#24: Three reasons why a new mum should exercise daily (for only 5 minutes)
I start almost every blog post writing that since we had a baby I haven’t slept through the night. It is still true, and she is 18 months now. There are ups and downs, better and worse days but I exercise every day, no matter how I feel (I train in sync with my menstrual cycle, adjusting my exercises to my energy levels and how my body feels).
It isn’t always easy to just get down on the floor and exercise.
But the truth is that if I don’t do it, I don’t feel good. My body aches.
Nursing, lifting a growing baby, carrying them around, cooking, working, not sleeping, it all puts a lot of stress on mum’s body. Therefore, to be able to keep doing all that, we need to exercise every day.
The thing is that most mums don’t have either time or energy to work out. I totally get that. But when I say exercising, I don’t mean long workouts.
You don’t need to exercise for 45 minutes each day to be pain-free.
As little as 5 minutes will make you feel much better. All you need is a couple smart exercise to strengthen your core (abs, back and glutes) and neck as well as a few stretches.
Here are three great benefits of 5-minute daily workouts:
Flat belly doesn’t always mean healthy and strong body. In 2017 (when I took this picture) I was recovering from over training. My body ached with every move (mainly knees and neck). If I knew how to prime my body to make my transition from office job to being a full time fitness trainer, I could have avoided all that. Transition to being a mum feels very similar, with less sleep. Priming (rebuilding strength and balance) is a priority.
1. Abdominals
After giving birth it is important to “awaken” our abs and close the post pregnancy abdominal gap and strengthen stomach and pelvic floor muscles.
Most women lose the muscle-mind connection during pregnancy. It is easy to restore that, but we have to exercise daily. It takes time and consistency, but it is the only way to strengthen deep abdominal muscles and avoid back pain. All you need is just one, specific exercise (watch the video here)
2. Improving posture
Restoring abdominal function and strength is the first step that cannot be skipped. But the birth is just a beginning of the additional body strains that we encounter after having a baby.
Pregnancy often leads to anterior pelvis tilt and connected imbalances.
Nursing may cause neck, shoulders, and upper back pain.
Carrying a baby on the hip often results in lower back, hip and knee pain.
As long as we’re breastfeeding the relaxine hormone makes our joints unstable, putting a strain on the whole body.
It sounds horrific but let me assure you that 5 minutes exercise a day is enough to rebalance our body, stay pain-free and move better than even before the pregnancy.
As often as possible enjoy the nature and have fun. There are different forms of healthy moves. The more natural they are, the more beneficial they will be. Both for your physical as well as mental health. They are fun for us and for Freya!
3. Support your mental health
Even though there is much more information about postnatal depression we don’t really talk much about mum’s mental self-care.
It is not only about depression but all the smaller things as well.
Feeling stressed and on edge a lot, anxiety, self-doubt, low self-esteem, low self-confidence. How many mums experienced that after giving birth? Are we even admitting it? Having a baby is a wonderful thing but we do pay the price.
We may be the happiest and proudest mums while feeling pretty lost in this new role as a woman.
Do you know what I mean or is it just me?
There is a direct correlation between our posture and mental wellbeing.
Did you know that when our shoulders are elevated, and we keep our head down a lot we may feel more anxious keeping the cortisol up and messing up our digestive system? When we feel like our body is being pulled down to the floor all the time, with our mid back bent and head forward our nervous system “reads” it as if we were sad which may lead to feeling depressed.
PS. Eat well to support your postnatal recovery and boost your physical and mental health
Exercising to improve our posture and strengthen the body will strengthen our mental health.
It is not only that our mood will impact the posture but also our posture will impact our mood. When I start feeling lost and confused, when I feel like I’m carrying too much weight on my shoulders I often hunch my back and drop my head. To get out of it I first improve my posture, I stand up straight and start contracting my muscles. It doesn’t make the whole anxiety go away but it helps me to take the next steps to feel better. If you feel the same, start with consciously improving your posture. You will see how much easier it is then, to do everything else. It is an immediate mood booster.
I want you to forget about exercising for weight loss and start thinking of all the other benefits that matter more.
When we start with just 5-minute workouts, over time we will build a lasting habit that (and the fact that the baby gets bigger and hopefully sleeps better) will allow you to exercise more later. Your abdomen will tighten, your waist will shrink (when we tighten those deep abs, they will make our waist smaller) and if you eat healthy and move (walk, play with the little one, etc) you will lose weight.
When you rebalance your body, you will also decrease the risk of injuries. When you finally have time and energy to start running or join group classes, you will move well again.
You have to first learn how to walk again before you go for a run, just like your little one.
I hope that makes sense. Let me know how you feel after reading this and if you need any help.
In my next blog post I will share with you my three favourite exercises to avoid neck and upper back pain (and headaches) while breastfeeding.
With Love,
Karo