What is the Best Way to Be Active After a Baby?
A new baby, a new routine, a new body. I've been there. Three times. I understand how overwhelming it can be. Where do you start?
It's best to begin our postpartum fitness journey with the place most affected by pregnancy- our core! Jumping back into our pre-pregnancy activities can actually be detrimental to our body, more specifically, our pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is our innermost core muscle that acts as a sling or hammock for our internal reproductive organs. Its job is to hold the baby in, and after delivery, to hold the bladder and other reproductive organs in. As you can imagine, it endures a lot of strain during 9 months of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. That is why it is crucial to start healing and strengthening the pelvic floor with gentle deep core exercises in the postpartum phase. Here are 3 exercises to help you get started!
First things first, how do I engage my pelvic floor?
Engage your pelvic floor by gently lifting and squeezing the muscles that stop the flow of urine. The contraction should cause your vagina and rectum to go up and back. Apply pelvic floor engagement to the following deep core exercises.
The TA breath is the most foundational deep core exercise because it teaches us how to connect our breath with our deep core -which is no easy task after baby!
Side-lying ball push is a great exercise to help us connect our breath with our deep core engagement. Any small ball will work for this exercise.
It's best to begin our postpartum fitness journey with the place most affected by pregnancy- our core! Jumping back into our pre-pregnancy activities can actually be detrimental to our body, more specifically, our pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is our innermost core muscle that acts as a sling or hammock for our internal reproductive organs. Its job is to hold the baby in, and after delivery, to hold the bladder and other reproductive organs in. As you can imagine, it endures a lot of strain during 9 months of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. That is why it is crucial to start healing and strengthening the pelvic floor with gentle deep core exercises in the postpartum phase. Here are 3 exercises to help you get started!
First things first, how do I engage my pelvic floor?
Engage your pelvic floor by gently lifting and squeezing the muscles that stop the flow of urine. The contraction should cause your vagina and rectum to go up and back. Apply pelvic floor engagement to the following deep core exercises.
TA Breath
The TA breath is the most foundational deep core exercise because it teaches us how to connect our breath with our deep core -which is no easy task after baby!
Instructions:
- Begin by lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor.
- As you inhale, fill your lungs without letting your ribs flare, relaxing your pelvic floor.
- On the exhale, or the effort of the exercise, audibly "shhh" your way out, lifting your pelvic floor, performing a small pelvic tilt, pulling your navel to your spine, drawing your transverse abdominis in and around your core.
- Practice this breath for 30 seconds.
Side-lying Ball Push
Side-lying ball push is a great exercise to help us connect our breath with our deep core engagement. Any small ball will work for this exercise.
Instructions:
- Begin by lying on your side, one hand on the ball in front of you.
- Inhale, relax the pelvic floor.
- Audibly exhale with a "shhh" and engage your deep core while simultaneously pushing the ball to the floor.
- Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds with proper engagement.
Alternating TA March
Instructions:
- Begin on your back with your feet flat on the floor.
- Inhale, relax the pelvic floor.
- On the audible exhale, or the effort, engage your deep core lifting one foot a few inches off the ground, in a marching position, keeping your knee bent, and slowly lower down.
- Repeat using your breath with the other leg.
- Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds with proper engagement.
