Becoming a mother causes all sorts of changes to a woman’s physical health, mental health, lifestyle, responsibilities, priorities, mood, appearance… the list goes on. While most people are aware of the importance of returning to physical activity, when it comes to post-partum women there is a lot of talk of ‘bouncing back’ and ‘pre-baby bodies’ as if they are somehow superior to the one that grew and birthed your child. However, there are many, more valuable (in my opinion) reasons to return to physical activity postpartum. Gradually returning to a physically active lifestyle has a positive impact on mood, fatigue, strength, fitness and the ability to cope with the physical and mental demands of caring for an infant. This is as well as the already well known health benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease, improved bone health etc.
There are many barriers that postpartum women face when considering returning to physical activity. What should I do about childcare? What can I and should I be doing? When does it fit in around bath time and my partner’s work? As well as the tiredness that comes from night feeds and early mornings with a newborn. Particularly for new mums, prioritising yourself and your health no longer feels like an option - everyone else's needs must be met before yours. This leads to many women being insufficiently active following the birth of their children and research shows that this can persist until their child is three years of age.
Many women report a sort of disconnect with their body following childbirth, with it no longer feeling like their own and them being unaware and unsure of its capabilities and restraints. Leading to reduced confidence and creating a further barrier to physical activity. However, physical activity has been found to help postpartum women reconnect with their bodies, make day to day tasks easier, improve energy levels and reduce stress. The audacity of exercise making the things that make exercise hard to do easier!
At LR Elite I am hoping to help overcome two of the biggest barriers to exercise for new mums - childcare and knowledge of safe and effective exercise programming by introducing a new weekly ‘Bring your Baby’ exercise class. This will be a 45 minute class, to which you can bring your baby (under 12 months old) and workout in safe, friendly environment with a coach providing evidence based, functional exercises that will help to improve your strength and confidence.
Whilst engaging in physical activity has numerous health benefits for mum; bringing your baby along helps to model healthy and active behaviours in families from an early age. Children who have physically active parents and observe and engage in these activities with them are more likely to grow into active individuals themselves.
Research has also shown that training in a group environment increases adherence and confidence due to social support and accountability. Therefore group classes are a great way of kick starting your physical activity routine postpartum.
During our classes you will hear not talk of ‘bouncing back’, your appearance or ‘getting your body back’ - it never went anywhere! We will provide exercises focussing on strength and function in a supportive, non-judgemental environment. We’ll focus on what your body can do and help you work towards any goals; be those preparing for running around after a toddler or getting back into the sport you loved prior to having children!
If you are interested in taking part in one of Bring Your Baby classes you can book online via the website. Classes are due to start Thursday 29th August at 11am. Classes are available on a pay as you go and a block booking basis. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to get in touch.
REFERENCES
Gilinsky et al.: More Active Mums in Stirling (MAMMiS): a physical activity intervention for postnatal women. Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2012 13:112.
Inge et al.: Exercise After Pregnancy. Australian College of General Practitioners 2022 51:3
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUALITATIVE STUDIES ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING 2023, VOL. 18, 2172793, Moms on the move: A qualitative exploration of a postpartum group exercise program on physical activity behaviour at three distinct time points Iris A. Lesser, Carl P. Nienhuis and Gillian L. Hatfield School of Kinesiology, University of the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack, BC, Canada
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