Thanksgiving recap + Black Friday steals

 Hi friends! Happy Friday! I hope that those of you who celebrated yesterday had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Ours was filled with family, lots of amazing food, and time outdoors. Not much more you could wish for. (Ok, just one thing: that the Pilot could have been here, but alas he was doing that work thing.)

The day started off bright and early (a little too early). I made breakfast burritos for the girls and they watched a show while I caught a quick Peloton ride. After spinning, I put Nana’s egg casserole in the oven (the best!) and we got ready to head to Kyle and Meg’s for breakfast.

At their house, we drank coffee, ate breakfast, watched the parade, and looked at the Black Friday sales fliers. It was such a fun and relaxing start to the day.

Liv w aug

We came back home, and I put the finishing touches on Ina’s roasted maple carrot salad. (I made the dressing and did the first roast of the carrots the night before. This way they only needed to roast one more time with the maple syrup for about 15 minutes. I also started soaking the cranberries that morning since I knew we’d be gone most of the day.) Instead of goat cheese, I used this nut cheese from Whole Foods and it was AWESOME. It was a little tangy and paired perfectly with the remaining ingredients. (The salad was totally gone by the end of the night, so I don’t think anyone minded a lil cashew cheese.)

Cheese

We packed up everything and headed to my Uncle’s house for Thanksgiving dinner with my dad’s side of the family. It was SO much fun watching all of the cousins run around. They’re all getting to the ages where they just want to play, all day long, and it’s a blast watching them together.

Plate #1:

Tgiving plate

(We have a family member who is Celiac, so there were a ton of gluten-free options at dinner including stuffing, gravy, and two types of pie. I’ve been avoiding gluten and dairy for the most part because of the dang gallbladder situation but was going to eat whatever because Thanksgiving. I ended up eating gluten-free all day, maybe had a small amount of dairy, and my stomach didn’t hurt at all, which was very much appreciated.)

The dessert spread: 

ACS 0551

So thankful for this little crew right here. <3 

Now it’s another favorite holiday, Black Friday, and I thought I’d share some of my top finds! Are you shopping today? Let me know what you’re going after! I’m going to do most of our shopping online, but hit up Lowe’s for a new Christmas tree and World Market for gingerbread houses. 

Yellow Black Friday Discount Leaderboard

Black Friday Sales 2019:

Gap 50% off everything! Here’s what I’m ordering for the girls: Christmas dresses, emoji pajamas, this tie dye sweater, ALL the leggings, and long-sleeved graphic tees

Madewell 30% off. Love this ruffle front top, this metallic dot top, and this turtleneck sweater dress. This is the pom pom sweater I posted recently. 

Shopbop big fall sale. This cozy coat is so cute, these leopard leggings (!!!!) and this metallic dress.

Carbon38 30% off with code THANKS30. This has become one of my favorite spots to get workout gear! I’m obsessed with these holiday leggings (I wear them for barre all the time) and these tri-panel leggings.

Lululemon free shipping and returns. Perfect chance to stock up on Align pants and foil print Wunder Unders.

LOFT 50% off with code INDULGE. Love this penguin sweater with the black skirt, this shimmery sweater dress, these rhinestone hoop earrings, and this beanie.

Get the Equilibria All is Calm CBD box here! This is the CBD I use and love. Use the code FITNESSISTABF for 20% off. 

J Crew 50% off! Some top picks: a leopard blazer, flannel pajamas, oxford shirt for the mister, and Liv would loooove this dress.

Banana Republic 50% off. This sequin slip dress is gorgeous and I always like their shoe selection.

Kate Spade 40% off with code TGIBF.

Old Navy 50% off the entire store! I love this sale to stock up on winter pajamas for the girls.

Express 50% off everything. I have and love this jumpsuit and this sweater.

Fit guides

Treat yourself with a Fit Guide! Use the code BLACK FRIDAY and get 50% off any of my Fit Guides here. The most popular ones are Lean Machine and Home Workout Warrior. These are 12-week plans (text workouts that were strategically designed to progress over the 12 weeks) with meal ideas and bonuses. 

Beautycounter: Get 15% off site wide and FREE shipping on orders over $50. Shop it up here! (There are minimal exclusions and holiday sets are included in the promo.)
This is also the perfect time to join Band of Beauty if you haven’t already. It’s our VIP program and gets you:

A free gift (right now it’s a full Overnight Peel, valued at $63) if you spend over $50

Free shipping all year for orders over $100

and 10% back in product credit

It’s only $29 to sign up for the year!

If you’re looking for recommendations for the sale, here are my top picks:

Overnight Peel

Color Intense Lipstick

Countertime Supreme Cream

Jellies

HighRes 33

Counter+ Skincare Faves

More top picks from the holiday collection here. If you need help with recommendations, please let me know! gina@fitnessista.com

Gift guide for her is here! My gift guide for the kiddos will be up early Monday morning if you’re shopping for the kids this week.

Splurges:

Dyson vacuum. I use this every day. It’s so great for crumbs, spot cleaning, dog hair, and easily carrying up and down the stairs.

A Peloton. This is my #1 favorite purchase of the past year and a half and I still use it 2-3 times a week. The Pilot uses it and loves it, too! Use my code to get $100 off if you decide to treat yourself with one! The code is XXKJQU

Nespresso. I’m always pumped when hotels have one so it might be time for us to upgrade. 

Dyson hair drier. My friend has this one and is obsessed with it. It might be time for me to go for it… 

Hope you have a wonderful day! I’ll be back on the blog Sunday morning with our December mindfulness challenge. <3

xoxo

Gina

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Mobility Circuit

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Lower Body Workout

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Welcome to My . . . Evening Wind Down

Yoga instructor Kristin Calabria shares five practices to help you recover, restore and prepare yourself for the next day.

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Crunch time + last-minute Thanksgiving recipe ideas

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the morning. It’s been a wild and crazy week over here. I thought the girls had school today but it turns out they didn’t, so I did a scramble on Monday and Tuesday to wrap work stuff up for today and tomorrow. I finally got everything ready to go and am excited to enjoy the next couple of days with the family, eating pie, and planning our Black Friday plan of attack. 😉 I’m also looking forward to the Thanksgiving turkey burn Peloton ride! I’m taking tomorrow off but will be back on Friday with some faves + a recap from the festivities.

IMG 3396

Some recent adventures:

A good friend had a craft night at her house and we made the CUTEST sock gnomes. When she posted the photo of the gnomes on the invite, I thought there was no way I’d be able to make on that looked that good, but it turns out that they were super easy (<— even for the craft impaired). She had all of the supplies at her house and we had a great time making our gnomes, snacking on delicious appetizers, and drinking wine.

IMG 3433

 How cute are these lil guys?

IMG 5476

I’ll share some holly jolly decorations soon, but here’s an entry table that makes me happy.

IMG 5475

The Pilot and I caught a basketball game the other night and felt right back at home, devouring our El Charro nachos and cheering for the Cats. We usually like to get a mini pack of tickets (8 games) but since his schedule is so sporadic and bananas, it didn’t make sense this season. Instead, we’re just hopping on tickets when we can and our team is looking pretty amazing so far!

My favorite basketball date:

IMG 3399 

Since we’re officially in the holiday cheer, his famous nog is back:

IMG 3418

(#neverforget)

and I took the girls to see Frozen 2 at Roadhouse. I have SO MANY thoughts on it – I didn’t love it nearly as much as the first but really appreciated the power ballad – but no spoilers. I will say that I’m still trying to figure out why they made a Cats movie since it’s the worst musical of all time.  

IMG 3391

For today, I thought I’d share some last-minute Thanksgiving recipe ideas if you’re trying to figure out what to make for tomorrow!

Here are some of my go-tos:

Kyle’s perfect Thanksgiving turkey (start brining tonight!)

A healthy twist on sweet potato casserole

This green bean salad

A lower sugar cranberry sauce

Paleo pumpkin pie brownies

Flourless pumpkin chocolate chip bars

Old horrible pics but this tart is incredible

Vegan egg nog

Holiday spice sangria 

We’re having breakfast at Kyle’s house so I’m bringing the necessary egg casserole, and then in the afternoon, I’m taking this salad to my uncles.

I hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Please know how thankful I am for all of you every single day. I wake up every morning so grateful for the opportunity to connect with you and hang out with you all over here. Thank you for being in my virtual circle of friends and for being so awesome. <3 

xo

Gina

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Holiday Strength Circuit Workout

’Tis the season for fun family gatherings, lots of holiday events, and wondering how the heck you’re going to fit in a workout. I’m always a fan of quick dumbbell circuits, but even more during such a busy season. It’s amazing to be able to grab a pair of dumbbells, put in my headphones, and 20-30 minutes later, I’m sweaty and energized to tackle the rest of today.

For today’s post, I wanted to share a quick workout you can do anywhere this holiday season. All you need is a medium pair of dumbbells and a mat. Please let me know if you give it a try! (As always, talk with a doctor before making any fitness changes and honor your body.)

Here’s what the workout looks like:

TOTAL BODY + HIIT WORKOUT

Form cues and tips:

Untitled design

Squat to upright row: Holding a pair of dumbbells, keep your chest lifted and your weight in your heels as you squat down and back. Exhale and squeeze your booty to rise, and perform an upright row at the top.

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Jump squats: Make sure to land softly with bent knees. As you spring up, reach your arms overhead, and try to create some lightness within the movement. Squat as low as you can and reach up as high as you can.

Untitled design 1

Curtsy lunges: Cross one leg back and behind the other, and come down into a curtsy lunge. The front foot stays flat on the ground and the back foot has the heel raised off the floor.

Untitled design 2

Froggers: Start in plié squat position. Bring your hands down to touch the floor (keep your chest up). Jump up and land, touching the floor.

Untitled design 3

Biceps curl to overhead press: Holding a dumbbell, squeeze your biceps and exhale as you curl, inhale to bring the weights up to 90 degrees and exhale to press up overhead. 

Untitled design 4

Push-up to renegade row: Start in a plank position, on your knees or toes, holding dumbbells in both hands. Keep your hips down in line with your spine, and exhale, squeezing your chest, to rise.Lift one dumbbell up and squeeze your back to bend the elbow in towards your torso, keeping the elbow close to you. Lower down and repeat on the opposite side. 

HighRes 50

Scissors: Exhale to left your head and shoulders off the ground, reach to hold onto the back of your knee with both arms . Keeping legs straight or bent, and core tight, switch your legs.

Note: These pics were originally taken as part of a paid sponsorship, which is still in the approval process, but I wanted you guys to have access to this workout content for the holidays. I covered the cost of the clothes out of pocket. 

These tights are supportive, not see-through (<— very important) and are perfect for strength workouts and Orangetheory. They also have a great range of sizes available.

5M1B0851

This fleece is a classic Under Armour staple and they also make easy holiday gifts. You can find them in so many different colors for women, men, and kiddos. They’re very soft and cozy for lounging around or to wear to and from the gym.

5M1B0857

Please let me know if you give the workout a try and what you think! I’m going to catch a quick cardio workout and meet up with a friend from college for coffee. 🙂 

Hope you have a wonderful morning and I’ll see ya soon!

xo

Gina

Photos by Kristi Harris

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2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Her

Hi friends! Happy Monday and happy Thanksgiving week! I usually wait a little longer to post my gift guides, but since I realized that many of you are shopping this week (like me!) I figured we could get the party started! I always have so much fun putting these together and love hearing about your gift ideas. If you have any great gift ideas for moms, sisters, BFFs, aunts, or something on your personal wish list, please share in the comments! Let’s have a virtual shopping party. 🙂 These are all ideas that I think would make awesome gifts this holiday season. They vary in price points and many items on the list below are things that I use and love (or have my eye on for myself heh heh).

2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Her

Fitnessista Holiday Gift Guide 2019 Her. So many great ideas for moms, aunts, sisters, BFFs or even yourself. Check it out: fitnessista.com

 

Fitness Lover

For the fitness lover:

Wireless sport headphones. The Pilot and I both have these and LOVE them. I’m kind of weird about how headphones fit my ears and despise hard plastic, and these are soft and cushy. 

A 40-oz Hydroflask. I carry this one around with me everywhere.

My favorite leggings ever. They’re not super expensive, have a flattering high waist, are thick, dreamy fabric, and come in quite a few different colors.

The super cute cropped long-sleeved top.

The softest crops. Like buttah.

My go-to crosstraining sneakers. It’s kind of an addiction over here. 

Beauty

Makeup and skincare gifts:

Rosewood lip trio. This color is supposed to be flattering on every skin tone. I can’t wait for mine to get here!

This gorgeous toasted eyeshadow palette.

A jade roller and gua sha set. This is the one I use every night before bed. I’ve read a lot about these, and am a huge believer or “use it or lose it” when it comes to the muscles in your face. This helps to stimulate blood flow and increase circulation, and I’ve found that it decreases puffiness.

A buttercup blow dryer kit.

Counter + skincare essentials. All of the Beautycounter faves including the overnight peel, new lotus cleansing stick, brightening facial oil (plant-based oils and vitamin C) and charcoal mask. (Bonus: it’s 15% off right now and free shipping on orders over $50!)

The best brow essentials.

A Phlur perfume or candle. I avoided perfumes for years because of the ingredients – I used an essential oil roll-on instead – and finally found one with clean ingredients that’s nontoxic. The Ameline smells like a dream (so floral and girly) and I also love Hamani.

Jewelry Accessories

Jewelry and accessories:

LOVE these glitter studs.

This bangle that looks super pricey but isn’t.

The perfect leather tote.

A Dagne Dover tote.

This beautiful pendant. It’s gorgeous IRL.

Fashion Finds

Fashion finds:

Wubby fleece pullover. This is a fall and winter essential. SO comfortable and warm.

Spanx faux leather leggings. These are incredibly flattering and the faux leather adds a nice detail that isn’t too over-the-top.

My Christmas list lounge top.

This leather camera bag.

This leopard sweater!

Moms

For moms, aunts, and grandmothers:

The best pajamas.

A packing cube set.

A luxe sleep mask. (I can’t live without mine!)

A super cozy throw.

A succulent gift box.

A luxe and comfy cardigan.

Experiences and personalized gifts:

– Plan a fun girls’ night out with cocktails and a show or a movie

– A class pass or punch card to her favorite workout studio

– Treat your friend to a spa service (bonus points if they serve lunch + champagne)

– Shopping for a new mom (or any mom)? Attach a little note that says, “Good for one nice long nap or some time alone, whenever you need it.” And let her use it! I promise you’ll make her whole day. 

So friends: what’s on your personal wish list this year? Any great gift ideas for your BFF or the ladies in your family?

xo

Gina

 

*Note: none of my gift guides are sponsored, and companies are not able to purchase spots on my gift guides. These are all items I curated myself and genuinely think they’d make awesome gifts for someone you love. Affiliate links are included, which don’t affect purchase price but enable me to earn a small kickback. Thank you so much for supporting this little blog. <3

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Friday Faves

Hi friends! Happy Friday! How was the week? Ours flew by since we got home from NYC late Monday night. I guess Tucson thought we would miss the colder weather because it’s been rainy and wintery all week! I’m loving it.

Tuesday, I was slammed with work stuff and my inbox was on the verge of combustion, but I had a day date planned with some friends from the gym. We went to Creative Kind Shop and dyed our own indigo tea towels. It was SO much fun – and Creative Kind is a very cute and unique little spot if you’re visiting Tucson or local and haven’t made it out there yet – and it felt good to step away from the screen for a bit and spend time with friends.

Sandwich

(+ a sandwich and salad from August Rhodes since I was kind of in the neighborhood and we had zero groceries when we got back.)

To be honest, I’ve been in a bit of a funk since my Tata passed away and haven’t quite found my mojo again.

I didn’t expect to feel *normal* so soon after, but it’s almost like everything has an extra weight to it. Like mundane things are a bit more challenging. This is why the podcast has been dark for a few weeks, but I promise it will be back eventually. The good news is that I found an awesome therapist here in town and have been so thankful for her guidance during this time. (I’ve been looking for a good one since we moved back and somehow the stars aligned in the past couple of weeks.)

She recommended this book to me and I can’t wait to start reading it:

Resilience

(She said that going to NYC with Liv the day after the funeral was a great example of resilience. I felt the same way; it was very healing and was a nice bit of joy amidst the sadder moments.) 

On the plane back to Tucson, I started Little Fires Everywhere and was instantly intrigued by the characters. It’s a fast read, too. I’m not sure how it ends (no spoilers lol) but so far, I definitely recommend it. 

Before I jump into this week’s Friday Faves, I wanted to say CONGRATS to the winner of the Beautycounter giveaway! The lucky winner is Rachel (comment #97) who said, “I’m looking forward to spending quality time with family and friends. <3” I emailed Rachel last night so I can get the goodies sent out this weekend. Stay tuned for my annual Favorite Things giveaway in the next couple of weeks! I’ll also have holiday gift guides starting on Monday.

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Speaking of Beautycounter, exciting news: CLEAN Friday starts today!

Get 15% off site wide and FREE shipping on orders over $50. Shop it up here! (There are minimal exclusions and holiday sets are included in the promo.)
This is also the perfect time to join Band of Beauty if you haven’t already. It’s our VIP program and gets you:

A free gift (right now it’s a full Overnight Peel, valued at $63) if you spend over $50

Free shipping all year for orders over $100

and 10% back in product credit

It’s only $29 to sign up for the year!

If you’re looking for recommendations for the sale, here are my top picks:

Overnight Peel

Color Intense Lipstick

Countertime Supreme Cream

Jellies

Counter+ Skincare Faves

More top picks from the holiday collection here. If you need help with recommendations, please let me know! gina@fitnessista.com

HighRes 37

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! Here’s where I share some of my favorite things from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below!

Good eats:

Sharing some Thanksgiving recipe ideas if you’re planning for next week!

Thanksgiving recipes:

My brother’s famous turkey recipe

Quinoa stuffing with cranberries

A lightened up (but still delicious) version of sweet potato casserole

In case you want to make something green

My fave cranberry sauce

Pumpkin pie brownies

On the recipe radar:

Making these pumpkin pancakes for the girls

Savory sweet potato casserole

Squash salad with kale and roasted garlic dressing

Dark chocolate egg nog cookies

5M1B0893

Fitness:

Sharing some holiday travel workouts if you’re visiting fam this week:

Total body travel workout

Hotel room circuit workout

Total body barre workout video

300 rep workout

10 workouts you can do in 10 minutes

Also, you can use my link to get 21 days of Les Mills On Demand. Perfect if you’re traveling or catching quick at-home workouts.

Read, watch, listen:

I’m going to run a December Mindfulness Challenge to help with the stress of the holiday season. Stay tuned for next week’s Friday Faves for all of the details, and I’ll also email everything out. (Join my newsletter here.)

Burning questions: Thanksgiving edition 

Holiday 2019 Movie Preview

Happy Friday, friends!

xo

Gina

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Conditioning Workout

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Upper Body Workout

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John Lost 180 Pounds After Fearing a Heart Attack at 20 Years Old

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Back in the fitness game after a major surgery

In this post, I’m sharing my journey back into the fitness game after getting my breast implants removed and my diastasis recti repaired through a full tummy tuck. My surgery details are all here! A special thanks to my friends at embrace® Scar Therapy for sponsoring this post. I share more below, but they had a huge impact on my scar healing and I’m so thankful for their awesome products. They’re now available at Walgreens, too!

When I was first cleared to work out again following my breast explant and tummy tuck, I couldn’t imagine going back to doing the things I used to do. I walked around the block, completely struggling the entire time, and shuffled back home. The thoughts of Orangetheory all out sprints, spin classes, yoga (!! the twisting!!) and planks seemed lightyears away. I’m the type of person who lives in the moment, and foresight is not one of my virtues. Bless my sweet husband and his ability to see the future because he reminded me that I’d gradually make my way back, and he was convinced by two years post-op I’d be completely back in the fitness game.

It’s been 2 1/2 years since my surgery (where does time go?!) and not only am I back, but I’m doing things I couldn’t do pre-surgery. Having my core put back together has positively impacted my strength and function. I feel stronger than ever and it’s exciting to have the motivation and energy to do the workouts I love so much. My chest is no longer aching and burning and it’s amazing what that’s done for my workout mojo and general mood + productivity.

In this post, I thought I’d share some more about making my way back into the fitness game, how I progressed strategically, and some of the things that have helped my healing.

Things that helped my healing:

Compression. My plastic surgeon had me in compression for about 6 weeks post-op. Initially, he had me in a full belly wrap (that felt AWESOME) and from there, I transitioned to Spanx. After a while, he recommended ditching the compression entirely so I could start to feel my core working again. I still wore the Spanx for workouts for a while, and this helped with swelling and made me feel supported during the exercises.

Fueling myself appropriately. I was really dialed in to my nutrition following surgery because I knew that nutrient-dense foods would enable my body to heal. I drank this smoothie every day, and focused on fresh fruits, veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats, and smart carbs. 

Arnica for swelling. Arnica was so soothing on my stomach and helped with bruising. I used the gel, but a lot of people also use and love the oral tablets.

Embrace for scarring. I sing the praises of Embrace Scar Therapy whenever any of my friends talk about scars or surgical procedures. This was a game-changer for me and I know it helped reduce the thickness and color of my scar. They’re now available at Walgreens too, so you can see the products in real life before purchasing. (Plus, which it’s super convenient if you want them ASAP!)

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Just head over to the first aid section, and there they are!

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You can read more about my experience with Embrace here and here. <3

I still have a little bit of a dog ear on my left side from the original surgery. This can happen if the length of your scar is too short; it can get a little puffy at the end. It’s not super noticeable, but I went to a local plastic surgeon to hear his thoughts on fixing it. (He said it’s an easy fix, but I’m going to wait until next year.) Basically they lengthen my scar an inch or so and it will lay completely flat. Anyway, when I went to see him, he was SHOCKED at the appearance of my scar. He said I healed extremely well and thought my scar looked amazing. I credit that to my plastic surgeon’s fantastic work and Embrace. If/when I get the dog ear fixed, I’ll definitely use Embrace again so I get the same amazing results.

Here’s a little look at the evolution of my scar: 

(please excuse my current paleness but I didn’t want to edit the pic in any way)

Embrace before and after

If you’d like to check out Embrace, you see the full collection online or head into Walgreen’s. I’d definitely keep it in mind if you or any family/friends have upcoming surgical procedures. Embrace also has a product called Minimize that is used to treat old scars!

You can use the Embrace products 24/7, while you shower and work out. They’re completely water resistant and I didn’t even notice the dressings while I was using them. I thought I’d share a little bit about how my workouts progressed over time and how I built back my foundation.

Here’s a little bit about how my workouts progressed in intensity as I healed:

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Ab workouts after tummy tuck

I was TERRIFIED to do ab workouts after my surgery. I pictured myself doing a situp and completely ripping apart the stitches that my surgeon had so fastidiously completed. (For the record, it takes a lot of trauma to undo your muscle repair but it is possible.) So, I avoided a lot of “traditional” ab exercises. Instead, I did a lot of the Diastasis Recti friendly exercises I’d learned through physical therapy. 

The good news is that 8 months of consistent physical therapy really helped me to train my core properly. I knew how to stabilize my muscles, reduce downward pressure on my pelvic floor, and avoid creating extra intra-abdominal pressure. This is critical because some people get abdominoplasty surgeries only to recreate the problems they had in the first place. With poor core stabilization and control, it’s possible to create a bulge and separation again from too much pressure and improper form. This is why I think it’s critical to see a women’s physical therapist after you give birth, even if you don’t think you have abdominal separation. 

With my new tools in mind, I’ve been able to make my way back to sit-ups and crunches where they make sense. I don’t think they’re very functional exercises so sometimes I’ll skip them, but often do almost the whole core series in barre classes. Leg lowers and lifts still feel like way too much pressure, so I don’t go all the way down; more like 45 degrees then back up.

For ab exercises, I started off with DR-friendly exercises and worked my way up once I felt more comfortable. During ANY ab exercises, I make sure I’m breathing the entire time and that my core is stabilized; it’s pulled in instead of pushing out on the exertion of the movement.

Here’s how I progressed:

DR-friendly exercises

– Modified planks

– Head down for supine ab work

– Head lifted, keeping abs pulled up and in

– Gradually worked back to twisting

– Full planks (dropping to my knees when I start to feel too much pressure)

– Leg lowers and lift by modifying the angle of my legs (I’ll use bent legs or won’t go all the way down)

– Crunches (keeping my core pulled in and exhale on the way up)

– Full sit-ups (I use more momentum so it’s not all in my core and be sure to exhale on the way up, keeping my abs pulled in)

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Cardio after abdominoplasty

Cardio was very much the same way. Thankfully I was able to do Peloton classes on the spin bike, but it took about 6 months until I felt ok jogging/running. I started off lifting weights 2x a week and walking on the treadmill. Eventually I could add in jogging intervals which turned into sprints over time. I highly recommend ditching the impact and walking until you feel more comfortable and less *tight.*

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Now, my routine looks something like this:

Sunday: Orangetheory or GRIT

Monday: Peloton or BODY ATTACK

Tuesday: Barre or legs at the gym

Wednesday: Peloton or OFF

Thursday: CrossFit or total body strength at the gym

Friday: OFF

Saturday: Hot yoga

I’m thankful that I’ve healed so well from the surgery. Weeks will go by that I forget I had it at all, and even though it was a long recovery, I’d do it again in a second.

Thanks so much for reading today and hope you enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

xo

Gina

Thanks again to embrace® Scar Therapy for sponsoring this post. They just launched their Black Friday deal: shop online and save up 40% off their 60-day kits (what I used) or 25% off everything else! Walgreen’s currently has some $3 and $5 off coupons, too. I hope you love them as much as I do.

Photos by Kristi Harris

The post Back in the fitness game after a major surgery appeared first on The Fitnessista.



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