Fitness, Treadmills
Exercise after pregnancy: Annemerel de Jongh
Jul
Many of us are keen to restore a sense of normality after pregnancy and for some, this can also mean getting back into fitness.
While healthcare professionals recommend waiting at least six weeks before starting exercise again, it’s not uncommon to find that any previous motivation is now severely lacking due to completely new schedules and priorities. Coupled with the immense changes that can happen to the body during pregnancy and childbirth, it can be difficult to know when – or even how to start.
We spoke to fitness blogger and author Annemerel de Jongh about how she returned to running after her pregnancy in the second part of our guest blog series.
Hi Annemerel, good to chat with you again. First of all, how easy was it to motivate yourself to start exercising after pregnancy?
I was really motivated to start running again but I knew I first had to heal my pelvic muscles, so I started doing mobility exercises a week after delivery. The exercises were very easy in the beginning, but gradually they increased in time and difficulty. I loved taking that moment for myself. After five months I was able to start running again. It wasn’t difficult to motivate myself because I just love the feeling of running. So my advice would be to find something that you really enjoy, then it’s not that hard. Having a goal helps as well – I wanted to run a half marathon in March (nine months after my pregnancy).
Motivation is one thing, but trying to fit exercise into a busy schedule with a new baby is something else! Do you have any tips on how to find free time for exercise?
Try to plan your exercise at the beginning of the week, schedule it like you would schedule a business meeting. Talk to your partner (if you have one) and ask them to look after the baby when you’re planning to exercise. Try to work out in the morning, because at the end of the day you’re probably going to be too tired. If your baby likes to wake up early like mine, try to take advantage of the early morning and start your day with movement.
Sounds like a good approach. What did you find was the ideal type of exercise after pregnancy?
I did a special postpartum-fitness programme that focused on mobility and strength. I would advise you to do something that’s specific for the postpartum phase because this will help you to build a good base. After I finished the programme, I started doing Pilates again and I started walking with some little bits of running. After five months I was able to start running properly again, but it’s different for everyone.
Exercising and breastfeeding – anything to bear in mind?
Eat, eat, eat! And drink! I’m one year postpartum and still breastfeed twice a day. I pump and it’s going well, but I eat a lot. Another bit of advice is to buy a good sports bra that really supports your breasts, and try exercising right after breastfeeding.
Diastasis recti – how do we know if we have it and what is the best way to go about exercising?
Most women have some form of Diastasis Recti during pregnancy, (separation of the abdominal muscles) this is totally normal. It’s important to gradually build back strength in your abdomen. I would suggest following a postpartum fitness programme to do this the right way.
Can you share some example exercises that were most useful to you?
I loved doing side-lying windmills for mobility. Cat-cow, again for mobility. For my back, I loved doing a glute bridge. But again, follow a programme. You can find exercises online anywhere, but following a post-partum programme specifically will help you build a strong foundation.
Finally, as a marathon runner, we know how much you love running! You spoke about using the treadmill during pregnancy in our previous blog post. Did you manage to incorporate treadmill into your post-natal exercise?
When you start running again you’ll want to do some walking first, with little bits of running – this is not the time to start pushing. The thing I love about the treadmill is how you just can quit anytime it doesn’t feel so great. It’s also good that you can be at home with your baby and still work out. Just turn on the baby monitor and start walking/running.
Thank you to Annemerel de Jongh for contributing to this guest blog post. You can read more about fitness and lifestyle at annemerel.com.
