It is not easy, but it is possible

It is not easy, but it is possible. Being fit even after two children, with little motivation, a lot of discipline and with the help of a personal trainer. And most importantly, with all the commitments I have not forgotten about myself.

I do not want my story to be one of those we go through simply to make ourselves feel better or worse. I want to encourage all those young or slightly older moms to succeed, despite their lack of time. Feeling good, not just as a mom, but as a woman. The pressure from the surroundings is great, and there are no comments in the sense of "you have two children and you cannot expect to be as before". I have never had any problems with weight alone, which does not mean that I was always happy with my image in the mirror.

Thanks to breastfeeding, I lost weight after birth of my first child within six months. After the second pregnancy, however, it was slightly different. I gained 21 lbs, a few were breastfeeding, the rest didn't bother me as long as I was in comfortable pants. Honestly, I started thinking about exercising a month before going back to work, as I didn't find any pants and skirts in my closet to wear. I gave my body time to recover, so for one year after giving birth I didn't exercise.

I never had a personal trainer, because this type of exercise seemed to me foreign. . I used to do group workouts before I had a baby, but now, because of the kids, their time schedule didn't fit me. After work I spend time with my children, and in the evening when my baby falls asleep I am unfortunately without energy. Thus, all group workouts were gone, classical fitness was no longer suitable for me, so I decided to find something new, but not too demanding, since I had to rest a lot because of the risky pregnancy, and after giving birth I didn't have to put too much stress on the body due to caesarean section.

I happened to find on Facebook that Feniks Studio had opened in my area in Šiška, and shortly thereafter I found out that one of the owners and personal trainers was also my friend Miha Šumak. Since we hadn't seen each other for a while, the first coffee was followed, and I immediately decided that he would be my first personal trainer.

The first week was hell, although after the diastasis check we started right from the beginning - in basics and body adaptation. Heating, stretching exercises and stabilization. At the time, I just realized that two years of rest or "no work" had consequences. I was in such bad shape that I couldn't do a single woman's pushup. For me, the most important thing was that it was safe to exercise, after a cesarean section, to gradually strengthen the core (the so-called core). At each training session, I thought about whether I really needed it. Those 60 minutes a day dragged on forever. I organized my trainings by doing everything twice a week right after work, so I stayed with the kids in the afternoon and had a quiet evening.

Before we began we also took measurements and agreed to do them to compare and motivate me each month. At the same time as training, in order to achieve a faster result, I also adjusted my diet. The crisis was even greater as I decided to eliminate bread, pasta and rice from the menu. I replaced them with vegetables, eggs, tuna, cottage cheese, nuts, avocado and meat. Occasionally, I attacked a piece of chocolate and enjoyed a movie night with pizza once a week. With the occasional "sin", one has the feeling that he can still indulge. The rest of the day, I tried to stick to the plan.

I have to admit that after the first month when muscle soreness passed and the second measurement followed, I got a fresh start. I immediately felt a change in my body, at night I slept better, my overall well-being improved. Sometime after three months the training intensity increased and I started to visit Feniks Studio three times a week. The workouts were followed in the following order: strength, interval training and stretching. So, in one week, I covered all the sets.

I started training in February 2016 and in summer I wore my swimwear without hesitation. For the first time in my life I had a firm belly, after two children I proved to myself that anything is possible. Today, I do not attend workouts for weight loss, but for my fitness and lifestyle changes. With stress as well as with other life challenges, I now find it easier to cope with and much easier to overcome. At the same time, every day I get confirmation of how useful it is to work on myself, since carrying a baby and bags down the stairs is not the easiest. Interestingly, in the first four months I lost only 3 kg, but I increased muscle mass and lost fat. Nevertheless, I have a new body.

A personal approach was a great decision for me as I can customize my workouts according to my obligations. Thus, e.g. due to the illness of the child, I compensate for the training or just postpone it for a day, but sometimes the child even joins me for training. Miha's personal and pedagogical approach, flexibility and the right measure of encouragement are what motivates me even when I would rather lie on the couch.

I found that if I agreed to exercise there were no excuses and I always show up in the gym. However, I admit that if it was only my will, I would often find a "justifiable" excuse and would prefer to take rest instead of exercise.

It is also very important that such exercise is not just a campaign exercise, but becomes a part of life. An important role is also played by the trainer, as he constantly follows you, encourages you and always shows you something new, especially on those days when you have no enthusiasm for exercise.

Ines Zrinski

For a long time I wanted to go to the gym and exercise. I tried different workouts, but I was always scared that I would do the exercises incorrectly and could do harm to myself, at the same time, none of my workouts were fully responsible for my injury. After a series of circumstances, I found myself under the tutelage of a Formanatura coach and today I can say that this is the right thing for me. Coach Miha Šumak prepares the right trainings for me. He is always ready to answer any questions, he encourages me to do the exercises and despite my injury, I can still train and see progress. The trainings are varied, every time I try something new and I am faced with a new, different challenge.
All Formanatura coaches are friendly and dedicated to their work, and I can only say by observation that they fully devote themselves to their clients, tailor their training to their specificities, abilities and desires.

Katja

I chose post birth exercise primarily because of low back pain, which, due to the wrong lifting of the baby weakened muscles during pregnancy. It began shortly after giving birth, when my little son started to gain more weight. In addition to the aforementioned pain, I was also forced to do something about the distance between the abdominal muscles. The results were coming soon - my well-being improved, my back pain disappeared, and the last pounds gained began to melt, and the gap between my abdominal muscles decreased.

Miha is a great trainer, which ensures that the workout is effective, interesting and with minor modifications to the exercises tailored to each mom. In addition to being professional and precise, he also has an extraordinary sense of children. Therefore, despite the occasional weeping moments of our adventures, mummies do not miss the exercises, as Miha quickly comforts the children and gives us an extra minute of “free time”. 😉 Every time I rejoice in the training sessions, because we have made real friendships with fellow moms during these months, and every hour is a pleasant time. After eight months of exercise, I can say that I didn't feel so fit and well before my pregnancy. If I could change anything, it would only be to start practicing earlier. 🙂

Špela Kregar

I am a mom to two children now, a girl and a barely born boy. My life is very active, I do dance workshops for children and I also raise them on a daily basis, of course, with two jobs I constantly struggle with lack of time, but I simply took it for fitness. There were no excuses for not being able or having the time. Where to put my kids, I'm tired, I don't have the will, I'll be there tomorrow ... it just wasn't in my head.

I went on to overcome everything with the help of a coach, who slowly introduced me to his pedagogical approach. Each exercise carried out with a specific purpose has contributed to a better quality of awareness of the body and in the future to overcome the effort. When I started training with Miha, I felt free at first and then more and more aware. I could feel every muscle in my body.

I began to listen to my body and mind - simply myself!

We conducted our trainings both outdoors and in the Feniks Studio. Every time I finished my workout, I felt reborn and all the daily tasks were much easier. My body was grateful!

Then came the day when I found out I was pregnant, at first there was joy, unexpectedness, a moment of insecurity, distrust, fear, ooo diapers, breastfeeding, crying… At the same time the thought of the body, of her, I just shaped my body ... in the same instant I realized that not much had changed and only a few adjustments would be needed. One of the questions was also a further exercise, which I decided to continue to pursue. I was not ready to give up taking care of my body, but most of all, well-being and peace in myself.

My decision was also backed up by a doctor, so my supervised training with Miha continued. Otherwise, the training was often a reflection of my hormonal (un) balance at the time, but he managed to "cheer up" the pregnant woman through training. Of course, the exercises were tailored to my abilities, but most of all, strictly controlled.

Thus, exercise in the fitness room had a positive effect on my body. I was at a gym 3x a week until near birth. Together, we maintained fitness, weight control, improved posture, balance as well as coordination, while also relaxing.

As the song of dance therapist Hazel Carey sings: “Every Little Cell in My Body is Happy ... ”, and it’s true… the inside of my body is happy, with that happy baby and the world around me. Above all, it is this inner feeling of happiness and peace that you achieve on both a physical and a psychic level, assisted by a coach who simply understands you, advises you, encourages you and naturally makes you smile.

Nina Zorko

I promised myself that the second time would not be the same as the first time. 🙂

Back and neck pain, tightness in the shoulders, irregular posture, too many pounds, sacky belly, weak pelvic floor muscles, dysfunctional abdominal muscles, and of course this popular rectal diastasis ...

So I immediately went into action and by chance coincidentally chose a postpartum exercise by Miha Šumak. TOP!

In the beginning the workouts were adjusted to my physical fitness and Miha gradually increased the complexity and amount of exercises. Within a month, I noticed that my body was returning to its desired dimensions and that I had significantly more energy. I became aware of irregularities in everyday things (lifting and carrying a baby, getting up from the floor, beds, forced posture, etc.). I realized the importance of proper breathing and the importance of pelvic floor exercises.

In addition to the incredible effect on the body and well-being, the added value of exercise is also Miha's professional personal approach to each participant (encouragement, listening, motivation). At the same time, he took care of our little ones when they had a worse day, so that every mum could always do the whole workout. After training, we always had a chance for the moms to chat and take care of the little ones (breastfeeding, feeding, changing ...).

Although I have already completed my maternity training, I am still training with Miha, this time in a semi-private version. And the workouts are really TOP!

Erika Trampuš