Getting in to exercise again, post baby!

I get a lot of feedback from my clients about how difficult it is to find time to exercise in their hectic lives. I never truly understood, until now…

Whether you are exhausted from taking care of a newborn, chasing after toddlers, driving around kids to after school activities, a day can be 6pm without any exercise in sight. If you are like me then your feel guilty taking the time away from your child to do a structured workout. 

Exercise has always been a part of my life.. not only for my physical well-being but my mental well-being as well. As a pelvic health physical therapist, I know the importance of exercise so I have to practice what I preach, right? 

With that said, I make the time…even if it is just 20 minutes before I have to do school pick up. One time I literally walked into the gym and did bosu ball exercises for 10 minutes and then left. I also include Oliver in workouts all the time! Walking, jogging, and at home strengthening are all great ways to exercise with your little one.  

I have had to be very creative with finding time to exercise as well as what type of exercise to do.  

I wish I had the perfect response ! But...I can give you some ideas! 

-do a few exercises throughout the day spread out
-do a few exercises every nap time
-wake up 15 minutes earlier
-go to bed 15 minutes later
-put a sticky note on your fridge as a reminder
-set a reminder from "siri" daily to do 10-15 mins of exercises
-take baby/kids for an afternoon walk
-include baby/kids into exercises (they will think it is play time)

Simply put, we have to make time for ourselves! If we are in pain, have muscle weakness, and our bodies are unstable we cannot be the best we can for our kids. 

So where should you begin? Breathing. Below are simple steps on how to conquer the diaphragmatic breathing exercise to prepare your core and pelvic floor for exercise. 

Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Think of your breath in thirds. The first 1/3 is breath into your chest, the second 1/3 is breath into your rib cage, and the third 1/3 is breath into your belly. You should not feel any accessory muscle activation from the neck and shoulder musculature. As you inhale, your diaphragm will drop and ultimately your pelvic floor should relax. As you exhale, your diaphragm will rise and your pelvic floor and core will engage. This creates an internal piston- like system that will create stability for our bodies during daily tasks and exercise. 

Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of a breathing exercise that helps strengthen your diaphragm, core, and pelvic floor.