Are all fitness instructors ready to teach a pre or postnatal body?

We’re going to say no.

While we don’t believe in making pregnant and postnatal moms feel fragile and we definitely don’t want to discourage you from exercising, it’s just the truth that pregnant or postnatal bodies need adjusted approaches to exercise, and if your fitness program doesn’t take that into account, you can end up with some serious issues.

There is an incredible amount of pressure on moms to “bounce back” after pregnancy or to “get their pre-baby body back”, and a lot of fitness programs will capitalize on this.

There is an incredible amount of pressure on moms to “bounce back” after pregnancy or to “get their pre-baby body back”, and a lot of fitness programs will capitalize on this.

But many of those workouts don’t teach you how to safely and functionally rebuild core strength or regulate core pressure, and throwing yourself into a HIIT class or a plank challenge or lifting heavy weights or hitting the track before your body is ready (and without the help from an experienced and qualified exercise specialist) can result in things like prolapse, hernias, incontinence, back and SI joint pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, and other injuries. Yikes!

This has NOTHING TO DO with your work ethic or whether or not you’re trying hard enough to “get back in shape”. You cannot rush postpartum recovery. Just because you’ve been given the all-clear from your doctor, that usually doesn’t mean that you’re immediately ready to jump right into regular exercise… and a trainer who isn’t specially trained in pre/postnatal fitness might not understand that and they may treat you like any other person who walks in their door… which is probably not in your best interests.

So please use good judgement when you’re looking to join a class, sign up with a trainer, or follow along with an online video! Check into people’s qualifications — and better yet, ask a pelvic floor physiotherapist if they have any recommendations for fitness classes in your area!

Check into people’s qualifications — and better yet, ask a pelvic floor physiotherapist if they have any recommendations for fitness classes in your area!

Your body is too important for you to not treat it with the best care. You’re worth it!