What Exercises can you do post baby and what to avoid

Tips from our very own Rosa, owner of PilatesPlusWellness who is a Personal Trainer and Pilates Teacher

Congratulations! You have had your baby. Many feel they want to get their body back after having their baby but its important to do it right.

Q1) when can I start running after having a baby?

A – It is recommended by Doctors 6-8 weeks after a natural birth and waiting 11-12 weeks if you have had a C – Section.  Just listen to your body and I recommend just spend the first 12 weeks enjoying connecting with your baby and work on your core first.  I didn’t start running till 10 weeks and I had natural births.  You don’t want to push it too much to start with, as you want to avoid stress incontinence. There is a lot of pressure put on the pelvic floor when running so it can be detrimental to the pelvic floor if you do too much too soon for this reason.  I started running really slowly 5 mins on and 5 mins walking and just gradually built up over time. It also depends on your fitness during your pregnancy what your recovery will be. Always consult your GP if you are not sure.

Q2) What core exercises to avoid?

A – After a baby wait till your 6-week check before exercising and until the abdominals have closed together properly.  I recommend do not do any form of sit-ups or similar until your abdominals have closed together.  You do not want to strengthen the abdominals in a separated state, as there is a risk of them not closing together properly and also making any separation worse.   Also, no plank variations that puts too much load on the abdominals.

Q3) What core exercises can help my abdominals close together?

A – Pilates is fantastic for this purpose. Whilst running mum and baby Pilates classes I always get the new mums to do Hip rolls laying on their backs with feet down and with control.  This is great to get the obliques and waist working.  Opposite arm and leg slide whilst pulling in your tummy and pulling up pelvic floor.  Simply maintaining neutral pelvis and spine, you need to engage your center to keep this position as you move your arms and legs.  Sitting position – small pelvic tilts holding under the knees and pulling your tummy and pelvic floor in help you reconnect with your abdominals and help to train the abs to pull in and pelvic floor to pull up. We all want this post baby.   Simply pulling your belly button into your spine feels like an effort after having a baby so this alone will be training those abdominals to go back in.   I have done a u tube video for these exercises, as it is so much easier to see in detail. Please check out the link and I hope this helps you post baby.

Take a look at our video on post pregnancy pilates

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rt42jYrzmo&t=1s” width=”500″ height=”640″]

We run PilatesPlusWellness Mum Pilates with baby and toning classes Monday’s 11:30am Balham Library and Thursdays 10:35am Fybre studio Northcote road.

Come join us.

We also run other classes too, take a look at the complete timetable

 

 

 

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