Did you catch our recent Instagram Live with postnatal fitness specialist Fit Mums Bible ? Reka demonstrated how to check your body to ensure you are ready to safely return to exercise after pregnancy, alongside some fun low impact exercises to help your postnatal recovery. We also discussed the huge pressure on women to instantly snapback to their pre-baby bodies and how this is both unrealistic and unhealthy. Here, Reka shares her top tips to help your body and mind recover after birth.
So you’ve just had a baby, what do you need to do to help your postnatal recovery?
Within 24 hours of giving birth reconnect with your core through deep abdominal breathing – This will increase the blood flow into the stomach area and will aid tissue healing, the shrinking of the uterus, pelvic floor activation and perineal tear recovery.
How about Diastasis Recti aka Abdominal Separation?
Checking abdominal separation should be part of the 6-week check-up but many women are not checked, nor were they told about separation.
Abdominal Separation can cause many issues like lower back pain, sciatic pain, bulging belly that you cannot lose, incontinence, pelvic issues and so much more.
It is actually very easy to check at home yourself and should be done before you start any form of exercise.
So when is your body ready for exercise?
Once you are comfortable with the deep abdominal breathing and checked your abdominal muscles, you are ready to start exercise 6 week post vaginal birth and 12 weeks post C-section.
What are the best postnatal exercises to aide recovery?
Focus more on stretching than exercising initially to reduce the tension in your body caused by carrying the extra weight and the postural changes.
Stick to Low impact exercises to reduce pressure on the joints that are still looser due to the presence of the relaxin hormone.
Avoid any move that would cause damage or slow down the healing process of the abdominals and internal tissues such as crunches, vigorous twisting, lifting heavy weights, high impact exercises and anything that feels wrong to you when you check in with your body.
Be kind to yourself
Practice self-love, stop the negative self-talk and let go of high expectations. Becoming a mum is a huge change both physically and mentally. So be kind to yourselves and take your postnatal fitness journey at your own pace.
For more postnatal fitness tips check out https://www.fitmumsbible.co.uk/
