An important point to remember about postpartum exercising is that you should not start too soon. But how soon is too soon? There are conflicting opinions on this. Some experts recommend waiting six weeks to do any exercise at all, while others tell new mothers that they can start ”exercising” as soon as the day after they give birth if they feel well.

Women who have had a complicated birth and difficult recovery may need a full six weeks of rest before moving their bodies in any kind of vigorous way. Most women, however, fall somewhere between these two extremes. I recommend that new mothers do nothing but rest and recover for a full two to three weeks postpartum.

Each individual has different postpartum recovery periods based on individual circumstances. I recommend to wait for your 6-8 weeks postnatal check at your GP, if you had a normal vaginal delivery. Mention that you would like to start exercise, if it’s ok for you to do so.

In case of caesarean delivery you might need to wait a bit longer, somewhere between 10-12 weeks or longer until you can start with exercising.

Yes, this classes are great if you are trying to lose weight and tone your body. Using variations of cardio including power walk or slow jog ( for advanced exercising mums only ) together with strengthening your whole body and core muscles including body weight exercise, two types of resistance bands, TRX, a medicine ball or light dumbbells will help you to get the maximum results you can get in postpartum period.

No, if you have not exercised for a long time, you will find Mummy & Buggy class just perfect for you to get you back on the track. I start with the basics and progress the exercises to more challenging ones to make sure it’s safe for you and you get the maximum from the class. On the top I will keep monitoring your heart rate during the class to make sure you don’t go over your comfortable zone but still get the results you expect get.

Come along and try a class for free – I am sure you’ll love it. Mummy & Buggy classes are run by me personally – I have a Master degree in a Sport Science and I am a qualified Personal trainer & Antenatal / Postnatal qualified. This allows me to really tailor the classes to the fitness requirements of individuals within the group, and give each Mummy the attention they deserve throughout the class.

Each class has maximum of 10 participants. This means that you will receive a much higher level of supervision and the content of the class can be adapted for any injuries you may have. It’s a very common to experience at some point bit of ache, especially wrists, knees and lower back can suffer. Having a lower number of participants in the class allows me to give you all attention you require and adapt each exercise to your needs.

The classes start with a warm up. We use our beautiful seafront for a power walk and a hill near the wish tower for maximum result then progress on to a dynamic stretching. All the movements will be easy to follow and predominately low impact. The main part is mainly strengthening part using either your own body weight or special equipment, which is safe to be used in postpartum period. Every session is different, not giving your body chance to reach a plateau. All exercises are safe assisting in healing diastasis recti and at the same time strengthening all body parts using circuits, moderate intensity interval trainings and much more. After that, we’ll do a quick cool down followed by a relaxing stretch.

Core stability relates to the abdominal wall, pelvis, lower back and diaphragm. The diaphragm is the main muscle for breathing, so breathing is important in providing core stability. Contraction of all these muscles provides support to the spine and pelvis during movement.

Absolutely not! Mummy & Buggy class is designed to work with moms and fit your needs. If you have a chance to workout on your own and it’s during a Mummy & Buggy class, just come to class! I always offer modifications and will be sure you get an effective workout either way. If the schedule works for you, I will make the workout work for you too!

The older babies seem to find it funny watching carefully as their mum works out. The younger ones may find the movement makes them sleepy and drop off while you work out. During the floor exercises and stretches, your baby can stay in their car seat or buggy, or you could pop them in the travel cot or put them on the blanket or mat if you think they would like a little play/kick about.

All babies cry and everybody is in the same boat! Don’t worry, there are plenty of opportunities for you to take your baby out of their buggy for a cuddle and/or a feed if you feel that is what is needed, but you must stop exercising yourself. You know your baby best, so even if you have to stop exercising for a while to settle them, feed or change them, that’s absolutely fine.

Currently, there is no upper age limit for babies attending classes. You will be the best judge of this. If you baby is still happy to stay in their buggy, they will certainly enjoy the class.

Yes, it is! Before you attend Mummy & Buggy class I will provide you with all necessary information you need to know if you decide to exercise and breastfeed. It’s safe if you know what to expect what to avoid and following my guideline.

Research shows that exercise increases the levels of lactic acid. However this is not a concern for baby’s health. If your baby doesn‘t feed well immediately after a workout, it is often due to the salty taste of mom’s sweaty breast, NOT the slightly altered taste of the milk. Bring a washcloth and do a little wipe down if this is a concern. However once you rule out the sweat factor, remember that within 1.5 hours the lactic acid levels have dropped. You might consider feeding your baby right before exercise to give yourself time to recover postpartum.

I need to be aware of any injuries or health issues you have so that I can ensure you don’t do any exercise which would be painful or make things worse. Taking care of your body in postpartum period is very important.

A bottle of water ( have at least 500ml ), you need to make sure you stay hydrate it, especially if you breastfeed. I would recommend to drink at least 250ml before the class starts and then additional 250ml after the class.

You will also need an old towel or mat for ground exercises or stretching. In case of rainy days, which occasionally happen, a rain cover for your pram and rain jacket for yourself.

Wear an appropriate comfortable clothes. I suggest to have always more layers as the weather changes during the class. Wear a supportive sport bra and supportive comfortable trainers.

The classes are being cancelled occasionally due to heavy rain, but if it does happen, class will be cancelled. I keep updating my Facebook page www.facebook.com/OHPT1 regularly.