As you know, or are about to find out, having a baby takes up a lot of your time. They need your constant attention. This means that other things that were previously important to you, start to drop down a few notches on your priority list.
Through pregnancy and birth you will lose strength that you will very much need as a new mom.
You will be picking your baby up, bending down to pick up dummies, pushing heavy prams around… there is no end to the demands of being a mother so you will need to focus on building up your strength again.
As important as it is to wait for the doctor to sign you off before you head to the gym, there are a few simple things you can start doing to give yourself a head start.
Pelvic floor
Pelvic floor strength is something that can be worked on anywhere and at anytime so don’t wait for the doctor to sign you off before you start these exercises.
The traditional “hold in your pee” exercise is a good place to start as this can be done sitting or standing almost anywhere. Try holding for 5-10 seconds to begin with and try to do these a couple of times a day.
Once you are more mobile and on your feet, think about your posture when walking, bending down, going up stairs and try to stand up tall whilst pulling your belly button gently inwards and upwards towards your spine.
This will not only promote good posture, but it will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles in a functional and useful way.
Posture
Often posture can be forgotten once the baby arrives but if corrected, can prevent a whole host of problems.
Everything a new mom is required to do promotes the rounding of shoulders.
From breastfeeding and cradling the baby, to pushing the heavy buggy around your arms will be hunched over in front of you.
This hunched posture, known as thoracic kyphosis, causes a protrusion of the head and shoulders and curvature of the spine. Take a look at yourself in shop windows as you walk past and make sure you are standing up straight, holding your head up and your shoulders down.
Fixing your posture at this early stage will help to eliminate neck and back ache which you will thank yourself for later because adding a physio appointment into your new schedule is the last thing you want.
Get Walking
Walking is something that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine as a new mom and costs you nothing.
Walking is much less hassle than loading and unloaded a baby and buggy into the car so plan ahead and leave plenty of time to walk to the shops or to meet your friends.
There are plenty of benefits to walking, not only is it a great form of cardiovascular exercise but the fresh air will do wonders for your emotional wellbeing too. Babies love sleeping in the buggy so you get yourself an added bonus of a sleeping baby.
Get Started Early!
The earlier you start doing these, the more ingrained into your routine they will become and when you are able to start exercising properly you will be in a much better and stronger position to do so.
Posturural problems, so often overlooked, is actually one of the most common reasons that many post natal clients experience pain when they start exercising again so the earlier you can address it the better.
This article first appeared in nowcure.me, the one stop shop to find tips & tricks to a happier and healthier you!
-
READ MORE ARTICLES FOR MOTHERS HERE :
