Want to run further, lift heavier or nail your first pull-up? Each month, we put your questions to our team of the finest fitness brains to give you the tools you need to make good on your goals
AS TOLD TO BRIDIE WILKINS. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES. *SOURCE: SCIENCE ADVANCES
Q I’ve just had sign-off to start exercising after having a baby. How can I tell if I’m overdoing it?
Rosie Stockley says: First of all, congratulations on the birth of your little one, and great news that you’re ready to exercise again.
Before we discuss signs of overexertion, it’s important to understand what your body has been through. It makes many physiological adaptations for pregnancy and birth. Your pelvic floor muscles will have stretched and weakened from the pressure during pregnancy – then more so if you had a vaginal birth. Your breasts will be heavier as your milk-producing cells expand and your centre of gravity will have changed since losing your bump, which could compromise your balance. If you sustained a vaginal tear during birth, your pelvic floor muscles will need more healing time, and this applies to your abdomen for C-section births, when your abdominal muscles are gently pulled apart for the surgeon to access your uterus.
Whichever birth you had, lay the groundwork for exercise by slowly strengthening your pelvic floor and core. Practise isolated pelvic floor exercises (aka Kegels) daily, then consider incorporating bodyweight core work and steady walks before adding any full-body strength sessions. Your pelvic muscles will automatically activate themselves during workouts, but focus on steady breathing (equal inhales and exhales) to maintain core activation; your diaphragm and pelvic floor work together to strengthen your core as, when your diaphragm rises, your abs tense and your pelvic floor lifts. Core strength will support you in almost every exercise.
As for overdoing it, your body has many ways of letting you know. Look out for intense feelings of achiness while working out – beyond the typical exercise ‘burn’, a considerably higher heart rate that you have trouble slowing down, feeling dizzy or faint, heaviness or pain in your abdomen or pelvic area and vaginal leaking or bleeding. In any case, always ease off. Cut your workout short, rest and lower the intensity of the workout for your next attempt. In the interim, stick to your pelvic floor exercises and consult your GP if you feel unsure.
It’s also worth noting that you’ll almost certainly feel more fatigued than normal – and not just because you
