How Having a Return to Exercise Plan PostPartum can can Benefit you!
Postpartum can be an overwhelming time. It is a life changing event that catches even the most well prepared new mums off guard. With all you new responsibilities, shifting sleep schedules, and the physical toll child birth takes on your body, it can be a real struggle to get back on your feet. You’ve probably heard that exercise plays a crucial role in not only recovering from this incredible feat (well done to you mama) but also rebuilding your confidence. However, no matter wether you only occasionally attended a workout class or you were a regular in the gym prior to giving birth, one of the things I hear from new mums is they don’t know how to return to exercise and where to start.
The secret is to take it slow - having a plan that start with gentle exercises, prioritieses the rehab process, and progresses your workouts overtime is incredibly important for long term success in returning back to exercise.
There is a lot to take into consideration, including:
Breath Work
How the Pelvic Floor is Functioning
Supporting Distasis
Changes in Your Lifestyle
Fitting Exercise into your new Routine
What will keep you interested and feels achievable
And most importantly, what will leave you feeling confident and supported in your health and fitness journey
When should i start a Post Partum exercise plan?
As every women’s pregnancy and birth are as individual as she is, it is important to get the sign off from your trusted healthcare professional that you are in a good position to begin an exercise program. There is usually a checkup around the 6 week mark, and it is also recommended that all post partum bleeding has come to an end beforehand.
However as this is such an individual decision between you and your healthcare provider, some women find that they are able to start with gentle movements such as stretching, mobility and breath work much earlier. So feel free to have this discussion with them. It all comes down to how your pregnancy, birth and recovery have been - some women may need to wait longer for healing. There’s nothing wrong with taking your time.
Is it better to do a personalised Postpartum plan or is a general plan fine?
There are plenty of benefits working one on one with a postpartum personal trainer wither in person or online. You’ll receive tailored programming based on your capabilities, as well as some one who can track your progress and answer all your questions. However this is not always an affordable option for everyone. Following an online plan like our Strong as a Mother Postpartum Plan is an affordable guide, written by a qualified personal trainer with a certificate in pregnancy and postpartum coaching, means you no longer have to go it alone.
It is adaptable to the individual as exercises can be switched out within the app by you, has video examples of all exercises and allows you to repeat weeks until you feel you are ready to move on to the next weeks exercises. It is designed for you to be able to do it at your own pace, when you have time, making it a great choice to fit into the busy schedule of a new mum.
Listen to the outline of the Strong As A Mother plan below
The strong as a mother postpartum exercise program is EXCLUSIVE to the strength block app
What exercises should I do for diastasis?
Diastasis, or ab separation is completely normal. All women have ab separation as the linea alba stretches to make room for the growing baby. We believe managing pressure within the abdomen throughout exercises and slowly progressing the demand of the exercise on the body is the way to go, taking the time to rebuild strength in a controlled manner.
The exercises throughout Strong as a Mother progress and get more challenging over time, however you can stick with the earlier ones that are challenging for where you are at individually, while knowing we have exercises to progress too when you are ready.
We always recommend you talk to your healthcare provider in regards to any symptoms before starting a workout programme, and if any issues arise while working through this plan, to stop and revisit them again before continuing.
Can i do home workouts Post partum?
Yes! The first 6 weeks of our Strong as A Mother plan can be done at home providing you have some basic equipment, dumbbells, and resistance bands. We wanted to make it easy to get started on your postpartum return to exercise journey, and know that finding time in your busy “new mum” schedule to go to a gym can be quite challenging!
From week 7 the plan becomes gym based. This is so you can continue to be challenged and progress forwards. Our goal is to not only provide you with the resources to return to exercise after your pregnancy, but set you up to to continue to progress!
Do I have permanent access to this plan when i sign up?
As the Strength Block app is a subscription model, you have access to the app for as long as you keep paying your monthly subscription. This means you can take your time and work at your own pace with a plan, extending it out for as long as you need. We even have a 7 day free trial, so you have nothing to lose!
As I said earlier, the Strong As a Mother program may be designed to get you through your postpartum return to exercise, but it is designed to feed into the next stage of your exercise journey. By the end of the program, you’ll be ready to move onto one of the many programs in the Strength Block App. With 10+ (at the time of writing this) programs available, the Strength Block App is your on going coach to support your fitness goals.
What post partum exercises should I avoid?
We dont believe in labelling exercises good or bad - everything has a time and place! It all comes down to how much of a demand they place on your body and what your body is ready for, as everyones return to exercise will look slightly different. Starting off slow and progressing through exercises and upping their difficulty over time as your body adapts and strengthens, is encouraged throughout this plan. We also recommend seeing this as one tool in your toolbox - working with other healthcare providers such as a pelvic floor physiotherapist can be incredibly beneficial I ensuring that the whole process moves along swiftly, efficiently, and most importantly, safely.
Here’s to You New Mum - you’ve got this!
We designed Strong As a Mother for you. Pregnancy and child birth are such a transformative part of peoples lives and we wanted to create a resource to guide new Mums in returning to exercise. We think you deserve the best, so put in an incredible amount of time and effort creating this program. We don’t expect you to just take our word for it, start your 7 day free trial today to get started.
You rock Mama!