Yummy Tummies 4 Mummies the post natal exercise class for new mums to help re-strengthen those abdominal muscles

Yummy Tummies 4 Mummies - Is your body fit to be a Mum?

Designed by Chartered Physiotherapist, Catherine Turner.

Only since becoming one myself, have I appreciated how physically demanding being a mum really is.

No wonder so many mums end up with back pain!

Being pregnant massively stretches your abdominal muscles and when your baby is born they are suddenly rendered loose and floppy. This is not great timing with the repetitive stresses & strains your body is about to encounter. Suddenly your body is expected to lift and carry a rapidly growing bundle, as well as all the equipment that comes with it! Your abdominals are desperately needed more than ever in their crucial role of stabilising your spine and pelvis and actually preventing your back from �buckling� under the sudden increased strain applied to it. But they are like jelly-HELP!

'Help' is exactly what is required, to, as quickly as possible, return the wobbly tummy to its former glory!

As a recent �physiotherapist mum� I honestly could not believe how dire my abdominal strength and control had become, let alone how blobby it looked! I realised that drastic action was needed to redeem my abdominals to an efficient state, as quickly as possible, to minimise the chance of developing a back or pelvic joint problem. Due to the hormones your body produces when pregnant your ligaments become slack, and the effects can last for up to 6 months after your baby is born. This renders your joints less stable than normal, therefore muscle strength and support is even more important to compensate for this.

As well as trying to do some brisk daily walking for general fitness, I embarked on regular exercises to bully my abdominals into action! I am fortunate that I know what I am doing and know whether an exercise is safe.

Be warned! If abdominal exercises are performed inappropriately or incorrectly they can do much more harm than good! The wrong exercises can increase the strain on your back, increase the strain on your pelvic floor (continence muscles) and actually make your tummy bigger!

Pelvic floor muscle exercises are vital, and having the understanding as to why it is so important to do them spurred me on! The thought of being incontinent now or later was enough encouragement for me! At first, post natally, I found it incredibly difficult to 'tune in' to my pelvic floor muscles, they had been traumatised and weren't very obliging. It felt as though there was 'nothing happening' at first! However, perseverance paid off and has reinforced how essential it is for us as physiotherapists to motivate our patients to do these exercises. Sometimes, despite your best intentions and efforts, you think you are contracting your pelvic floor muscles when in fact you are not! Research shows that a lot of women who think they are performing a pelvic floor exercise are actually not contracting their pelvic floor muscles, and are therefore more likely to develop continence problems. Physiotherapy for incontinence is very effective, so don't feel you have to live with it.

For those that struggle despite their best efforts, help is at hand with our specialist Women's Health Continence Physiotherapist, who can provide a professional assessment and treatment plan to meet your individual needs. Please don't hesitate to ask about making an appointment with Suzanne Willacy, our Women's Health Physiotherapist.

There is plenty of help and advice about how to look after your baby, but you must look after yourself too! Unfortunately there has been a lack of professional advice for new mums.

That is about to change with our new exercise classes, run by Chartered Physiotherapists, exclusively for MUMS: Yummy Tummies 4 Mummies!

If you do nothing, you are at risk of developing back pain and/or incontinence.
Why not enrol today?
The statistics speak for themselves - Please don't become one!

Classes include:

  • *Abdominal Muscle Training Exercises
  • *Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Exercises
  • *Real-life advice on lifting, carrying etc
  • *Back care and postural advice

Additional Benefits!!
You will look and feel better as your tummy will become flatter.
Exercise can help combat post natal depression and generally give your morale a boost.

Click here - To Download detailed Post-natal class application details, Pre Class Information, Business Agreement and Registration Form (Please note that this will be open a new window with an Adobe PDF Document)

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