Bouncing Back After Having Baby
Bouncing back after having baby (or more like the ultra marathon back after having a baby!).
As many of you will know I gave birth to Arlo in February 2015. Many clients have commented on how I have seemed to ‘bounce back’ so easily and so asked “what’s my secret?” I thought I’d make this month’s e-zine some tips that I have learnt from personal experience over the last year.
I was one of those fortunate women that had a dream pregnancy which I largely credit to exercise and being adjusted with ABC™. During my pregnancy I continued Pilates and gentle CrossFit and so I assumed getting back into training would be easy. I was wrong. I couldn’t jump, I couldn’t squat, and l couldn’t do a sit up. My energy was low and my posture looked slumpy. It felt like I was starting from scratch again.
So now, nearly 12 months on I am starting to feel like my old self again and here are some lessons I have learnt along the way.
Your pelvic floor is very important. I’ll be honest. I always found pelvic floor exercises boring and didn’t pay them the attention they deserved. The pelvic floor forms the basis of a good core and spinal stability. I found Pilates great for working on these muscles. They are simple movements and can be done at home. If you would like more info on these exercises please email me at [email protected]
Your core helps you do everything. There have been countless studies done testing the amount of activation of core muscles doing a variety of exercises. Most people recognise they use their core doing specific exercises like crunches or planks. While this is true, studies suggest that we activate these muscles even more so when we are doing other exercises. In particular exercises using the deltoids (shoulders) and gluteals (butt). The reverse is also true. When our core has been weakened and stretched like in pregnancy, using these muscles like in squats, push ups and pull ups are all considerably harder. I have found functional exercise (like we do at CrossFit) under the supervision of great coaches has helped my core a huge amount. A strong core gives you confidence with movement.
Babies are bad for your posture. It is hard for our bodies to stay ‘upright’ when we are constantly feeding, carrying and looking down. Soon after Arlo’s birth was the first time in years I felt I ‘needed’ and adjustment rather than just maintenance. My neck felt sore and crunchy, my arms ached and my pelvis felt twingy. I found I needed to increase my adjustments to twice a week to unwind my body back to a stable place. I continued this for approximately two months and then returned to a more maintenance schedule.
Be patient. It will take what it takes and we all have different bodies and priorities after having a baby. Just know that something’s may feel different for a long while but with some hard work, time and the right help you will ‘bounce’ back too.
There is no need to put up with pain any longer
Schedule your first appointment with our expert ABC™ Chiropractors and get back to doing what you love.