My top 3 tips for getting back to exercise after having a baby
If you are newly post natal and keen to get back to the exercise you love, I have collated 3 of my most useful tips in this blog. Getting back to exercise after giving birth is such a personal journey but here are 3 thoughts from my 10+ years experience as a post natal personal trainer, who has worked with hundreds of post natal mums.
Start with your breath
You may have noticed, this crops up frequently in my blogs, and for good reason :)
Pregnancy, birth, and the early post natal period can change the way you breathe in the following ways:
- Change in posture during pregnancy as centre of mass changes as your baby grows (and bump gets bigger)
- A growing baby makes it harder for your diaphragm to move and create a wide or a deep breath, which means new mums find they have a shallow breath or a breathing pattern that moves the shoulders up or sends the breath out in the belly. This breathing pattern often endures into the postnatal period too.
- Your breath is an EASY and EFFECTIVE way to build connection with your pelvic floor and deep core when you are postnatal. Not only can it offer a way to improve pelvic floor function but also dial down the nervous system at a time in a mum’s life when EVERYTHING might feel new and different.
The below image from Burrell Education shows the relationship between the diaphragm, the abdominal wall and the pelvic floor – all of which may have been compromised during pregnancy, birth and postnatal recovery.
Use "listen to your body" and here's how
OK, this phrase gets thrown around ALOT! And it’s 100% vague! Plus, when you haven’t been told a huge amount about how your body works, it’s hard to know what to listen for…
So, here’s how I help my clients to use “listen to your body”
- Know how things felt pre-pregnancy and whether it’s pregnancy/postpartum making them feel pain, aches, or pelvic floor and core symptoms (we can adjust for this) or that they are placing too much demand on their body and system.
- Understanding common symptoms and timeframes for tissue healing post-baby – is this in the realm of normal for where you are. Or should these symptoms have eased by now (as the body returns to its baseline post baby)
- Noting how exercise or volume of movement is making them feel in their everyday life. Doing too much for where you are in your healing, might show up as pelvic floor symptoms, fatigue, sore muscles and aches that exceed a few days after workout, interrupted sleep (outside of baby waking you), and a hunger that can’t be met.
Look after your wider wellbeing
Your post-natal body is now supporting the hunger of a new baby, sleep interruptions, (maybe) the demands of other children, and daily life in general. Postnatal exercise is a great way to feel good, build strength for motherhood, and boost mood. BUT, doing too much when it’s not supported by rest and recovery, lots of nutritious food, and the occasional break from “doing it all” may lead to experiencing more frequent pelvic floor symptoms, injury, and greater levels of fatigue.
You need:
To eat well and eat enough – healing, feeding, and caring for a baby (and wider family) are hugely demanding, so it’s not the time to eat diet foods and restrict calories. It is the time to eat regular meals across the day with plenty of protein, complex carbs, fruits and veggies and essential fats.
Allow time for recovery – you may not be able to control the sleeping patterns of your new baby, but you can allow adequate time for recovery in between workouts or training sessions.
Build demand and volume over time – your first post natal workouts shouldn’t look like your last pre pregnancy workouts. Instead, use gradual exposure to demand and build up more complex movements. If you’re going back to a specific sport or type of training, then overtime, your rehab should start to look more like the specific sport you are doing. E.g Postnatal Crossfit athletes should also be building grip and ab strength along with core and pelvic floor strength and function. A rugby player might start to introduce strength and impact work following their initial rehab.
Want help with your postnatal recovery and return to exercise?
From Bump to Barbell is a post natal training programme that combines the strength training you love with the core and pelvic floor work you need. So you can return to the training you love, or just feel better and get stronger for motherhood.
There are 1:1 coaching and postnatal fitness sessions or join the From Bump to Barbell group sessions at Fade Biomechanics in Warwick
Ready to start your post natal journey NOW?
Beth Davies is a highly experienced personal trainer and coach with over 10 years experience in coaching pregnant, post-natal, or female pelvic health clients. Her programmes educate, empower and support women back to training or their active life, eliminating symptoms and building strength and confidence. She has been featured in women’s lifestyle magazines and websites, including Stylist, Metro, Woman & Home and Marie Claire UK
Beth’s training and coaching for women with pelvic organ prolapse or who are pregnant or post-natal, provides face-to-face personal training in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and online across the UK and Europe.