Returning to exercise after having your baby is something that most new mothers look forward to, however with limited sleep and busy routines regular exercise can seem difficult. At Thrive Health Co. the Mums and Bubs class is run by our Women’s Health Physiotherapist in a relaxed and supportive environment and addresses the changes to the body that occur during pregnancy to help you recover from birth and regain your strength and confidence.
The exercises are low-impact Pilates which is the optimal form of exercise after giving birth, to account for the hormones circulating in the body which causes ligamentous laxity and increased risk of some injuries. Some women return to high impact exercise such as running and jumping before their body is ready and risk pelvic floor weakness and prolapse. It is very important to strengthen your pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles before returning to any high impact exercise and Pilates is the perfect form of exercise to do so. While exercising under the guidance of a Women’s Health Physiotherapist, you will receive advice as to when it is safe for you to return to these types of sports.
There are a number of benefits of attending Mums and Bubs classes. You will learn how to properly engage your pelvic floor muscles and strengthen them over time. If you have a degree of abdominal separation, this can be significantly reduced by correct activation of the deep abdominal muscles throughout your Pilates class. As well as core muscle retraining we focus on facilitating whole body strengthening, flexibility and posture. Postural control is important in the early months after having your baby due to the changes in your centre of gravity during your pregnancy and sustaining uncomfortable postures while feeding and settling your baby. Finally, exercise can increase your energy level, improve the quality of your sleep and help with your overall psychological and emotional wellbeing. Most mothers find that being around other mums and their babies in the class really lifts their mood and self-esteem.
We welcome mothers and their babies from 6 weeks of age to come along to Mums and Bubs classes until babies reach an age where they are crawling and too mobile for the group class. To check that you are ready you will have a 30-minute individual assessment with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist during which we will assess the strength and activation of your pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles. We will also check and measure any abdominal separation you may have post pregnancy. The importance of this individual assessment is so that the Physiotherapist will know which exercises are appropriate for you and be able to adjust the exercises as required.
Babies!!!! Yes, they are a very important part of our class structure. If your baby is awake and happy you may choose to incorporate them into the workout and use them as a weight for strengthening your arms and legs. However, there is no pressure to involve your baby. They may be sleeping blissfully in the pram or carrier, lying happily on the mat or upset and need a cuddle. We are more than happy to hold your little one while you continue your exercises. Each and every class is different. It depends on the babies, the mothers and what is happening on that particular day. We like to mix it up and can be very flexible with our exercises and class structure.
To book an initial assessment for these classes with our Women’s Health Physiotherapist Rebekah Kenos please phone Thrive Health Co. on (07) 37160199
We look forward to meeting you and your new baby and being a part of your post-natal recovery and exercise journey.
References:
Effects of exercise on diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle in the antenatal and postnatal periods: a systematic review: D.R.Benjamin, A.T.M. van de Water, C.L. Peiris. Physiotherapy 100 (2014) 1-8
Effect of postpartum exercise on mothers and their offspring: a review of the literature: Dawnine Enette Larson-Meyer. Obesity research/ Volume 10, Issue 8
Pilates and pregnancy: Balogh A. RCM Midwives 2005 May; 8(5): 220-2
