All your personal fitness, exercise and diet questions answered by an experienced fitness instructor. This week, some post-pregnancy advice on getting back your pelvic floor muscles.
Mel Andrews is a tutor at Lifetime Training, and has over ten years experience in personal training and GP referral instructing. Below she answers your fitness questions to help you get and stay in shape.
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Question
I gave birth three months ago and want to work my pelvic muscles back into shape. What exercises do you recommend I do at the gym? Samantha.
Mel’s Answer
After just finding out I’m 12 weeks pregnant myself I’m rather aware of how important the pelvic floor actually is!
If you are still in contact with your midwife have a chat with her about pelvic floor exercises and see if she can give you any advice. If you’re not in contact with your midwife anymore, then have a word with your GP. Depending on the birth of your new bundle of joy there may be other considerations such as healing from stitches, whether you’ve had an episiotomy or caesarean and so on.
Here is a simple exercise I have recently discovered in the NHS Pregnancy book:
• Close up your back passage as if you are trying to stop a bowel movement
• At the same time, draw in your vagina as if you are gripping a tampon and also contract your front urinary passage as if trying to stop the slow of urine
• Try doing this exercise quickly by tightening and releasing the muscles immediately
• Then do the exercise slowly holding the contraction for as long as you can before you relax
Try both exercises ten times, four to six times a day. Make sure you breathe throughout the exercise.
Mel Andrews, pictured. When taking up any new activities or exercise always consult with your GP first and ensure that you get advice from an appropriately qualified instructor.
For more information on fitness courses & more contact Lifetime Training on 0870 702 7273 or visit www.lifetimehf.co.uk