Strength Training For New Moms

The pre and postnatal sector is an under-serviced market in­ Saskatoon. Currently there are fitness businesses targeting this market (outdoor boot camps, strollercise, etc.) but very few are training them in a safe and effective manner, with an emphasis on preparing for childbirth and postpartum recovery. The fact that one of these businesses has a woman doing a plank in their promotional material is a strong indication that our community is uneducated on pre and postnatal exercise programming.
The care that women receive in pregnancy and postpartum is mediocre at best. North American doctors are famously uneducated about circumstances that effect women’s bodies in pregnancy, such as pelvic floor dysfunction and diastasis recti. The “six week wait rule” doctor’s often recommend before returning to exercise is not appropriate for all (if any) new moms. This often leads to women jumping back into their pre-pregnancy workout and running regime too soon, which can be more harmful than helpful long term.

Training in Pregnancy

My pregnancy training programs include prehab for childbirth and postpartum recovery. We will focus on postural alignment, strength and stability. The goal is that women can spend nine months enjoying pregnancy, which means feeling confident, strong, having energy, and staying injury and pain-free.

There are many considerations that need to be taken into account when programming workouts for pregnant women. A growing body can feel unstable and there is considerable stress put on the core and pelvic floor from the pressure of the baby. To minimize that stress we will emphasize anti-extension, anti-rotation and anti-lateral flexion core exercises, building the posterior chain, and pulling movements.

During pregnancy we want to avoid any extra pressure or stretching of the linea alba. This includes crunching, aggressive rotations, or front-loaded exercises. In pregnancy I would discourage clients from doing sit-ups, crunches, burpees, front-loaded planks, push-ups or jack-knifes. We would also be looking to minimize high-impact exercises to the pelvic floor. This includes long-distance running, skipping and plyometrics.

Postpartum Recovery

Postpartum recovery is very individual as every woman’s pregnancy and delivery is individual. Did my client have a vaginal birth or a caesarian? Did her vaginal birth include interventions such as forceps or an episiotomy? How long did she push for? Does she have any prolapse, urine or fecal leakage, or diastasis recti?

I would like to see all of my clients visit a pelvic floor physiotherapist two to six weeks after delivery. In many countries pelvic floor physiotherapy is a huge part of the maternal health care system and is also state-funded. Unfortunately in North America it is not (yet) but it is one of the best things a new Mom can do for herself. Pelvic floor physiotherapists can check for prolapses, pelvic floor trigger points, internal tearing, and diastasis recti. They can assess the pelvic floor for dysfunction, including if the muscle is hyper or hypotonic.

Postpartum recovery can begin from day one, starting with awareness of alignment and core breathing. From two to three weeks postpartum, depending on a woman’s delivery, we will start working together on light strength exercises that include TVA activation, glute-focused exercises, stability exercises, and pulling movements. Recovery exercises are all geared towards pelvic floor healing, closing the abdominal muscles, regaining stability, core strengthening, and keeping women strong and pain-free in all the new tasks she is required to do that are demanding of a woman’s body.

Questions

When a woman feels ready to return to exercise is going to be dependent on not only her pregnancy and delivery, but how she feels. There are other factors to consider during the postpartum period, such as how much sleep a new Mom is getting (usually very little), how much support she has in her day-to-day life, if she has older children to care for, what is happening with her hormones, if she is breastfeeding, what her nutrition looks like. A woman’s recovery and programming will vary depending on all of these factors. It is so individual and truly we are missing out on serving our new Moms by sending them to cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all boot camps.

The most important thing is that a new Mom listens to her body and be connected with a professional and community that puts her wellness first and helps her return to exercise safely. When proper care and attention are used to progress a postpartum woman’s training regime, she will have a much quicker and safer return to the things she used to do.

I’m very passionate about the health and wellness of new Moms and feel it is a much-needed service in Saskatoon. Not only is there a need for pre and postnatal strength training specialists, there is a need for education in the fitness community. Preparing a woman’s body with a well-trained fitness professional in pregnancy is the best way to keep her healthy for postpartum and beyond.- Jennifer Campbell

Classes Offered

Programs will be offered at Synergy Strength starting May and will run in two month blocks (May and June combined).  Programs will run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and billing will be done through Synergy Strength monthly. Costs are $189/month.

**Programs are designed for pre and post natal moms interested in the journey or prehab for childbirth and postpartum recovery.

For more information please contact Synergy Strength or Jennifer Campbell directly;

–        Synergy Strength @ (306) 979-9348 or info@synergystrength.ca

–        Jennifer Campbell @ (639) 471-0850 or