Jane Wake pelvic floor expert and female fitness professional is working with Innovo the non-invasive pelvic floor strengthening restoration system. She reveals her top five ways to boost your body confidence post-pregnancy
Consider joining a postnatal exercise programme
Joining other new mums in exercise can be a good way to make new friends whilst giving you the right exercise focus to strengthen and tone up following your pregnancy. The social aspect can also help you mentally too – being with other mums like yourself can be comforting and incredibly supportive. Professionally led classes will also target core strength and provide a balanced exercise programme that will help with daily tasks such as feeding, carrying and lifting infants. Make sure you do your research and choose a class run by a qualified professional.
Get moving
Getting time to exercise as a new mum is far easier said than done, so use daily activities that fit into your busy schedule. Pushing that pram up a hill? Lift your body up tall, pull your tummy in and lengthen your stride so that you feel your bottom muscles working – just as good as a workout in the gym!
Nourish your body
Look after yourself and nourish your body with the essential vitamins it deserves after the huge ordeal of giving birth. Try to eat little and often to keep your strength up, and fill your plate with as much colour as you can (and don’t forget to treat yourself with a little of what you enjoy every now and again! I use the 80/20 rule – if you are eating good 80% of the time and keeping on the move then you can justify that 20%).
Don’t be hard on yourself
While we can all have the right intentions, life – particularly the life of a new mum – can often get in the way. Consciously breathing and releasing tension is one of the most important things you can do for your body. So, if you get to the end of the day and you haven’t done anything else, pause for 5 minutes to breathe, relax and stretch. It’s worth every second.
Innovotherapy
The stress placed on the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy and childbirth can weaken the pelvic floor, causing leaking of urine. Innovo is a non-invasive, clinically proven restoration system, which uses Innovotherapy to safely and effectively activate and strengthen the muscles of the entire pelvic floor to eliminate urinary incontinence, alleviating anxiety and helping you to regain your confidence.
