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Get free exercise videos and advice for the health of you and your baby including exercises that can be done at home, at work and in the gym. Plus, advice on how to sit, pelvic floor muscle training and diastasis recti.
If you are pregnant or have had a baby these videos are for you. Our Specialist Physiotherapist will guide you through exercises that you can do at your desk, at home and in the gym. Simply insert the video numbers below into the search engine above.
Increase the safety of you and your baby during birth by training pelvic floor muscles daily. With and empty bladder, contract the muscles in an upward direction, as if you are preventing yourself from opening your bladder and bowels. Do 10 sets of 10 second holds and then 10 with no hold.
Regular gentle exercise like walking and swimming is advisable. Whatever exercise you choose, stay well within your comfort zone, do not overheat, avoid sports with contact or falling risk and don’t get so out of breath you can’t talk in full sentences. Consult your GP before you exercise if your pregnancy is not low-risk.
We use our hands to get rid of your pain safely, quickly and thoroughly using techniques like massage and joint mobilisation, taping and acupuncture both during and after pregnancy. We will then give you exercises you can do to maintain these improvements.
Avoid back pain during and after pregnancy with exercises to keep your deep core muscles working like videos 01-04 and 44-46 and keep your upper back moving with videos 49 and 67. Correct your sitting and standing posture – videos 43 and 05 and learn to lift and carry properly – video 19.
As well as the above exercises, pelvic pain can be helped by avoiding crossed legs, using a pillow between the legs to sleep, moving with your feet and knees held together and contracting the buttocks, particularly when rolling over or getting up and massaging the inner thighs.
To prevent knee pain, stand with your pelvis in the correct position, as described in video 05 and with your knees soft, not locked straight. Make sure the knees point over the centre of your feet as you go up and down stairs – videos 31 and 32 and do squats with the correct alignment – 20, 21 and 22.
Sit with the back supported and lean back into the chair. Use pillows to support your baby when feeding so you don’t lean forwards. Do exercises for your shoulder posture – videos 12 and 13 and keep your upper back moving – 49 and 67.
In the third trimester, it can become uncomfortable to breathe and digest easily. Eat little and often and don’t let your upper back and shoulders slump forwards because this creates less room in the front of your body. Get your sitting and standing posture right with videos 43 and 05.
This is when the external abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy. Increase their ability to recover by avoiding sit ups, crunches, impact or heavy lifting as your bump gets bigger and for three to six months after birth. Instead train the transverse abdominus muscle with exercises 07-11 and 01-04.
I hope you have found this useful, please get in touch if you have any comments or queries. For loads more advice, videos, exercises and more on our services please check out the rest of this website. To book now email info@octopusclinic.com or call 02075838288.
… and don’t forget to share with anyone you know who is pregnant or has had a baby recently?
Thanks! Lucy
Lucy Macdonald
Chartered Physiotherapist
lucy@octopusclinic.com
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