Prenatal

Each woman is unique, each pregnancy is unique but I’m sure most mums-to-be will have similar questions…

What are the do’s and don’ts of exercise during pregnancy? Can you do core exercises when you are pregnant? Will being fit and healthy help during labour and with recovery?  If you are healthy and your pregnancy is normal, it is safe to continue and even recommended that you exercise during pregnancy;

“You need to be physically active during pregnancy. It has terrific benefits that are associated with a better pregnancy outcome and even shorter labours.  It’s a win-win for baby and mum.”

Laura Riley, High-Risk Pregnancy Expert American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG)

Physical activity does not increase your risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, or early delivery.  SO get exercising and check out the many benefits for YOU and your BABY.

• Reduces back pain, fatigue, bloating & swelling, muscle cramps & urinary incontinence
• Eases constipation
• Improves general fitness and circulation
• Strengthens your heart, blood vessels and muscles, helping you cope with labour
• May decrease your risk of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and caesarean delivery
• Promotes healthy weight gain during pregnancy
• Helps you to lose the baby weight after your baby is born

 

Who & What It Involves

• 1:1 bespoke programming for pregnant women in their 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters up to and including 38 weeks
• There is an educational element of each session so you become more aware of your own body & its connections
• Mindful movement focusing on breathing, core & pelvic floor activation & strength
• Getting your body fit and strong through functional exercises, ready for labour, birthing and motherhood
• Exercise prescription & homework to support your body throughout pregnancy
• Mobilisations & releases to reduce tension and common pregnancy related alignments such as carpal tunnel & tight aching muscles
• Gentle stretches and relaxation

 

How Can I Help?

• By offering functional exercises that will improve your strength & tone and that reflect your everyday life. There will be no sitting on Swiss balls…. when do mums ever get time to ‘sit’?!
• Modifying exercises that accommodate your growing bump and shifting balance
• Ensuring you are exercising safely using ‘rate of perceived exertion’ to determine how hard you are working based on how you feel
• Preparing your body for motherhood through primal movement patterns every mother practices daily without knowing it…push, pull, squat, lunge, rotate, bend to extend, balance

                                    Postnatal

Birth is a transforming event – be patient and realistic about your postnatal fitness goals, allow your body time to restore and recover, then come back fighting!

Exercises that engage and knit together our core abdominal muscles and strengthen our pelvic floor form the solid foundations for recovery. This later allows higher impact cardiovascular exercises to be performed safely without discomfort or set backs. Get the basics right and you are well on your way to a stronger, happier you!

I’m sure you have asked yourself a number of questions post birth: when is it safe to start exercising? How can I shed my baby weight? What exercises aid recovery? How do I correctly engage the pelvic floor? What exercises are best avoided and for how long? Well, I’m here to help. Firstly, exercise has the following benefits for postnatal women;

• Strengthens and tones abdominal & pelvic floor muscles
• Boosts energy levels
• Increases range of motion, flexibility & rate of postnatal recovery regardless of delivery
• May help prevent postnatal depression
• Focuses on breathing techniques that reduce stress, fatigue, anxiety and tension
• Promotes better sleep
• Brings attention to posture which often gets neglected when caring for your little one
• Helps shed those extra pounds
• Improves general fitness, circulation, digestion & mental wellbeing
• Creates ‘you’ time, a time for self care

 

Who Its For

• 1:1 bespoke programming for postnatal women (after the 6 week check up) who want to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles
• Those who want to put a stop to leaking when coughing, laughing, sneezing, jumping or running
• Women with back pain who would benefit from a stronger fully functioning core
• If you just want to reconnect with your core getting a stronger & better looking tummy
• Those who want to progress from basic Kegel exercises to advanced core activation exercises & functional movement
• Women that want to heal their small Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation) after pregnancy
• Women who prioritise their long-term health and well-being
• If you have been advised by your health care professional to ‘do your pelvic floor exercises’ but dont know where to start. We have 100% moved away for the ‘hold it in and squeeze method’
• Mums who value their self-worth and want some time to themselves to heal and recover

What It Involves

• There is an educational element to each session so you become more aware of your own body & its connections
• Postural analysis and alignment corrections
• Diastasis recti (abdominal separation) and pelvic floor examination
• Nutritional advice – foods that repair tissue post trauma and support cellular regeneration
• Mindful movement focusing on breathing, core & pelvic floor rehabilitation
• Getting your body fit and strong through functional exercises so you can chase after your little one!
• Personalised progressive fitness programme to shed those extra pounds
• Exercise prescription & homework to activate and continuously strengthen your core & pelvic floor daily
• Mobilisations and releases to reduce the build up of muscle tension specifically if breastfeeding
• Stretches and relaxation

How Can I Help?

• First and foremost, offering core & pelvic floor rehabilitation done though visualisation, respiration and pre-load tension
• Creating synergy between your core and pelvic floor muscles enabling optimal functionality (see diagram)
• Ensuring you are exercising safely with the correct amount of load transfer. Too much load too soon creates intra-abdonimal pressure causing your tummy to dome known as ‘mummy tummy’
• By offering functional exercises that improve your strength & tone and reflect your everyday life as a new mum
• Offer a progressive exercise programme that reflects your increasing fitness levels and strength
• Constantly changing exercises to keep your body guessing, speed up metabolism, tone muscles and gets results
• Covering all primal movement patterns every mother practices daily without knowing it…push, pull, squat, lunge, rotate, bend to extend, balance
• Save on childcare costs, bring along your baby until they are crawling

How To Book

• Contact me; clare@esicygh.cluster028.hosting.ovh.net, complete the Prenatal or Postnatal Health Questionnaire and I’ll be in touch

 

What to Wear/Bring

• Comfortable, non-restrictive gym clothing
• Trainers
• Water bottle
• Gym towel
• If you are breastfeeding, feed your baby or express your milk before your workout to avoid any discomfort that may come from engorged breasts

 

Prices & Packages

Pre & Postnatal Training – Consultation (45 – 60 minutes) £55.00
Pre & postnatal Training Sessions– 60 minutes

• Block of 5 – £47 per session (£235)
• Block of 10 – £45 per session (£450)

Bump to Baby Combo Package – Consultation (60 minutes) £50.00* Training Sessions– 60 minutes. Block of 20 – £40 per session (£800). Use a minimum of 5 sessions pre-birth helping strengthen your body for labour and remaining sessions post birth when you and your body feel ready to return to exercise.

 

Payment

Full payment is required prior to your sessions by BACS or cash. Instalments are available, please see Terms & Conditions or call to discuss.