Firm Foundations™ – Pregnancy and Postnatal Fitness

Post natal Exercises Level 4
(8 - 16 weeks)

Moving from Level 3 to Level 4 exercises needs even more focus on the quality of your exercises, now that you are feeling stronger. Building your inner abdominal and pelvic floor muscle strength, control and endurance takes time.
Purposeful Penguin (PP) is here to show you how your baby can join in the exercises with you, and also to remind you to do each exercise with purpose. Where PP sits and watches your style and form, check to ensure that you are in good alignment, that you do not hold your breath and that you feel no joint pain or pressure downwards on your pelvic floor muscles as you do each exercise.
"PP" also watches to check that with each exercise, you protect your back by only doing the exercises that you are ready for, at each stage of your post natal journey.
Each exercise should be done with quality, resting when you feel your deep abdominal or pelvic floor muscles becoming fatigued, so that you can build up Firm Foundations TM on the inside first as your fitness improves.

*** Moving to this level means that you have completed Level 3 exercises and have had your postnatal check with your doctor or midwife a few weeks ago. No exercise should cause pain or joint discomfort. If it does, stop. Seek further advice if you are unsure with any exercise.

Disclaimer: This exercise handout is not intended to replace the advice of a health and fitness professional who can tailor your program specifically to your health and fitness needs.

Photos and models by Fitness, Form and Function www.fitnesscairns.com.au and Stuart Frost Photography www.frostyphoto.com

1Baby lifts

Starting position
Move into position

Lift your baby up in the air and hold for a few seconds as they adjust to the position.
They should be able to hold their head easily, to do this exercise.
Bring your baby back down to your chest.
Repeat 3 - 4 times and give your baby a rest on your chest.
This set can be repeated again, when you and your baby are ready.
Only continue with this exercise if your baby is happy to do so.
Repeat 3 times in total (9 - 12 reps of the exercise). Not recommended for after a feed!

2Baby lifts to nose

Starting position
Move into position

Lift your baby up in the air and then bend your elbows, to lower your baby down towards your nose.
This will work your triceps (the back of your arms) more than Exercise 1 above.
Repeat 3-4 times, and rest your baby on your chest.
Only continue with this exercise if your baby enjoys it. Not recommended after a feed!
Repeat again if your baby is happy to do so.
3 sets of this exercise can be done (doing a total of 9 - 12 reps).

3Bridging with leg lift

Starting position
Challenge 1

With both feet on the floor lift your bottom off the floor and lower.
Repeat 8 - 12 times.
To make this more of a challenge, imagine that there is a ruler across your hips.
Lift one foot off the floor and keep this ruler level as you do th
Imagine that there is a ruler across your hips.
Hold, pushing up through your bottom to stay steady.
Lower your leg down.
Aim for building up to 8 - 12 reps on each side.

 

 

4Fluid and focused arm reach

Starting position
Move into position

Move into position and switch on your deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.
Hold and lift one arm to reach forwards.
Lower your arm and change sides.
Release your abdominals and pelvic floor.Breathe normally.
Repeat 6 - 10 times on each side.

When this is easy to do with accuracy, then move onto the leg / arm leg reach exercises.

5Fluid and focused leg reach

Starting position
Move into position

Move into position and switch on your deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.
Hold and straighten one leg.
Release your abdominals and pelvic floor.Breathe normally.
Change legs.
Repeat 6 - 10 times on each side.

When this is easy to do with accuracy, then move onto the arm leg reach exercises in Exercise 5.

6Focused Arm leg reach

Starting position
Move into position

Move into position and switch on your deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.
Hold and straighten one arm and the opposite leg.
Hold for 3 - 5 seconds and lower.
Release your abdominals and pelvic floor.Breathe normally.
Change sides.
Repeat 6 - 10 times on each side.

Check that with the challenge of both arm and leg moves, you do not start to hold your breath or draw in your upper abdominal muscles.

7Knee hug

Position

Lift your knees up to your chest and hold them to feel a comfortable stretch in your back.
Hold for 15 - 20 seconds and relax.
Repeat 2 - 3 times.

8Pelvic Floor Focus

Position

Use this position to refocus in on your pelvic floor.
With your hands on your lower abdominal area, you may feel the draw in of your deep abdominal muscles also as you lift your pelvic floor.
If you are unsure, stop and refocus or change position to side lying or on your hands and knees instead.
Lift your pelvic floor, hold and keep breathing.
Increase the focus in on your muscles and lift a little more.
Hold. Lift inside one more time. Release.
Check to feel that it is your pelvic floor tightening, not your legs, bottom or upper abdominal area.
Aim to do 4 - 5 repeats building up to holding 6 - 10 seconds.

9Single leg slide

Starting position
Move into position

Draw in your deep abdominals with your pelvic floor also lifted.
The two should be working well together now, for you to progress to this level of exercise.
Relax. Now refocus, draw them in, hold and keep your lower back and body still as you slide your foot away from you and straighten your knee.
If you lose your 'brace' or your back arches then stop and return to the starting position.
The aim is to build up to doing 10 on each side, accurately.

10Lunge prep

Starting position
Purposeful Focus Place

Stand in a narrow lunge position.
Feel your lower deep abdominal muscles working, by using your fingers placed just below the two bony points at the front of your hips. Lift up your pelvic floor and draw in your abdominals. Breathe normally.
Focus on the small start of the move for a lunge, keeping strong and aligned as you lower down very slowly.
Keep your hips level, and aim to limit the wobble that comes from the hip area, as you build back into lunging more strongly.
Repeat this lunge prep 5 times to prepare for Exercise 11 - the Shallow lunge.

11Push ups

Starting position
Move into position

With hands underneath your shoulders, set your shoulder blades in position.
Move your chest in towards the floor while breathing out.
Hold for a moment. Breathe in. Breathe out as you push back up from the floor.
If you feel there is any pressure on your pelvic floor muscles, move your feet in closer to your hands and continue with the breathing focus on the way down and up of this movement.
Repeat 4 - 6 times to start with good form.
When you can do this with no concern of pressure on your pelvic floor, change to breathe in as you lower down to the floor and out as you push up, focusing on the strength of the move now.
Build up to 8 - 12 repetitions.

12Rotation stretch

Starting position
Move into position

With your knees together and arms out to the side,
gently roll your knees to one side and then to the other.
Keep the movement and amount of stretch at a comfortable level.
There should be no back pain felt.
Repeat 5 times on each side.
Finish with holding the stretch on one side for 10 - 15 seconds.
Repeat to the other side.

13Shallow lunge

Starting position
Move into position

Focus forwards keeping your hips aligned and level as you lunge.
Begin with drawing in and up your pelvic floor and deep core.
Start the lunge, keeping your knees pointing forwards.
Lower down only to the point where you can maintain the core control and keep your alignment.
Push up through your legs. Repeat 6 - 12 times on each leg.
With this exercise you can change legs each time, or do 6 - 12 on each leg and then repeat on the other side.
The shallow lunge helps to continue to protect your pelvic floor as the effect of pregnancy hormones leave your body.

14Side leg lifts with brace

Starting position
Finish position

Lie with your shoulders, hips and knees in alignment.
Your lower leg can be bent to give you more stability.
Draw in your pelvic floor and deep abdominals, breathe and hold as you lift your top leg up.
Lower down and repeat 6 times, including your focused postnatal abdominal brace with each one.

More repetitions can be done, keeping your alignment, with less focus on your core, to work your legs more.
Repeat again 8 - 12 times lifting and lowering your leg back down.

15Lower leg lifts

Starting position
Move into position

There is less focus on the core for this exercise and more on working your inner thigh.
Your top leg rests comfortably, placing your foot on the floor in front of you.
With your lower leg straight, lift your leg up, and hold, and lower to the floor.
Aim for 8 - 12 reps of this exercise.
To add in an extra challenge, lift your lower leg and hold it up, and then add 8 - 12 'little lifts' before you lower it back down and change sides.

16Side lifts

Position

On your left side push up using your left arm, with your elbow under your shoulder.
Keep your hips on the floor.
Hold this position while aiming to breathe normally.
If you need to hold your breath, or you feel any pressure downwards on your pelvic floor then drop down again to the floor.
There should be no neck pain or shoulder discomfort during this exercise.
Cease if any pain occurs.
Aim to build up to 6 - 8 repeats of this exercise on each side.

17Squat

Starting position
Move into position

With your feet no more than shoulder width apart, squat slowly down.
Notice how your pelvic floor feels.
Bring your feet closer together if you need to protect it more (if it feels weak or vulnerable as you squat).
Start with a small amount of knee bend first.
Keep your back straight and check that you can still see your toes.
Aim to repeat 8 - 12 in a row with good form.

18Standing Pelvic Floor Focus

Position

Standing firm with your feet placed comfortably apart and toes pointing forward.
Feel your deep core working by placing your fingers into position, just under the bony points at the front.
Lift your head up towards the ceiling, imagining that there is a string lifting you up.
Draw in your pelvic floor. Hold and breathe. Lift it a little higher. Hold. Lower slowly down.
Repeat.
Lift your pelvic floor, feeling your deep abdominal muscles also tensioning a little under your fingers. Relax.
Lift your pelvic floor up as if going up in a lift. First level. Hold. Second level. Hold. Third level and Hold.
Slowly lower down, stopping again at each level if you are able to.
Repeat and practice 3 times. Breathe easily and relax between each one.