Health and fitness professional and personal trainer Becky Soltani, 40, is a well-known face and name on the fitness circuit here in Dubai. Having had her first baby nine months ago, Becky shares with us a ten-minute post-natal workout you can do at home to heal that pelvic floor and get your body used to moving again
The pre and post-natal periods are important times for women’s bodies. Not only have we stretched into completely unique and unexpected shapes externally, but internally, there was stretching, tearing, moving, squashing… And it doesn’t all just ping magically back into place when the baby has vacated the space.
When it comes exercise during pregnancy, we are all different and should listen to our own. If you were already participating in exercise prior to pregnancy, it is normally fine to continue with exercise with a few modifications
And on top of that, there are post-baby kilos to deal lingering around, which, we hasten to add, is completely normal and natural and, in our minds, perfectly beautiful. However, for many mums, the thought process is to use the tools that she has previously used to manage her body shape – namely the gym and intense exercise classes.
However, if your body hasn’t had a chance to heal properly internally, exercise could cause more damage than the actual birth. In fact, according to the fitness and rehabilitation experts, the first place to start after birth, is to simply go for a walk.
We caught up with new mum and fitness professional Becky Soltani for her advice on staying active during pregnancy and getting moving again post-birth.
She says, “When it comes exercise during pregnancy, we are all different and should listen to our own. If you were already participating in exercise prior to pregnancy, it is normally fine to continue with exercise with a few modifications. However, the goals of exercising change during pregnancy and should become more to do with being fit for the delivery and for parenting, rather than being about body-shape.”
Before we continue, an important note: speak to your doctor before embarking on, or continuing, with any exercise program during pregnancy of after birth. However, if you are given the go-ahead, exercise is extremely good for mums in both pre and post-natal phases.
“If there are no extenuating circumstances, I would definitely recommend an exercise program to help you through delivery and to aid your recovery afterwards,” says Becky. “Make sure that you stay hydrated throughout your sessions, take breaks when needed and allow a rest day when you need one.”
During pregnancy
Whatever your preferred exercise modality, Becky has some recommendations of things to include in to help make you even more prepared for labour.
“Leading up to delivery, add some breathwork in to your wellness regime,” says Becky, “as this will help support you through the delivery process. Also, some pelvic floor awareness is good and exercises that support posture, as your body adapts to a growing foetus. As baby grows, you will be carrying his/her weight as well as your own, so strong legs and posture in a squat position is something I would work on before baby arrives, along with strong arms ready for all the lifting and carrying post-partum.”
After birth
Mothers need to get confirmation from their doctor before they can exercise again, which is normally at approximately six weeks. How does movement help women’s bodies to rehabilitate after pregnancy and birth?
Becky explains, “Your body has just worked a miracle and grown a human in a mere nine months. Your post-partum return to exercise and fitness is not something to be rushed… We want to do progressively and mindfully. You have had to stretch from the inside out and it takes a while for your body to come back to size and shape and for the hormone levels to normalise post-birth. It is important that we re-teach our bodies to move from the inside out, too.”
The pelvic floor is a big deal for mothers. Jokes about never being able to trampoline, or even sneeze again, without almost having a minor (or major) urine-related ‘accident’ abound through mums’ circles and put the fear into soon-to-be mothers. These issues are normally pelvic floor related and can be prevented and, if they happen, rehabilitated.
“Within the inside of the pelvis, you have layers of muscle and connective tissue grouped together as the pelvic floor,” says Becky. “It has been stretched from holding the weight of a baby. So, post-partum attention should be given to reconnecting and strengthening the pelvic floor. If you are unsure how to do this, please drop an email to becky@fitnesspheres.com. This can be done immediately after delivery and is recommended to be done a few times a day. Because I was well-prepared for this physically, I began the day after delivery and would do pelvic floor exercises when breast-¬feeding. The good thing is, you can do them anywhere and no one knows.”
Start slow with cardio
Even just going for a walk can be a big event in those first few months. But not only is it good for the body, it’s also good for the mind. Becky says, “Cardiovascular exercise is beneficial when it comes to postnatal recovery as it increases circulation and aids re-¬absorption of excess fluid that you have retained during pregnancy. Also, using your lungs, heart and leg muscles will help make the everyday activities of being a mother easier. That being said, it would be unwise to return to any intensive pre-baby exercise routine too soon following birth, particularly any high-impact exercise. A good place to begin would be walking and only increasing in intensity when your core is fully healed to avoid damage. Going straight back to high-¬impact exercise when you have a weakened core and pelvic floor is essentially an attempt to strengthen something which is not working.”
Gentle cardio can really help therapeutically in dealing with stress and anxiety, which new mothers can often experience
Cardio can also help new mums to deal with any emotional strain. “Gentle cardio can really help therapeutically in dealing with stress and anxiety, which new mothers can often experience,” says Becky. “The exercises below could also be performed in a circuit fashion for a few rounds to give a greater cardiovascular load.”
Ask your doctor
Before starting any exercise after pregnancy, you need to get checked by your doctor. One thing they should check for is a separation of the abdominal muscles.
Becky advises, “It is normal for women to experience Diastasis Recti during pregnancy, which is a separation of the abdominal wall as the abdomen stretches. Check that your abdominal muscles are ready to be exercised. Additionally if you have been experiencing incontinence and it is not improving, I would recommend seeing a pelvic floor specialist. Finally, your exercise program should help you to feel good physically and mentally. If this is not the case, check in with the doctor.”
Get moving
Note: before beginning any exercise program, it is recommended to get the all clear from your doctor. This is normally done six weeks after delivery.
- The exercises below should all be performed with a stable neutral spine position. As you perform each exercise, the pelvic floor and core muscles activate isometrically to hold the spine still.
- These exercises can be done in a circuit which would take five to ten minutes per round. It’s up to you how many rounds you do, or if you want to repeat your circuit at various times throughout the day. I would recommend you begin with the first level of exercise and only progress to the second and third when you can do the previous level well and with controlled breathing.
- The ‘Connecting to the Pelvic Floor’ exercise should be used as a warm up, prior to the exercise ciruit. And then as you move through each exercise, maintain a consistency and connectedness to the pelvic floor and core with the breath. If you are unable to do this, it is time to stop and take a break.
Warm up!
• Connect to and activate the pelvic floor by laying on your back with knees bent and with a neutral spine. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Place your hands on your lower abdomen, breath easily and deeply.
• After a few breaths, taking an inhalation, observe the breath as you direct it into the abdomen and feeling the slight pressure of the breath into the pelvis. As you exhale, purse your lips, and lift the muscles of the pelvic floor from the centre as you gently draw the belly button back towards the spine. You should feel a slight movement underneath your fingers – this is not about a maximal contraction. There should be no movement of the spine, tucking of the tailbone or clenching of the buttocks.
• Then fully relax as you inhale. Repeat ten times
Floor bridges
• Begin by laying on your back with knees bent, with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the floor either side of the hips. As you exhale press down through the heel to elevate the hips off the floor, as you inhale lower the hips back to the mat. Knees should remain hip width and in line with your feet. Throughout the exercise maintain an awareness and connection to the core and pelvic floor as with the warm up. Repeat 10 times.
• To advance this exercise, place the feet on the fitness ball.
Quadruped with hip extension
• Begin in your hands and knees on the mat with hands underneath the shoulders and knees directly underneath the hips. Maintain a neutral spine position as you exhale extending one leg out straight behind you, as you inhale return the knee to the starting position, repeat with the opposite leg. You are aiming to keep the centre of the body as stable as possible as you extend the limbs. Throughout the exercise, maintain an awareness and connection to the core and pelvic floor as with the warm up. Repeat ten times on each leg.
• To advance this exercise, reach the right arm out long as you extend the left leg and vice versa.
Ball seated shoulder press
• Begin by sitting on the ball with feet hip-width apart and spine in neutral. Bring the weights over the elbows to the side of the shoulders at 90 degrees. As you exhale press the weights up over and above the shoulders. Maintaining your neutral spine, return the elbows to 90 degrees at the side of the shoulders. Throughout the exercise, maintain an awareness and connection to the core and pelvic floor as with the warm up. Repeat ten times.
• To advance this exercise, with as little movement as possible, elevate one foot off the floor or increase the weight.
Hinged single arm row
• Set up with a weight in the right hand. From standing, maintaining a neutral spine, hinge at the hips to place the left hand on the left thigh. The right hand reaches towards the floor perpendicular to the shoulder. On an exhale draw the right arm back bending the elbow behind the waistline, keeping the shoulder blades relaxed down away from the ears. On an inhale extend the elbow back towards the floor. Throughout the exercise maintain an awareness and connection to the core and pelvic floor as with the warm up. Repeat both arms ten times.
• To advance this exercise, balance your left knee and hand on the ball maintaining a neutral spine or do both arms at the same time from a hinged unsupported position.
Body weight squats
• From a standing position, feet hip-width apart and knees and toes going in the same direction, bring the hands together infront of the chest. Maintaining a neutral spine, as you inhale, bend your knees, sit back with the hips and squat towards a 90 degree angle at the knee. On an exhalation rise back to a standing position. Throughout the exercise, maintain an awareness and connection to the core and pelvic floor as with the warm up. Repeat ten times.
• To modify this exercise, place a ball behind you and squat onto the ball to support the body weight. To advance this exercise, hold weights in your hands.
For more from Becky, visit www.fitnesspheres.com, email Becky@Fitnesspheres.com, or follow her on Instagram at @Fitnesspheres
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