Working out during and after pregnancy helps strengthen abdominal muscles, boosts energy, may prevent postpartum depression and improve back pain and posture. Kegels (pelvic floor workouts) are often recommended for women after pregnancy as they strengthen the muscles that support the bladder and bowels. Keep reading the article below to learn more about Postpartum Workout.
When people think of core muscles, they often picture six-pack abs. But your core includes much more than those surface muscles, including deeper ones that support your spine and pelvis – and a strong, stable core is crucial for stability, proper posture, and everyday movement like walking, lifting, and caring for your baby.
Pregnancy and childbirth can leave many women’s core muscles weakened, stretched, and weak. It’s important to slow down and re-build your core strength correctly and safely in the postpartum period, to prevent pain and injury, and to prevent long-term health problems, including back pain, poor posture, incontinence, and misalignment of the pelvic floor muscles.
This gentle, progressive program from Britany teaches you how to engage your core and re-establish your alignment over a 12-week period. Its innovative combination of Pilates, yoga, and pelvic floor techniques are suitable for all levels of fitness and experience.
The program incorporates modifications of many common exercises – such as a modified plank – that reduce the amount of stress placed on the abdominal area, particularly following a C-section delivery. It also teaches you how to perform basic Kegel and isometric exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor.
These movements are not only safe and effective for a wide range of women, but are also effective in helping to close any abdominal separation (diastasis recti). It’s vital to re-establish core strength correctly, and avoiding pregnancy related injuries such as diastasis recti is key to a healthy recovery.
In addition to building a stronger, more stable core, the program includes an educational video segment from Britany on how to do a corrective exercise for diastasis recti. These are simple exercises that can be done at home, and will help you to re-establish the connection between your ab muscles and your pelvic floor. This is an essential part of the core rehab process, and something that many women don’t know how to do.
PWR Post-Pregnancy
Women go through incredible physical and emotional changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period. While it’s normal for women to gain some weight after childbirth, excessive postpartum weight retention (PWR) can increase the risk of poorer long-term health outcomes in both mother and baby. Excessive PWR is associated with increased risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Despite this, it’s common for new mums to feel pressure to “bounce back” and reclaim their pre-baby bodies.
Kelsey Wells, a Sweat trainer and creator of PWR workout program, has created a postpartum fitness plan to help women safely return to exercise after pregnancy. The 28-week program combines low impact abdominal and pelvic floor exercises with gentle full body workouts. It also includes four optional beginner weeks to gradually build up strength and confidence.
The program is designed to be completed from home and can be adjusted according to the mother’s individual recovery needs. The workouts can be done on the floor or with light equipment, making them suitable for most women in the early stages of their postpartum recovery. The program can also be adapted to work around the baby’s feeding schedule.
In addition to building strength and confidence, the programme helps women overcome sleep challenges, which are often associated with excessive PWR. Studies have shown that women who report shorter sleep duration are at greater risk for excessive PWR. This is particularly true for Black and Hispanic women.
The program also addresses other factors that can prevent women from exercising, including barriers such as financial constraints, childcare responsibilities, and family obligations. The program includes a pre-exercise screening questionnaire to identify potential barriers to exercise, and provides tips to address them. It also encourages new mothers to consult with a healthcare professional before commencing exercise. The questionnaire is simple to fill out and can be accessed from the app’s ‘Planner’ tab. In addition to providing a workout timetable, the app allows users to track their progress and motivation with visual progression charts. This makes it easier to stay on track with their goals and achieve success!
Kayla’s Post-Pregnancy Program
When it comes to re-establishing fitness after pregnancy, everyone’s journey is different. However, if you have clearance from your healthcare professional, the Postpartum program on Sweat by Kayla Itsines is a great way to build up your strength.
The 16-week program, which also has four Foundation Weeks for women who’ve had a C-section or weakened pelvic floor, features lap-based resistance sessions that are easy to complete in the comfort of your own home. The workouts are designed to rebuild your core and posture, and start out low-intensity before gradually increasing over time.
Pregnancy can be a huge strain on the body, so you’ll need to ease back into exercise slowly and listen to your body. Even co-founder and head trainer Kayla Itsines took things slow when she returned to working out, opting for just a few minutes of her usual session to begin with. However, the workouts are designed to be customised to your needs, so you can adjust the length and difficulty of your sessions to fit your new body.
It’s a great option for busy mums, as you can follow Kayla’s recommended training timetable via the ‘Planner’ tab within the app. But you can choose how to schedule your weekly resistance sessions based on what works best for you, as each workout is short enough to fit around other family and work commitments.
You’ll need a pair of dumbbells (‘choose a weight that’s challenging, but won’t cause strain or push you to work to failure,’ Kayla advises), and an exercise mat for the lower back relief, hip strength and upper-body posture sessions. Alternatively, you can do the workouts with no equipment at all, using your own bodyweight for each exercise instead.
As a mum of two, Kayla understands the challenges that come with balancing motherhood and a fitness routine. Her workouts are short and can be done from the comfort of your own home, making them easy to slot in with a baby or toddler in tow. She also recommends trying a live class with the Mamawell Method, a New-York style barre method, which offers online video classes for those who aren’t able to attend live sessions in person.
PWR Postpartum
Pregnancy and birth are not only physically demanding, but they also take a toll on the pelvic floor and core. The result is many women struggling with postpartum issues such as urinary incontinence, lower back pain and diastasis recti, a condition that causes the abdominal muscles to separate and leave a gap. These issues are not only embarrassing, but they can also significantly interfere with a woman’s ability to perform everyday activities and exercise.
However, these issues can be prevented or treated early by including a regular exercise program into the postpartum period. Research shows that introducing physical activity during this period can boost mood stability and prevent a recurrence of depression, as well as improving energy levels. Aerobic exercise like walking, cycling and jogging can release endorphins and fit into the schedule of new moms while strengthening the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.
Adding some resistance training to the mix can also help. Studies suggest that breastfeeding may cause the body to lose bone-mineral density, and strength training can help to rebuild it. While most new moms are able to return to higher-intensity exercises, it is important to monitor symptoms and progress slowly in order to avoid injury.
Women who have had complications during childbirth — such as tears, surgical complications or blood loss — may need to wait longer before beginning exercise. However, breaking workout sessions into smaller sessions and choosing low-impact exercises can make it easier for women to stick with a fitness routine once they feel ready.
Another option is to join a group fitness class designed with postpartum women in mind. These classes can provide social and emotional support, as well as a supportive environment to work out in. In addition, they can be a great way to connect with other women who are going through similar experiences.
Finally, many women find it beneficial to seek a physical therapist who can teach them safe, progressive exercises that will strengthen the pelvic floor and core without damaging the vaginal ligaments. This can be an effective alternative to a postpartum workout, as it can be done from the comfort of one’s home and at a time that fits into their busy schedule.