Why I Supplement with Omega-3s (especially in pregnancy) + Total Body TRX Workout

This post is sponsored by Omax3 Omega-3 Supplement. 

I’m super excited about today’s post as I have some information to share with you on my new favorite omega-3 supplement as well as a TRX workout that is easy on the joints and safe for pregnancy.

I have been taking an omega-3 supplement (I’ve used both pill and liquid form) since my first trimester since I read so much about how beneficial DHA is for growing baby brains! Recently, I switched over to Omax3 Omega-3 supplement and I really like it.

Here are some of the overall benefits of omega-3 supplementation and then I’ll also cover some that are pregnancy-specific.

BENEFITS OF OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENTATION

MEMORY AND COGNITION

Omega-3s can optimize your mental performance as well as improve your mood and concentration. I love these benefits as someone who usually has about a million balls up in the air at one time and is struggling with pregnancy brain…which will turn into mommy brain, I’m sure!

HEART AND HEALTH

Omega-3s boost your heart health, reduce risk of heart disease and lower your triglycerides. I think the heart health benefits are so important for us as women given that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and is the cause for 1 in every 4 female deaths. Anything that we can do to take better care of our hearts is so important.

MUSCLE AND JOINTS

Omega-3s can reduce inflammation in the body as well as improve mobility and speed up muscle recovery. I think for my audience this is a huge selling point because most of us are pretty active and want to feel good in our bodies and recover quickly from our workouts.

When it comes to pregnancy, the American Pregnancy Association lists the following benefits of Omega-3 supplementation for pregnant women.

• EPA supports the heart, immune system and inflammatory response. DHA supports the brain, eyes and central nervous system, which is why it is uniquely important for pregnant and lactating women.
• Adequate intake of omega-3 fats is essential to maintaining the balanced production of the hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. These help regulate many important physiological functions including blood pressure, blood clotting, nerve transmission, the inflammatory and allergic responses, the functions of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract and the production of other hormones.
• Omega-3s have been found to be essential for both neurological and early visual development of the baby. It’s common for pregnant women to become depleted in Omega-3s because the baby uses so much of our stores for development. Research has confirmed that adding EPA and DHA to your diet when pregnant has a positive effect on visual and cognitive development for the baby.
• Studies have shown that higher consumption of omega-3s may reduce the risk of allergies in infants.
• Omega-3s are used by the body to produce breast milk.
• Increased intake of EPA and DHA has been shown to prevent pre-term labor and delivery, lower the risk of preeclampsia and may increase birth weight. Omega-3 deficiency also increases the mother’s risk for depression.

After reading all of that, I sure am glad that I’ve been using an omega-3 supplement through pregnancy and that I’ve got a supply of Omax3 on hand to get me through these last few weeks and breastfeeding!

WHY OMAX3 OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENT?

When it comes to the Omax3 supplement itself, there are several reasons why you should consider choosing it over other omega-3 supplements.

• 93.9% concentrated Omega-3.
• Only omega-3 to be created by Yale-affiliated scientists.
• Omax3 delivers a potent 1500 mg of pure omega-3 in a proprietary blend of 4-to-1 EPA to DHA, which supports optimal inflammatory response.
• Omax3 contains 16x the amount of Omega-3 than the leading Krill Oil.
• Omax3 is 3X strong than the leading Omega-3 supplement.
• No fishy taste!

WHY SUPPLEMENT AT ALL? 

Whenever possible I prefer to get what my body needs through the food that I eat. The best sources of EPA and DHA are cold water fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies and herring. While I typically love some of these fish, I don’t eat them nearly as much in pregnancy due to seafood aversions as well as trying to be mindful of mercury intake.

Also, many people just don’t love these types of cold water fish so supplementation is often a safer and more effective option for many people.

READY TO TRY OMAX3? PBR READERS GET 50% OFF!

If you’d like to experience the benefits of omega-3 supplementation for yourself and try Omax3, you can get 50% off your order by visiting this page! 

LOW-IMPACT, PREGNANCY-FRIENDLY, FULL-BODY TRX WORKOUT

The TRX is one of my favorite gym tools for providing a safe, effective, low-impact strength training workout. When I was personal training I frequently incorporated TRX workouts into my client’s programming, especially for my pregnant clients since it’s so easy to control the resistance using your own bodyweight.

Here’s one of my favorite quick and easy full-body TRX workouts that hits all the major muscle groups while also strengthening the core. I guarantee you’ll “feel” this one the next day although it won’t leave you with that crushing total body soreness/fatigue that weights workouts sometimes do.

I recommend doing three rounds of this circuit.

TRX ROWS: I like to position myself in the bent elbow phase of this movement to find the appropriate range of motion to start with. From there, slowly extend your arms out until they are straight and then work back to the bent elbow position, using your upper back to do all the work. Think about squeezing shoulder blades together and pull the elbows both out and back. The thumbs should end up right at the sides of your chest/ribcage. Be mindful when you extend the arms back out not to round the shoulders forward and really keep the chest nice and lifted. You can adjust your feet forward for more resistance or back for less resistance.

TRX SQUATS: Stand facing the TRX straps and hold the handles in your hands so that your thumbs are pointing up and your elbows are in by your sides. Squat and stand using the TRX as a guide but not to pull yourself up. You have the option here to make this a jump squat.

TRX PUSH UPS: Once again, it’s easiest to start in the bent elbow phase of this movement. With a straight body position, walk yourself forward with elbows bent out and back beside you and thumbs in by the sides of your chest/rib cage. Push with your chest to straighten the arms and slowly lower back into the bent elbow position. It’s super important to keep the straight line body position and not to break at the waist when you push. If you are breaking, step your feet forward a bit so to lessen the resistance. If it feels too easy, step the feet back.

TRX LUNGES WITH KNEE LIFT: Stand facing the TRX straps and hold the handles in your hands so that your thumbs are pointing up and elbows are in at your sides. Take a short step back with your left leg and drop into a lunge where both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Drive the left leg up and knee into the chest when you stand, using the TRX as a guide/help but not pulling yourself up with it. Do 10 on each side. Option to jump when you drive the knee up.

TRX BICEP CURLS: Start in the bent elbow position holding the TRX straps and bringing the handles in front of your forehead. Your wrists should be turned towards your forehead. You should be in a straight line, belly-up body position. Squeeze the elbows in so that they’re in line with your shoulders. Slowly extend the arms out long and then keeping the elbows high and lifted, squeeze the handles back to your forehead using your biceps. The body should remain in a straight line position throughout with no break in the waist.

TRX TRICEP EXTENSIONS: Start in the bent elbow position holding the TRX straps and bringing the handles in front of your forehead. The tops of your hands should be turned towards your forehead. You should be in a straight line, belly-down body position. The key here is to keep squeezing your elbows in as you press the straps away from your forehead and straighten the arms. Lower back into the bent elbow position. Be mindful not to break at the waist and remember you can control the resistance by walking up or back.

Let me know if you try the workout! Happy sweating and don’t forget to order your Omax Omega-3s to help with your muscle recovery from workouts and a whole host of other benefits!