As a new mother it can be hard to find time for yourself amongst the adjustment to new routines and sleeplessness. One of the last things that you can find the time to do is exercise. Post-Natal exercise however is an important part of the post-natal recovery period and has been found to help reduce the chances of obesity, help increase strength and endurance for the tasks of mothering, assist with preventing lactation related bone density loss and improve general mood.1
One of the challenges postnatally, other than finding the time to exercise, is ensuring that exercise is completed safely. A recent article published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggested that up to 56% of new mothers have some form of pelvic organ prolapse between 3-6 months postnatally1 and 15-30% of first-time mothers report urinary incontinence post birth.2 Both of these issues that can be aggravated by an accelerated return to exercise without appropriate rehabilitation after birth.
Most people know that after a muscular injury that rehabilitation is needed to help facilitate recovery, however most people don’t have the same way of thinking when it comes to the pelvic floor and post-natal recovery. During pregnancy and birth the pelvic muscles are stretched and widened significantly, without effective rehabilitation these muscles can have challenges functioning optimally throughout the postnatal period and later in life. This is why we here at Bend + Mend are introducing an online 12-week post-natal pilates program to help you start recovering from birth.
Our 12-week program, led by experienced Physiotherapists trained in Post-Natal care, commences from 6 weeks after birth (or later) and takes you through the rehabilitation of your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Your program commences with a FREE private online consultation with your Physiotherapist to see what your needs are and they will then design a program of specific exercises for you. The Post-Natal programme consists of 2 x 45min small (maximum of 6 participants) group classes per week held online from the comfort of your own home in which you will work on exercises specific to your needs under the guidance of your Physiotherapist. You will also be provided with some home exercises that you can complete in your own time to maximise your recovery. The best part is that there is no need to worry about getting someone to look after bub, they can join in with some of the exercises and if they need a break, it is simple to leave the class and join back in when ready.
If you need help to boost your recovery after having a baby please get in contact with one of our friendly Physiotherapists in Sydney CBD.
References
- Bø, K. Artal, R., Barakat, R., Brown, W. J., Davies, G. A. L., Dooley, M., Evenson, K. R., Haakstad, L. A. H., Kayser, B., Kinnunen, T. I., Larsénm K., Mottola, M. F., Nygaard, I., van Poppel, M., Stuge, B., Khan, K. M. (2017) Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016/17 evidence summary from the IOC Expert Group Meeting, Lausanne. Part 3-exercise in the postpartum period. Br J Sports Med 51(21), pp.1516-1525.
- Milsom, I., Coyne, K., Nicholson, S., Kvasz, M., Chen, C. and Wein, A. (2014). Global Prevalence and Economic Burden of Urgency Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review. European Urology, 65(1), pp.79-95
