AUTO-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT

Brianna Battles  00:01

Welcome to the Practice Brave podcast. I am the host Brianna Battles, founder of pregnancy and postpartum athleticism, and CEO of Everyday Battles. I’m a career strength and conditioning coach, entrepreneur, mom of two wild little boys and a lifelong athlete. I believe that athleticism does not end when motherhood begins, and this podcast is dedicated to coaching you by providing meaningful conversations, insights and interview topics related to fitness, mindset, parenting and of course, all the nuances of pregnancy and postpartum, from expert interviews to engaging conversations and reflections. This podcast is your trustworthy, relatable resource for learning how to practice brave through every season in your life. Hey everyone, welcome back to the practice brave podcast today, I’m here with Mary destasio, formerly known as Mary Peck, and I’m really excited to have her on the podcast because I met her couple weeks ago at the pregnancy and post part of athleticism coaching certification that we hosted in San Diego, and she just had so much great insight and experience to share, both as a coach, as an athlete, as a mom and as a nurse, even. And it was just really interesting to talk with her, and I thought her perspective on a variety of things related to Olympic weightlifting coaching, pregnancy, postpartum is really valuable. And Mary, I’m excited to have you here.

Mary DiStasio  01:28

Yeah. Thank you for having me absolutely so

Brianna Battles  01:31

give us a little bit of your your background as an athlete, coach, etc.

Mary DiStasio  01:35

Yeah. So I was a gymnast for many, many years, probably, I think it was 18 years I did it through college at the division one level, and then right before my senior year in gymnastics, I kind of dabbled in Olympic weightlifting, finished out my gymnastics career, had some schooling left over, and just kind of went full send into Olympic weightlifting, competed in that got decent at it, I guess, fairly quick, and decided to pursue that, and so I went on and competed for team USA and Olympic weightlifting. I was at the 2016 Olympic trials. Competed internationally for them at like the Pan Am level, the university world. And it was a lot of fun. It really was, I guess, an older athlete. You know, I don’t know if that’s really now we have athletes, obviously, in their four days, competing in the Olympics. But back then, like I considered myself to be an older athlete, I always had that notion of, like you peak at, you know, 30 women peak at 3034, so I ended up feeling pressured by just society in general, also maybe a little bit burnt out by sports. So I retired in 2019 and then we started having kids in 2022, so really, I got into coaching pregnant and postpartum athletes, mainly just for, like, my own knowledge. I got a certification and Girls Gone strong because I was an athlete. I was still Olympic weightlifting. I was cycling. I was working out two times a week. I was doing CrossFit, you know, all the athlete things, trying to find my identity in a in a world without being an athlete. And I still wanted to continue that, and I needed to learn about it. Previously, I’ve been coaching in the gym for many, many years, both in like Gen pop Olympic weightlifting since 2015 so have a lot of experience with that, but transitioned to pregnant and postpartum more so when I got pregnant, and then during pregnancy was fine, I thought I was doing all the things fine, and then postpartum was just probably the biggest struggle. And that’s when I really realized there was a huge gap in just like information and just services provided for not only athletes, but just Gen general population as well, these moms just trying to figure out, like, how to get back into exercise, how not to rush back into it. What’s good versus bad? Is it even okay? You know, like, just all the things and so really, just guiding them through that journey. Because, as someone so knowledgeable in the in the strength training world, I struggled with it, and then just having, I mean that, like athlete mentality, I feel like thinking back to it. I get so emotional about that journey, just because it was so challenging, you know, so used to being on my own, doing my own things, not having many limitations, pushing through pain all the time, and then just realizing, like, whoa, wham, like, smack in the face, like, here’s a kid I have to take care of my body hurts so bad I can’t get into the gym. Like, I don’t, like I want to. So just really branched off and got more certifications. I got certified by you probably a year after I started coaching pregnant, and postpartum moms, and I’m very thankful for your certification. I’m just gonna say, just because it’s more related to what I do, more related to, like the athlete mom, so very applicable to the clientele that I coach and to my own life. And so, yeah, I think that’s kind of got it. And then I’m. A nurse as well, registered nurse in women’s health. So I do that as well.

Brianna Battles  05:05

Clearly, a very high achieving woman. And that’s been the story of your whole life with gymnastics, into competing with USA weightlifting and doing that. So how old were you when you retired from that? You mentioned that 29 you’re 29 nine and so, like, we know that, like, I guess, with perspective, like, Oh, that’s not that old, but you’re right. Like, we’ve seen a huge cultural shift, I’d say, even within the last 10 years, around women competing at older ish ages and still performing really well. And yeah, I think, I think it’s really humbling when you have this really, like, expansive athletic background, you know you’re a nurse, you’ve been coaching a long time, and oftentimes it’s not until we get rocked by our own experience you mentioned postpartum that it really forces You to reassess everything, right? Like your whole history as an athlete, and how that’s tying into this current season of life. And that is really challenging, like you said, whether it’s our athlete population or Gen pop, it really forces you to look at what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and is it serving me, or is it hurting me? And that’s so hard to navigate. Oh yeah, absolutely.

Mary DiStasio  06:21

And you say all the time too, like, at like, moms don’t necessarily recognize that until their second postpartum pregnant journey, and so I kind of recognize that. But, I mean, I was very much trying to get back to my pre pregnancy routine early on, even though I knew how to, you know, the things that I probably should do to rehab my body and retrain and all that type of stuff. But, like, I think the the mentality of it was was more challenging sometimes than the physical. I mean, I was pretty wrecked physically, too, but I didn’t really gain that insight until the second time around. You know, like, now I’m a year postpartum.

Brianna Battles  06:58

Yeah, it’s so easy to think that you are and not just you, like all of us, like that, we’re the exception. Like, well, yeah, like that applies to most people, but not me. Like, I have too much of an education, or I really understand my body, and I don’t this doesn’t apply to me, until you realize it does, actually does, no matter like little fit you are, no matter what your background is, it’s all transferable, and it’s all relevant.

Mary DiStasio  07:26

I know and you want to help people before they get to that point. Sometimes it’s like, you can’t you don’t know it until you’re you’re in it

Brianna Battles  07:35

totally and the even, like, as a coach, I think it’s easy to not really understand a lot of that, until you become that person yourself, and you gain that perspective, and then it just opens up like, yeah, oh my gosh, this population, even though it’s not a special population, it has still been really kind of overlooked in our coaching background and education, our certifications, all of that, even, I think in the Nursing world, it’s not all very transferable to the realities of what women experience with their bodies, especially if they have fitness goals and interests. Yeah, absolutely. So talk to me about what your pregnancies were like and then postpartum like, what was challenging, what went well, all of that.

Mary DiStasio  08:18

Yeah. So I was very fortunate to have pretty easy pregnancies both times, I think probably better the second time around, I just had more knowledge about how to train, what things to focus on, when to kind of take a step back and not let the athlete mentality over, you know, you know over the you know when, when to step back and rest and stuff, and Not like feel guilty about it. Really, all I had was like pubic symphysis dysfunction, which I knew how to manage. It was so much better the second time around birth was, was good, too. I think the first and both vaginally, fairly easy the first time, I don’t know, I think probably 12 hours of labor, which I feel like is, you know, shorter than most people’s first time, but I mean, I still had almost a second degree tear, which is minimal compared to a lot of people, but I don’t know, it just did not expect what I was going to feel like afterwards. And so once everything wore off and I got home, I remember it just being like a struggle getting out of bed and just like that heaviness and being an athlete and someone who’s like, so in tune with their body, that was so, like, it was a huge struggle of mine, like just being like, in this out of body world, and then looking at myself in the mirror too. Because we have these, you know, we always have achieved a leaner state and more fit state. And I’ve come from sports that you’ve had to be smaller gymnastics and then Olympic weightlifting, where you’re cutting weight, and so just seeing a body that I didn’t even recognize, and having all of that insecurity was a lot to handle, and then just being in so much pain. Like, tailbone pain that I couldn’t even sit on a chair, or, like, sit in the bed and feed my baby. And so just having to rehab that and get back into lifting, and not really knowing what that looked like, or what it would look like, kind of realizing, like, Okay, this is my reality. So second time was better, but, um, still struggle. I think, you know, I had a better mindset about it. I was okay with being slow, and I took in like, the slowness, I guess so to say, you know, I leaned on those cat naps more and appreciated that, whereas the first time it was like I was trying so hard to get my daughter to nap at a bassinet so that I could run to the gym in my garage, I was already dressed in my gym clothes, trying to put her down for a nap, putting her in the bassinet, running into the gym to do whatever I could, and then getting interrupted 10 minutes later. And it just caused a lot of like rage, anxiety and all of the things, and I just did not like the person that I was early, pardon with my first so learned a lot from that. Did a lot better with it second time around. But still, I mean, I’m still struggling with back pain. It kind of popped up a little bit later, around four or five months. So I think postpartum has been more challenging for me than pregnancy. And yeah, yeah,

Brianna Battles  11:17

I think there’s so much attention around pregnancy, and people really kind of hyper fixate on it that like, oh, what exercise modifications do I do? What do I need for this? What do I need to do for that? But I tell everyone like, it’s postpartum, that you are more vulnerable, and it’s not that you are still like this fragile person, but I feel like we’re actually a lot more resilient during pregnancy and postpartum, you are recovering from a significant physiological process. Even if birth was relatively straightforward, there’s still a lot going on, and we are just naturally at a deficit in terms of, like, our mental health, our sleep, our body is healing, tissues are remodeling like we are under operating. Even if you’re really athletic and have a solid baseline of fitness. Yeah, there’s still a lot of variables that like influence how we feel, what we look like, what we do, what we’re not able to do at this point in time. But I think there’s such a cultural expectation, especially in the athlete community, to get back to training, and then you see other people, and then you have the comparisons of, well, that person was doing this at hover week, many weeks or months postpartum, and you see new thing, like new information come out, you’re like, Well, gosh, maybe I should be doing that. And it just adds so much more challenge to what’s already a challenging season for many female athletes. Yeah, and the

Mary DiStasio  12:39

online space is challenging too. I think that’s one thing, and even myself. I mean, I’m all over social media. I, you know, I have to be for my business and so and but there are times like I have to either unfollow people, not because I don’t like them, not because I don’t, I don’t support their journey. But it gets in my head, you know, and you start that comparison game, and that’s just such a big thing, is you cannot compare to other people and their journeys. Everyone’s journey is so different, right? Everyone has different birth experiences. Everyone has different support systems. Like, there’s so much that goes into it. It’s unfortunate that there’s, like, more support in pregnancy than there is postpartum. Still to this day, it’s definitely gotten better. But even just like in that online space too, like being a coach in the online space. I’m very like, and I’m sure you understand too, like, sometimes the verbiage is so hard, it’s like, I’m trying to tread so lightly because I want to support these mom and moms, and I want to give them the help that they deserve. But then it’s also like, I don’t want to, I guess, get them in their own heads, essentially, of like, Am I doing this right, or because I didn’t do any type of movement, in fact, my first eight weeks? Does that mean I’m behind? Should I have dealt with because Mary has this program, or Mary said that you should be doing this? And it’s, it’s such a challenge.

Brianna Battles  13:56

It’s such a challenge. Yeah, it is incredibly hard. And, like, it seems like no matter what you say or do, like, there, there is always somebody kind of committed to misunderstanding you or unintentional, like, application, right? You’re like, that’s not what I was saying. That’s how I was interpreted. And like, we can’t control all those things. And then even just comparison to what other people are saying. And it is, it’s a really hard space to navigate online because there’s a lot more attention, there’s more voices, there’s more information, there’s even more research. But like we talked about this past weekend, there is so much nuance to coaching, especially the athletic population, that is not well reflected in so much of what we see online like, oh yeah, people would look at you and say, okay, yeah, really high level athlete, really qualified coach, great pregnancy, straightforward birth experience. She should be back to doing X, Y and Z, very early postpartum with no complications. Like, that’s sort of the X. Expectation. And if we look at you as like a case study, that would be what you think. But that’s, again, it’s not really reflective of the reality of the majority of female athletes and even the ones that we see sharing online. They have their own struggles. It’s just not easy to talk about your prolapse or your pelvic pain, or, you know, all of the esthetic changes that aren’t shown because

Mary DiStasio  15:23

you feel like you’ve failed. Yeah, it’s hard to when I try to be vulnerable on the internet, and hopefully I do a good job at it, but it’s really hard because I’m like, Well, if I have these issues, you know, I don’t. I don’t want people to think I have these issues, because then how am I going to help them? But, you know, to the same, you know? Oh yeah, I know.

Brianna Battles  15:42

I’ve sat in that for many years, and it’s hard because, yeah, you know, you’re, you don’t want people necessarily to compare to you, but you’re, like, speaking from the place of, you’re a real human. You’re a real coach. There are so many variables that we cannot control, and we have to. We are all working with the cards we’ve been dealt and trying to learn. And I think as coaches, that’s what makes it I guess even more impactful is that we can share the perspective that we personally have, that none of us are exempt, that we can still struggle. We can support those who kind of are the exception, while supporting the majority of people who do need more support through pregnancy, through postpartum, with their new body, with their mental health, with the reevaluating the role fitness plays in their life now. And I think it’s actually, I know your kids are younger than mine, but it’s gotten easier on this side of things now that my kids are a little bit older, because now I’m saying hey, like I’m on the other side of those seasons, and it feels good here, like it feels good because you you have more consistency, you have more routine, you’re sleeping more you’re not needed as much, and obviously you’re still very needed and needed differently, but your capacity changes. And I think when we talk about athletes and coaching, so much is related to mental capacity, physical capacity, emotional capacity, and it is hard when you’re in the early eras of motherhood and pregnancies and postpartum, because you’re never at a really good baseline until they’re a bit older.

Mary DiStasio  17:11

Yeah. And it’s funny that you say that because I actually, like, I have your voice or like, your posts in my head, of like, I’m on the other side. It does get easier. It does get better. Like, not that I want to be there right now. Yeah. Now, but, um, it is, you know, it’s such a challenge because you compare to, like, your old self and things that you used to be able to lift, and just things that I can’t do right now. You know, just because one, like, my time is so limited, I’m not always getting the best sleep, and so it’s hard. And, yeah, I think, you know, it is so important to share, and I’ve realized, like, the more vulnerable I’ve gotten on the internet, that it’s just been so appreciated by others, because others have been like, wow, I’m dealing with this too. Like, I’m not broken. There are not these hard and fast rules that I have to meet postpartum. Everyone’s journey is so different. Thank you for sharing kind of thing, you know,

Brianna Battles  17:59

yeah, and I think it’s hard to normalize like struggle postpartum without being this buzz kill. But at the same time, if we’re only highlighting like, look how incredible this mom is. And if you you know whatever can do this by six weeks postpartum, or should be able to return to whatever eight weeks postpartum. Now, especially as for athletes, like that is the bar, and they’re going to compare themselves to that, and so you’re either comparing to a lot of the exceptions, or you feel like it’s your buzz kill, and that’s discouraging. And so to navigate that messy middle of again, where most people sit is that’s the challenging part, I think, in the online space, as coaches and as women that have been there, right?

Mary DiStasio  18:41

And just not pressuring these moms that they have to do this or, you know, be here at a certain point. And so I think it’s a really important message of, like, we have these resources, resources for you. There is importance to, like, rehabbing your body and building slowly and progressing and gaining strength and all that type of stuff. But if you’re not mentally ready for it. That’s okay,

Brianna Battles  19:01

yeah, yeah. And, you know, like, I think it’s interesting because, because of your Olympic weightlifting background, and even, like, your you know, background in gymnastics, we know from those two perspectives alone, what goes into peaking right when you are like, there is so much that happens prior to performing your best. There is so much that happens with the limbic weight lift. Weight lifting for hitting those numbers that have nothing to do really with the load, but has everything to do with like timing or like capacity, or how long you spent training at a certain threshold before you’re pushing it like the it is so incredibly calculated in both of those sports. I’m using those as examples, because that’s your background here. So I think from like an athletic perspective, and from a coaching perspective, we acknowledge that that you’re not just suddenly going to be able to do a certain move in gymnastics, or you’re not just suddenly going to be able to hit a certain load right in your snatch when you’re clean and jerk, that we’re breaking things down. We’re working small components. Of these Olympic lifts, not just the entire movement pattern, yeah, and you’re doing that for weeks and months on end. Yeah, there are so many parallels to pregnancy and postpartum, specifically postpartum, but we’ve absolutely overlooked basic progressive overload in that particular season, because so many people are wanting to maintain during pregnancy and then get back to where they were pretty much immediately postpartum, like, baby’s out, okay? Like, now I’m going to have these expectations to perform and have this skill set and this capacity, but again, we’re operating at a deficit, and that’s not how any other performance goal works, right?

Mary DiStasio  20:43

I think kind of similar topic the moms that I love working with all of the moms that come into my world, but my favorite is when they either come to me when they’re, like, trying to conceive, or, like, freshly pregnant, like four weeks, because I feel like I can really instill that mindset in them, of, like, like, it all starts now, like, you prepare now. I have a lot of people are like, I’m gonna work with you postpartum. Like, okay, that’s fine. But like, no work with me right now. Like, is there so much we have to work on? You know? That’s going to prepare you for postpartum, like, not only physically, but like, for that mental aspect too. And I have one mom in mind. She’s an Olympic weightlifter. She actually competed at the USA masters Nationals at 16 weeks pregnant, did 95% of her best. Like, it was really exciting, but, you know, we, like, went about it in a way of, like, Okay, we need to, you know, be cautious. And I’m not really cautious, but like, be mindful in some areas. You know, if you feel good, let’s these are the things you know. Like, learn how to listen to your body, right? Everyone tells you how to everyone tells you how to listen to your body, but you don’t actually know what that means. And so with her, I worked a lot on, like, the mental side of things too, because as she was approaching her third trimester, she’s like, well, I feel like I really should What did she say? She was like, I think I should be I feel like I need to do this because I don’t have long before the baby comes. Like, those weren’t her exact words, but she felt this pressure of, like, getting all of these workouts in because she knew postpartum was probably gonna be more challenging. And I was like, No, that’s not the mindset that we want to have. I forget exactly what I said to her, but basically just coaching her and teaching her, like, slow is okay. You are preparing yourself right now for that slowness. So if you need to back off of a workout and maybe just drop it down to dumbbells, or just go and maybe hop on the bike for 20 minutes. That doesn’t make you any less of an athlete than you are right now. It doesn’t. It’s going to make you a better athlete long term, and when you’re postpartum, it’s going to make you a better athlete and better prepared to return back to Olympic weightlifting when you want to. So anyway, it’s just kind of like popped up in my head. It’s, it’s so important to address the mental component of

Brianna Battles  22:44

pregnant with postpartum. That’s so true, like, kind of treating that bird trimester as not just an effort to maintain but kind of gradually de load aspects of your training. Yeah, I find with the majority of people I work with, like that is the secret to having an improved postpartum process. And it’s, it is not what a lot of athletes want to hear, and it is certainly not intuitive, because you’re like, I want to do the most for as long as possible. Because, yes, again, postpartum, I know I’m not going to be working out for a while, or I know it’s going to be different, or going to be this. And so they almost like try to front load a lot of like, their training and their fitness and capacity, but there’s so much value when, especially when they go there are professional athletes, I see this when they are willing, they understand process better than anybody, right? Like they really understand process. And so the ones that are almost taking this season as an opportunity to step back from how they typically train in their sport, or just like, the intensity, the loads of volume, they end up having such a faster postpartum process. Oh yeah, you know, because they’re like, Oh, my body finally had an opportunity to, like, do less and to be less stressed out, and the less like

Mary DiStasio  23:55

challenge, right? Like they’re less burnt out mentally, too.

Brianna Battles  23:59

That’s a huge part of it. And whether it’s, we’re talking about professional athletes or just all of us who are, like, you know, the washed up d1 or whatever, like, you know, where it’s like, we still really value our fitness and athleticism, but it’s not because we’re trying to compete or perform at a certain level. That mindset is still there, like, you cannot erase that part of you. And so it’s really hard to to reassess your relationship with training and what it looks like, and being okay with not doing the most and not training like you would if you were in season or if you were training for a competition or something, it’s very hard to shift out of that mode.

Mary DiStasio  24:37

Oh yeah. I mean, I’m, let’s see, I don’t know how many years, seven years removed. What is that? 2019 to 2016 being a little longer removed from, like, competitive athletics, and I will say, like, my mindsets probably gotten even a little bit better. But being postpartum after my first I was actually working with Christy, and she’s like, well, what, like, what are your goals? And I was like, Well, I think I want to get back into Olympic lifting and competing again, you know. And. Really did so I got pregnant, but, like, I don’t know if that’s really what I wanted, but it’s, like, what I was so used to, and it’s, it’s, I will say, like, it kind of sucks being in that, like, like that, like, you’re constantly searching for something, you know, like you, it’s hard, and I, and I’m, I’m better at it now, because now that I’m a mom of two, I I think I even recognize that, like, my role as a mom is super important, and I love it even not that I didn’t love it, but like, I appreciate it and love it even more than the first time around. And so I have less of those, like, athlete thoughts of like, okay, well, what am I going to get back to like, but also like, I still like, want that. And so I think it makes postpartum even more challenging. Some people are pretty dead set on returning back to their sport. But also, I feel like there’s a lot of moms just like, living in that Limbo almost, of like, This is who I was, and I loved it, and I succeeded at it, and I had so much joy doing it, and I have so much joy being a mom. But like, oh, there’s like, still little something missing. And when you can’t push yourself the way you want to in the gym, I mean, this is actually, like, where I’m at right now, like, I still can’t push myself in the gym, like, the way I want to. And it sucks. Yeah, it sucks. And it’s just like, so yeah, it’s still just, like, balancing both worlds, and it’s such a challenge.

Brianna Battles  26:21

So it is because you’re in the middle of this, like identity shift, and you’re not, like on one side fully. And we can say, yes, these things coexist, but I think it’s like the relationship we have with it too, where there’s like the athlete, you self that exists outside of motherhood, and you want to honor her and her potential and her like, what she’s experienced prior, and what you know is still kind of like in you, and still possible, but then also just staying present in the moment of saying, but like right now, my life is this, and if I want to do that, that means sacrificing somewhere, and that’s a really hard situation To sit in and not to sound like this old like Lady, but where you’re at right now, even in that identity limbo, is truly, really temporary. And then fast forward, not even that long from now, you’re going to be in a position where you’re not feeling like you’re having to choose, because just like your your demands as a mom change and shift even just a little bit, and you realize, okay, wait, I didn’t get worse, even if I had time away from training how I used to now. I’m smarter, I understand my body better, I’m more efficient with my training. And I think that’s why we see like and it’s almost like okay to have a pause where you’re not like done, but it’s just not the intensity, or, you know, the frequency that maybe you were training before. Yeah, it’s

Mary DiStasio  27:47

that all or nothing mindset, you know. And it still creeps in, you know, I’ve definitely gotten better about it in the athletes that I work with, like, I definitely coach them up on that all or nothing mindset, because you still have that. It’s like, well, if I can get my whole work job in, then I might as well just wash the entire thing. It doesn’t, it doesn’t, you know, mean anything, if I can get it all in and it’s like, no, actually, like, protecting your routine, getting in and moving for 20 minutes, it’s still gonna benefit you long term. And if you can trust that process, and it’ll always ebb and flow, I mean, you’ll have times where you really trust that process, and you’re like, Okay, you’re right. Like, I only have to work out three times, not have to. But like, instead of my hour and a half sessions, like, 330 minute sessions are okay, and I’m still seeing progress in my esthetic goals and also my strength goals and yes, like, maybe some things that were going to be a little bit slower naturally, just because this is a season of life we’re in. But I think it’s really a beautiful thing when you can trust that process of letting that like all or nothing

Brianna Battles  28:48

mentality go is and it’s hard because, like, we know how to leverage that athlete brain, you know. And if you look, you needed to go hard and you needed to perform like you could, push yourself like if you did a block like you could but it’s also looking at, well, at what cost is that taken away from other responsibilities I have? Is that taking is that putting me in a position where I know my body’s actually not ready for that because it’s still recovering or managing something? So again, it’s this conversation where we have to balance like, what is my lifestyle and athletic readiness. It’s not one or the other. It has to be both. And when it is one or the other, that’s when we see a lot of people kind of experience mental struggles or physical setbacks, and that’s like the hard part of working with this population, is everyone is on their own journey that looks different those decisions, but having the support from a coach like you who just understands the nuances of this is where you’re at now. And it doesn’t mean that you won’t be where you want to be. It’s just that process of getting there is going to be different than it was prior to becoming a mother.

Mary DiStasio  29:52

Yeah, absolutely. And then when they can trust that,

Brianna Battles  29:55

it’s an awesome thing. It is, you know, it becomes such a rewarding process to support women through these. Reasons, because it is so different than other athletic comebacks or processes. Like, there’s so many variables that influence how they perform, how they feel and just like, I guess the the actual experience right, whereas before it’s all pretty straightforward, eat this pretty consistently. You’re cutting so we’re going to be like, dialed in here, or this is like, what your like program looks like. This is when we’re pushing this is when we’re, you know, and now when you’re coaching moms, it is. It’s a big shift in really looking at that whole person, yeah. So what does your coaching look like, you know, if you’ve mentioned working with, you know, some high level athletes, but also Gen pop. So what does it actually look like for you?

Mary DiStasio  30:45

Yeah, so naturally, I attract a lot of, like, higher level athletes, athletes in Olympic weightlifting or even cross fainting, just really wanting to, because they want to stick with those sports, right? And it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think I always, I kind of approach it, of like, how can we train smart and how can I kind of educate you in a way where you, like, understand your own risk tolerance, because that’s going to vary per person. I did not want to train the Olympic lifts in pregnancy because I felt like it was uncomfortable for my body. I didn’t like it, but it doesn’t mean that client, why can’t just because I didn’t, you know. And so it’s really just educating them on it. And how can we like, by using all of the principles that you teach in your your training, like, how can we go, go about it in a in a safer manner, so that they can still have that athletic identity train the way they want to push, the way they want to, but then also educating them like what to look out for. So if we need to take a take a step back when maybe we need to modify. So it’s really just not like I tell people like, you don’t have to give up the training that you love. We just have to go about it in a smart way. So yeah, I train them. A lot of those moms work with me on the one, on one level, just because there’s a lot of customization with that, I typically recommend that. I do have a group coaching program. I do have some high level athletes that come in there as well, but they more so don’t want that customization. So it’s more of just like a three day a week strength training program. They have access to me Monday through Friday, live coaching, for live coaching, but just a little bit different. And then I do have a self study course for like that early postpartum period that people can purchase as well.

Brianna Battles  32:29

Yeah, I love that. So I want to, I want to hear more about, as an Olympic weightlifter, you were pregnant and you mentioned that it just wasn’t really comfortable for you. So what did you feel? Because I think a lot of people assume if you were doing it before, it’s fine to keep doing it. You should keep doing like, that kind of train of thought. I think especially in the like lifting based community, power lifting, Olympic lifting, CrossFit, etc. Can you say more about what your body felt during pregnancy?

Mary DiStasio  32:58

Yeah, I think some of it was so this would have been back in like, 2021 ish, 2022 so I actually, when I retired, I actually kind of went back to Olympic lifting and competed a little bit. So I was signed up to compete at American open series one at Arnold’s. Found out I was pregnant, trained to compete at six weeks pregnant. You’re hardly pregnant at that point. But like, still, it was scary. I was like, do I wear a belt? Like, you know, I feel like, tired and fatigued, and I felt fine, and actually did really well at that competition. But, um, afterwards, I think I more so just approached it like, almost, I think there was a little bit of fear, because I think back then it was less of like, you didn’t really see a ton of pregnant moms competing in that, and still you don’t. But I think some of it was like, Okay, well, maybe I should just more so focus on, like, slow and controlled. A lot of it was just like, what I could commit to, too, is working full time as a nurse. And so I did not really I had like, some, like, round ligament pain. And it’s not that anything was really bad. It’s just I didn’t really like the quick movements for my body. I just felt better doing like, more slow and controlled movements. And so I decided, like, you know what, I’m just gonna temporarily, like, hang up my shoes for Olympic weightlifting. Because I didn’t, because I liked slower movements. I liked the way it felt on my body. I also didn’t know whether, like, what I could do, you know, and so I didn’t push it too much past the six weeks. And then also, just like, time, capacity was a big thing, too. I was it was only working three days a week as a nurse, but still, like, that’s three less days of training. I only had four days of, like, really, training. So, I mean, I guess I should back up a little bit I did do I did CrossFit too. So I was waking up and doing CrossFit before my 7am shift, you know, like 5am doing CrossFit stuff in there, in those workouts, Olympic stuff in Olympic weightlifting in those workouts. But I I really. Saw the value in just slow and controlled movements, like keeping my body as strong as possible. To me, I’ve always, I’ve I still even have that mindset now, like even when the Olympic weightlifters come to me in coaching, we prioritize more of, like, strength training. Yeah, not a ton of the Olympic lifting is in there, because it’s kind of like, that’s what you want to do. It’s your identity. I’m going to kind of teach you how to do it safely, but the bulk of your program is, is, I recommend being more of, like, strength training based. So I saw the value in that in my first pregnancy. So that’s why I kind of let you know went that way. So it was a bit of a bit of both, just like, didn’t like the way my body felt, but also I recognize that, yeah, with my limited time, I should probably focus more on Yeah.

Brianna Battles  35:47

And I think just, and that’s so normal, like, especially as your body starts to change structurally, like the Olympic lips are, so they dial in such a specific pattern that you don’t feel as explosive, you don’t feel as strong and so dynamic. And then, of course, when you add the load to it, like it’s just hard the bar path, like things that worked so long to really dial in pregnancy changes that and again, like you said, it is everyone’s own journey with, like, what they’re comfortable with or not. But I think that’s like some of the challenging elements of that particular sport, not just talking about lifting your load in general, but just dying, how dynamic and explosive those movement patterns are when you’re in a season where your body just naturally isn’t as dynamic or explosive, because structurally, it is changing so much, right?

Mary DiStasio  36:32

And, you know, not for everybody, but you’re probably going to be able to continue lifting heavier in a squat than you are in a snack. So it’s kind of like thinking about maintain, you know, I mean, we do want to maintain. You always talk about deloading as well, but, like, I do want to maintain as much strength as possible, and so I’m going to be able to do that with a squat versus, yeah, snatching, you know, 65 pounds. You know what? I mean. Like, not to say that that’s going to decondition my body, but my body’s going to be way better off lifting heavier load as long as I can tolerate

Brianna Battles  37:04

it, you know, absolutely. And it gives you that foundation, and it’s all like, it’s all transferable. And that’s what I chatted when we’re talking with our maybe more sports specific athletes, say, like, all the strength training you’re doing, like the compound lips, the accessory movements, all of that is transferable. Yeah, so the movements and the sport that you want to do postpartum, this is kind of an opportunity to improve that, to improve your overall athletic baseline and foundation. So then, when you’re dialing in some of those nuances and specifics of you know, like training variables, like you want to be more explosive, you want to, like, have an improved range of motion, like, you will have better capacity for that because of the foundation you were finally able to pay attention to and your postpartum rebuild, you know, like, that’s, I think, the leverage point for so many,

Mary DiStasio  37:51

yeah, it’s so true. It’s so true because as an Olympic weightlifter, you’re so specified in that sport, and there are probably things missing in that training that when you come to me, I mean, I’ve had athletes come to me, and my style of Olympic weightlifting was a little bit different. My coach kind of coached me a little different than the majority, but very much heavy focus on like overhead press and bench press. So I had a very strong upper body compared to, I guess maybe a lot of people not very strong lower body, unfortunately. But if anyone listens to this in the Olympic weightlifting world, they’ll know me as Mary Peck who did low bar back squat, and everyone disapproved and all that stuff. But anyways, different story, different time, but they come to me, and we have, like, a focus on upper body, and then, like, they leave and they’re like, oh my gosh, I’ve never been so strong. You know what I mean? So it’s not like that specific example, but there’s so much that you probably have not neglected to work on, but you haven’t really been able to work on. And so it’s almost like that silver lining of like, you can, yeah, like, use pregnancy as a leverage to get better at other things, to get stronger at other things.

Brianna Battles  38:54

I see that a lot with the runners that I work with, who just, like, they love to run, and they really are competitive running. I’m like, I promise that you will recover postpartum so much more effectively if you prioritize strength training over running during pregnancy. And that you don’t always want to hear that it’s not to say, don’t run during pregnancy. That is not what I’m saying. For anyone who wants to pick apart my words, I know, I know, right? It’s like, if they want to keep running great, but also like, if the goal is to perform really well in running postpartum, having that Strength Training Foundation and prioritizing that during pregnancy helps so much, and not just runners like so again, so many of our sport specific athletes that you know have have postpartum goals, even if it’s not performance based, really competitive based goals, it’s Still just building that foundation so that they feel better and move better and are just able to, like, I don’t know, just be in their body.

Mary DiStasio  39:49

I know is, like, with CrossFit, it’s not that CrossFit is bad, but, like, I kind of look at that, like, if we don’t do them consistently in, like, a program consistently, in a sense, they are kind of random workouts that. Doing right, just to, kind of, like, bring your heart rate up, and, you know, enough to say you’re not getting stronger, you’re not really following a plan. But like, take a step back from that and do them because you enjoy them. But like, take a step back and really, just, like, buckle down and do some strength training, like, you know, very consistent routine, and you’re going to notice that, like, you are a better athlete for it when you return

Brianna Battles  40:21

back to it. I know we talked about this at the coach course, but just we can candidly share here that you know, not every crossfitter and not every like sport specific athlete wants to hear it, but there’s so much value in your basically, within that first year, ish postpartum, or at least for a season, a block of like, a couple of months, focusing on, like hypertrophy, and almost like a bodybuilding split type of program can be so incredibly beneficial for both their postpartum recovery and, like, bridging the gap into the performance that they want to do. But so many times we see them sign up for the race, get back under the barbell with Olympic weightlifting, going back across fit, like going back into the specifics, yeah, but when they can have a, at least a small era of doing some bro kind of training, I’m telling you, I feel like it just really makes such a difference.

Mary DiStasio  41:12

Oh, yeah. And I don’t always want to focus on the esthetics. I think it’s a okay to have esthetic goals, but I will say, like postpartum, after my first when I did kind of transition more to like that bodybuilding, like strength training, less Olympic lifting. I mean, I’m just gonna talk about my arms specifically. Like, I don’t feel like genetically, I was gifted very great arms, but like, I noticed such a difference when I was pregnant with my second or, like, even before, like how defined my arms looked, versus like how they used to look. And even in pregnancy, I felt like I kept it and then postpartum, I just felt like, more confident about my postpartum bot. I mean, because that is part of it, right? You look at your your your X amount of pounds heavier, like, insecure, but I don’t know, I was able to maintain, like, a bigger butt, and I was able to maintain, like, leaner arms and like, I don’t know it was just because I focused on more of like that bodybuilding, and I don’t know, specific strength training, less specialized training, that I felt even better about the way that I looked. Functioning is more important. You know, you want to function well, too. But as someone who wants to, you know, I have esthetic goals, it was just helpful in

Brianna Battles  42:20

that realm too. Oh, I totally agree. And I think that’s a really important thing to acknowledge that like you do, it’s like, how can we help women feel better from the inside out? And like, yeah, maybe that style of training is one of the ways that they could do that. And there’s and it also reinforces what you had mentioned about kind of like, more slow and controlled movement patterns and really being able to understand the body. And you know, like we joked about listening to your body, none of us really know how to do that, but it does force you to slow down enough where you’re not just grinding through pain or symptoms like you just have a lot more body awareness. And I think body awareness during these seasons is really, really critical for that, the entirety of the process.

Mary DiStasio  43:02

Yeah, and I do think that you’re just going to be more, like, connected to your body as well, like in your core and stuff, if you’re not rushing back into the higher intensity stuff right away, if you could really just, like, build that strong foundation. I mean, I hear it too, you know, I know I’ve worked with moms who worked with me for a little bit, and then they went back to Olympic lifting, and they’re still talking about kind of, talking about, kind of how their core feels weak, and not to say it would have maybe been any stronger if they worked with me. Who knows? But it’s just, you know, yeah,

Brianna Battles  43:31

very much a thing. And like, along similar lines, you know, in the Olympic lifting community and in the power lifting community, specifically, it is very common to see women pee on the platform right coming out of the bottom of our squat, or, like, when on the catch, and then that transition part. I want to hear your experience and your perspective on, I think the cultural and the normalization of that just kind of being a sign of, like lifting heavy, or that you’re just, that’s what happens when women reach a certain threshold of lifting what has been your perspective or your experience with that.

Mary DiStasio  44:07

So I have not ever been on the platform, but I’ve been around competitors who am have, and it’s one, it’s not really talked about. It’s just kind of like they’ll go up and just, they’ll pause the clock, and someone will just go up and clean it up real quick, and no one either really addresses it. But also, like, behind the scenes, I feel like it’s just like, bad ass. Like, wow, they’re freaking bad Alice at the effort. They’re freaking bad ass because they just peed on the platform, like they lifted a heavy ass weight. Like, how freaking awesome. And it’s like, back then, I didn’t really understand that there were things that we could do, you know, that was like, pre pregnancy, like pre understanding, pelvic floor and core. But, yeah, it’s now. It’s like, no, like, you we can, I think the message has shifted though, you know, I mean, I really think, like, I. It’s becoming less bad ass and more like, Oh, wow. Maybe I have something that I need to address and deal with. And even at my last CrossFit gym we lived in Virginia Beach, there was a sign that basically said, like, this is common but not normal. Or, this is right, did I say it right? Yeah, common but not normal, yeah. Well, I was like, Oh, wow, that’s awesome. Like, Penguin jump ropes is common but not normal. Like, that’s so cool. You have a poster up there, like

Brianna Battles  45:23

that, yeah, yeah, I’ve seen, I’m working with a weight lifter right now. And like, we’ve worked before, and she’s, like, I’ve always just kind of dealt with this. Like, I’ve worn a pad when I’ve competed always, like, always.

Mary DiStasio  45:36

And I don’t want to name drop anybody, but I think I know who it is, yeah, and

Brianna Battles  45:41

like, we, you know, become really good friends. But it’s beyond just, like, it’s not that her pelvic floor is weak, right? Like, we know that it is a sum of so many variables that when you have, especially in Olympic weightlifting, you have your movement pattern dialed, like, how you clean and jerk is how you clean and jerk. How you snatch is how you snatch. Like, it is very hard to make some of those micro adjustments in general, like take pelvic health out of this. Like, if you’re trying to work on improving your form, it’s hard because so much of your form is already embedded. So introducing, like, a new way of doing something is very challenging, especially in that particular sport. Yeah. And you know, with her, it’s a sum. It’s like a sum of things. And it’s not that her pelvic floor is weak. It’s not that now she’s perimenopausal, or that she’s had two babies. It’s like how she has always braced, she’s always pressured down in her pelvic floor, how she catches the barbell, like her pelvis is so tucked under she is so low and under there, and it’s like the pelvic floor has such a hard time absorbing that force and transitioning when you know she’s also already, like, set herself up with that pressuring down, so she’s adding the pelvic floor, and then the pelvic floor is not in a great position to absorb that force on top of that Valsalva and pressure, and so trying to undo some of those patterns

Mary DiStasio  47:05

is hard. Yeah, I’m like,

Brianna Battles  47:07

I’m not trying to, like, change how you clean and jerk, but, like, I’m talking about centimeters of an adjustment that can make a big difference, or just retraining your brain, of like, a higher and wider brace for your Valsalva, you know? And it’s really interesting with that particular population, even differently than power lifters and CrossFitters trying to help them with some of their pelvic health symptoms. Oh yeah, that very particular movement pattern, right?

Mary DiStasio  47:33

I have an athlete now who is actually her, like baseline was peeing before working with me before getting pregnant. So she’s actually the one that competed at masters nationals. It was, it was actually good we got because she saw pelvic floor, PT alongside my training, and nothing ever really got worse. So, like, her symptoms never got worse, if not, they, like, got maybe a little bit better, if not, stayed the same, which I feel like was pretty awesome, because there was so much more demand being placed on her body in pregnancy. So, yeah, it’s just really teaching her how to brace differently, how to redistribute that breath up and wide, I think made a big difference. And, you know, yeah, you do have to talk about pelvic health and everything. And a lot of us are high tension athletes, and so having tension in that area can absolutely contribute to that. But yeah, those techniques definitely helped.

Brianna Battles  48:19

Yeah, and it’s just interesting because it’s having to undo some of those habits, because it’s really rewiring the brain more so than it is, like a pelvic floor contraction here. That’s not like that. You can’t do that in in sports. You can’t do that especially in like, really, you know, explosive movement patterns that are dynamic, like that. But all of this to say is there can be extreme improvement in symptoms and experience and even athletic performance when you are able to implement some new strategies. And are you going to always be able to do it? You’re like Max loads? No. But when you can train that threshold up at lower percentages, lower loads with like this new set of circumstances over time, if we can be patient, threshold, oh my gosh, so much, right? Like, performance threshold, symptom threshold, everything rises. And it’s really cool to see. And I know that you and I both have been able to witness this. And I just, I want to, like, share this for those listening that feel like it’s too much work or it’s not worth it,

Mary DiStasio  49:23

or, or it’s too late, like, I’m really supposed part. I’m like, this is never going to get fixed, right?

Brianna Battles  49:29

Or, like, I always peed, or I, oh, this is just my body. This is just what it is for me. Like, you’re not, like, look, you’re special, but like, you’re not that special, right? Like, there’s so much we can do to improve your performance, but in a way that’s also going to improve your long term quality of life. Like, what is your life like when you are in your 70s, 80s, etc? Like, when you know we want that pelvic floor to help you have an improved quality of life long term and try. As a nurse like you see, a variety of lifestyles and experiences and aging processes and fitness will always be a benefit, but it’s just not a guarantee, and it makes it really challenging. Yeah, I

Mary DiStasio  50:13

think sometimes having that medical view can be a little frustrating, just in terms of how we approach, you know, it’s more, I mean, you know how it is, it’s like, I mean, I have a public health background, so I’m very much on, like, the preventative side of things, and also, now I’m a nurse, so very much on the other side of things, where now we’re fixing the problems, but it can, it can be frustrating too, because it’s less focus on preventative than it is on fixing actual issue post, like surgery or something. Not to say surgery is bad by any means. It’s necessary at times, but

Brianna Battles  50:45

it’s like, it’s just like, how can we be proactive instead of almost, like, waiting for there to be too big of a problem? And I think athletes, again, we’re so good at compensating. We’re so good at being like, well, it’s not that big of a deal. Or I’ll deal with that later. Or, you know, like, we create, like, a lot of different justifications around our experiences. And when you add the layer of motherhood in there, you’re also just like, like, I don’t have time for any of that. Like, I’m already, like, barely getting any workout. I’m already, like, stressed out. I don’t have time to make an appointment or to do this or to do that. It is hard, I think, to to prioritize yourself in some of the ways that you actually need.

Mary DiStasio  51:20

It is, I think it’s important to realize, like, you don’t have to, like, yeah, maybe temporarily we’re going lighter, right? But like, also, a lot of this stuff can be worked on with the lighter loads. And because you were saying, like, is it going to happen automatically with a heavier load? No, like, we’re just trying to increase that symptom threshold. So, but you know, it’s not like you’re completely changing your training. It’s just like we’re working with you and your training.

Brianna Battles  51:43

Yeah, and I think that’s such a great point. It can all be integrated into what you’re already doing. It doesn’t have to be like this separate program or this separate like adding to your overall capacity. It does not have to be in addition to it can complement what you are already doing, and it will make a world of difference in how you feel and what your aging process is like, because, you know, pregnancy and postpartum are refer to them as catalyst seasons. I know you’ve heard me say that a million times, but what is also on the horizon for so many women shortly after becoming mothers is perimenopause, when there’s significant shifts in our hormones which affects our tissue health and pelvic health. And so it’s like, maybe, maybe it’s not a big deal right now, but at 40 or 45 you’re not like, washed up, but you want to make sure that your pelvic health is in a good place before going into those seasons, so that again, you can have an improved quality of life and athletic performance.

Mary DiStasio  52:43

Yeah, yeah. And it’s not, like, adding a whole nother program or, you know, it’s like, you, I think I really appreciated it, because, as a coach, I think it’s easy to get hyper focused on pelvic flooring, core and, like, your messaging, and I’ve absolutely done that. But it’s just like, I don’t know, like, just working with your training, right? Like, we’re not adding all these additional things. Like, yes, there’s always going to be some kind of growing pain when you’re starting to work with a new coach, or, you know, adding in, like, new techniques and stuff like that, but and new movements maybe, but it’s really just like working with what you’re already doing.

Brianna Battles  53:14

Yeah, it’s, I mean, from a coaching perspective, if we can just, like, really emphasize looking at the needs analysis, right? We go back to, like, nerdy strength and conditioning principles, 101, and it’s like, what does this person need right now? What does their body need in this moment? And that’s going to help us make the best programming decisions, right? That’s going to help us create the best coaching experience and outcomes based on them right now. And yes, we take into consideration their athletic background. We take into consideration what they want to do long term. But who is the human in front of me right now? And like building out exercise recommendations and coaching around that person, and

Mary DiStasio  53:57

it’s so hard to do. Yes, I think we get so caught up in, like, we have to do XYZ exercises, but it’s like, no, there’s so much. I mean, we’re just repeating things, but like, there’s so much that we can do with your clean to improve your outcome, or with your squat to improve your outcome, you don’t have to go to, I don’t know, you know, do this completely new program that’s like dead bugs and bird dogs. I mean, it’s all important stuff and stuff that I include in my programming. I mean, there’s going to be stuff in my programming that maybe you’ve never done before, because I know that we have to work on specific areas of the body, but also you’re still going to be doing what you want to do. We’re just adjusting the way you do it, I guess

Brianna Battles  54:43

exactly, and I think that’s yeah, that helps it feel like you are in control. And it can be an empowering season. These seasons of pregnancies and rebuilding postpartum and like reevaluating what your life is like as an athlete, will serve. Of you long term, like, as it, it is not for nothing. It is truly, like, I look back on those seasons, I’m like, Oh, my God, I learned so much, like, as a coach, as an athlete, and it has set me up that almost freaking 40 just unreal to but to feel better than I did at 30. Like, truly, like athletically, I am performing better now, but I think it’s you just acquire so much perspective, so much knowledge. Your training is just smarter. You know, like everything does become better, even alongside all of the life changes, even as your body change, even changes, even as your life changes. Yeah, there are these are transformative seasons, and it’s not for nothing. It really does set you up, especially when you have, you know, insight and support from coaches like yourselves. I’m so appreciative of the work that you’re doing, and you’re doing a really great job, and I’m very thankful.

Mary DiStasio  55:55

Well, thank you. I’m so happy I came across you and your coaching and was able to go to the live. I hope you do more of those, because I just loved being in person.

Brianna Battles  56:04

Yeah, I I like, really want to do more of the live certification weekend. It’s so fun to just to coach like that and that, have like, you know, guest curriculum, but also the ability to, like, have conversations and riff a little bit and just more candid

Mary DiStasio  56:19

and, yeah, also, like, meet people with different backgrounds too. That was cool. I mean, the dancer, I think it’s her name, Elise, yeah, she was in there. That was awesome. I know I was like, you were like, Oh, gosh.

Brianna Battles  56:31

Like, what do I do here? Like, this, I haven’t heard of this. Please say more. I don’t have a dance background. Yeah, no, it was so fun to do this coaching weekends. And, yeah, there’s, like, the PNP coach network is incredible. You know, we have coaches from all over with so many different backgrounds, and they’re using this work in their own unique ways, like, maybe you might lean more Olympic weightlifting, and that’s great, because we need this conversation in those communities where we have our CrossFitters and our dance community and our our yoga, pilates, like Gen pop or athletes, it is all transferable. I’m so grateful for you know, you being a great example of that. Yeah.

Mary DiStasio  57:08

Well, thank you. Yeah.

Brianna Battles  57:10

Where can people follow you learn more about the coaching you do and services that

Mary DiStasio  57:14

you offer? Yeah? So pretty much Instagram, that’s where everything’s at. So at Mary pet coaching is my instagram handle. You can either message me. I mean, feel free to message me. I love, I love talking to people like you. Don’t have to be scared. You know, it is me behind the messages too. I’m not, you know, quite there sending those automatic, those automatic messages, but all of my programs are in there. So you can apply to one on one coaching. And then if you’re a good fit, then I’ll reach out to you. Also have group coaching program you could just go learn more about and join. And then also, if you are, like, pregnant, about to be postpartum, and you want to build back up to, like, barbell training, Olympic lifting, strength training, kind of thing, you can join the initial program eight weeks to kind of help bridge that gap and get you back to that type of stuff

Brianna Battles  58:03

that sounds so great. Well, thank you, Mary. I really appreciate you coming on the podcast and for becoming a coach all those years ago and then for continuing your education just a few weekends ago in San Diego. It’s you’re doing an incredible job, and I’m again, just very thankful.

Mary DiStasio  58:17

Thank you so much. Thank

Brianna Battles  58:22

you so much for listening. To this episode of the practice brave podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review and help us spread the work we are doing to improve the overall information and messaging in the fitness industry and beyond. Now, if you are pregnant and you are looking for a trustworthy exercise program to follow, I have you covered? The pregnant athlete training program is a well rounded program for pregnancy with workouts for each week that are appropriate for your changing body. That’s 36 weeks of workouts, three to four workouts each week, and tons of guidance on exercise strategy. We also have an at home version of that program if you are postpartum, and you’re looking for an exercise program to follow. The eight week postpartum athlete training program would be a really great way to help bridge the gap between rehab and the fitness you actually want to do. From there, we have the practice brave fitness program, which is an ongoing strength conditioning program where you get new workouts each week and have a lot of guidance for myself and my co coach, Heather Osby, this is the only way that I’m really offering ongoing coaching at this point in time. If you have ever considered becoming a certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, I would love to have you join us. Pregnancy and postpartum athleticism is a self paced online certification course that will up level your coaching skills and help connect the dots between pelvic health and long term athletic performance, especially during pregnancy and postpartum, become who you needed and become who your online and local community needs by becoming a certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism. Some Coach, thank you again for listening to the practice brave podcast. I appreciate you, and please help me continue spreading this messaging, this information and this work.