charleston blogger and longevity member jillian eversole shares her motivating pre- and postnatal journey

​Our members come to us for results and change, trusting us with their fitness and often turning to us for motivation. Little do they know, they are the ones who motivate us. Watching them transform and better themselves before our very eyes is the most rewarding. It is what drives our purpose and allows us to wholeheartedly love what we do. Jillian Eversole has been a Longevity member for several years and continues to amaze us with her hard work and dedication. Here she she shares her pregnancy experience, post-natal progress, pearls of wisdom and more.

How did your prenatal workout regimen help you throughout pregnancy and delivery? Any exercises in particular that kept you feeling amazing?
My prenatal workout regimen helped me so much throughout pregnancy and delivery! For starters, as I hit the 20 week halfway mark of my pregnancy, I started to feel more and more uncomfortable, achey, and slow. Pilates helped me so much because we did a lot of stretching and exercises to help support my lower back, which was key as my pregnancy progressed. We also did core work the entire time. Diana helped me work my core in a safe way to maintain strength there and to help me prepare for giving birth. It's so important to do core work safely while pregnant and I felt a sense of relief the whole time that a professional was in my corner helping me through it! The core work we did was sometimes so subtle but it ended up making all the difference. I ultimately had to have a c-section and, as crazy as it sounds, my doctor could see my ab muscles and was singing their praises during my surgery. It was one of the more surreal moments of my whole pregnancy and delivery, ha!

​Pilates also served as two hours every week where I was able to detach from everything else during my pregnancy and do something for me. It cleared my mind and made me feel great (as great as I could while pregnant!). 

JILLIAN'S PRE- AND POSTNATAL JOURNEY:

My last Pilates session before giving birth... 4 days later!

My first Pilates session after giving birth - 6 weeks postpartum

7 months postpartum

8 months postpartum

We adore that you asked your dad to attend your private sessions with Diana while you were out. Have fitness and health always been a priority for you and your family?

Yes, but it has always been fun! As my siblings and I grew up, my parents encouraged us to play sports, be outside, and try new things. They definitely put an emphasis on raising us to be healthy and active without us even realizing it. I think they accomplished this by playing with us in the yard and in the pool, by getting us engaged with the outdoors through activities like hiking, skiing and swimming in the ocean, and by setting great examples of what it means to be active at every stage of life. We watched my dad train for and run marathons and watched my mom competitively play in a tennis league while we were growing up. So, I think we subconsciously wanted to have that same active spirit, competitive drive, and endorphin rush that we saw them have. We would and still do active things as a family too! 

My dad was actually the first person who took me to a pilates class (when I was in high school!) so I thought I'd return the favor and ask him to fill in my pilates sessions after I had my son Rowan. It was a win, win for everyone! He hadn't done pilates in a number of years and has completely gotten back into it. After I returned to my normal Longevity sessions at 6 weeks postpartum, my dad didn't want to stop going so he picked up his own sessions every week with Diana too. Sometimes we run into each other at Longevity, which is always fun!

Rhyme & Reason

What is one piece of advice you can offer the new and expecting mamas of Longevity?
During pregnancy, health goals and priorities naturally shift. At the same time, your body drastically changes and grows bigger than you realize it can - at least it did for me. My best piece of advice is to fully embrace those changes and exercise to feel great, maintain strength, and get some happy endorphins instead of exercising with a focus on the number on your scale. Instead of working out to be "fit," I worked out to clear my head, stretch my aching body, gently build/maintain core strength, and to tee myself up for success after childbirth. Think of pilates as a gift you're giving yourself while pregnant and it will truly feel like that! It really paid off for me physically in the end because my core was strong going into childbirth. A win!

Rhyme & Reason

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Rhyme & Reason is a Charleston-based fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog that is essentially a diary of the little things in life that keep Jillian inspired. She writes about our beloved city of Charleston, family life with a baby and two labs, brands she discovers and loves, travel guides to her favorite places, and more. Follow along on Instagram and learn more about Jillian here.  

Inspired by Jillian and want to embark on a pre- & post-natal journey of your own? Contact us to schedule private Pilates sessions with our experienced instructors.