Why Women's and Post-Partum Fitness Matters
Post-partum recovery is far more complex and specialized than “running off the baby weight.” We have been socialized to believe that after pregnancy, women’s bodies are irreversibly broken, and that you must simply embrace living with your “new normal.”
​
Leaking when you sneeze is brushed off, despite longing for the ability to lift and squeeze your children, play sports, or laugh until your stomach hurts without wearing a serious panty liner. While these symptoms and others—such as prolapse and pain—may be common after pregnancy, they are not normal. Becoming a mom does not mean you have to “just deal with it.”
​
When combined with a deep understanding of the body’s core and pelvic floor function, the right training program can help alleviate symptoms and even reverse pelvic floor disfunction. Moms are the centre of their family’s universe, and Blueberry Fitness can help you to retrain your body to be as strong (or even stronger!) than ever.
​
And remember – it's never too late! Ten weeks, 10 months, 10 years after giving birth, we can make change. You are here, and we are ready to help!
Diastasis Recti Split
The transverse abdominis is a deep, powerful muscle layer crucial to our core strength. When the belly expands while carrying baby, it stretches the linea alba, a piece of connective tissue at the heart of the transverse abdominus. This contributes to "Mummy Tummy." No amount of crunches or hours on the treadmill will solve this -- we need to target the transverse abdominis specifically and retrain the muscles back to their original position.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
The pelvic floor is a layer of muscles that serves many crucial functions. Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include incontinence (peeing/leaking when you cough, sneeze, run, etc.), lower back pain, prolapse (internal organs descending from the body), and painful intercourse. These symptoms are not limited to women who birthed vaginally, as the dysfunction is not a result of delivery, but rather the weight and stress placed on the pelvic floor while carrying a growing baby for nine months. Understanding your body, and the unique challenges it is facing post-partum (eg. is your pelvic floor weak, or are you carrying too much pelvic floor tension) is key to determining the right tools to help you reach your goals, restore pelvic health and build total-body strength.