WOMEN’S T R A I N I N G
Returning to triathlon after having a baby? Here’s all you need to know from your first postpartum activity to progressing your training
Understandably, many women want to resume training as soon as possible after giving birth. If carried out sensibly, there are numerous benefits to training: it boosts mood and may cut the risk of post-natal depression; strengthens the muscles including pelvic floor and core; aids sleep; reduces stress; and manages weight.
If you have big long-term goals in mind, consider that protecting your body for the future could be the most important part of your return strategy; work on recovery and healing, rebuilding slowly with intention. Doing so will protect your body and develop the foundations for competing again.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer or timeline because each
woman, delivery and recovery are unique. With this in mind, let’s explore how you can safely begin training and progress to racing…
REST AND RECOVERY
Use the first couple of weeks to fully rest and connect with your baby. Babies are the ultimate sleep thieves and they also require a huge amount of energy. Prioritise sleep and include more restorative-style activities such as yoga and walking. And utilise your support network as much as possible.
FUEL ADEQUATELY
Now’s not the time to be dieting; instead, focus on fuelling, consuming mainly wholefoods containing protein, fat, carbs and micronutrients. This enables repair of your body and sufficient energy to look after your baby, training and, should you be, breastfeeding.
CAN YOU TRAIN?
Have you been cleared to exercise by your doctor? This is a screening
typically conducted at six weeks and checks any wound healing, plus a verbal screening for you and baby checks.
You may be given the “all clear” but do bear in mind that they don’t assess your pelvic-floor function, nor specialise in post-natal exercise. Throughout pregnancy and subsequent birth, your whole body and biomechanics will have changed: altered bone structure, weaker muscles, more lax ligaments and you’ll be sleep deprived. It means you’ll be more susceptible to injury so this isn’t the green light to jump straight into training.
SEEK OUT A SPECIALIST
Have you been cleared by a pelvic health specialist or women’s physiotherapist? You may feel ready, but if you want to run, ride or swim without leaking and, at worst, prolapse of pelvic organs, build the foundations before moving onto more strenuous exercise.
Enlist the expertise of a women’s health physiotherapist or a post-natal personal trainer to help you to restore your pelvic floor, diastasis recti (abdominal separation) and core prior to beginning any high-impact or load-bearing exercise.
TAKE IT EASY
Have you built up and progressed slowly? If you go out of the blocks too soon, you’re at greater risk of injury – both short and long term – and this will further impact your ability to train and compete long term.
Loading and impact causes downward pressure on the pelvic floor, so be cautious and gradually build up until you can carry out exercise without losing control, keeping in mind that you don’t want to make it weaker, but instead make it stronger. Tight and weak hips, and tight gluteal, hamstring and groin muscles, can also contribute to the risk of injury and pelvic-floor issues, so if you aren’t ready to take to the road yet, a postpartum specific exercise programme is a great way to start building the foundations of strength in those muscles.
The hormone relaxin that’s present to loosen the pelvis in readiness for birth is still circulating in the body for around 12 weeks after delivery, and means there’s an increased risk of injury. So progress slowly by developing a plan where you gradually increase the intensity, from walk to run, perhaps in intervals, then time, distance and speed.
In terms of triathlon training, working up from a walk to some stationary bike training, swimming and lastly running, alongside complementary strength and mobility, would be a sensible approach.
Running puts increased pressure on the pelvic floor so it may be the last of the three disciplines you return to after giving birth. Based on the assumption that you have rehabbed the core and pelvic floor and built up slowly from walking and other aerobic exercise, then waiting at least three months is a good recommendation, but this is dependent on the individual. Frustrating as this may seem, there are two other sports you can focus on in the interim that put less impact on the pelvic floor: swimming and cycling.
Swimming is also low impact but do get cleared by your midwife for risk of infection. Because relaxin is still present in the joints, refrain from breaststroke for at least 12 weeks. Now could be the time where you hone your front-crawl technique!
“Loading puts increased pressure on the pelvic floor so be cautious”
CHECK IN WITH YOUR BODY
It’s important to ask yourself how you feel during, after and inbetween exercise, including recovery, and be aware of how your pelvic floor is feeling. Heaviness, leaking and pain are red flags.
HOW SOON CAN I RACE?
There’s no timeline for this, but assuming you’ve rehabbed and restored pelvic core and floor function, then it’s up to you.
BUGGY READY?
A running buggy’s a useful investment for any triathlete, enabling the running to actually take place with a child in tow and perhaps a sleepy baby to boot! It’s advised to wait at least six months and for the baby to be able to hold their head up by themselves. It’s important to choose a buggy that’s specifically designed for running. It should have big wheels to stop the baby from being bumped around too much, a safety harness, wrist strap and hand brakes for safety.
When pushing a buggy, avoid leaning in too much, keeping your body upright. Just as you should with any training, progress with the buddy gradually so as not to put too much pressure on your upper back and shoulders too soon and get used to the extra weight.