We all know it – exercise is fundamental to staying fit and healthy and if you caught the team from Bub&me Physio on our Instagram last week, you would have heard them talk about just how important it is during your pregnancy and postpartum journey.

This doesn’t necessarily mean smashing out a 10km run and throwing around weights while you grow your little human, which is good news for many of us. (After all, I’ll be the first to admit that just keeping up at the checkout at Aldi is enough exercise for me some days.) The kind of exercise we should focus on is low-impact exercises that help build core strength and pelvic floor muscles to support your changing body during pregnancy and labour as well as your postnatal recovery.

Millie Hofmann and Natalie D’Rozario, the wonderful ladies behind Bub&Me Physio, specialise in prenatal and postnatal exercise to keep women strong and fit during pregnancy and to support their postnatal recovery. If you missed their awesome takeover on our Instagram account, have no fear: we’ve rounded up their five easy ways to help you achieve a smoother pregnancy, labour and recovery.

STEP 1:

DO YOUR PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES. Yep, this is number one on the list because it really is such an important muscle to keep strong during and after pregnancy. By working on and building this strength, you are taking steps towards preventing back pain, pelvic pain, prolapse and incontinence.

STEP 2:

MINIMISE YOUR ABDOMINAL MUSCLE SEPARATION AND REHABILITATE YOUR ABDOMINAL WALL. This is something that happens to everyone and is a normal part of pregnancy due to the abdominal muscles and connective tissue needing to stretch to accommodate your growing baby. Abdominal muscle separation becomes an issue when the abdominal wall is not rehabilitated properly post-pregnancy and the muscles remain low-tone, weak and unsupportive.

STEP 3:

EXERCISE REGULARLY AND SAFELY. It can be really daunting taking on and knowing how to safely exercise with a changing body and growing baby, but there is evidence that safe exercise during pregnancy results in benefits for both you and your baby. Bub&Me’s online pregnancy and postpartum programs are designed by pelvic floor physiotherapists and the team have extensive experience as women’s health professionals, so if you’re looking for a place to start, you can find their online programs here.

STEP 4:

YOUR BLADDER AND BOWEL HABITS. Along with a changing body, comes changes in bladder and bowel movements. An expanding uterus puts pressure on the bladder, so your trips to the toilet will increase! Keeping up healthy habits such as not emptying your bladder “just incase” and good routines to keep your bowels moving will help reduce any impacts in the long run.

STEP 5:

SEE A WOMEN’S HEALTH PHYSIO. This may be something that has never crossed your mind before! But lots of new mums may not know that a women’s health physiotherapist has the skills to throughly assess and treat prenatal and postpartum bodies, and help woman remain strong and healthy! And if you’re looking for a place to find one, Natalie also works as a Women’s health physiotherapist along with her team at Origin Physiotherapy & Wellness.

Ok cool, so you’ve got the tips but how do you implement them? Bub&Me Physio and their expert team have put together a FREE e-book just for you with all the exercises, facts, tips and pics for you to confidently build your strength during your pregnancy journey. You can get your hands on a copy here.

And our small disclaimer, if you are planning on trying anything new, or experiencing any issues during your pregnancy or after, always seek advice from your GP or trained health professional.