[225 FITNESS ADVISER] – Longtime personal trainer (and new Baton Rouge resident) Nickie Jordan answers your questions about training, fitness and feeling good.

Longtime personal trainer (and new Baton Rouge resident) Nickie Jordan answers your questions about training, fitness and feeling good. (Photo by Marie Constantin)

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Q: “Just had a baby by section and going back to work in seven weeks. What are some safe ways to get rid of some of that extra belly fat before heading back to work? Keep in mind surgery and watching new baby!”—Sarah Vicknair Hecker

A: Sarah, first of all … Congratulations on your new baby!

Without more information on the reasons that the C-section was necessary, and your medical profile, please understand my answer will be strictly for your information. I would recommend following up with your physician before beginning any structured movement program.

The most important thing to consider after having a baby, either vaginally or through C-section, is to reconnect with your abdominals! Your abs have served a very different purpose for the last many months and you will have to re-train them to understand that YOU are back!!! Woo hoo! 🙂

First, practice great posture and hold your deep abdominal muscles in! Focus on your core by holding your lower abs tight; in my opinion, this is the most important “lifestyle technique” to remember! Stand up/sit up straight, and use your deep muscles to pull your belly button in toward your spine with shoulders open, chest forward.

To focus on re-strengthening your abs, here are a few more exercises I would recommend:

1. Lie on your back with your hands tucked under your upper bottom (to protect your lower back). Do straight leg raises, bringing one leg up slowly about 12 inches, and back toward the floor slowly for about 15 reps, and then switch to the other leg. This can be done for three sets if you are feeling good.

Cartilage is still soft, so soft-tissue injury is a possibility. I can’t say enough about safety first … progress slowly!

2. Reverse crunch is another crunch I like. Lie on your back on a mat, extend your legs up toward the ceiling with the flat part of the sole of your foot flat toward the ceiling, then raise your bottom off the floor about an inch while reaching toward the ceiling with your flat feet.

This uses an incredible amount of lower ab strength, so start with only a few and progress from there.

I cannot express enough the importance of incorporating low-impact cardio in your daily routine to aid in your post-pregnancy recovery.

Good luck, and feel free to keep me posted at nickiejordan.com.

Q: “What is the best way to continue putting on muscle from weight training while eating a mainly plant-based diet?”—Aaron McKinney

A: Aaron, thank you and great question.

There are many factors that will go into the equation for continuing to build muscle while eating a “mainly plant-based diet.” “Mainly” can be relative, but I will offer some suggestions that are fairly broad based.

Whenever we limit ourselves to stay within certain food groups while ignoring others, I am more interested in the “why,” the motivation, if you will. My intent is not to change your commitment to a mostly plant-based diet, but to remind you that it is important to pay close attention to eating a variety of foods in moderation.

Carbohydrates will be the bulk of your caloric intake, accounting for about 70% of your overall diet. (Carbs have gotten a bad rep in recent years, but they are your friends for energy.) Protein is your focus for building muscle (about 20%), and a little fat (about 10%) is necessary for the absorption of some essential vitamins and minerals.

Give special consideration to dark green leafy vegetables, soy, nuts, beans and a variety of fruits and whole grains. Be skeptical of commercial supplements that can be heavily laden with unhealthy additives.

Remember, you can build without breaking down by progressing more slowly with adequate rest for recovery. Good luck, and remember to wash those fruits and veggies.

Q: “Hi! I lift three times a week, doing a rotation of upper and lower body workouts. About two months ago I pulled my shoulder in my sleep. I saw my doctor about it and he suggested that I go easy on lifting weights for a while. Well, it’s been about two months of cardio instead of lifting, but my shoulder has not gotten any better. I want to get back to doing some regular upper body weight training workouts. What’s the best low-stress workout to help with my injured shoulder while still allowing me to do some minor lifting?”—Jake Heare

A: Jake, great to hear from you.

A shoulder injury that presented during sleep can be the result of an awkward sleeping position, or it could be something that happened during another activity and is being aggravated during your sleep.

You can safely work the rest of your body, and slowly rehab the injured shoulder.

Of course, I would have several questions related to the pain that you are experiencing in your shoulder, but to give a fairly benign response, I would suggest some light front arm raises, upright rows, shoulder press and standing flys, with light weight, no weight or light bands. These lifts should go no higher than shoulder height, with the exception of the shoulder press. Your shoulder press should stay a little forward if this is the angle most comfortable for you. This is where you will need to read your body and do not push through pain on this one.

Q: “Any tips for first time 5k runners?”—Jill Suzanne Ellis

A: Jill, congrats for signing up for a 5k … it’s a fast race!

Hill work, plyometrics and speed intervals will help prepare you.

Your base comfortable mileage can max at 3-mile runs, and then you should include a lot of cross training that involves large muscle groups in your lower body, and—oddly enough—a lot of upper body. Your lower body can only move as quickly as your upper body, so do a lot of upper body dynamic movement and training. Opposition of the body is interesting, but it is one of those “in-synch,” God-given rhythms we can count on. I would suggest, practice moving your arms as much as your legs!

Some helpful moves would include:

Go to the wall, jump up as high as you can and touch a spot on the wall, put a tape marker higher than your first attempt and train toward reaching it with your dominant and non-dominant side. Start with giving each side 10 attempts to touch your tape mark and track your progress.

Do some speed conditioning exercises like high knees, “butt kicks,” exaggerated high knee skips and bounding hops/jumps.

Remember to include toe presses on a raised platform so your movement goes from a negative position to a positive—so in essence, your heels will drop lower than the platform, and at the top of the raise squeeze your glutes. Toe raises done in this fashion may help you avoid potential shin splints.

Squats and lunges will also help to build the muscles that you will call upon in this race, but the biggest test will be in your head. See it, believe it, and get it!! Good luck!

Maryland native Nickie Jordan started her own personal training business full time about 14 years ago, but she has been doing personal training in some capacity for 25 years in the Bethesda, Md.-Washington, D.C. area. Her clients have ranged in age from 8 to their 80s and included many diplomats, high-level political figures, CEOs and large companies.

She is also a former runner and marathoner, physical education teacher, coach and owner/operator of a children’s recreation summer camp.

Nickie relocated to Baton Rouge in August 2012 after renovating a beautiful home in Jamestowne Court. She continues working with her clients in D.C. via Skype and operates RecFit, a multifaceted fitness business that includes personal training, motivational speaking, corporate consulting on wellness, fitness room planning and design, and spray tanning.