Time to recover

“Your body has gone through massive physiological changes, and it’s not just a matter of doing a few sit-ups to fi x a flabby tummy,” says Tim, who insisted that his wife Yasmin start very gentle swimming or yoga only two months after giving birth to their son Rafi.

“You need to have a rest period, then a slow rehabilitation period, then a proper recovery period. You need to rebalance all the elements, which is a long, slow process. You need to look at cardio-respiratory fitness, structural strength and posture, and your psychological well-being.

“I don’t let any of my ‘new mum’ clients do any exercise, other than a gentle stroll with the stroller, for the first six weeks. Even if they are super-fit, Olympic-standard athletes, they would expect a rest and recovery period after an ‘ injury’. Giving birth is the same.”

His views are echoed by Michael Dooley, a specialist sports gynaecologist, who was acting senior gynaecologist at the London Olympics. “You must listen to your body. If you are used to being in control of your life, you have to accept that you have to relinquish that for a while.

“Your life has been taken over by a demanding baby and there will be pressure from all areas to make you feel you are not doing things right, or you haven’t snapped back into shape quickly enough. But it takes time. I