GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE ADVICE FOR SPORTY NEW MUMS

Elizabeth Davies, founder of The Mummy Coach (the mummycoach.co.uk), a postnatal support and personal training service, says: “Mums tend to get told a lot of what they cannot do and little of what they can. That can get frustrating, particularly when many of us rely on exercise for a mental health boost. After the six-week point, try hillwalking or walking on an incline on a treadmill, a low-impact way to begin to build back some glute strength; swimming (remove the arm strokes and hold a float while kicking your legs if you have diastasis recti); or gentle cycling.”

Emma Brockwell, women’s health physiotherapist at the Halos Clinic in Surrey, is passionate about increased awareness of pelvic floor rehabilitation. “No women is immune from the impact and changes imposed by pregnancy and childbirth. Pelvic floor exercises should be incorporated into any training programme, and all post-partum women should have an assessment by a women’s health physio.”

Charlie Launder, co-founder of Bumps and Burpees (@bumpsandburpees), a pre and post-natal personal training service, says: “Often, clients who are patient in allowing their body the time it needs to recover before they get back into the gym see incredible improvements in their physical abilities – some even end up running their fastest marathon within a year of giving birth. Their secret is simply that they gave themselves the time to work on building up their deep core strength and regaining stability of their pelvis, which can take some time after birth.”