continued to do moderate cardio including elliptical and spinning 3-4 days a week for about 45 minutes a day. Coming to class 3-4 days a week kept my energy high and allowed me to be active all the way until week 39 when I delivered, while also helping me feel more like myself immediately after delivery.

When I was pregnant I focused on feeling good physically instead of how much I was eating (or eating for two). I worked out as I normally would have, without getting my heart rate elevated too much, and I snacked all the time. Eating small meals often and staying active kept me feeling good, healthy, and happy while pregnant.

I referred to the DS pre-natal guide and modified exercises as necessary. Most importantly I listened to my body and stopped if anything felt uncomfortable or too difficult and awkward. The hardest thing for me was to focus on breathing through the whole workout!!

The most amazing thing was how quickly I lost my pregnancy weight. Within 2 weeks from my c-section I actually weighed less than I did before I was pregnant! My metabolism was so high prior to delivery that the weight literally fell off. Of course, waiting 6 weeks to exercise after surgery due to Dr's orders allowed my body to put on a few extra pounds since, but I'm certain once I get back to my normal routine I will be able to reach my weight goals!

Now that my body has recovered and I have a handle on my new life as a mom of two I'm looking forward to having unlimited classes at DS using the Bounce Back special. I would love to come 4-5 days a week and balance between Shape, Power, and cardio classes.