Becoming a new mum is an amazing and transformative experience, but it can also be physically demanding. Your body has just accomplished something incredible! Now it's time to recover and recharge. Yoga offers a gentle and effective way to regain strength, flexibility and wellbeing.
Here are five key areas to focus on in your postnatal yoga practice:
1. Pelvic Floor Exercises
Probably the single most important thing you can do to safeguard your postnatal health. Your pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in supporting your pelvic organs, but they come under strain during pregnancy and childbirth. By incorporating gentle pelvic floor exercises into your yoga practice (and day-to-day life!), you can strengthen these muscles and improve their function, helping to prevent issues like prolapse and incontinence in the future.
Try: Bridge Pose and pelvic tilts
2. Restore your Core
Your core muscles have been through a lot! A strong core is essential for good posture, stability and overall body function, but our abdominal muscles are weakened during pregnancy, with many mums suffering from diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles) during and afterwards. Start with gentle core exercises that engage your deep abdominal muscles and help protect your back (take special care when recovering from a c-section).
Try: Plank or Half-Plank
3. Hip and Back Flexibility
Carrying our babies (both during and after pregnancy!) and hunching over during feeding can be a recipe for tight hips and back tension. Incorporate stretches and gentle movement that target these areas to improve flexibility of the spine, open the chest, reduce tightness in the hip flexors and promote better posture.
Try: Child's Pose and Cat-Cow
4. Glute Strengthening
Heard of the dreaded ‘mum bum’? It’s real! Our glutes can really ‘switch off’ during pregnancy due to changes in posture and the way we carry the weight of the bump. Regaining glute strength is important for supporting your core, protecting your knees and providing stability for your hips and spine.
Try: Clamshells and mini-squats
5. Meditation and Breathing Exercises
Let's face it: looking after a baby can be stressful. Not to mention exhausting! Gentle movement, meditation and deep breathing can help you relax, connect with your body and reduce stress. Relaxation is a vital aspect of self-care.
Try: Square or ‘box’ breathing: inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and repeat
Remember to consult with your GP before starting any new exercise programme, especially after childbirth. The advice is to wait until after your 6-8 week postnatal check before exercising. Listen to your body, be kind to yourself and go at your own pace..
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