Name: Gina Fontaine
Location: Denver, CO
Website: www.powerpregnancypro.com
Member Since: 2015
Occupation: Perinatal Fitness Specialist
How did you hear about MFN?
Trevor Wicken.
How do you or your business help those with chronic disease/medical conditions or who need pre & postnatal care?
Power of Pregnancy is a holistic approach to prenatal exercise. Our goal is to teach pregnant women how to navigate the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy with greater ease by providing education and interactive support. Our foundation is based upon functional fitness for pregnancy and childbirth, yoga, and meditation.
Power of Pregnancy educates women about their dramatically changing pregnant bodies and how to safely exercise during pregnancy. Additionally, we provide guidance on stress management using mindfulness based techniques that incorporate breath, yoga and meditation. Participants will develop a relationship of trust in their bodies to guide healthy, self-directed decision making during pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood.
Additionally, we offer a 12 hour CEC approved Perinatal Fitness workshop to teach wellness professionals how to develop a business centered around providing services to this demographic.
What makes you different from all the other fitness professionals out there?
I see myself as the fitness pro who is striving to reach the 80% who aren’t exercising regularly. I encourage movement as the thread that holds a person’s day together. Without it, everything falls apart. The notion of carving out a separate time for exercise just doesn’t work for the average busy American, especially with the population I work with- Moms.
Sets and reps and regimented workouts work well in the research lab but, realistically, moms just need to learn how to move efficiently so that every movement in her day contributes to her well being. When movement feels good, she will crave it and seek more opportunities to move throughout her day.
What is your favorite activity or class to participate in?
I begin each day with yoga whether it is just a few sun salutations or a full hour practice. Playing at the playground with my 3 kids and pretending like we are on a Ninja Warrior circuit is a favorite activity now that it’s summer. As a family, we also enjoy hiking and camping in our home state of Colorado. I enjoy daily walks at the lake near our house which offers a stunning view of Red Rocks Amphitheater.
What is one piece of advice that you would give other fitness professionals about working with special populations or those who need pre & postnatal care?
During pregnancy, I find that there are two ends of the spectrum with women wanting to exercise. There are those who are afraid of their pregnant bodies and, therefore, they hesitate to exercise. Then there are those who feel pregnancy shouldn’t slow them down. They run marathons, continue high intensity workouts and work long hours.
There is no right or wrong. It is important for professionals to know the risks of landing on either side of this continuum and support women toward the ultimate goal of pregnancy – to have a healthy baby.
I serve as chairman of the Student Accountability Committee at my children’s school and I teach religious education at our church.
What is one of your favorite memories involving working with someone that has a health challenge or disability?
I began working with Marianne in her 8th week of pregnancy who was 6’2″ with moderate scoliosis. She was terrified of what pregnancy would do to her back. We began working together 3 days per week. By the end of her pregnancy she commented, “Working with Gina Fontaine made a world of difference and I can honestly say that I had zero back pain during my pregnancy. Workouts consisting of a mix of weight training, yoga, and stretching made all the difference and have left me feeling better in my ninth-month than I felt pre-pregnancy.”
What would you like to see change/develop/emerge in the future of healthcare and the fitness industry?
I perceive the present relationship between healthcare and fitness to be one of skepticism. Understandably, this is the case when a person can become a personal trainer in a weekend. The question is how can fitness professionals with outstanding credentials be distinguished from the weekend warriors.
I would like to see a tiered system of accrediting fitness professionals based on degrees, certifications and years of experience. This system would be recognized by medical professionals and could be used as a resource to open the conversation about developing a patient referral relationship.
Furthermore, I envision a healthcare model that incentivizes preventative health by offering health savings accounts that can pay for fitness, nutrition and massage services.
And what are you doing to make this happen?
I am bringing my Power of Pregnancy program into the employee wellness market beginning with a school district in Colorado. The district’s health insurance provider will be paying for half of the employees’ fee for the class. I envision bringing this model to other employee wellness programs that this insurance provider serves and tracking birth outcomes and gestational weight gain as markers of
efficacy for a guided, specific approach to prenatal exercise.
If you think about it, the future health of our country depends on pregnant moms. Their health behaviors set the tone for a healthy start for their babies. Furthermore, pregnancy is huge motivator for adopting healthy habits. We need to capitalize on this critical time.
What is your favorite fitness/inspirational/motivational quote?
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you – a joy.” ~Rumi
Anything else we should know about you?
My Power of Pregnancy 12 hour course is accredited with National Exercise Trainers Association. I can bring this program (minimum 8 participants) to your gym, studio or wellness center. Contact me about how you can tap your business and your staff into this growing and viable market. Contact me at yoginigina@gmail.com
View Gina’s MFN profile »
