POSTNATAL Body Part 3
When is the right time to exercise your body post birth ?
Would it shock you if I said straight away ?
............ because as a new Mum you won't be sitting down will you ?
From the minute you give birth you are encouraged to move. Once home you'll be moving and lifting and lunging and squatting EVERY DAY. You'll also be lifting fairly heavy weights for your recovering body.
* Think lifting that car seat holding baby every time you do a car journey.
* Think folding the chassis of the pram to put it in the boot.
* Think bending and lunging down to pick up your toddlers things off the floor
* Think pushing and pulling the hoover
* Think bending down to put a washing in
.... And lets not forget walking your baby in their pram. ( Awww how I miss that......... )
So ladies in other words .................. you may not realise it, but you really are on the go from the minute you leave that hospital.
New Mums should never feel pressurised into losing their baby weight, losing the pounds, or into getting their pre baby shape back. Your body has just went through the most traumatic, amazing, wonderful, life changing experience and this is just the beginning. However when the time is right it’s important to ensure you do the correct exercise programme. Think back to when you were in the hospital. Did you have your tummy muscles checked? Did you have them checked again at your six week postnatal appointment? Were you asked how your pelvic floor was? Chances are you weren’t – and it’s important to be mindful of what your body has gone through, before you start heading for that insanity class. It is extremely important to train safely after your baby is born and avoid certain exercises. Did you know that the wrong exercise and poor posture following a pregnancy can increase your abdominal separation or Diastasis Recti?
The question really is WHEN do you step it up a notch? The answer is really simple
I don't know...... WHY ?
Because only you know.....
Forget the women from baby yoga who is posting pics of her first jog at 6 weeks postnatal on facebook
Forget the women on Instagram from around the world who think its cool to do too much too soon.
BUT.... DONT FORGET TO LISTEN TO YOUR OWN BODY. AND ANY SIGNS YOU HAVE THAT THINGS ARE NOT ALL WELL ( See The POSTNATAL BODY part 2 for that information )
SO .... what are the options when you've decided you want to do more?
This will very much depend on ....
What stage postnatal you are?
How you have healed?
What type of birth you experienced?
If you have any postnatal symptoms such as back pain, Pelvic floor dysfunction or trauma, stress or urge incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse to name a few.
STOP AND THINK......
* before you hit the buggy bootcamps that have you running up and down hills as your 8 week old baby sleeps in his pram.
* before you jump straight back into Les Mills classes because you've desperately missed your combat, attack or pump class
Every woman is different.......... but let's just lay this one to bed. If you are coughing , sneezing etc and feel some 'wee' escaping PLEASE DO NOT do high impact. In fact please just don't head for high impact period ! LETS NOT RUN BEFORE WE CAN WALK.
From a Mum of two, who has experienced both a C section and a standard delivery ( if you can call standard a forceps and episiostomy birth ) ..... and then popping on my pre & postnatal exercise specialist hat on.....
Start with the Pelvic Floor and gentle core strengthening........
( believe it or not......posture, breathing patterns and even foot position help you heal that Pelvic floor)
* BE careful of which tummy exercises you are choosing to do. In general PLANKING too soon or even doing crossover type exercises like the image below can stop your abdominal separation healing. It can also place too much pressure on your already weakened Pelvic floor, worsening symptoms you may already be experiencing.
* RUNNING - Try not to jump straight back in. Heal first ( and remember don't even consider it if you are experiencing any kind of the pelvic floor symptoms as mentioned before ).
TO SUMMARISE..... Be kind to your body, enjoy this time with your baby..... and begin gentle exercise when the time is right for YOU
JUST HAD A BABY ?
Join me in POSTNATAL PILATES where I'll teach you...... What's safe and what's not following the birth of your baby as well as teaching you the correct way to heal USING ....
* Integrated Pelvic floor functional training
* Pilates control method
* Core activation work adopting the BREATHE principle
* Easy to learn PILATES alignment techniques to manage back pain
Baby welcome to class and you'll also benefit from our Private facebook group with easy to follow recipes which have the perfect mix of your macros ( fats carbohydrates and proteins)
If you’d like to register for POSTNATAL PILATES , see FAQS, dates, venues and costs click right here PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL PILATES
See what other Mums think of the class here on my NETMUMS REVIEWS
