Strengthening Your Post-Pregnancy Body With Prohealth Physio Focus In Singapore

Trying to strengthen your body after pregnancy? Physiotherapy can help! Prohealth Physio Focus is a well established practice founded in 1995 that specialises in women’s health, including pre- and post-natal physiotherapy. The clinic treats issues ranging from pelvic instability, osteitis pubis, back pain, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, sciatica, and diastasis.

Book an appointment now and get the help you need for your post-pregnancy body!

We speak to Rowena Chance, a women’s health physiotherapist at Prohealth Physio Focus, about post-natal physiotherapy.

Use your body efficiently: Getting back into shape after having a child is never easy. Doctors may say rest for the first six weeks or more, but this doesn’t mean do nothing for six weeks and then go back to pre-pregnancy levels of exercise. You also have a little one to look after and this puts new stresses on the body, so we need to use our body efficiently. The baby is also getting bigger, so learning how to properly lift and carry them is important. Weak pelvic floor muscles from a vaginal delivery, or post-surgical abdominal weakness from a Caesarian section is certainly stressful on the recovering body. Just getting a newborn in and out of a car, sorting out the pushchair and baby accessories can be a marathon task!

Retrain muscles: There are lots of gentle exercises that can be done safely in this ‘resting’ period to re-train muscles and remind the body how to get back to normal. Everyone’s delivery is different and because of this it’s important to consult your doctor and a physiotherapist trained in women’s health to find out what’s right for you.

Do things gradually: A gradual return and correct technique is key. It’s about getting the basics back in action and then building on a strong foundation. Our bodies are very clever at following the path of least resistance, and we tend to do what’s easiest and compensate for what isn’t working correctly. After childbirth, the body may be more flexible in certain areas, stiffer in others and the core is most likely not as strong as before. If the back is a bit more bendy and the abs are not as strong, for example, we may compensate by arching the back excessively in yoga, or allowing extra strain on the back while doing an abdominal workout in floor classes. It’s easy to do this without realizing as we’re so focused on just getting back into exercise, which may result in injury.

A safe return to exercise: Your physiotherapist can help you safely return to activity, taking into consideration your type of delivery, previous level of fitness, new stresses on the body and so on. Sometimes it’s just personal preference as to which form of exercise you choose. Or it may be an educated suggestion from your physiotherapist about what would work best for you. Together we can go through the movements where you may be at risk, to ensure you return safely to exercise. Making you aware of your body’s limitations and modifying exercises to maximise their benefits will create more confidence.

Strengthen your post-pregnancy body with Prohealth Physio Focus!