Post-pregnancy workout

This workout program is ideal for new mums who want their post-baby body back. PT Jen Dugard shows us how.

Why it works: This program is ideal for new mums or those with beginner fitness levels. It includes some basic postural exercises to stretch out tight muscles and switch on those that require strengthening. After having a baby it is important to take a period of rehab to ensure everything is working well, and this workout helps to form a strong foundation to build on when you’re ready to progress to more difficult forms of exercise. Gauge your fitness level as to what you can and can’t do, so don’t go jumping up and down if you have pelvic floor weakness.

Instructions: There are two parts to this workout; postural exercises that can be done as a warm-up or as a daily strengthening exercise, then the main section of the workout. Before returning to exercise after pregnancy, Dugard recommends working with a women’s health physiotherapist to assess your pelvic floor and abdominal separation. If you lose awareness of your pelvic floor or see any peaking of your abdominals through any of these exercises, they may be too strong for you at this time.

1. Pelvic floor and transversus abdominal activations

Start this breathing exercise by lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart. Keep a neutral spine throughout. Place one hand on your obliques (under the rib cage) and the other on your stomach, facing hipbone to hipbone.

Take a natural breath in and, as you exhale, draw in and up through the pelvic floor. You will feel a little tension in this area but this should not be overly strong. Keep your obliques nice and relaxed. Perform 10 to 15 breaths.

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2. Hip raises

Again, start by lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart. With your hands by your sides, push down through your heels, squeeze your buttocks and raise hips to the sky.

Aim for a straight line between your shoulders and ankles. You should not feel this in your lower back, but if you do, avoid pushing up so high.

Perform 10 reps.

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3. Standing cobra

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and back straight. Bend your knees and tip at the hips until your fingertips are at your knees. As you breathe out, lead with thumbs and draw shoulders back and down.

Turn thumbs to the sky and squeeze shoulder blades together and hold for three seconds.

Perform 10 reps.

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4. Squats

Here we move into body weight exercises. For an optimal squat, keep feet just wider than your hips, chest up, shoulders down and weight through the heels.

Squeeze glutes as you stand, then check in with the pelvic floor at the bottom at the squat. If you cannot feel or activate, reduce the resistance or depth of your squat.

Perform 10 to 15.

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5. Static lunges

With feet shoulder-width apart, imagine you are standing on train tracks and stride forward with your left foot along the left train track. Keep your weight in the heel of your front leg and, at the bottom of your lunge, wiggle your toes. Push through your heel and activate your glute to stand. Aim to keep a 45-degree angle at your knees.

If you had any pelvic instability, pubic pain or sciatica during pregnancy, avoid a lunge for now and substitute the hip raise you did at the beginning.

Perform 10 to 15.

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6. Cardio

Finish with one minute of cardio of your choice such as step-ups, skipping, jogging on the spot, or running up and down the stairs at home.

Repeat this workout in its entirety three times.

Post-pregnancy workout