How to have a Safe Return back to Exercise Post Birth
Guest Blogger Geneive D’Rozario shares with us her recommendations for returning to exercise after having a Baby. Gen is a Pregnancy and Postpartum Trainer and Holistic Nutritional Consultant based in
Inverloch, Victoria. She offers Online and face-to-face training sessions and nutritional consultations during pregnancy, postpartum and for babies. You can connect with Gen via her Instagram page @gendrozario or her website www.gendrozario.com.au
In the past, its been a common misconception to wait till 6/8 weeks before returning back to exercise. Don’t get me wrong I’m not advocating for intense exercise during this time but there are gentle connection breaths you can do to rebuild your body from the inside out! This will also set you up for a great return back to exercise.
During the 9 months of pregnancy and then the huge physiological process of birth it is common to lose the connection and neural pathways that signal from the brain to the core muscles.
Having a strong core will enable you to carry the weight of your baby with ease and have a quicker postpartum recovery, allowing you to thrive as a mother.
Let's understand how your core works…
4 main muscle groups that make up your ‘Core’
There are the two bigger muscles that run down the front: rectus abdominals ‘the six-pack muscles’, there are the internal and external obliques, and there is the Transverse Abdominals which are the deep lower abdominals that wrap around your spin from the back to the front and run horizontally. Finally, there is the linea alba which is the connective tissue that runs in between the rectus abdominals.
The cool thing about these muscles and the way they work is that they stretch in pregnancy to allow for your baby to grow. Sometimes, your abdominals can't stretch any further and that is when abdominal separation can happen.
Your Transverse Abdominals, the deep lower abdominals that wrap around your spine, play a crucial role in supporting your body during everyday activities. Whether it be in daily mum life - carrying the kids, lifting the shopping out of the car, or packing away the toys - it's important that your core muscles can fire and function to stabilise the body.
As mentioned after giving birth, it's very common to lose the brain-to-muscle connection with your core.
Try this to help rebuild the neural pathways. The below is also great to do post birth to connect and strengthen your transverse abdominals: It can also help to bring the gap back together if you have any ab separation:
Starting position: Lying on your back with a neutral spine: Think about holding a small pea in place at the base of the spine - you don’t want to crush it by squashing your lower back into the matt.
Body alignment: Keep your chin slightly tucked, upper back nice and relaxed so you now have a neutral spine position. Maintain a slight curve in your lower back while still trying to hold that pea in place.
Breathing technique: find your hip bones and then place your index and middle finger just inside of this on both sides (this is your transverse abdominals). Inhale into the belly, allow the belly to expand and inflate with air. Feel the expansion through the side ribs and the back. This three-dimensional breath enhances your connection to your diaphragm. Exhale gently, and imagine you’re drawing your hip bones together to the midline. If you are finding this hard to connect to then you can also think about it like you are pulling your skin away from low-rise undies. you may feel some activity under your fingers. This is your transverse abdominals activating!
Don't worry if you find it challenging to coordinate these movements initially. It's very common to breathe in reverse, which is a sign you may not be turning on your core correctly. Just keep practising!
Repeat this exercise 10 times, aiming to repeat it 1-3 times per day. You can do this as soon as you feel comfortable after birth. This will help to restrengthen your abdominals as well as minimise lower back pain which is quite common in early postpartum.
Remember, consistency is key. Try to prioritise yourself in the early period I know it’s not easy, but you'll notice improved core strength and stability, making your daily tasks easier and enhancing your overall well-being. It will also put you in a great position when you do decide to return to exercise as you will have a base foundation and then be able to make strong progress to rebuilding your overall strength and fitness, allowing you to thrive whether that be in doing the things you love or taking your training to the next level!
All the best with your strength and movement!
Gen
*This information cannot be taken as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your pregnancy care provider or general practitioner before commencing any new physical activity.
