MOVING SAFELY POST BIRTH
So once you’ve started to settle in to life as a mum, you may be starting to question when is it safe to return to exercise (although this is unlikely to be on the top of your priority list!), and how to start. Don’t worry, Head of Fitness Evelyn Joyce is here to answer your questions and provide her top tips.
The guidance for returning to exercise post birth is not before 6 weeks, and after you’ve had your 6 week post-natal check-up. However, it is important to ease yourself in, just because you’ve reached the 6-week mark it doesn’t mean you can reach straight for those dumbbells or go out for a run. Instead, it’s important to start with some gentle movement, respond to how your body feels and adjust to your energy levels. You may find your body needs longer to recover and that is okay.
Although it is not advised to exercise before the 6-week mark, you can resume pelvic floor exercise after your first wee and/or when your catheter has been removed. Check out Chloe’s (our Pelvic Health Physio) video on pelvic floor exercises.
Also, make sure you check out Chloe’s educational video explaining the changes to your body and how to safely return to exercise.
Post-natal fitness on the on-demand library
I recommend starting with some gentle movement when you feel ready. I have put together two gentle movement 10 minute classes, one focused on the upper body and core and one focused on the lower body. In each video I will take you through a series of exercises, you can either follow along with me and incorporate into a circuit, or add these into your day when you need a little stretch or feel you could benefit from some focused movement. Try 10 repetitions of each exercise, but if that feels too much right now, then do as many that feels right for you today.
When you feel ready to exercise, I recommend following my 3 part low impact series. This series starts with bodyweight exercises, before building in core activation, and resistance work. I recommend you repeat each episode a few times (until it feels comfortable), before moving on to the next episode. Each workout incorporates a number of different rounds, however this doesn’t mean you have to complete every round. If one feels enough then that’s great, use it as your benchmark and next time try two rounds!
Similar to when you were pregnant, the most important advice I can give you is Listen to Your Body. Remember being a mum, is a physical job in itself!
When returning to exercise, it’s important to be aware of the following red flags:
Vaginal bleeding restarting
Incontinence of urine or faeces
Heaviness or grading sensation within the vagina
Ongoing or new pelvic or back pain
Now these are not to scare you and are unlikely. However, if you do experience any of these, or other symptoms that are new, stop exercising and make an appointment to speak to a GP or physiotherapist.
