At first getting to know & caring for your baby will seem
to leave you little time for contemplating (let alone doing any)
exercise. Any exercise you did during pregnancy will help you to
regain fitness more easily – but just start gently, take
the advice of your midwife, health visitor or doctor, & listen
to your body!
As a general rule, you should avoid all physical stress for two
weeks after the birth - ‘carry nothing heavier than the baby’ -
& don’t embark on any strenuous post-natal exercise regime
for six weeks. In the case of a Caesarean section birth, you should
wait 8-10 weeks. However, you can start walking as soon as you
feel able, & the sooner pelvic floor exercises are started, the
better!
Now your goals are likely to be:
A return to pre-pregnancy weight
Improvement in abdominal tone
An improved body image & more energy
Start gradually, walking & pushing your baby in the buggy, or
carrying her in a supportive sling, & after six weeks increase
the duration of your walks. Keep your back straight, pull your
tummy in & step up the pace over time. Keep up those pelvic floor
exercises!
Six weeks after the birth, you could start some strength training
but build intensity gradually remembering that your joint laxity
is still affected by relaxin. Core strength exercises are great
for strengthening your abdominals. To locate your core muscles,
pull your navel in towards your spine – this is your internal ‘corset’ which
is essential for good posture, reduced back pain, and, of course
a flat stomach!
Remember, You can’t ‘spot reduce’! I.e. you cannot
shift excess fat from say, your tummy or upper arms, by concentrating
all your training efforts on hundreds of sit-ups or tricep dips.
You will simply develop disproportionate muscles under the layer
of fat, making the area even bigger. If you have problem areas,
then these are the areas where your body genetically stores excess
body fat. The only way to reduce the fat here is to reduce your
overall body fat to lean muscle ratio, & you will achieve this
with a programme of cardio & strength work, combined with a healthy
diet.
If your abdominal muscle split during pregnancy (this is very common,
& painless), you will need to start with some adapted exercises
to encourage the muscles to return to their pre-pregnancy position
& tone. Your personal trainer will show you how to test for this
condition, known as diastasis recti, & will show you how to monitor
your own progress as you get back into shape!
