This week I’m featuring Jaya Markvan-Krupp on Fit Mama Friday – nominated by a friend, Jaya is definitely inspiring! Jaya has two gorgeous girls, Becca, 17 years old, and Ava Marlie, 6 months old, and is married to her dream man Jonathan. A personal trainer, Jaya now owns Urban Fitness, a fitness studio in the Hollywood District of Portland, Oregon. She’s also the creator of an awesome dance/group fitness class called Shimmyfit! Read on for more about our Fit Mama Friday today.
Meet Jaya.
It feels silly to ask, since you’re a fitness professional, but has fitness always been part of your life?
Fitness a been a big part of my life for over a decade. I have been a personal trainer for 10 years and not to date myself, but I have been a dance instructor for 15 years! It is my career and my hobby – I love working out and I love everything that it does for my life.
Now you’re a new mama all over again with your youngest daughter Ava. Did you work out during your pregnancy?
Yes, I worked out throughout my pregnancy. I taught Shimmyfit until I was 6 months pregnant, yoga until I was 8 months and I lifted weights and did cardio right up until Ava was born. I had a smooth pregnancy and a really easy labor. I attribute a lot of that to being strong and flexible. I did have some discomforts and pain during pregnancy, of course!
It was actually very eye opening to “train” myself. I can see why and how it can be hard for women to get or stay fit during pregnancy. Because of my career it is not an option for me to just let myself go, that being said I was well aware of the fact that I was making a choice every day. That has carried over into being a new Mama all over again too. Feeling tired or overwhelmed would be great excuses… if I let them be! Feeling fit and healthy helps me a better mother. It helps me be a better everything.
Did you workout during your pregnancy with Becca as well? (If you didn’t, did you notice any differences/benefits given that you did stay fit while pregnant with Ava?)
I did not workout regularly with Becca, although I had a very active healthy lifestyle. I was only 19 when I got pregnant with her so I had a much different relationship with my body then I did in this past pregnancy at 36. It is hard to compare the two pregnancies because of the time between them. That being said I do believe that my most recent pregnancy was much easier than it would have been if I had been inactive. My birth was very fast and it feels weird saying it but it was easy! I used intentional thought, my yoga breathing and at the beginning I did a lot of hip swaying. My recovery was swift as well. I started doing pilates and yoga at 10 days post-partum. At about 3 weeks I slowly went back to my regular weight training routines. I believe that working out before, during and after pregnancy has helped me immensely.
You mentioned you could see why it’s difficult for some women to be fit and active during pregnancy. As a trainer and a fit mama, what would be the best advice you would give to mamas-to-be who want to exercise?
The advice I have for pregnant and new mamas is really not much different that I would give to anyone. I’ve found that it is important to figure out what works for you, to be realistic about what you are committing to, and most of all to enjoy what you choose. During pregnancy especially I think it is about mind over matter. Even if you can manage less than what you planned to do, just getting to the gym, outside or to the workout class is a great first step. Be kind to yourself and keep your eye on the prize. The prize in this case is being a fit and healthy mama who has her best self to offer her baby and her family.
So how was the postpartum adjustment period for you – did being a strong, fit mama during pregnancy help you with getting back to your pre-pregnancy weight?
Well, initially postpartum I thought I would be able to just get right back to it and lose that baby weight lickety-split. Umm… yah, not really! It has been an amazing process to go through. For me it is just as much spiritual and emotional as physical.
Before I got pregnant I always thought that I needed to lose 5 pounds. Now I look back at those pics and realize how silly that was. I looked HOT! I am not back there quite yet, but I have made the decision to love every phase. This was difficult for me at first, untill I realized that this is my opportunity to love my body. Whether it’s 5 pounds or 20 pounds left to lose, the message I was sending myself was the same, and it was NOT a message that I want to instill in my beautiful-just-the-way-they-are daughters.
Recently I started eating Paleo and now the scale is moving. While that makes me happy, the self talk has changed. Now I look down at my changed body and say, “That’s cute.” It may sound silly, but it’s nicer that what I used to say and it makes me feel good.
What are you doing for your workouts now?
My approach to working out has changed a bit too. While I still love a kick ass workout, I am okay if I take a day off, or even two! I am teaching Shimmyfit twice a week. I walk for an hour often and I lift weights 3 times a week.
Tell me more about ShimmyFit – when and how did you come up with the idea? Was this something you were doing for fun and you decided to turn it into a workout?
I have been a professional bellydancer for over 15 years. I have gone through many phases in my relationship to dance but one that has been consistent has been my passion and love for reggae! In 2012 I created Shimmyfit, a bellydance/reggae fusion workout class! It is so fun, I love teaching it, coming up with moves and sharing my passion with my classes. The classes are a great way to be in our bodies in a sensual way, to connect with other women and to get a sweaty whole body workout.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Jaya! It’s so wonderful to see how much you’re loving your body and life, as a fit mama. You’re a wonderful example for your girls.
I love bellydancing and ShimmyFit looks like so much fun! Great story!
Britt@MyOwnBalance recently posted…Friday’s Food & Fitness
I know, I kind of wish Jaya would bring Shimmyfit to NYC!
I would be a mess trying to do ShimmyFit – but it does look fun!
I love the fact that Jaya looked back at her pre-pregnant self and said “I look hot.” So awesome when women can say that about themselves. And, I love her choice to love every phase of her body.
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I totally agree – confidence is beautiful! Jaya is pretty awesome.
Great interview! The Shimmyfit class looks fun. I love the way Jaya enjoys each phase she is in with changes to her body after pregnancy. Not many are able to do this and we want to speed things up.
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I agree, it’s kind of like the “being present” idea, to be able to accept and enjoy how your body is at every stage. I’m sure you will be going through that a lot throughout your training for the comp!!