The Manchester Mums Movement

Your 6 week NHS check up isn’t a clearance to return to exercise, here’s why ⬇️

1. Your readiness to exercise has most likely not been checked.
It’s not a postnatal check if - Your pelvic floor hasn’t been assessed, your abdominal control hasn’t been assessed, your c-section scar hasn’t been properly assessed, your whole body hasn’t been checked for aches or pains that you can do something about.

2. You haven’t been asked if your coping, how your feeling in yourself or if you need more support.
Your body hasn’t just gone through one of hardest things it’s capable of, yet you’re expected just to get on with it like you haven’t just given birth. Your hormones are going crazy, there’s lots of new things you now have to do and think about, and that can have a huge impact on mental health. You shouldn’t have to do it alone.

For some, 6/8 weeks isn’t nearly enough time before returning to or starting exercise, but for others, it might be way too long to wait.

For some, getting out and chatting to other mums as soon as you can, could make a huge impact in your postpartum journey. Being able to hear someone else say “my baby does that too” is sometimes all you need to hear to make your day easier.

The point being, your journey is personal, and the postpartum healing process is individual to every single mum. What works for one person, might not work for another.

But new research is pointing us in the direction of removing the timescale to return to exercise, and bringing it down to the individual and how they feel, but also what we even mean by ‘exercise’.

Every mum deserves a proper check up assessment before & after birth, and where right now you can’t get that from an NHS pelvic health physio (unless you have ‘severe’ symptoms and are willing to wait months for it) you can get it from some amazing private pelvic health physios doing amazing work.

Here’s some you should absolutely check out;


knsphysio



If you have questions or concerns about pre or postpartum exercise readiness, drop me a message 🙋🏼‍♀️

This one’s for the mum who has been sick every other week this year 🤒

You’re not just tired.

You’re not just run down.

Your body is going through something real.

The research is pretty clear on this one...

The postpartum period puts enormous load on your immune system.

Hormones crash. Recovery slows. Your body is literally rebuilding itself while also keeping a tiny human alive.

And most of you are doing this on broken sleep, skipped meals and zero time to themselves.

So when you keep getting sick?

That’s not weakness.

That’s your body asking for some actual support. ♥️

The fitness industry wants to push you harder.

I want to meet you where you are.

Every session I run is designed around what your body needs on that day.

Not what an algorithm says you should be doing. 💫

Because training smarter — not harder — is what actually gets you results when life is this full.

💪 DM me “READY” and let’s find a time to chat about training that works with your body, not against it.

Lyns x

What I’m pointing to is a posterior pelvic tilt, which is the most common way we standing when holding bubs 👶

I notice myself doing it all the time in classes, but for me that’s such a short time spent in that position

During pregnancy, the body naturally shifts into a posterior pelvic tilt due to the weight of your baby pulling you forward

After birth/ early postpartum, a lot of time is spent seated, for feeding and (much needed, absolutely necessary) rest, but also standing in this posteriorly tilted position while carrying your baby

This is what contributes to the loss of muscle mass in your glutes, in this pelvic position, your glutes will tighten up and hold lots of tension which can also lead to low back issues

So what should we do?

🏋️‍♀️ Lengthen and strengthen your glutes

Things like - Squats, hinging, lunging & isolation exercises like clams

🧍‍♀️ Check yourself when your holding your baby, can you soften the knees a bit and think about lengthening the top of the hamstring, push your bum back slightly, and release out of that posterior tilt

🥩 Protein - Absolutely essential, especially if you are breastfeeding! You need to be replenishing and repairing your body, and it can’t heal and grow without protein!

See if you can challenge yourself to get a source of protein in every meal & snack, some of my personal favs for quick & easy protein;

🧀 Blue Babybells - 5g protein, have 4 and you’ve got the perfect amount for your body to digest in one sitting

🥛 Yoghurt - Natural Greek / skyr yoghurt with fruit, seeds/nuts, and anything else you love in there!

Tuna, eggs, chicken, fish are all relatively quick and easy options to add to pastas, wraps, baked potato’s, salads or with rice on the side!

Don’t forget to add your veggies 🥒

Meet .fg & baby Fred 👶💚

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Eleanor twice a week for the last 6 months or so, and seeing how far she has progressed with strength & confidence has been amazing!

Fred’s cuddles could make anyone’s day, and he has the most infectious wee smile that just lights up the room!

Thank you .fg for all of your continued support and being a joy to teach 💚

Swipe to see Eleanor’s journey in her words ➡️

Such an amazing day at West Didsbury yesterday 💚

Thank you everyone who came down to say hi, enquire about what we do and most importantly have a chat about all things woman’s health.

Having these conversations about woman’s health are so important, and we need to be having more of them!

It was so great to meet so many expecting mums, new mums & mums a little further into their postpartum journey too!

If you didn’t manage to come down yesterday but are interested in finding out more about MMM’s offerings, or just looking for someone to chat to, drop me a DM today, I’d love to chat to you 🙋🏼‍♀️

“What’s the best time to exercise as a mum?”👇🏽

It’s a struggle trying to find the time that works for you!

Whether it’s early mornings before the kids wake, a power walk during nap time, or an evening session after dinner... the key isn’t the clock. It’s consistency.

A recent study showed that it’s not when you move, it’s that you move regularly🧘🏽‍♀️

You don’t need perfect conditions. You just need to schedule YOUR moments.

How do you best squeeze in exercise around your kids?


ExerciseForMums

Are you looking for pregnancy or postpartum classes with a welcoming community of mums to match 👀

Then you’ve come to the right place! 🙋🏼‍♀️

Our summer blocks begin on the WB 15th of June and I’d love you to join us!

If you’ve been looking for a safe, compassionate space to move, you’ve found it.

If you’re looking for somewhere you can be completely yourself, you’ve found it.

If your looking for a coach that will truly take the time to check in with you & how your moving in every single session, you’ve found her 👋

It’s your time to prioritise your movement & wellbeing.

Partial bookings & payment plans available, just drop me a message if you have any questions!

See you soon 💚

Coming up this Summer… 🌞

Interested in joining our community? 👀

Drop me a DM or book today via the link in bio! 💚