Along Dancing with the Stars In season 33, pro Witney Carson went mega viral thanks to some of her jaw-dropping moves. But for Witney, whose seasons are on hiatus DWTS It wasn’t always easy to regain that confidence to welcome her children with husband Carson McAllister in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Witney tells exclusively that she felt “a lot of pressure to come back” after giving birth to her first son, Kevin, in January 2021 Women’s Health.

“As a dancer, our bodies are always falling apart,” she says. “Since we were three years old, we’ve been looking in the mirror all the time, and we’re very critical of ourselves because of it. Coming out of the postpartum period and starting dancing again was very stressful.”

But then opening Witney said she felt “an army of women” as she described her struggles on social media and was reminded of how incredible giving birth is.

This helped him a second time in May 2023.

“(Those women) taught me to have compassion for yourself for all the changes that can happen, so in my second one, I came back to remembering the essence of what I had just done, which was to raise a human being and give birth to a human being,” she says. “I was focusing on how I felt, not just how I looked.”

So what exactly does Witney do for self-care and fitness? Here’s what you need to know.

According to Witney, ‘action is medicine.’

During Dancing with the StarsWitney is constantly in and out of rehearsals. However, in the off-season, he works “every day” except Sunday.

“The more breaks I take, the worse I almost feel,” she says. “So even if I don’t have rehearsals, I’m still moving.”

Witney’s favorites include: pilates, hot yogaAnd running outside. Even on Sundays (rest days) he likes to do something. long walk“just to set something in motion.”

He focuses on his core.

To get Witney’s rock-hard abs (which is absolutely essential when she does her now-viral moves) leg liftBTW), the 31-year-old has a simple hack: boards.

“People hate it, but the plank is so good because they get everything—the obliques, the core muscles,” he says. “So whenever I do a workout, I always end it with a plank. My secret would be to try to plank for as long as possible at the end of your workout.”

He follows a protein-rich diet.

To support all this training, Witney eats a lot proteinThis helps him maintain his energy levels.

“When I’m in rehearsals and I’m so busy, if I’m not getting enough protein, I don’t have enough energy for anything,” he says. “I really try to make every meal protein-heavy, and then I try to make it as healthy as I can—I’ll get a veggie in there and a carb as well. quinoa or Ezekiel bread“

Typically, his family, which includes sons Leo, 3, and Jet, 1, eat the same meals in the hope that their children won’t develop picky habits. While she tries to make dinners as nutritious as possible, of course, “there are days when we just eat macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and fries.”

During rehearsals, Witney makes sure to eat and snack every two hours. beef sticks And protein shakes. he loves too green juice for vitamins.

“It’s about preparation and making sure you have the right things with you so you don’t starve and then eat something that makes you feel awful,” she says.

His family is punishing him.

When things get overwhelming in Witney’s schedule, she likes to journal, which helps her organize her thoughts.

But most of all he turns to his loved ones for comfort. Family time for him is every Sunday, when he makes sure he’s not working so everyone can go to church.

“At the end of the day, that’s why I do what I do. I love what I do, but I also do it for a reason bigger than myself,” he says. “If you go back to the core values ​​of why you work and do the things you do, that is very helpful.”

For other mothers who are continuing their postpartum lives, she says it is very important to feel good inside before focusing on the outside.

“Really listen to your body and make sure you feel your best; that’s my motivation to exercise and stay healthy,” she says. “I want to do my best every day for my kids, my husband, and just for myself. Give yourself as much kindness as possible and try not to listen to those outside voices.”

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