Basics on Post-Natal Exercise

Post-Natal training review for trainers to understand clients needs after their pregnancy.

Some of the many benefits of postnatal exercise include:

• Speedier healing and recovery from the rigours of the birthing process
• Faster return to your pre-pregnancy shape and level of fitness
• Increased energy to cope with the demands of new motherhood
• Reduced stress and depression.

Post Natal Exercises can be started 2-3 days after the birth of your baby if no complications occurred in labour and a natural delivery was achieved.

• Exercise pelvic floor muscles specifically
• Exercise abdominal muscles

• These exercises should not cause any pain or strain
• They should be done slowly
• Consult a Physiotherapist if you are unsure about any exercise.

Twelve (12) Weeks After Your Baby's Birth

Check your pelvic floor strength by:

• Stopping the flow of urine mid stream
• Coughing with a full bladder (incontinence at this point means a weak PF).
• Jumping with a full bladder.
• See a Women's Health Physiotherapist if incontinence occurs

Back care

When caring for your new baby, take care of your back by:

Standing 'tall' with your tummy muscles pulled in and your bottom tucked under

Sitting in a comfortable chair with good back support particularly when feeding your baby

Lifting correctly by bending your knees, keeping your back straight, tightening your stomach and pelvic floor muscles and holding the object firmly and close to your body. Try not to bend or tilt forward from the hips as this stresses the lumber vertebrae and they take allot of strain during pregnancy.

Avoiding sudden and repetitive bending and twisting movements

Making sure that your working surfaces are at the waist / hip height

Alternating sitting and standing jobs.

See a chiropractor you feel comfortable with if you have back pain.  It is very likely that vertebrae have shifted during gestation and labour.

Helpful Hints

For further fitness begin a walking programme or join a Post Natal exercise class conducted by a Physiotherapist.

To get out of bed, bend your knees, roll onto your side and use your hands to push into a semi-sitting position, at the same time move your legs over the side of the bed.

Pram Walks are great to:

• Increase of self-esteem
• Improve sleep
• Improve cardiovascular fitness
• Help to loose weight and gain muscle
• Decrease depression, anxiety, blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
• Gets mother out of the house so she feels less isolated.
• Save money because there is no need for child care

Risks

Build up of lactic acid which effects breast milk 1 to 2 hours after exercise.

Potential of overheating.

Weather may effect mother and child

Exercise recommendations for post-natal resistance training

Resistance training with weights, elastic bands, or your own body weight

Beginners view

Sets 2-3

Reps 12

Rest 30 – 40 seconds

Compound Exercises (multi-joint) with a functional focus eg. Work rhomboids/ mid trap/ upper back as these muscles are needed for feeding and carrying postures. Done in exercise such as rows, lateral pull downs.

Isolated exercise used only for clients psychological benefit.