What exercise can I do after having a baby?

Just had a baby? What exercise can I do?

First things first... Those first 6 weeks after birth.. I advise you to REST! (and this maybe longer for complicated births, and at least 8-10 weeks for cesarean births)...
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Listen.... ✨This will be the only time you are NOT actually allowed to workout... When do you ever get told to not exercise? I mean most of us would love to get told this right... So Make the most of it...

💛
I know it can be very daunting, and some maybe screaming to get back training but please just allow you body to recover!
If you had had surgery you would probably  listen right?! ... So this is very much the same....

However... There are some very gentle movements you can do to really aid your recovery... ✨✨✨✨
💛 Gently roll onto your back and lay on the floor with your legs bent for 5-10 mins a day... This will allow your spine to gently realign it self, allow your organs to shift back to their normal places and size. This is also amazing for your pelvis & hips to just gently shift back to their normal alignment too. (I still do this now.. 2.5years later).
This also really allows you to actually reconnect with your body without baby inside anymore. (I know we all miss bump but they are right Infront of you instead😍) 💛 Still movement is very powerful, for the mind especially... ✨

After 3-4 days of baby being born your rectus abdominals will also BEGIN to realign itself and that wide SEPERATION will gradually reduce. Incredible right?!... I wrote BEGIN in capitals because that is what it is... THE BEGINNING!

When you feel ready a gentle walk with baby is amazing for you and baby... We used to get told to wait 2 weeks but fresh air is amazing for any recovery 💛 listen to your body you will know when it's time to step out 👟

Please mummas' you have to allow your body at least 9 months to actually become your new body with growing a human anymore ✨

Lastly... Do not compare yourself to ANYONE!!!!!! Each pregnancy, birth and recovery is different 💛

How to keep fit on holiday with your family

Keeping your fitness routine on your holidays tends to go out of the window, plus everyone expects it to be put on pause.

However, if you love exercising then why should you not continue on your holidays? Of course your not going to have the time or to even want to waste time on holiday in a gym.

So here I have put together a few ways to keep fit whilst you are away.

#1 Wake up early and head to the gym (if they have one). This means it will not affect anyone and no one can judge you for wanting to train.. for some people training is a chore but for others it is actually a pleasure.

#2 Set a timer for 20 minuets and jump around in your room or balcony. No equipment is needed and no-one can moan because you are present. Of course it will be broken exercise because of your kids but just blast what you can. I totally do this whilst I am away especially when hubby' is in the shower so I don't look so ridiculous in-front of him haha. (Holiday workout attached below)

#3 Walk as much as you can. If you have young children make sure you take a buggy/double as you can just pop them in a speed walk around a few places, or even just around the facilities. 

#4 Swim....... this is slightly difficult, especially when you have young kids but even jumping around in the water is moving, so just take the opportunity that you can to get a little something in. Or ask your partner or family(who ever you are with) to just watch them for 10-20mins and go and give yourself a power swim.

#5 Chasing after your children. Especially if you have young ones... it is inevitable that you are going to be exercising 24/7 because you have to follow every move.

#6 Join in on the resorts' sports and activities especially if your babies can get involved. Or again just ask for 20-30mins... (I am terrible at asking but I'm working on it.. hehe...)

#7 Ask your partner or family/friend to get the kids ready for dinner and head out for a quick jog. Again 20-30mins is all you are asking for out of the whole holiday.

#8 Pop to the local park and train in the park whilst your kids are playing, you could even do this everyday which means every day you get to train. Gives you a lil routine whilst being away too and means you do not have to rely on anyone.

Hope these have helped to give you some inspiration. Exercising makes me feel good.. even if it is just a little something. If it is important to you than make sure you do incorporate it into your holidays.

Also remember that your eating habits do not need to go crazily out of the window either, you want to feel good whilst your away right? So don't ruin everything you have done just to take advantage of the buffet. 

Food will always be there it doesn't mean you have to eat it all. 

Of course have your treats more regularly and enjoy yourself but you don't need to go crazy unless it does make you feel good. 

Here is a 10 minute holiday workout that I did whilst I were away. 

Only 6 exercises to work your entire body and no equipment needed. 

Legs (20 repetitions), Arms (20 reps), Cardio (30seconds), Core (10 each leg), Cardio (30 seconds), Abs (20reps). 

Repeat 3-4 times if you can. 

Have a guilt free holiday 

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Can I plank after pregnancy?

Lets jump straight to it.... should you plank after pregnancy?

No.... to my Knowledge/Research/My Opinion.... No you should not plank straight after pregnancy... Not until your body is strong enough to hold your own bodyweight' with good technique... i.e at least 9 months post-pregnancy to be on the safe side

My first forward-facing plank; 11 months postpartum

What is a plank exercise?
As you can see above it is a bodyweight exercise that your whole body holds itself as stiff as a board primarily targeting your core- the muscles that connect your upper and lower body as well as your shoulders, arms and glutes.

Now I want you to think about getting your post pregnancy body into a plank position.... this would mean you are basically holding most of your bodyweight on your postpartum core- your tummy and back- AFTER 40 weeks (plus or less) of pregnancy!
Look at my body below... does my body look like it could hold it self strongly in my core? no it doesn't and most women's body won't. I wouldn't even recommend to the most fittest of women' to plank through their postpartum journey. I would consider myself to be quite/very fit and strong and I have only just started to front-face-plank and I am 11 months postnatal from my second child.

After 9 months of your abdominals stretching, muscles weakening, joints' loosening, your spine alignment changing to suit your growing uterus, Do you really think your core is ready to hold most of your bodyweight?...

 

This is my early postnatal body.. Do I look ready to plank? My uterus is still quite enlarged which takes at least 6 weeks to go down after birth, you can see I clearly have no abdominal strength and you can even see I have hardly any strength in my glutes/arms/shoulders and mostly a weak back too.  

Take a look at the requirement from a plank exercise' ...Your entire body faces horizontally down holding yourself up with your forearms/shoulders and toes meaning that your whole body from your toes to your shoulders are basically depending on your abdominals... Sounds kind of ouch right?... Now we all know what our postpartum tummy is like... a hanging/loose tummy- whether its skin or muscle we have all experienced it....I remember in my first post-pregnancy recovery I turned to my side in bed and my tummy just hung to the side too... and its blimen normal- you have just grown and carried a baby. However, allowing your tummy to just hang exposed in that plank position will cause you more damage than good- even if you can hold it for a hour.

Look at my early postpartum-body- if I started planking I could tell you what kind of tummy I would have now.. a very similar kind to that early postnatal picture above and most likely with diastasic recti (abdominal separation) too. Unfortunately this tummy shaping post birth is very common and it could happen to you or it is you- not just because you planked but maybe because you wanted a quick fix instead of the appropriate journey.
Planking too early post-birth can deform your postnatal tummy muscles because you really do too much pressure inappropriately on your abdominals that are already over stretched and out of shape. Planks do not focus on shortening the abdominals and focus on strengthening the transverse abdominis muscles. Planks focus on holding your bodyweight on your core so you ideally need to have strength prior to planking and you definitely need to know how to engage with your abdominal muscles.

So when can I plank?

I would advise that you plank when you are able to;

• Connect with your transverse abdominis muscles 
• When you can prevent your tummy muscles from hanging' (abdominal engagement)
• When you have 1 finger or less gap between your abdominal muscles 
• When you are able to stay out of your lower back
• When you can comfortably hold your tummy without your tummy doming' (i.e tummy tensed in a point shape out)

This is when you can start to plank....And when you do start to plank focus on technique rather than how long you can hold it for.
 I have only just started to forward face plank and I am 11 months postnatal.. even when I teach my abdominal classes in my early postpartum journey I would demonstrate and not participate because it was too much for me and I didn't want to cause damage.

Now is the time more than ever to invest in yourself...
I run a 6 month postnatal- myMummyFitness journey that will guide your through a safe and effective recovery to provide you with appropriate exercises to help strengthen and rebuild you postpartum body. Strengthening your body to the mumma needs' and get your sexy on not back! You are totally allowed to invest in yourself. Join now and email me we can do this together; mymummyfitness@gmail.com

myMummyFitness journey 

myMummyFitness journey  

Myself with my two boys