REST
So first thing is first, no matter if you delivered naturally and ended up home that same day, or if you had a complicated birth which ended in C-section, your body has been through so much and needs time to recover.
Once you have had your rest and enjoyed your snuggles with your new bub, make sure you are returning to exercise for the right reasons! Your return to exercise should not be about dropping the fat and getting your pre baby size back (at least not just yet!). Instead it should be about rehabilitating your body and getting your pre pregnancy function back in a few areas; movement patterns, muscular form and balance, pelvic floor health, core health, back health.
There are many things you can do safely before you get your clearance to exercise that can help kick start your journey back to exercise, however these should only be practiced under the guidance of women’s health physio or Pre & Post natal training specialist.
CLEARANCE
No trainer should ever take you on without medical clearance from your practitioner. However, they should also be very aware that some GP’s do not do a very thorough assessment before clearing you for exercise. A better approach would be gaining a full assessment on body health from a women’s health physio, then working with a trusted Personal trainer to improve any areas you need to rebuild and to make sure you work in safe movements.
TRAINING FOR REHABILITATION
Once you are working with a trainer and you know what your goals are make sure that you have an open and continual line of communication about how your body is feeling. Discuss things like what you feel through the movements and if you ever feel pain or twinges you are unsure about. Trainers can watch your form and sense your exertion levels however we can’t feel or see all those little things going on in your body. We also rely on your feedback and info to make sure nothing is putting you at risk of minor or major injury, or causing you any discomfort.
One final thing to note is that if you are breastfeeding your body is still flowing with hormones that may increase your risk of injury. Please do your research and hold off maximal intensity exercise until you know your body can deal with it.
