Instagram story viewer> @movewithbetterform> Posts

Ayelet | Women’s Health & Strength

@movewithbetterform

5.3K

followers

1742

following

Muscle is medicine 💊
Strength, hormones, pelvic floor + nutrition
I connect the dots so women feel like themselves again.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

I gradually noticed myself being able to extend the amount of time I could hold myself up for. I noticed myself swinging less (this video is from the start of the 30 days)- meaning that my stabilizer muscles have strengthened. I noticed that by default I stand a lot taller, my posture is better, I have better shoulder mobility and my shoulders are less rounded forward which is also contributing to a deeper range of motion in my chest press. I noticed that my 360 diaphragmatic breath ability got deeper in terms of back expansion and I noticed my upper ab gripping lessen (ribs becoming more dynamic). I noticed my grip strength increase- which is one of the main reasons I started.

Studies show a correlation between grip strength and life span. “Reduced handgrip strength was closely linked to mortality in people of all incomes predicting risks for early death better than blood pressure, which is often considered one of the best indicators of life span.” (2015 study of over 140,000 people: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62000-6/abstract)
Additionally, grip strength is also known as a biomarker for aging- though the reasoning isn’t 100% conclusive as to why.

Low grip strength = less independence = disability and inability to manage daily tasks as we age. I challenge you all to 30 days of deadhangs 💪

*disclaimer : dead hangs are not good for everyone- if you have pain when doing them consult with someone. Pregnant women and postpartum should not do them if they notice any trouble with intrabdominal pressure management, coning, doming, pressure in back or bearing down, pelvic pressure, straining etc… that being said, if you’re preggo and you have good IAP management and have been doing them with 0 signs of intolerance- heck ye keep going!!

#fitmom #gripstrength #correctiveexercise #trainingforlongevity #longevity #strengthtraining #kyphosis #techneck #decompress #mobility #goalsetting #fitness #cpt #personaltrainer #wellness #deadhang by @movewithbetterform

30k

154

3 years ago

Here’s why I ignored them—because the actual evidence says the opposite ⬇️

Most of the advice women receive about pregnancy and exercise is outdated, fear-based, or rooted in old myths about “strain” and “harm.” But we now have decades of data showing that appropriate prenatal strength training is not only safe — it’s profoundly beneficial for both mother and baby.

Here’s what the research shows:

• Babies born to women who exercise during pregnancy demonstrate better neurodevelopmental outcomes — including improvements in learning, memory, and early language scores.
Studies suggest that maternal movement increases placental blood flow and oxygen delivery, which supports healthier fetal brain development.

• Exercise during pregnancy improves maternal glucose regulation, reduces gestational diabetes risk, and supports healthier metabolic function.
This matters because maternal glucose variability is directly linked to fetal growth patterns and long-term metabolic health.

• Strength training improves circulation, reduces musculoskeletal pain, and helps maintain rib-cage mobility, pelvic alignment, and balanced pressure management.
All of which support a more coordinated core and pelvic floor during pregnancy.

• Controlled lifting teaches the body to manage intra-abdominal pressure — a skill you need for labor and postpartum recovery.
It’s not about “doing less.”
It’s about moving differently, breathing better, and building resilience through the changes your body is already navigating.

• Prenatal movement has also been shown to improve maternal mood, sleep quality, and stress regulation.
And a regulated mother contributes to a healthier hormonal environment for the developing baby.

So no — lifting a toddler (or a barbell) isn’t the enemy.
Poor information is.
Pregnancy isn’t fragility. It’s physiology — and movement supports it.

Save this for when someone gives you outdated advice again.
Your body is capable.
And the science backs you.

Just please, if you’re gonna do it, please do it the right way and incorporate proper pelvic floor breathing mechanics!!

#PrenatalExercise #PregnancyFacts #PregnancyScience #StrongPregnancy #WomenWhoLift by @movewithbetterform

274

18

10 months ago

Haven’t done an introduction in a while, so if you’re new here, welcome 💕

My name is Ayelet Gottesman, I am Israeli Canadian and currently residing in South Florida.

I have 3 boys. When my youngest was born I had 3 under 3.5. We thrive in chaos ✨

As someone who dealt with complicated pregnancies, postural deviations, pelvic floor dysfunction and a 12 week miscarriage, I pivot-ed my career about 4 years ago, specializing in Pre & Postnatal, peri/menopause, all things pelvic floor + corrective exercise cause I felt (and feel) a dire passion to help women in a field that had not yet been catered to at the time. Thank Gd the market is now saturated with professionals with the goal to help women not just survive but thrive in their child bearing years and it couldn’t make me happier. At the same time, I feel very strongly about the spread of misinformation so at times I can get a little fiesty 😏 I take a holistic all encompassing approach to what I do, and in that I believe that my offering is quite unique.

I am a science nerd and pride myself on the abnormal amount of courses I have taken for each of my qualifications. I can never know enough in my field and am always learning.

I have minor scoliosis and arthritis of the sacrum and mildly in my knee and live relatively pain free due to a combination of lifestyle, nutrition and training modalities.

I feel very passionate about helping women build muscle in the years prior to and through menopause, to help promote longevity, build bone density so that women can withstand injury in older years and to help regulate insulin and hormones. I have PCOS and I’ve dived deep into the research, and base all my methods on my findings. I used to never get my period, and BH I am over a year of regular cycles to the day.

I have been breastfeeding for the entire duration of my motherhood (5 & 3/4s years) and just stopped a month and a half ago. I co sleep with all my kids. I am happily married to my high school sweetheart.

I specialize in both Holistic & Fitness Nutrition and use food as a primary line of defense 👊I am passionate about food as medicine (prevention).

DM me if you’re ready to feel like the best you! by @movewithbetterform

187

25

2 years ago

There’s a big difference between being optimistic and simply avoiding something because you’re afraid of what you might find.

And I think a lot of us confuse the two.

Something that really stuck with me from Dr. Sue Varma’s book Practical Optimism is that optimism isn’t just about thinking positively. It’s about what we actually DO with that mindset.

Because let’s be real. Sometimes telling ourselves “I’m sure it’s nothing” is a whole lot easier than making the appointment and potentially finding out otherwise.

But ignoring something doesn’t make it go away.

And when it comes to our health, delaying care can sometimes mean missing the opportunity to catch something earlier.

For me, this goes hand in hand with my faith.

I believe Hashem is in control of the outcome. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a responsibility to take care of myself.

I can have faith AND be proactive.

And I know that unfortunately, not everyone gets the answers they’re hoping for. My heart is with every woman and family navigating that reality. 💗

So this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please don’t let fear disguise itself as optimism.

Check yourself monthly around the same time of your cycle. Make the appointment. Ask the questions. Follow up.

Hope for the best. Take action anyway.

I still don’t have answers, and go for mammograms + ultrasounds every 6 months but I am not fearful because I am proactive ✨
And thank you, @doctorsuevarma, for introducing me to a way of thinking about optimism that has really stayed with me. 💗 by @movewithbetterform

117

38

17 hours ago

☠️🤪 by @movewithbetterform

44

24

2 days ago

PCOS girlies who struggle with those deep cystic pimples, this is for you. 👀 by @movewithbetterform

35

14

3 days ago

Coming back from Israel has been a lot harder than I expected.

I spent three weeks reconnecting with a part of myself that I hadn’t been able to return to in ten years.

And now that I’m back, I feel so sad. And honestly, a little confused.

Because I love the home and the life I’ve built here.

But when I landed, it didn’t feel like I was coming home.

It felt like I’d just left home.

And I don’t really know how to explain that feeling.

I’m getting back to work tomorrow, and I’ve been struggling with the thought of returning to my normal routine.

My kids go back to school tomorrow, too. After three weeks of the sweetest (and chaotic) family quality time, being together all day, every day, I’m already missing that careless and free schedule with them.

And even though I love what I do and believe so strongly in my mission, I’d be lying if I said the thought of jumping straight back into the שגרה of full-time work, motherhood, and a routine where I often feel like I’m doing it all without much support isn’t overwhelming.

Especially after experiencing what it felt like to have so many relatives and support around us while we were there.

It’s honestly pretty heart wrenching.

There’s so much more I want to share about this trip, but I don’t feel like I have the words to do the experience justice yet.

So for now, I’ve just been sitting with it. Processing it. Trying to take it all in.

And hoping I can carry some of what I felt there back into my life here ❤️‍🩹🇮🇱 by @movewithbetterform

225

66

5 days ago

People tend to underestimate how strong I am bc I look small ☺️ by @movewithbetterform

86

20

15 days ago

I am Israeli. I have a whole life here. Hundreds of relatives… my entire extended family on both sides.
It feels like I never left and honestly, I don’t know how I am going to leave again…
I’ve spent the last 10 years confronting a lot of trauma, and this year I finally felt ready to come back.

Showing my kids my whole world here, the places, the people, the life I had before they knew me, has been so healing and honestly so wholesome.

And as a Jew living in the diaspora, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more comforted by our home than I do right now.

I still have some time left here, and I’m not ready to share more about this part of my story yet.

But for now…

this is what I’ve been up to. 🇮🇱 by @movewithbetterform

141

31

17 days ago

Pregnancy changes the way your entire trunk has to function.

As your belly grows, your rib cage has to make room, your breathing mechanics change, your abdominal wall is being lengthened, and your body starts finding new strategies to manage pressure and keep you upright.

For some women, one of those strategies is a more flared rib position.

And then the baby comes out and your body doesn’t necessarily go:

“Cool, pregnancy’s over. Everybody back to your original positions.” 😂

Those compensations can stick around postpartum.

So yes, some of what you’re seeing can be your anatomy.

But if your rib flare developed or became more pronounced during pregnancy, that doesn’t automatically mean this is just how your body is built now.

We can work on breathing mechanics, rib and pelvic position, abdominal control, pressure management, myofascial release and then teach your body to use those strategies under load. by @movewithbetterform

24

2

a month ago

Yom Kippur is a day we think of as solemn.

Reflection.
Repentance.
Fasting.
The fragility of life.

And that year, after miscarriage, health problems, death, shiva and so much grief, we got to experience another side of it.

Life.
Joy.
A new beginning.

Lior Michael Meir 💛

Lior, my light.
Michael (my father in law, Michael Meir),
Meir, one who illuminates.

Born nine months to the day after my husband got up from shiva for the grandfather whose name he would carry. Whom we miss so deeply every single day.

Yom Kippur has never felt quite the same since ❤️

Happy birthday, my rainbow baby, you light up every room you enter 🌈 by @movewithbetterform

143

60

a month ago

Ain’t nobody got time to go backwards. We’re building upwards from here. 🫡
And FYI, the women who focus on moving forward rather than getting their “body back” actually end up loving their bodies now more than they did before 😉 by @movewithbetterform

38

26

a month ago