Exercises » Post Natal Fitness » Main Points & Benefits
Main Points:
Relaxin
The hormone relaxin (which relaxes your ligaments and effects joint stability) is still within your body system. It can take 4 to 6 months for the collagen fibres affected by relaxin to renew to return to pre pregnant levels. However, if you are breastfeeding, relaxin levels are higher than a mum who is bottle feeding her baby. The same care and caution about posture, pelvic stability and non high impact exercise should be continued until you stop breastfeeding. However please don’t use this as a reason to stop breastfeeding just to up the exercise intensity
Breastfeeding
Your breasts now take on a new life. No longer are they simply objects of desire, they have responsibilities of their own! High intensity exercise can affect both the taste and production of breast milk so please go to our BloomingFit exercise & breast feeding page for more information
Pelvic Floor
When returning to exercise, many women experience some urinary leaking. It is vitally important that you begin your pelvic floor exercises as soon possible after the birth. (Even if you had a C/S your pelvic floor has been still been weakened and you need to do them too)
At first you may struggle to feel the muscle connection, but persevere as the more you practice, the stronger they will be. This means less risk of incontinence, prolapse and better sex!
Please go to our BloomingFit pelvic floor exercise page for more detail
Time & support
One of the biggest hurdles for new mums is the lack of time and support to exercise. Not everyone has a relative or friend at hand to baby-sit, or can afford the crèche gym or to pay a sitter.
Therefore you may have to be creative and adapt exercise time with your role as a mother.
One of the keys is to small chunk your exercises into 10 minute bite sized sessions. Look for easy ways to be active in your everyday life:
- Take a 10 minute brisk walk to the school, the shops or the park. Power that buggy up first thing in the morning, and you will continue to burn fat for the rest of the day.
- When your baby takes a nap, aim to do just 10 minutes worth of the strength & tone exercises shown. You will truly feel more energised in the long run.
- Invest in a supportive sling or backpack and use it whenever you can, even around the house when doing chores. Carrying the extra baby weight will tone those legs and burn fat.
- Plan to meet a friend at the swimming pool or gym, and take it in turns to look after each others baby for just 10 minutes each. Then you can reward yourself with a skinny latte and a chat!
Bleeding
Occasionally some women experience a small blood discharge when they begin to return to exercise.
Normal bleeding usually tails of to a brown discharge anytime between 2-5 weeks. The bleeding originates from where the placenta was attached to the wall of your uterus; it is a bit like a wound which has to heal over.
However, when the body becomes active in exercise, it can disturb the healed area, hence the bleed.
If your bleeding has stopped and then begins again during or post exercise then don't panic! There is no need to worry if it a very small amount, with no pain and stops immediately. However, if fresh red bleeding continues it may be a sign that your body is not yet ready to perform such activity yet and you should go and see your G.P for reassurance.
Hormones & emotions
The hormones progesterone and oestrogen levels plummet in the first few days following birth. This can leave you feeling down, irritable and 'baby blue' for a few days. This however is not the same as post natal depression and if you continue to depressive or feel you can’t cope please talk to someone. Please read our BloomingFit post natal depression page for information and support.
Benefits
There are so many fantastic benefits to getting active and exercising yourself back in shape…..
- Lose the baby weight quickly yet safely.
- Increased metabolic rate and fat burning benefit
- Improved muscle tone, shape, posture and back rehabilitation
- Stronger core stability and reduced risk for lower back problems
- Boosted immune system, circulation and faster healing
- Increased energy and the ability to enjoy quality sleep
- Higher level of 'happy' hormones and the increased ability to cope with the demands of a new baby
- A sense of personal achievement and self confidence
- More positive body image and self esteem
- Improved ability to cope with post natal depression
- Opportunity to get out the house and socialize