Our resident post-natal expert shares her tips
Pregnancy and post-pregnancy, be it a magical time, can also be an overwhelming time of your life. So, how do you make yourself feel better after pregnancy? Here are my 10 tips…
1. Fuel your body with nourishing food! Often, mums are so busy attending to their baby’s needs that their own eating patterns become sporadic, at best. Eating regularly will help maintain metabolism and energy levels. In the long run, this will help with fat loss and body shape.
2. Book a session with an Osteopath or Physiotherapist who specialises in treating pre and post-natal women. Carrying a baby for nine months is quite demanding on your posture, back and hips. Whether you had a natural birth or a c-section, physical therapy treatments will help your body heal post-pregnancy and correct any misalignments in posture caused by pregnancy, labour or daily tasks such as breastfeeding...
Note: Many of my clients also find regular massages useful for relieving general aches and pains in the body, which can be exaggerated by the demands of motherhood.
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3. Start performing your pelvic floor exercises just two days after birth. You need these muscles to pee, so it is really important that you pay attention to them. Urinary incontinence is common after pregnancy. It becomes abnormal when it lasts for longer than three months after birth. Having a strong pelvic floor is vital to manage and prevent this. My clients and I use Elvie as a pelvic floor training device. Go to https://www.elvie.com/?ambassador=FAISON to learn more and receive a discount code.
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4. Daily Postural Habits: How do you carry and pick up your baby? When you pick up your baby from the floor or crib, squat down, hinge at your hips and tighten your abdominal muscles to lift them. Avoid bending over from your lower back, which will cause strain over time. This seems simple but is so effective. As a mum, you are constantly bending over for your baby. Forming good movement habits outside of the gym will help you perform better in the gym by keeping you pain free!
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5. Workout intelligently. Many mums overdo it in the gym soon after pregnancy. I want you to feel re-energised after your workout compared to feeling depleted. Less is more, and consistency is key!
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6. Smaller, consistent workouts are more beneficial. Taking 5min a day to work on reactivating and healing your abs will be more beneficial than an hour of crunches 1x per week.
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7. Increase daily physical activity as time goes on. For example, when you take your baby out for a walk, make it harder by adding on a 5kg weight vest, or ankle/ wrist weights.
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8. Shift body image expectations. I understand you want to get back to the old you, ASAP! I get asked this all the time. I am going to be upfront with you. Your body will look different than before but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a rocking hot body down the road. It just may take a little more work and a little more time. However, if you approach it in a thoughtful and progressive manner, you’ll be more likely to achieve that old you sooner than if you jumped back into it and injured yourself. Approach training like a marathon runner versus a sprinter.
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9. Mindset is everything – It can be quite overwhelming as a mum, so to help deal with these feelings I suggest a website or app called Headspace (https://www.headspace.com). If conditions worsen, don’t fret, post-natal depression is common, but it’s best to seek professional help.
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10. You have what it takes to keep yourself fit! You don’t necessarily need a gym or trainer, though they can help you stay on track, but simply using your own body weight and short, simple workouts (5-30min) will help you achieve your goals. If you are unsure as to how to proceed with your workouts, it may be worth investing time with a trainer who is qualified in pre and post-natal training. Discipline, consistency and the ability to push through some fatigue is vital. You have this!!!
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Katelyn Faison, Personal Trainer at Dan Roberts
MSc Exercise Physiology + Pre and Post-Natal Training Specialist
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