TEACHER’S PET
TRAINER CHARLIE BARKER SHARES THE DOS AND DON’T S OF PRE-NATAL AND POST-NATAL EXERCISE.
IT’S every mother’s instinct to protect her baby, and some believe taking it easy is part of that protection. But safe exercise can be good for mums and babies both during and after pregnancy.
The Government recommends pregnant women and new mums get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week and the NHS advises mums-to-be to keep up their normal physical activity or exercise for as long as they feel comfortable – unless advised otherwise due to their individual health.
As well as improving or maintaining fitness, exercise during and after pregnancy can help reduce blood pressure, improve sleep, help lower the risk of pregnancy diabetes and post-natal depression, strengthen tummy muscles after childbirth, and improve mood.
Of course, caution is necessary. Pregnant women are advised, for example, not to ‘bump the bump’ – and to be aware of the potential dangers of sports where there could be a risk of abdominal trauma.
And mums-to-be, who were not active before they got pregnant, should not suddenly take up strenuous exercise.
Similarly, while new mums who have had a straight-forward birth can usually start gentle exercise once they feel up to it, it’s normally advisable to wait until after the six-week post-natal check to start any high-impact exercise, like aerobics or running. Those who have had a more complicated delivery or C-section will have a longer recovery time.
New mums can face a (small) obstacle too – working out how to look after their bundle of joy at the same time. One way of tackling that is to exercise while baby is in a carrier on mum’s chest, following the CARIFIT (carifit.co.uk) workout programme.
CARIFIT’S founder, Vern Hill, says exercising while babywearing helps create a bond between mums and babies, and explains: “Throughout a session they’re next to your heart, warm, safe, secure and engaged or, for the younger babies, asleep peacefully, while you’re enjoying the headspace of a satisfying and peaceful workout.
Other mums will choose to work out solo, while baby sleeps, watches them, or is cared for by someone else.
Charlie Barker, who specialises in pre and post-natal fitness and is the founder of the health and fitness community for mums and mumsto-be Bumps & Burpees (bumpsandburpees.com), says: “Many women ask if it is safe to exercise during pregnancy, and the short answer is: yes, unless it is against medical advice.”
Here Charlie, who’s a new mum herself and has written the pregnancy and post-partum exercise guide Bumps & Burpees, outlines the dos and don’ts of exercising while pregnant and after childbirth.
DO
Your body is your best guide to knowing what’s wrong and right for you. “Don’t worry about what your heart rate is compared to your friend, or what exercise programme they’re following,” she advises. “See what feels right for you.”
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY DON’T PUT PRESSURE ON YOURSELF
In both pregnancy and motherhood, there are going to be plenty of days when you don’t feel up for exercising and that’s totally normal, says Charlie.
“You’re probably sleepdeprived, full of hormones and your body is doing an awful lot, so let yourself off the hook when you’d prefer to choose sofa over squats. Whether it’s morning sickness, exhaustion or just not feeling up to it, we all have those days and if you rest when your body needs it, you can feel ready to go next time.”
WORK ON YOUR STRENGTH
DO
In pregnancy you’ll be getting heavier and changing shape over the nine months, not to mention welcoming lots of extra hormones.
“If you work on building and maintaining your physical strength,” says Charlie, “your body will cope far better with the change in centre of gravity as your bump grows, the extra kilos it needs to carry around, and most importantly support joints as the ligaments surrounding them become slightly less elastic thanks to the hormone relaxin.”
DON’T PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD
“As much as I encourage women to continue to exercise throughout their pregnancy if they can, it’s important to remember the intensity might need to change depending on what you’re used to,” she says.
“No more training so hard that you collapse in a heap, struggling to catch your breath – this is not the time for that.”
She advises pregnant women and very new mums to aim for a seven out of 10 effort level, making sure you can talk and breathe comfortably while you’re exercising. New mums should build exercise back up slowly and steadily. DO
Charlie says: “Imagine your pelvic floor as a hammock that holds up all your organs and your growing baby, it makes complete sense that it might weaken under all that pressure, so remember to do your pelvic floor exercises.”
WORK ON YOUR PELVIC FLOOR DON’T PRESSURE YOUR CORE
During pregnancy it’s important to maintain good core strength to help support your growing bump and stabilise you, explains Barker. But she says mothers-to-be need to swap traditional ab exercises, like planks and crunches, with exercises like Bird Dog or Side Plank Twist.
“There are plenty of ways to keep the core strong throughout your pregnancy without putting too much pressure through it,” she says.
NEARLY all children love animals – usually much more than they love learning. So why not put the two together, to see if animals can help children learn? It’s not a new idea, but it has been gathering pace in recent years and, before the latest lockdown, many teachers had got into the habit of taking animals – like the school rabbit or their own dog – into lessons.
And while creatures, ranging from hamsters, dogs and lizards to larger (not so school-friendly) animals such as horses can boost children’s wellbeing, animal-assisted interventions (AAIS) can also help children’s learning and development.
In science, children can learn about the animals themselves but it goes much further than that. In other lessons, the presence of animals can make children feel more relaxed, and it can also boost their learning in less obvious areas like social and emotional development.
Now the whole area of AAIS has been addressed in a new book, Tails from the Classroom, by Swansea University education specialist Dr Helen Lewis, and education inspector Dr Russell Grigg. Both have been working with animals in schools for years.
“Most children’s animal-loving nature, which stretches back to time immemorial, is a wonderful basis for teachers and parents to build on,” says Dr Grigg.
“Animals don’t worry about your appearance, class or background. In a chaotic world they’re a dependable friend, offering children much-needed emotional security and comfort.”
Dr Lewis adds: “There’s no doubt the presence of an animal can bring immense benefits to many learners. But we must remember not every animal will enjoy being in an educational environment. Animals are capable of feeling complex emotions and they express these in sophisticated ways.
“If we choose to involve them in classrooms we must acknowledge these voices, treating them as equal participants, not merely as teaching resources.”
Here, Dr Lewis and Dr Grigg outline how interacting with animals can benefit children...
Social behaviour
Caring for animals promotes a sense of responsibility, explains Dr Lewis, and children develop empathy as they learn to recognise when animals are thirsty, tired or hot and this is an important step in becoming less self-centred themselves.
“Participating in meaningful, caring activities can promote a child’s sense of confidence and self-worth and may foster a lasting affinity with the natural world,” she says. “Animals can become a non-judgemental friend.”
Children also learn how to take turns caring for animals, and don’t feel pressurised by animals in the same way they may with their peers.
Emotional wellbeing
A relationship with an animal can encourage a sense of security and belonging, says Dr Grigg. “Children who lack confidence in speaking to humans can address this by gaining confidence through talking to animals,” he explains.
“Animals provide very clear ‘biofeedback’ about their emotions via their body language – so when animals like dogs give feedback, whether it’s wagging a tail or moving away, children learn to regulate their own behaviour.
“They learn the importance of being calm around animals and to identify signs of stress. Children with particular anxieties find it comforting to know they’re not alone – to hear that even great big dogs have fears, such as thunder or fireworks.”
In addition, some children with attachment difficulties find it much easier to be around animals, which can help them learn to develop bonds with humans.
“We’ve found lots of schools have used animals to help children return to school after lockdowns, while some have involved them in online lessons,” adds Dr Grigg.
Language, literacy and communication
Children can develop speaking and listening skills through talking about an animal’s needs with its owner, explains Dr Lewis. “They need to listen carefully to instructions on how to care for the animal, or to give simple instructions to the school dog.
“They can become more confident in talking or reading to animals, who are a non-critical audience, and when children go home they can tell their parents about the visit of a dog or other animal to school, creating a conversation.”
Dr Lewis says schemes like the Read2dogs program run by the animal therapy charity Pets as Therapy (currently a virtual service while schools are shut during lockdown), or the John Burns Foundation’s Burns By Your Side reading with dogs scheme, can motivate and engage reluctant readers.
“Burns By Your Side reading with dogs encourages children to improve their reading and literacy,” says Melanie Jones of the John Burns Foundation.
“The child and the dog build up a special relationship which encourages children to want to read because it’s fun and not just because they have to. Over the years we’ve witnessed so much magic between the readers and the dogs.”
Physical development
Simply walking a dog brings huge physical and physiological benefits, Dr Grigg points out. “Studies have shown dog owners are four times more likely to meet recommended physical activity guidelines,” he says.
“And when a child physically stretches out and smooths an animal, it releases endorphins, which can reduce anxiety.”
In addition, through interacting with animals, by grooming or feeding for example, children and young people develop a range of fine and gross motor skills. Those with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy can benefit from equine-assisted therapy as well, he says.
Imagination, curiosity and creativity
“We should also not forget most children find animals fascinating,” says Lewis. “Animals have many seemingly superpowers – take, for example, a dog’s sense of smell or hearing or a bird’s ability to fly.
“These can capture children’s imaginations and curiosity, generating questions and a desire to find out more.
“They can role-play animal characters, developing a range of social and imaginative skills as they do so.
“Throughout the world, children are busy developing research skills in animal-themed school projects because teachers know the power animals have to inspire and motivate students.”
THUD! Thud! Thud! Sorry about the noise, it’s the sound of me kicking myself for never having been to Jersey before. There’s no particular reason why, I’d just not been, and nor had my wife Debbie.
But thankfully that mistake has now been rectified. And splendidly so too. Getting there was a doddle for us: a 50-minute hop from Gatwick – there are flights from all over the UK – then out of the airport in moments. The friendly Hertz hire car desk staff had us heading to our vehicle in minutes.
We were staying at the four-star St Brelade’s Bay Hotel, one of the best properties in the Channel Islands. As we were not due to check in until 3pm we had time to explore, so carried on up the coast road past the hotel to St Aubin, a pretty little port, with a fort reached by a causeway at low tide (more about tides later) ,and plenty of shops and cafés.
After a wander we found a stall by the harbour selling Jersey ice cream which cried out to be tested – passed with flying colours.
We headed back to St Brelade’s Bay to have a look at the vast arcing beach, voted in 2019 one of the best in the UK. The voters were not wrong, it’s glorious, with hotels, cafes, shops and restaurants fringing it. If someone showed you a photo in a holiday brochure and told you it was the South of France, you’d believe them.
Beach combed, hermit crab admired and ice cream walked off, we headed to the hotel, which lies in five acres of grounds on La Route de la Baie. We were delighted to be upgraded to a magnificent fourth floor penthouse suite, which had a lounge with tea and coffee facilities, a dressing area and a large bathroom with luxe amenities.
The suite’s undoubted highlight was the balcony with a showstopper view of the beach and bay.
We spent a lot of time there just enjoying that vista and taking an inordinate amount of photos.
While we were only at St Brelade’s Bay for a couple of nights, it’s well equipped for a proper week-long holiday stay with direct beach access, a great outdoor pool and cafe-bar with local beers in the lush, terraced south-facing gardens, a fabulous DW Health Club with a huge gym and indoor pool, and a spa (guests get free access to the health club).
Away from the garden café-bar, drinks are served on the sun trap terrace, in the main bar or in the large lounge.
Food is a standout feature at the hotel, with our dinner in the Bay Restaurant excelling. We both had the trio of salmon starter, with cod thermidor main for me and pan fried sea bass fillet for Debbie; every last delicious morsel was devoured, including superb local veg – Jersey Royal potatoes really do taste better than your average King Edward (Table D’hote three courses £36.95).
Breakfast was a good buffet which set us up for a day of sightseeing, starting at Mont Orgueil Castle, in a fine setting high above the harbour at Gorey.
It dates from the early 13th century and is an island must-see. Entry is £13.40 but there are free guided tours and it’s worth joining one to really get the inside track on the long, rich history. The fact that it’s still standing is in no small part due to Sir Walter Raleigh who, as Governor of Jersey in 1600, rejected a plan to demolish it when a new fortress was being built at St Helier.
From the top you can see the coast of Normandy and the Ecrehous reef which has a history of its own, having been home to its solitary ‘king’ for 40 years in the 19th century and to an exiled fisherman – for 14 years from 1961 – falsely accused of sexual assaults on children. Don’t miss the castle’s eye-catching medieval monarchy Tree of Succession artwork (jerseyheritage.org).
From distant reefs we moved on to not so distant Sumatran orangutans at Jersey Zoo.
It was created in 1959 by naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell and really isn’t your normal, formal zoo.
Instead, there’s an engaging wildness and space about it and, while we were delighted to see a baby gorilla and scores of fascinating fruit bats, the highlight was being by ourselves on a viewing platform across a moat when half a dozen orangutans swung by for their lunch.
The largest tree-dwelling animals in the world tucked in heartily,
played a little, eyeballed us a little and lolloped off happily back to their lofty perches. If you can’t see them in the wild, this has to be the next best thing (durrell.org £16.50).
A colleague had recommended the new-ish The Square bar/restaurant in central St Helier so we checked it out that night, via a loosener at the nearby, friendly Troubadour pub. Jersey ale battered fish and chips and a monkfish curry went down splendidly and we were almost as happy after scoffing, as those orangutans (liberationgroup.com, mains from £10.95)
For the sake of consistency, we began day two with further extensive gazing at the bay from the balcony and drove to the northwest of the island to see the waterfall in a cave at Plemont Beach.
The high tide and boisterous waves meant we couldn’t go in, but we saw what is indeed a waterfall dropping into a cave; a lovely and spectacular spot.
Those tides on Jersey are truly remarkable and some of the world’s biggest at almost 40ft.
When they go out, they really go out and St Brelade’s Bay empties so much you wonder if you could walk across to Normandy.
At low tide the 45.5 square-mile island almost doubles in size and reefs, beaches, causeways, rock pools and oyster beds are exposed for six hours; of course, be very wary of incoming tides and check tide tables.
In the afternoon we delved once again into the historic side of the island with expert guide Marc Yates, of History Alive! Tours. We travelled back in time 6,000 years to Les Monts Grantez Neolithic passage grave in St Ouen, where eight skeletons were unearthed, and journeyed a mere seven centuries to the ruins of Grosnez Castle at the northwest tip of Jersey.
We returned to the hotel via Faulkner Fisheries, a seafood restaurant in a huge German gun emplacement, and La Corbière lighthouse.
An excellent and well-presented tour by Marc and highly recommended (history-alive.je Part Day Private Tour (1-6 persons) £195).
From Marc to Mark, and in particular the upmarket cuisine of the Mark Jordan at the Beach restaurant in St Peter.
The food and service was as delightful as the beachside setting, with lobster thermidor and pan fried salmon mains (£25 and £18.50).
But it was my sensational free-range Scotch egg and piccalilli starter (£9) which stole the show. (markjordanatthe beach.com).
All good things come to an end and we were up early to drop off the hire car, say a reluctant farewell to this lovely island and catch that 9am hop back to Gatwick.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Sorry, there it goes again...
COVID AWARE
We travelled to Jersey in September and took part in the coronavirus test on arrival scheme, with notification of our [negative] results arriving well within the allotted 24 hours.
In the interim, as advised, we stuck to outdoor activities and remained socially distanced with masks and hand sanitiser used as appropriate – plus regular government text checks asking for our health status.
Check gov.je for Covid measures once it is safe to travel.