Danielle Brickman O’Connor grew up in Northeast Ohio. She began training with the school of Cleveland Ballet at the age of 4 and studied dance full time from then on, eventually dancing professionally for almost 10 years.
“At age 27, I got injured in rehearsal and suffered a career-ending neck injury,” she wrote in an email. “I have had chronic neck pain and other debilitating side effects since that day, but I have come far with how I can manage it. Through the knowledge of my body that I gained all those years dancing, I had to re-train myself on how to do simple things like even lifting easy weights to gain strength back in my upper body and be able to maintain the pain to a level that I am able to live with, especially important now, taking care of a growing 22-month-old.”
Brickman O’Connor, who has done some modeling and film work, is currently working as an ACE-certified personal trainer.
She says the injury, which began as the worst thing that had ever happened to her, ended up being a blessing.
“For now I have so much experience that I can pass on to my clients,” she says. “Over the years, I’ve been able to help others like me with the same type of injury and people with other ailments gain quality of life back again. Now as a mom, I feel like I have the personal experience to really relate to other moms and the struggles they face. For me, I had to have an emergency C-section after many hours of labor, and then got postpartum preeclampsia that caused me to balloon up with a lot of water weight.”
She says she went from always having a strong core to, after the C-section, having no core.
“It really teaches you what you took for granted within your body,” she says. “The personal journey I went through to gain confidence back in my body was very hard at times, physically and mentally. I want all of my clients — moms, dads, whoever — to feel confident within their bodies.”
She adds, “It’s so easy for moms to look at what their bodies were like before baby versus after baby. The reality is, no matter the change, we have brought life into this world. That in itself is something so amazing. And is like winning the hardest marathon anyone could even think of. We need to be the role model to our littles, that we are beautiful just as we are. We wouldn’t like it if our loved ones were as hard on themselves as we usually are, so we need to be the first example our children have to look up to.”
Danielle Brickman O’Connor grew up in Northeast Ohio. She began training with the school of Cleveland Ballet at the age of 4 and studied dance full time from then on, eventually dancing professionally for almost 10 years.
“At age 27, I got injured in rehearsal and suffered a career-ending neck injury,” she wrote in an email. “I have had chronic neck pain and other debilitating side effects since that day, but I have come far with how I can manage it. Through the knowledge of my body that I gained all those years dancing, I had to re-train myself on how to do simple things like even lifting easy weights to gain strength back in my upper body and be able to maintain the pain to a level that I am able to live with, especially important now, taking care of a growing 22-month-old.”
Brickman O’Connor, who has done some modeling and film work, is currently working as an ACE-certified personal trainer.
She says the injury, which began as the worst thing that had ever happened to her, ended up being a blessing.
“For now I have so much experience that I can pass on to my clients,” she says. “Over the years, I’ve been able to help others like me with the same type of injury and people with other ailments gain quality of life back again. Now as a mom, I feel like I have the personal experience to really relate to other moms and the struggles they face. For me, I had to have an emergency C-section after many hours of labor, and then got postpartum preeclampsia that caused me to balloon up with a lot of water weight.”
She says she went from always having a strong core to, after the C-section, having no core.
“It really teaches you what you took for granted within your body,” she says. “The personal journey I went through to gain confidence back in my body was very hard at times, physically and mentally. I want all of my clients — moms, dads, whoever — to feel confident within their bodies.”
She adds, “It’s so easy for moms to look at what their bodies were like before baby versus after baby. The reality is, no matter the change, we have brought life into this world. That in itself is something so amazing. And is like winning the hardest marathon anyone could even think of. We need to be the role model to our littles, that we are beautiful just as we are. We wouldn’t like it if our loved ones were as hard on themselves as we usually are, so we need to be the first example our children have to look up to.”
She provides six tips for moms looking to return to a workout routine after having a baby.
- Always make sure you have medical clearance
“This is especially important after having a C-section or complicated birth. Have a conversation with your doctors to determine your allowed level of activity.”
2. Focus on your pelvic floor
“That’s one area that doctors don’t really talk about,” she says. “You need to heal from the inside out. Just a quick Google search for a few pelvic floor exercises you can do at home will help tighten back up your pelvic floor and core. Working on closing the gap on your diastasis recti and strengthening your pelvic floor will help pull everything back into place.”
3. Stay hydrated and eat nutrient-dense foods
“When we are tired or stressed, we tend to reach for a quick pick-me-up. That can be foods high in sugars, carbs, etc. Instead, try to focus on good nutrition. It will give you energy longer and make you feel much better and healthier in the long run.”
4. Set realistic goals
“Your body has been through a lot. Celebrate small wins and don’t stress over quick results. Give yourself some grace. Progress takes time. Appreciate what your body has done and keep showing up.”
5. Consistency over Intensity
“It’s better to do small workouts daily for 20 minutes than do a super intense workout once a week and burn out.”
6. Do what makes you happy
“If you were super into workouts before, ease back into a daily workout routine,” she says. “If you like to just move, dance whenever you get the chance. Take the baby for walks. You have to do whatever physical activity makes you happy and brings you that little bit of endorphins.”
