Fitness
How to safely return to exercise after having a baby
When Fan* gave birth to her first child almost two years ago, she was given little direction about how to return to exercise.
After a 20-minute session with a physio, they remember being given an A4 sheet of exercises to follow at home.
“It was all a bit of a blur, because I was sleep-deprived, and over-excited,” they said.
“For the first six weeks, those exercises were enough. But after that, I didn’t know what to do.
“I had heard about people going back to sport after a few months, and others who didn’t do certain exercises for years, or ever.
“It was pretty confusing.”
(*Fan uses she/they pronouns, and asks us to mix them up throughout the article).
Fan wasn’t sure where to turn when she wanted to exercise, so ended up consulting Google.
(ABC Sport: Kate O’Halloran)
As is common among women who have given birth, Fan also experienced urinary incontinence.
She was referred to a pelvic floor physiotherapist while in hospital, who gave her some exercises to strengthen her pelvic floor muscles.
But after being discharged from the hospital, there was no follow up:
“I wasn’t really sure what I was meant to do … so I turned to Google.”
Australian postpartum exercise guidelines ‘fall short’
Dr Melanie Hayman, an expert on exercise and pregnancy, says experiences like Fan’s are not unusual.
As she explains it, the regular six-week postpartum check-up typically focuses on the health of the newborn baby.
“There are usually a couple of questions about mum’s health, but it can be quite superficial,” Dr Hayman said.
“[Topics like] returning to exercise, or the physiological changes that occur throughout pregnancy, or as a result of birthing, are not assessed.”
Many women experience core muscle separation and some form of incontinence after birth.
(Getty Images: Gabriel Mello)
That’s despite the fact approximately one in two people who give birth experience symptoms like urinary incontinence (47 per cent), and pelvic organ prolapse (50 per cent), which can increase fear of exercising. An additional 17 per cent experience faecal incontinence.
Current Australian guidelines, however, do not provide specific advice for returning to exercise after pregnancy.
Instead, those who are “healthy” are encouraged to meet the existing Australian adult exercise guidelines (for non-pregnant people).
“That’s where our current guidelines fall short,” Dr Hayman said.
“Someone who is five or six weeks postpartum is not your general population … [but] the issue is that we only have a certain body of literature at the moment.
“So while the current recommendations are still accurate, there are some absences in them, and it would be great to able to provide more guidance, especially in the early phases of the postpartum period.”
She said one reason it was difficult to provide ‘one-size-fits-all’ guidelines is that individual experiences vary:
“Every birthing and postpartum experience is different, so one of the most important things is that return to exercise has to be individualised.”
Any form of activity, however, is better than none, with Dr Hayman advising starting with some gentle walking, even if this is just five minutes a day.
“Traditionally, pregnancy was considered a ‘delicate’ period in a woman’s life where they were advised to take it easy, because of fear that any sort of exertion might harm the mother and/or fetus,” she said.
Individual experiences vary so much, exercise can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. (Getty Images: Halfpoint)
“The issue is that being inactive actually increases the risk of adverse health outcomes.
“The more women can be active in accordance with our guidelines, the better.”
Gyms with childcare and flexible times are hard to find
Finding a place to exercise is another reason many struggle to get active postpartum.
When Fan reached three months postpartum, they were determined to find a gym where they could return to greater levels of fitness.
But it was a task that proved more difficult than anticipated.
Most commercial gyms wouldn’t allow Fan to bring her child, or if they did have a crèche, they had long registration waitlists, or were full at the times that suited her.
Eventually, Fan turned to local Preston gym 23W, a women-only strength and conditioning community with a specific focus on postpartum mums.
23W employs a full-time nanny, while the on-site creche is situated in the same room as other gym equipment, allowing parents to keep an eye on their child while exercising.
23W employs a nanny to look after kids while their parent exercises in the gym.
(ABC Sport: Kate O’Halloran)
“It just means our members can come in knowing they’ve got that support, whether it’s emotional support, [or just] knowing someone’s looking after their baby. It makes a big difference,” owner Ange Drake said.
Drake also runs classes at different times throughout the day, to provide greater flexibility for her clients.
“In that first 12 months [postpartum], you’re probably not going to be training first thing in the morning, because you’re going to be pretty tired, or last thing at night.
“There’s some great postpartum programs out there, but where a lot of women come unstuck is that they’re only offered on one day, at one time in the week, and if you miss it, it’s gone.
“So having flexibility with timing is really important.”
Important to ‘normalise’ common postpartum symptoms
Drake, who has two children of her own, says one of the biggest barriers women face when returning to exercise is the “disconnect a lot of them feel with their body”:
Ange Drake sees a lot of women come into her gym with a somewhat disconnect to their body.
(ABC Sport: Kate O’Halloran)
“After giving birth, things have stretched out, or moved and don’t feel the way they used to. A lot of women feel like whole muscle groups have gone offline.
“They have lost the trust in their body; knowing what it can do, and trying to navigate the new body they’re in.
“This includes how they can rebuild it, and make it stronger while looking after the needs of a little one.”
For many, this includes pelvic floor complaints, lower back pain and issues to do with abdominal separation.
“When you’re in the moment, it’s really scary to think, ‘am I going to be able to run again?’ Or, ‘I’m leaking when I’m going grocery shopping,’” Drake said.
“These experiences can be really alienating … and a lot of women think ‘it’s just me’.
“So we try and help them understand that what they’re experiencing is not uncommon, and that women have been able to rehab whatever it is they’re going through.”

Fitness
Want Superhero-Sized Arms? The 8-Week Ultimate Workout Plan Will Be Your Origin Story.

JUST BECAUSE YOUR arms are made up of smaller muscles—mainly your biceps and triceps—doesn’t mean you can coast through a few lazy sets tacked onto training days and expect serious growth. If you want sleeves that stretch, you need to hit arms with the same intensity you bring any other type of workout. You need a solid, comprehensive plan.
That’s exactly what Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., had in mind when he built this program that can build superhero-sized arms while still considering for busy schedules. “This winds up being the perfect arm training program for the Men’s Health guy,” he says. This is the cornerstone of our Ultimate Arm Recomp plan, which will be your key to real muscle growth.
Samuel’s four-day program uses intensity techniques designed to push every set to the brink. Supersets, lengthened partials, pauses, drop sets—you’re going to feel every rep. You’ve never trained arms like this before. But give it six to eight weeks, and you just might see gains you’ve never had before, either.
Fitness
When Walking for Weight Loss, Should You Keep the Same Pace or Mix It Up? A Trainer Explains

Movement is beneficial for both the mind and the body. Walking, a free and low-impact exercise, is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to reap the benefits. Just 11 minutes of walking per day can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and premature death, research found.
That’s why we launched our Start TODAY app with walking as its core feature. Regardless of whether your goal is to improve mobility, build strength or lose weight, every workout program incorporates walking podcasts to help you get your steps in.
Walking can also improve mood, reduce stress, boosting creativity and encouraging socialization. Now that you’ve found the motivation to get your steps in, it’s time to consider your pace. How quickly you walk can be as important as the amount of time you spend hitting the pavement (or treadmill).
Stephanie Mansour, Start TODAY Fitness Trainer, says the best way to up the ante on your walks is by interval walking.
By regularly increasing and reducing the pace of your walks you’ll “burn even more calories, boost your metabolism and get an even better cardiovascular workout — plus, reap these benefits in less time than doing steady-state cardio,” she said. Learn exactly how to make the most of your walks while picking up the pace.
Trainer Tip of the Day: Mix Up Your Walking Speed
Walking at various speeds is a form of high intensity interval training, or HIIT. This type of exercise requires you to switch between low-intensity exercise and high-intensity moves that will continue to burn calories long after the workout is complete, Mansour said. HIIT has been shown to reduce body fat, benefit your heart and boost metabolism.
Just because walking is often seen as a low-effort exercise doesn’t mean it can’t count as a HIIT workout. You just have to know how.
Luckily, Mansour has done the work for you! She created indoor walking workouts with Al Roker in the Start TODAY app that utilize the interval-style training method. Plus, she recorded guided audio HIIT walks you can follow to incorporate interval training when walking outdoors.
Why It Matters
Walking at any speed has its perks, but when you aim to raise your heart rate during a walk, research has noted greater advantages when compared to walks done at a slower pace.
A brisk walk can improve memory, decision making and bone density. Studies show that walking 80 steps or more per minute reduces the risk of serious illness at a higher percentage than walking 40 steps per minute.
How to Get Started
First, familiarize yourself with what a brisk walk is. A brisk pace typically ranges between 3 to 4 miles per hour, but it’s not one size fits all. To help you determine what it looks like for you, check in with your body. You should still be able to speak while walking without having to catch your breath. If you find yourself breathing heavily or unable to speak, you’re going faster than you need to.
Next, be sure to adequately stretch and warm up. Once that’s done, you’re ready to get going. Incorporating speed work into your walks can be as simple as alternating between a steady pace and a power walk.
You can try to mix up your pace every two minutes, or if you don’t want to time yourself, use your surroundings to track your intervals, Mansour recommended. Walk first at a steady pace, then, once you pass a stop sign, walk briskly until you reach the next stop sign. Continue this way throughout your workout.
If you want to take all the guesswork out of your walk, press play and zone out with guided audio HIIT walks on the Start TODAY app, where Mansour cues your speed changes and shares form tips. Or interval walk right in the comfort of your living room and get your steps (and laughs) in with Start TODAY’s Chief Motivation Officer, Al Roker.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
Fitness
Want to get into strength training? Experts explain the top four options
Stone says that you don’t need to use much weight. Just a pound, or a kilo or two, will do it. Start slowly and increase the weight gradually.
“I would also strongly suggest that if you’ve never lifted weights before, go find somebody who knows something about it,” Stone adds.
Free weights and barbells are a good choice is you’re relatively healthy.Credit: iStock
Weight machines
This is probably the least intimidating option for the beginner. The machines offer stability and a fixed pattern of movement and they give beginners a chance to get familiar with the movements involved in strength training.
“Machines are a good way to start,” Escamilla says. “They’re safe and easy and you don’t need a lot of technique or skill to do them.”
Escamilla points out they also reduce the risk of injury, isolate muscles and help build confidence as you’re starting out. The machines also are more time effective.
“Start here and then you can gravitate to free weight and other options,” Escamilla said.
Resistance bands and tubes
These are the most portable options. They can help to build muscle, improve flexibility and balance, and don’t require signing up for a gym membership. The bands or tubes are made of elastic and come in a variety of sizes and resistance levels.
Bands also come in fabric models.
“They take up no room to pack and they’re super-cheap,” Escamilla said. “You can take them with you as you travel – just throw them in your suitcase.”
You can use them to work your legs, arms, back, chest and shoulders and other muscle groups. They can be used in many configurations and may be less intimidating than dumbbells or barbells.
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“The bands won’t cut it for a 300-pound (140kg) football player,” Escamilla says. “But they’re good for your average person — your average adult.”
Body weight resistance
The idea with every weight-resistance exercise is to overload the muscles. Your own body weight can be used to do this.
Exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges and planks and others fall into this category.
“Your body weight can be used as a form of resistance,” Escamilla said. “You can get a good workout doing these and you need almost no equipment.”
No matter the option, Stone emphasises the need to vary your exercises — both the types and the number of repetitions. You can also vary locations, perhaps choosing an outdoor gym for your workouts.
Outdoor gyms are often found on beaches such as the one at the popular Barceloneta beach in Barcelona, Spain.
“You can’t do the same number of sets and repetitions all the time and expect to get better results,” Stone said. “You get stale and monotony can set in.”
AP
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