Top 5 Exercise Tips for Mums to Be
We caught up with Emma Dowling, founder and creator of Empowered Mama. A company that specialises in prenatal and postnatal strength and fitness. Emma has worked with over 1000 mums and shares her top 5 tips for prenatal exercise.
1: Work with a coach or instructor who is properly qualified to guide you safely through your pregnancy/ post natal fitness journey . Ask for qualifications. There is a huge amount in this field of fitness and the knowledge is not widely available.
2: Breathe - remember our diaphragm and pelvic floor work in sync. A shallow, chest breathing effects posture, rib mobility, stress levels, can contribute to pelvic girdle pain and back pain. Learn to relax your pelvic floor.
3: Exhale on the effort of each rep and do not breath hold. In pregnancy/ post natal or any exercise. Period.
4: Leaking, pressure and pain in training is very common but not normal. Do not ignore these symptoms. See a pelvic floor physio is any of these symptoms present.
5: Keep moving. Do a mixture of low impact cardio (conversational pace) and resistance training. A strong body is more robust and less prone to injury. Motherhood is physical....pregnancy, labour and beyond. Being strong will serve your body very well in keeping you safe and making your life easier.
2: Breathe - remember our diaphragm and pelvic floor work in sync. A shallow, chest breathing effects posture, rib mobility, stress levels, can contribute to pelvic girdle pain and back pain. Learn to relax your pelvic floor.
3: Exhale on the effort of each rep and do not breath hold. In pregnancy/ post natal or any exercise. Period.
4: Leaking, pressure and pain in training is very common but not normal. Do not ignore these symptoms. See a pelvic floor physio is any of these symptoms present.
5: Keep moving. Do a mixture of low impact cardio (conversational pace) and resistance training. A strong body is more robust and less prone to injury. Motherhood is physical....pregnancy, labour and beyond. Being strong will serve your body very well in keeping you safe and making your life easier.