Jigsaws and a slightly different take on women’s health, fitness and wellbeing
There are a lot of complex pieces that all pull together to create one end product in a jigsaw puzzle and this is how I see women's overall wellbeing. We have this ultimate picture of what we're striving for, and a whole lot of pieces that we need to figure out and put together in order to get there.
If I continue with this metaphor; let’s start looking at individual pieces to the puzzle we need to take into consideration. One key piece of the jigsaw is an understanding women's physiology. We need to understand how our hormones work daily, weekly, monthly, through the different stages, whether that's pregnancy, postnatal, perimenopause, beyond. Once you have that information and connect it to this, then all of a sudden, we start getting a little bit more insight into how our bodies work and what they need.
Then you start layering in exercise, having goals, wanting to be fitter, stronger and needing to know how to really maximize your training, according to your body and what it needs. Yet another piece of the puzzle.
Add to that, nutrition and how to best fuel your body, and we've got all of these pieces of the puzzle that sometimes, is really hard to know how it all fits together.
The more I study on Women’s fitness and health and overall wellbeing, the more I start integrating into my everyday practices and the more the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. These components are starting more and more to weave their way into Active Soul and I’m hoping as I do this, you are picking up tips and tricks that are encouraging you to tune in and adapt accordingly also.
It can be overwhelming though. Which is why we have designed our Women Wellness and Wine event with incredible keynote speakers and amazing women all coming together to provide you with all of the pieces of the puzzle that you need to really look, feel, and be the best that you can be.
We have all the information on our social media pages (Facebook and Instagram). Check it out, grab some girlfriends and come along - we would love to see you there! Because let’s face it; nobody wants to be sitting, looking at a box of puzzle pieces.. it’s time to dig a little deeper, start piecing it all together in order to finally see the overall picture of optimum wellbeing that we're all striving for.
Look forward to seeing you there.
Exercising through pregnancy
If you’re healthy and your pregnancy is normal, it is considered safe for you to exercise through your pregnancy. Now is not the time to be increasing the intensity or type of training though! The focus becomes very much on maintaining activity rather than aesthetics or improving your fitness or strength.
You ideally want to be ‘match-fit to be mum-fit’, so the goal is to keep exercises functional in order to help you cope with day to day activities once the baby has arrived. Being a Mum is very demanding; we squat, lunge, pull, push and pick up things off the floor all the time so your training should reflect this also. As you progress through the trimesters, some alterations will be required in terms of dropping intensity levels, weights or eliminating certain exercises depending on how your body copes with pregnancy.
It is important to include core training into your exercise programme – and I’m not talking about sit ups or planks! The four components of your abdominals will change as you progress through the trimesters as will the pressure on your pelvic floor. Because of this, we need to do daily core essential breath work to keep these muscles strong. This keeps these muscles strong through pregnancy, allows muscle memory to form prior to having baby, helps during delivery and makes these muscles easier to activate and strengthen after birth also. NB. from about 34 weeks it is also very important to work on relaxing your pelvic floor muscles to prepare to give birth as we want these muscles to relax and let go during the labour.
Remember that every body is different and every pregnancy is different so it is important to keep checking in with your body, how it is feeling and adapt as needed.
Exercising through pregnancy will give you the following benefits:
improves posture and alignment
reduces pregnancy discomfort
helps to maintain baby in a good position
eases labour and post-birth recovery
decreases risk of lower back pain
reduces risk of anxiety and depression
boosts your energy
prevents excessive weight gain
At all times, have an awareness of energy levels, and how hard you are working during a workout though. Because of an increased heart rate while pregnant, and potential shortness of breath, decipher how hard you are working from a ‘Rate of Perceived Exertion’ aiming to sit around the 7/10 mark. Most importantly; if you experience anything out of the ordinary (eg, bleeding, dizziness, chest pain, calf pain or swelling, or regular contractions) please contact your healthcare professional for advice.
For more guidance on exercising through pregnancy along with sample workouts for both the gym and home check out our Pregnancy Fitness Guide.
Pregnancy nutrition
During pregnancy, most mums-to-be are interested in good nutrition more than ever but nutrition guidelines can sometimes be confusing or overwhelming. Eat intuitively, do what is right for you and your baby under the guidance of your LMC and don’t be afraid to seek help if you need clarification on anything.
You might find you feel and eat differently between the trimesters. You definitely don’t need to “eat for two” but your body does have increased nutritional needs during pregnancy. Where you can; eat clean, healthy food to nourish your body and provide nutrients for the baby – but understand that this isn’t always easy to do and that it is just as important to be kind to yourself and do what’s right for you and your baby throughout the pregnancy.
A few top tips through the trimesters;
With many Mums-to-be hit by nausea, fatigue and uncontrollable cravings in the first trimester, these first few months can feel very much like survival mode. Eat small and regular meals to help with morning sickness and don’t worry too much about carb cravings - it will pass and when you start feeling better in the second /third trimesters; you can shift your attention to a more varied ingredient list. Evidence suggests that the more varied a mother’s diet and the more she exposes the baby to as a result of her food choices the less chance of them having allergies and the more chance of them eating a varied diet as they get older also.
There are definitely certain foods that shouldn’t be eaten while pregnant (refer to local government health guidelines for a comprehensive list) and while it is common for pregnant women to experience aversions to some foods as well as cravings for others, trying to maintain balanced nutritious meals where possible is recommended. Sometimes it’s just a matter of eating something and getting through a tough patch and that’s ok too!
For more in-depth pregnancy nutrition tips from one of my favourite nutritionists; Chantal Cuthers from Nutrition by Chantal, or you can refer to our Pregnancy Fitness Guide.
Running
There’s nothing like signing up for a scheduled running event to get you running!
I’ve run on and off for a while; starting with the Nike 5k around Regents Park in London and then dabbling in a few half marathons and varying trail runs over the years. My first one around Silverstone Racetrack around 15 years ago had me strapped from ankle to knee running injured - a vast contrast to my Arthur Lydiard Half completed in my Crossfit days; my fastest and best to date.
Running on the good days feels like you can conquer the world. Time on your feet to clear your head, freedom at its best. And on the bad? Struggling with stitch, breathing, heat, achy muscles… it can be a slog to say the least!
With the Motutapu 10k Dual fast approaching and my run career on hold since having Georgia (other than the occasional 5k and regular traveling sessions), I figured it was time to step it up a notch!
Keep in mind as you read this; this is not a couch to 5k programme. This was just my approach to get from 5-10km this time round!
Week 1: 7km for time.
Week 2: Consolidate 7km route (aiming for faster)
Week 3: 8km turned into 9
Week 4: Max distance in 1:06 (time from last week)
Week 5: Consolidate - 10.5km for time (last weeks distance)
Week 6: 10km for time (plus an extra 2 to get some extra time on my feet)
Week 7: 10km ‘off the clock’ (no timer, no expectation.. just an opportunity to check in with how it all feels)
My tips if you’re wanting to start running;
The hardest part is putting on your trainers and committing to a run in the first place. Getting a benchmark time / run under your belt is a great way to start though and with that ticked off you can only get better!
Redoing an initial run, comparing and consolidating runs can be so beneficial. How did each hill feel? Could you run a little further than last time before you stopped, were your times different, how did your body feel? Be kind to yourself with this; it takes time to find your groove with running so a few seconds taken off your time, a couple of extra driveways run before stopping all makes a difference.
Use an app to track run stats but equally enjoy a run ‘off the clock’ to really tune in to the things mentioned above.
Prevent injury by listening to your body and gradually increasing time on your feet and running distances when ready and able to.
Run with a mate! You can’t beat the added accountability that comes with this, plus it plays a great part in making the time go faster.
Understand that magic happens when you are uncomfortable and you need to feel comfortable with that!
I have to say, how much I am loving my new Saturday morning running routine. It’s locked in my diary each week and I am actually enjoying my time pounding the pavement again. It’s a great place to be!
What is abdominal separation?
Abdominal separation is very common in pregnancy although often Mums aren’t even aware of what this is, the impact this may have on everyday movement, let alone how to strengthen or encourage this to heal. Having a better understanding of your abdominal wall and the shift through pregnancy will help rectify this.
You have 4 layers of abdominal muscles; your rectus abdominus (or 6 pack at the front), your inner and outer obliques and your transverse abdominus that run horizontally from front to back and work like a corset to support your spine.
Through pregnancy, our abdominal muscles stretch to allow room for the baby to grow and sometimes get to a point where they can’t stretch any further. The linea alba (or connective tissue down the middle) – is where this separation or diastasis can occur. This is really normal but it is important to understand not just the width or depth of the separation but your abdominal control and how to move safely with it.
The best way to heal your diastasis is to do your essential core breath work daily to strengthen your abdominal wall once again. This takes time to rebuild from the inside out and you need to be mindful not to do any movements or exercises that require flexion / extension. Situps, crunches etc make this worse and this is something to be mindful of in everyday life also (sitting up from breastfeeding, getting out of bed etc)
Activate your Transverse Abdominus by following these tips;
Inhale for the count of 4 and on a longer exhale of 8 counts; activate holding your TA by drawing the skin from your knicker line through to your tail bone.
Hold for a few seconds and then release with control until fully relaxed.
An alternative cue is to visualise your hip bones gliding together. Whatever cue works for you; you should feel a slight tightening between your two hip bones as you activate this muscle. Complete a few breaths a couple of times a day (easily done while breastfeeding or sitting at traffic lights if that works as a good reminder for you)
It is important that you ask your LMC, doctor, Woman’s Health Physio or personal trainer to check you for this before you return to exercise. This will ensure you know exactly where your body is at and how best to move safely as a result.
Your 6 week check is not enough
Many women and trainers for that matter believe that a woman’s 6 week check is enough for her to return to the exercise she was doing pre-pregnancy. It isn’t.
It appears to be a grey area in our health care system in NZ with our Lead Maternity Carers, doctors and Plunket available through this very early post natal stage although each one very much focused on the baby and unfortunately not so much on the physical wellbeing of the mother.
There are two basic checks essential for a new Mum to have prior to her returning to exercise; the pelvic floor and abdominal wall. Often this isn’t even discussed, let alone checked and both are vital to everyday wellbeing moving forward.
With a woman’s body going through so much through pregnancy and in labour, I believe that a full post natal screening with a Woman’s Health Physio is important.
This will provide you with a better understanding of exactly what is happening with your body on the inside and where your body is at post pregnancy in order for you to make a more informed decision about how you can best return to exercise.
Resetting expectations & removing comparisons
I think one of the strongest points I can make about this is that every woman's body, every pregnancy, every birth and every post natal journey is different.
Removing expectations around your recovery, breastfeeding, life as a Mum, your baby’s routines and development is key. I don’t think there would have been anything anyone could have said to prepare me for how hard being a Mum is. While I may not have had any expectations on what life as a Mum was going to be like, I did on my physical recovery and an unexpected C-Section threw me with this completely. Resetting these expectations enabled me to take things day by day without any pressure.
Avoiding comparisons between other Mums (and life pre baby) is one of the best things you can do! We hear so many conversations between Mums or posts on social media that paint a picture that often isn’t realistic. Women are great at flying a super hero cape. Everything is under control, life is great, their child is perfect and things couldn’t be better. But this so often isn’t the case.
Strip away these comparisons and focus on your journey. Take it all in your stride and lean in for support as and when you need it – because at times; you will. Being a Mum is tough!
Comparisons to life pre baby is easy to slip into also. While so much has changed with our bodies through pregnancy and in life in general; it’s not so much about getting your pre-baby body back or being as fast or strong as you were pre pregnancy.
It’s allowing a shift in your thinking to respect your body for what is has done and can do. That alone is incredible and worth celebrating!
Understanding your pelvic floor
This is such an important muscle, one we very much take for granted until we notice it's not functioning as it should. The pelvic floor is an internal muscle that acts like a sling to support the organs in our pelvis. It is important to exercise this muscle correctly just like we would every other muscle in our body.
1 in 4 women suffer a weakened pelvic floor and can experience the following symptoms; an urgency to wee, an uncomfortable heavy feeling, leakage with high-intensity exercise or sneezing, an inability to orgasm or even painful sex. It’s important to note that a hypertonic pelvic floor is not a strong muscle either – it’s inability to relax can be just as problematic.
Because we physically cannot see the pelvic floor muscle; it can often be a hard one to gauge if activating correctly. It is interesting to note that 50% of women who perform pelvic floor breathwork do it wrong; bearing down instead of lifting.
Keeping this in mind; let’s work now to get this right!
Inhale for the count of 4 and on a longer exhale of 8 counts; draw your pelvic floor in and up, holding for a few seconds and then releasing with control until fully relaxed. Complete a few breaths a couple of times a day (easily done while breastfeeding or sitting at traffic lights if that works as a good reminder for you)
There are many cues we use to teach this core breathwork correctly and various positions and progressions that you can implement as these muscles strengthen.
Once again, a Woman’s Health Physio become our eyes on the inside, identifying exactly how the pelvic floor muscle is functioning. If you are not sure about anything mentioned here - do reach out to me or your local WHP for advice on the next steps.
Returning to exercise post pregnancy…. start here
It is important to remember that your body has changed over the past 10 months and in this 4th trimester, taking time to adjust, learn your new role as a Mum and return to exercise safely when you feel ready is so important. Resetting expectations post pregnancy is crucial as is rebuilding from the inside out to get a strong foundation to work from.
Try not to feel any pressure to rebuild your fitness. It took 9 months for you to grow a baby.. please take the time to allow your body to restore and recover before you even thinking about returning to anything you used to do pre pregnancy.
My three top tips for returning to exercise are below.
1. Start with your essential core breath work. It’s simple, effective and essential to strengthening your core and pelvic floor muscles. You can find more information on how to do this in specific PF and TA blogs here on the website.
2. Step out into the sunshine for a walk. Start with a small distance and gradually increase the distance or speed as you feel ready. The combination of Vitamin D from the sun and endorphins from some low impact cardio will leave you feeling so much better for it.
3. You’ll be surprised by just how much you move in everyday life as a mum. Movements such as picking things up, pushing the buggy, carrying a capsule, getting up and down off the floor or a seat; they all replicate functional exercises we do at the gym or in a class – so have a little fun with it!
I highly recommend having a full post natal check with a Woman’s Health Physio before starting any further exercise. This will provide you with a better understanding of exactly what is happening with your body on the inside and where your body is at post pregnancy in order for you to make a more informed decision about how you can best return to exercise.
Remember to listen to your body and do what is right for you when starting back on your fitness journey post pregnancy.
Essential core breath work, daily walks and functional low impact exercises that replicate everyday Mum movements will give you a great foundation to rebuild your fitness moving forward. This teamed with a certified post natal trainer who will look after you and your needs – it’s a winning combo that will leave you feeling fitter and stronger than ever before.
PMS
I know I have a couple of days a month where I feel absolutely ferocious and for years my period would start and I would be caught off guard, not connecting the two. Some women might resonate with this while others may feel extremely emotional while reaching for a block of chocolate or bag of chips. On a more physical side; headaches, migraines, bloating or a lack of spacial awareness might be the Premenstrual Syndrome symptoms that are experienced.
Premenstrual Syndrome effects 1 in 4 women and occurs a few days prior to your period starting when our Estrogen and Progesterone levels rise. We see an inflammatory response during this time and this is thought to be part of the cause of PMS symptoms. It can manifest itself in a physical and / or mental form and can be different for every woman.
Most commonly women can experience the following during this time;
Cramps
Bloating
Back pain
Irritability
Weight gain
Breast tenderness
Change in appetite
Tiredness
There are a few things we can do to help mitigate these side effects of PMS.
Exercise has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties with light or moderate intensity exercise found to be particularly effective at this time; boosting mood and reducing the effects of PMS
Include yoga, pilates or meditation to keep stress levels down
Eat plenty of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich foods such as oily fish, eggs, nuts, fruit and vegetables, reduce your intake of processed foods.
Having an awareness of your body’s PMS symptoms in order to best be prepared to counteract them is key. You can conquer this, you just need to know how!
Mastering your menstrual cycle
Our menstrual cycle is so often a ‘no-go’ topic of discussion. Something we just deal with as women and yet it has a profound effect on our lives from the moment it starts at puberty, right through to menopause. With the technical ins and outs of a cycle not often delved into, let’s use this as an opportunity to review them. While an average menstrual cycle is 28 days long and broken up into two 14 day phases with ovulation occurring in the middle; it can range from 21 to 35, often fluctuating and not necessarily always running like clockwork either.
Days 1 to 14 - is considered the follicular phase.
This begins on the first day of your period when estrogen and progesterone levels are low.
Days 15 to 28 - is the luteal phase when hormone levels are higher.
The rise and fall of these two key hormones affect our bodies throughout the cycle; particularly noticeable around 5 days prior to menstruation as Estrogen and Progesterone reach peak levels and we start to see PMS symptoms flare up.
It makes sense then that we are physiologically most like men in this low hormone phase; able to train harder (and potentially find it easier) and recover faster while seeing the most strength gains in the first 14 days of our cycle. The high hormone phase however is another story. It is during this time it is harder for us to make and maintain muscle, we will notice increased cravings, feel bloated, our core temperature increases and we can suffer headaches, cramps and mood swings to name a few side effects.
Having a basic understanding of how these key hormones affect our bodies and becoming aware of our own personal cycles is vital. This enables us to train effectively for optimum results knowing when to hit high intensity workouts or adapt and recover as needed. An increased awareness of your menstrual cycle will enable you to make small adjustments to your everyday life through exercise and nutrition to help mitigate unwanted side effects of fluctuating hormones and leave you feeling better for it all round!
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Understanding your body
Understanding your body and the part your hormones play is the first step towards feeling more in control of it. Hormones have a huge influence on our bodies; telling us when to eat (and often what we feel like eating), shifting our mood and effecting fertility. While these hormones in a male are pretty stable, it is a different story with women.
The two main female sex hormones; Estrogen and Progesterone have wide ranging effects on our bodies and are not just responsible for reproduction but work hand in hand to contribute to strong bones and affect your heart, brain and muscles. In becoming more aware of these hormones and how they rise and fall throughout our menstrual cycle, we can also gain a better understanding of what happens to our bodies through this time and put things into place to level the playing field.
Every body is different (and women’s menstrual cycles individual to them also) so you can start to see the benefit of tracking your personal cycle. Whether this is by manually recording sleep, energy and mood, training and nutrition alongside your menstrual cycle or by using an app such as ‘Clue’ or ‘FitRWoman’; over time you will start seeing patterns forming. Being aware of any changes will help you prepare for them and better manage them. Alongside this, any adjustments you then make to your exercise, sleep and food intake as a result, will lead you to feeing the best you possibly can!
Know your birth story
We can have the best laid plans in store for our labour but our babies or lead maternity carer might decide otherwise and it’s important for us to understand why things happened the way they did during your labour.
Remember that every body is different, every pregnancy is different and every birth story will be different as a result. Your journey is yours and yours alone but it’s important to understand it, in order to move on from it.
Some women leave the hospital, baby in arms, without really having a full understanding of what happened through their labour.
Whether it went to plan or not, was a natural delivery, with or without complications or intervention or a c-section; planned or emergency.. understanding your birth story and why things happened the way they did, is the first step physically and emotionally on your post natal journey.
Getting your head around why certain decisions were made, the impact that had on both you and your baby and being able to be at peace with this, is part of the healing process.
If you feel you're not sure of any of this - go back to your lead maternity carer and ask for a debrief in order to start that healing process.
Your wellbeing through pregnancy
Your mental and emotional wellbeing is just as important as your physical wellbeing and so a holistic approach is needed to ensure you are keeping on top of this throughout your pregnancy.
Pregnancy is different for every woman, so it becomes so important to listen to your own body and do what you need to do for your own wellbeing.
A few of my favourite wellbeing tips through this time;
Taking time out for yourself and doing things that spark joy or calm will make you feel so much better.
It’s ok to slow down, take it easy and rest when you need to. Your body is growing a little person which is a tough job at times!
Your body is going to change. Acknowledging this and rolling with it without comparison is key.
Focus on the positive, be present and mindful.
Eat well and keep moving. Check out our Pregnancy Fitness Guide for more guidance on this.
Identifying the constant shift in your hormones and how this affects emotions is important; as is being kind to yourself as a result!
Reach out and ask for help, support and advice if you need it. Pregnancy can be such an unknown and talking to others definitely helps.
Remember that pregnancy is a temporary state of being but one that is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. Your body is growing a whole new person and being used as a house for this moment in time. Be sure above everything else, to listen to your body and what it needs – after all, happy Mum = happy bub and that starts now.