Postnatal exercise – Barre Body after baby

If you’ve recently welcomed a new baby into the world – congratulations! This is such a beautiful time for you and your baby (despite the sleep deprivation), and we encourage you to take as much time as you possibly can to focus on adjusting to this new (amazing) life, and to focus on healing your body following pregnancy and birth.

However, once you’re ready to jump back into exercise, here are a few things you might want to consider.

Get the all-clear
Speak to your doctor or obstetrician when your baby is 6 weeks old to be given the all-clear to exercise. He or she should provide you with lots of tips on the types of exercises you might want to encourage or avoid – so ask as many questions as you can!

Speak to your teacher
We love having mamas in our classes, and all our teachers are well versed in how to support your body. So speak to your teacher before class, who will give you any modifications and will keep an eye on you throughout class. Particularly if you’ve suffered from abdominal separation – let your teacher know so she or he can provide you with specific modifications for the core section of class. You’ll want to focus on your deep abdominal muscles to build strength and bring your abdominal muscles slowly closer back together.

Be mindful of your pelvic floor
It’s not the nicest topic to think about – but if you’re a mother, you’ll know the importance of your pelvic floor! Be sure to focus on pelvic floor strengthening exercises, and enlist the help of a professional (like a good women’s physiotherapist) before embarking on jumping or any cardio based exercises.

Don’t overstretch
The relaxin hormone isn’t just limited to pregnancy, but stays in your body for up to 6 months. So don’t overstretch, and be particularly mindful of your stability in exercises like plank.

Go slowly
You don’t need to launch straight back into your pre-pregnancy exercise regime. So start slow and be kind to yourself. You’ll achieve so much more by listening to your body and nourishing it with the movement it needs. Our Online Studio has some great exercises you can do from your own home, even with baby beside you.

Enjoy, mamas!