The Importance of Core Strength During Pregnancy & Postpartum

I was at an annual fitness convention that comes to Toronto a few years back and was in a workshop that was about the importance of core stability postpartum. The instructor who was speaking is a fitness guru with certifications up the ying yang. She's in her late thirties/early fourties and at the time had a 1 year old boy/girl?? Anyway, what I remember the most was her own personal story of why she had since then received her pilates instructor training certificate.

After the birth of her baby, she returned back to work a few months later to teach step classes. She figured, like sooooo many of us; "I'm in good shape, feel good and should have no problems getting back to it." Well after about a week of teaching, during a class, she stepped down and felt something slip in her back. And for those of you who have had back problems, like myself, you know that the slipping feeling is never a good sign.

Now her husband is a Physiotherapist and took one look at her and said, "Well of course you injured your back. You just had a baby and your core is so unstable that it was just a matter of time before something was going to give." With all the pounding and the instability of her core and spine, she's lucky she didn't get a slipped disc or worse. And she's a fitness expert. So if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone.

So this is just something to take note of. Maintaining core stability during pregnancy and getting right back at it postpartum is crucial in ensuring that your spinal muscles are properly supported to avoid injury. This is exactly why every session I do with a client includes core and back strength so the added weight does not put more strain in these areas than necessary.

Exercise For Stress Relief

Regular physical activity has numerous benefits such as maintaining a healthy weight, heart health and increased immune function. What alot of people don't realize is that exercise can also help to reduce stress - which in my opinion, can manifest in amazing ways causing other health related concerns.

Becoming a new mom is quite overwhelming to say the least. But we're trained to believe that we just have to take it all in stride. Our mothers did it and their mothers and so on. They don't tell you that they used shock "therapy" to treat their depression or that alcohol was their best friend. All these things sound so taboo, but people didn't talk about postpartum depression or the stress related with being left home alone with one, two or three children while their husband's worked all day and expected a clean house, quiet children and a hot meal when they came home. As ridiculous as that all sounds and as far as we have come as far as equality in parenting, women still remain the primary caregivers of our children and unfortunately, husbands can't breast feed.

So how can we help ourselves cope with the endless stream of diapers, feeding, crying, and sleep deprivation? Regular exercise can help you more than you know. While hormonal changes continue to reak havoc on your mental health after the baby comes, exercise can help to make those changes have a positive affect. The stress hormone Cortisol is decreased with physical activity while the feel good hormone, Seratonin, is increased leaving you with a feeling of wellness and happiness. Enndorphines, otherwise known as the "runners high" is also excreted which leaves you feeling energized and in control. Did you know that the chemical changes that occur on the brain are similar to antidepressants? This is why starting an exercise routine is often perscribed for people with mild depression.

Having said all of this, don't feel compelled that you must start a structured routine and if you miss a day, you are a failure. Be realistic and start slow. Regular exercise should be part of your lifestyle, not a chore. If you're completely exhausted, give yourself a break, but when you're not, getting outside with a simple change of scenery can do wonders for not only your body, but your state of mind. Because you have to remember; a happy mom makes a great mom!

A Little Thing Can Be Alot!

I have a client who I've been with now for about 2 months. When we met she was only 8 weeks along and was complaining about abdominal pressure and pain. It had already been assessed that she had very tight hip flexors - which is sooo common in pregnancy but I was shocked when she told me that her last trainer never stretched her! Well I guess that's not too surprising as some may think that would be a waste of money, but he didn't even tell her to stretch on her own! Anyway, what's done is done. So now we focus on improving her flexibility, and thankfully her abdominal pain has started to subside as her body is adjusting better to her growing uterus.

This is the amazing thing about pregnancy that no one tells you. Your body is your body and it is used to being in a certain position all it's life. Whether it's poor posture or good posture, once pregnancy hits and relaxin starts moving things (even in the slightest) it can feel quite uncomfortable even at this early stage. And it's not just relaxin, your blood volume doubles and the increase in fluids can put pressure where it's not used to it.

I have another client who's tailbone shifted during labour and delivery and has since then been in excrutiating pain. Her MD told her is was "shattered" but the x-ray showed no fracture. Uh??
So I sent my chiropractor over to her home just to find out it's shifted to the right and that it cause alot of pain. After some acupuncture and a small adjustment, she was on the road to recovery.

I just find it facinating how I can see 4-5 women a day at all different stages of pregnancy and postpartum and their stories can be the same and so different at the same time. One thing is for sure for all of them. They are not going crazy and they are not alone. This is the advantage of my relationships. I can assure them that what they are experiencing is normal and sometimes, that's all they need to hear.

Pregnant, Beautiful and Strong

I just came back from a maternity fashion show and it was scary how I almost wanted to be pregnant again (ha ha) just to wear some of the great clothes they have available now! I mean, I feel jipped (is that a word?). All I could find during my first pregnancy were bows and flowers or extremely expensive alternatives! Geez...pregnant women these days can look sexy, hip; whatever you want!

One of my clients was a model in the show. I knew she would be amazing because she's so beautiful in and out and her wonderful personality shone through. She's about two months away from her due date and she's expecting a boy. I met her husband for the first time and he was beaming at his wife as she strutted the cat walk.

I also met a new mom who's daughter, Laila is 15 months old. We swapped stories and laughed at how every baby "thing" is atleast 20 bucks!! The one that sticks in my mind the most is Sophie, the toxic free giraffe. Really now...doesn't it look like a dollar store toy? And it's 20 bucks! Wow..I'm in the wrong business.

But no, that's wrong. I'm in the best business. Being there tonight just confirmed why I do this for a living. I love helping women connect with their bodies while there are so many times that they feel that they can't. But I think the best thing of all is meeting all those beautiful babies that I can honestly say I knew before they were born.

My goal is to create a strong healthy women during pregnancy which results in beautiful healthy babies. And when I get the call and get to meet "him", "her" or most recently "they", well, the proof is in the pudding.