5 essential Post Pregnancy Pilates Exercises that only take 10 min a day
How often in life do we get the chance to press the ‘’RESET-button’’? If you are anything like me, then the thought of starting all over again will fill you with frustration and impatience. Perhaps you are not like me and you find that going back to the start is discovering yourself in a whole new way? Think of it this way, starting again may lead you onto a quest to building the strongest, healthiest and most able body you have ever had! Sounds good?
Whenever pregnancy arrives at your doorstep, it is always a journey filled with excitement and changes and many unknowns. One thing is guaranteed to you and I think it is worth celebrating instead of expecting that you will be somehow worse off after having a baby. You get to start at the beginning. Granted you might not have as much time to exercise as you did before you had kids, but could you compromise on something else in your life? And if you did, what would you gain? The journey is never predicable so having a clear strategy in place for how you are going to achieve a strong and able post pregnancy body is a smart decision. Pilates Professionals across the globe would agree that a structured and tailored approach will undoubtedly give you the best results. What if we can just remember that starting at the beginning, rebuilding your inner strength by taking one step at a time will give you a whole new appreciation for what your body is able to do today, tomorrow and the next day.
While there are hundreds of great exciting core exercises lurking in my Pilates tool bag. I have to remember to reel in my excitement and bring you right back to the start of your journey. So let’s pull back the layers and start with the most fundamental of all exercises, ‘’breathing’’. Now, before you skip out of here and think, oh great, that’s easy. DONE! I did plenty of that during delivery, right? True, Post-natal breath work however has a different purpose and intention as we will learn how to work with the space that once occupied your growing baby and how to restore healthy core and pelvic floor function.
No doubt, the first couple of weeks and months can be a stressful time for new Mums. There are nursing schedules to keep to, nappy changes, figuring out why your baby is crying and tuning into your baby’s every need and want, which can leave new Mums pretty exhausted. How do you keep up with all these demands and still find time to devote to your own body’s healing? You would be surprised to hear that a couple of exercises every day performed for just 10-20 min can have an amazing effect on your post baby recovery but also on your overall attitude and energy levels. I get it ladies, you are busy and tired and completely in awe of your new little person so it’s easy to put it on the long finger. The question is, can you afford to miss out an opportunity to create your best body?
These 5 exercises are easy to fit into your day, perhaps around nap times so that you can recharge your batteries. Before you begin, find a space in your home that is bright, warm and cosy, a space where you know you can relax.
Please consult with your doctor prior to starting post-natal exercise and get a diastasis check. The below exercises are safe for clients with a diastasis (more than one finger width separation).
12 weeks+ post-natal:
Log Roll onto your side and use your arms and legs to roll as one unit onto your back
1) Supine Decompression Breathing - Free your ribs and spine
2) Kegels - Pelvic Floor Strengthening
3) Pelvic Curl with small ball & Pelvic Clock
4) 360 degrees Hundred Breathing (learn how the pelvic diaphragm, transverse and multifidus work together)
5) Clamming to find the multifidus and add some leg movements
You'll find a video instructions of these 5 exercise here: https://www.unifiedpilates.ie/postpregnancyearlyrecovery