Why you should exercise following pregnancy...

You can come up with so many reasons not to exercise after having a baby...  You’re too tired, you don’t have time, you’re too overweight, you can’t find childcare etc. You can then have further worries; is your body ready? Will it hurt? Can it cause more damage to your body? And finally if you manage to wrap your head round actually doing it, you have the confusion surrounding how, what and where to do it! In the end it can seem easier not to do anything!

Exercise is actually great for you after having a baby and it can be really easy... You’ll even most likely find the benefits out way all the negatives.  Some of the benefits of ante-natal exercise include:

• Healthy weight loss
  • Healthy weight loss is so important; you want to be able to lose some of the weight gained during pregnancy without doing extreme dieting. Looking after a baby is hard work which means you want to be in tip top condition. Exercise combined with a healthy diet can facilitate healthy weight loss that lasts rather that your weight yoyo-ing and allow you to feel energetic whilst doing it.
• It helps strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles
  • When you’re pregnant your abdominal muscles stretch and split to facilitate to human growing inside you. After birth you can feel a little like a deflated balloon, by getting your pelvic core stability and abdominal strength back you can reduce the risk of health issues in later life such and lower back pain and prolapses.
• Social benefits
  • Looking after a baby is a full time job, unlike people who work 9-5 you are on call 24/7. Sometimes you can feel quite housebound and lonely, rather than going stir crazy exercise can help get you out the house and meet new people. In a postpartum exercise class you have the added benefit of meeting other people going through the same things as you. Sometimes the best way to get through the craziness is to laugh about it with other people who have been there!
• Increases energy
  • It’s so easy to feel tired all the time, your sleep pattern is off, you are juggling several things at once, and whether it’s your first child or your tenth it can seem like you’re running on empty 99% of the time. Although it’s a strange concept, exercise can actually give you more energy, by increasing the blood flow and oxygen in your body you can feel like a new person, full of energy.
• Increases endorphin release
  • Endorphins give you that positive feeling. There’s not much more to say for this, because let’s be honest who doesn’t want to feel more positive?!
• It promotes better sleep
  • Sleep can be hard enough to get when you have a little one and when you actually do manage to grab some ZZZ the last thing you need is to be tossing and turning. Exercise can help you get better quality sleep so that you can make sure every second counts!
• Can help reduce common postpartum mood disorders such as postpartum depression or anxiety.
  • This is a common condition amongst new mums with an estimated 10-15% of women suffering. Although you should always visit your GP if you suspect you are struggling, studies have shown that due to a combination of the factors mentioned above, and other physiological changes that can occur, exercise can really help new mums struggling with changes in mood. It’s definitely worth giving it a try!
• Breastfeeding
  • Finally there is a myth that you can’t exercise whilst you are breastfeeding, there is NO credible evidence to support this, in fact there is more evidence to support exercising. So you can exercise with maximum comfort, plan to nurse immediately prior to exercise so your breasts aren’t full and ensure you keep hydrated by drinking water pre and post exercise. Apart from that just listen to your body- make sure you wear a really supportive bra and ensure you ease yourself into it. If weight lifting/ upper body weight workouts are your thing, make sure you slowly increase weight and reps. If you develop plugged ducts or sore breasts, speak to your healthcare provider, cut back on the weights and start more slowly, it’s that simple!

These are just a few of the benefits there are so many more!  Our new mum and baby exercise classes are starting soon to help you overcome the barriers to exercise and enjoy all the benefits exercise can bring. All you need to do is make the time and come on down! It will be a really relaxed setting that allows you to exercise with your baby alongside lots of other people going through similar experiences as you.

For more information on our Mummy & Me exercise classes visit www.parklaneperformance.com/postnatal. If you’re interested email info@parklaneperformance.com with a subject of “Mummy & Me class” or ring 07976676372 and Danielle will get back to you with more details.