Returning to exercise after giving birth

In the first of her guest blogs, Ruth from Physique Physio in Chapel Allerton discusses the question many mums have after giving birth, how will I know when I’m OK to return to exercise?

This is something that a lot of new Mums worry about. Your body has gone through something like never before and it’s confusing and sometimes scary trying to figure everything out for yourself. Well, that’s where I hope that I can help…

I’m Ruth and I run Physique Physio in Chapel Allerton. I played Netball for England, so much of my focus as a Physiotherapist prior to becoming a Mum was on sports injuries. (After all, sport was was/is my passion and my background!) After the birth of my first child, I realised how little information and support there was for expecting and new Mums in regards to the physical changes that occur during and after pregnancy and birth. I was keen to return to work as soon as I could and help women just like me figure out what was going on with their bodies and provide hands-on treatment, rehabilitation, advice, support and expertise. Over the last six years, I’ve become a specialist in pre and post-natal Physiotherapy, and empowering women to understand and optimise their bodies recovery and function is one of the things I am now most passionate about. At Physique Physio we’re proud to be strong and experienced advocates for women’s health.

So how do you know when it’s the right time to return to exercise? The majority of women return to it too soon and at an intensity that is too high. This can be painful and cause or increase the risk of a number of problems. If the body is not fully recovered then complications can arise.

After giving birth, many women have a dysfunctional tummy or pelvic floor which then creates instability and poor control of movement. They may also have muscle imbalance, reduced organ mobility (we can treat this) and poor movement among many other things. The result can be back pain, pelvic pain, diastasis (tummy gap), incontinence or prolapse. We provide the ‘Mummy MOT’ to help identify these and we recommend that you have one six weeks after giving birth. ALTHOUGH IT’S NEVER TOO LATE! Here we assess your pelvic floor, do a diastasis check and assess alignment, breathing and movement. We’ll also talk through any physical problems arising directly from your pregnancy or birth and can make recommendations for a bespoke post-natal recovery programme. Advice on the safe exercise that you can do, as well as the best post-natal exercises, naturally follows on from this. With my professional sporting background, I can also take you through a treatment and rehabilitation process related to your chosen sport or exercise regime to help you return to full fitness.

Some points to remember:

• Rushing back into exercise may have negative effects on post-natal recovery and actually prolong a full return to exercise.
• The common guidance is that it’s OK to return to exercise after six weeks. From experience, this is most often far too early.
• Each of us is an individual and will require different advice and/or approaches to post-natal recovery and return to exercise. Work with someone who understands this.
• Post-birth, you have less energy/sleep and recovery ability, so exercise steadily and not to exhaustion. Rebuild your energy gradually and understand your ability to cope with a new baby before starting vigorous exercise.
• Once your pelvic floor feels comfortable, it is best to start off with walking and build up. Your body will have changed through pregnancy and birth. Build up slowly. Start with body weight movement quality/re-education and strength. (Chapel Allerton Pilates offer post-natal and ‘pramercise’ classes, for example).
• If something is painful or doesn’t feel right it’s probably not right – get it checked.
• Taking your time through phases will help reduce injuries and optimise post-natal recovery, allowing training to build up consistently for the longer term.
• Listen to your body! (This is the most important point of all.)

Obviously, there are things that you can do that can help you stay injury-free during your pregnancy, so if you’re pregnant or thinking of having children then consider enrolling in a pregnancy Pilates or Yoga course. You’ll feel more confident and body-aware in the run-up to birth and it will also help you to build strength – safely and with consideration for both you and your baby. We work closely with our neighbours (we share a building) Chapel Allerton Pilates and have had outstanding success when combining our treatments.

Throughout my North Leeds Mumbler blog series, I’ll be addressing many common pre and post-natal common worries and I hope to be able to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact me directly via our website or Facebook page.