Pain, Posture, and Performance

Pain, Posture, and Performance

[This is also an episode of Friday Free Talk on The Tranquility Tribe Podcast on iTunes. Listen here.]

Hello, Tranquility Tribe! In today’s episode, Hehe talked with Jill Miller, a mother of two and the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness.  Throughout the episode, Hehe and Jill discuss strategies for pain management and self-care as well as ways in which you can uncover your body’s “blind spots” and learn more about yourself before, during, and after pregnancy.  Jill is also offering all TBH listeners an exclusive discount - see below for more information and a Mother’s Day gift guide!

Jill is an expert in fitness, movement, and human anatomy, and through her business she is pursuing a passion for promoting self-reflection and self-discovery. Tune Up Fitness provides you with tools and programs that enable you to improve your three P’s – pain, posture, and performance. Using practices like functional yoga, corrective exercises, breathing strategies, and soft-tissue massages, Jill’s business helps countless people learn to live better in their bodies.

And you don’t have to find time to attend a bunch of classes to see these benefits!  Tune Up Fitness allows you to bring yoga, massage, pain management, and self-care into your home so that you can incorporate them right into your routine.  Jill offers a collection of squishy balls that can be used for soft tissue conditioning. They come in many different sizes so they can be used anywhere and anytime - it’s totally up to you!

Roll Model Mama

And it gets even better - Jill just released a new program at the beginning of May that is made specifically for expectant and postpartum parents!  This program, called Roll Model Mama, is focused on finding ways for you to destress, relieve pain, develop good breathing practices, and learn about your body as it changes through pregnancy.  And this self-empowered self-care program can be used by your partners and support system as well to help them relax and recenter during the stressful times of pregnancy and birth.

Staying fit and finding ways to be active during pregnancy can be difficult.  Your body is constantly changing and you’ll likely have to adjust your fitness routine along the way.  Jill recommends doing activities that allow your body to feel the changes that are occurring and embrace them as they come. Soft-tissue massages using Jill’s therapy balls are a great way to let go of unconscious tension and increase your proprioception (your body’s sense of position) and even your enteroception (your body’s physiological sense).  These senses are linked to your overall feeling of wellbeing and emotions. When something is off, it can sometimes manifest as a feeling other than pain, such as anxiety, fatigue, or overcompensation; by connecting with the deeper senses in your body, you can uncover the root causes of discomfort and rebuild strength and tranquility.  

In addition to soft tissue work, working on breathing strategies, downregulating your nervous system, and doing gentle strengthening exercises can all help relieve pain and nausea and build trust in your body.  For example, practicing yoga can allow you to harness your mental awareness and relaxation response as well as learn to breath in different positions, while abdominal exercises can stabilize and strengthen your core to help relieve back pain and prepare you for pushing during labor.  These natural methods for dealing with pain are especially useful because of the limitations on the types of medications you can take when you’re pregnant. But as always, don’t forget to check in with your doctor or midwife before starting a particular exercise routine!

What’s Jill’s parting piece of advice?

Enjoy the little moments (even the bad ones)!  As the mother of four-year-old and one-year-old girls, Jill has experienced her own difficulties with parenthood and that oh-so-elusive balance, including months of insomnia.  But as she reminds listeners, the pain is temporary! Embrace the good times and the bad times, because they’ll be over before you know it!

To check out all that Tune Up Fitness has to offer, visit tuneupfitness.com.  You can also visit rollmodelmama.com to learn more about the specific program that Jill has created for expectant and postpartum parents.  And Jill is offering an exclusive discount to all TBH listeners - enter the code HEHE10 at checkout to receive a special 10% off your order (just in time for Mother’s Day)!  

You can also find Jill on Instagram at @yogatuneup and @tuneupfitness, and on Facebook on her author page, Jill Miller, and on her business’s page, Tune Up Fitness.  Jill is currently working on a new book focused on core stabilization and breathing, so keep an eye out for that as well!

For all the listeners out there who are trying to find the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, check out Hehe’s exclusive Mother’s Day gift guide here!  

Don’t forget to join our private Facebook, The Tranquility Tribe Podcast, and follow us on Instagram at @tranquilitybyhehe!

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Written by our Guest Blogger, Kyra Shreeve. She is a Biochemistry, Health Policy, and Music student at Brandeis University.