The postnatal exercise ball

2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 18:44

Are you looking for something out of the ordinary to recover your fitness after giving birth? The exercise ball develops both strength and flexibility!

Your pelvic floor is weak or you have urinary incontinence when you cough, sneeze, laugh or when you lift your grocery bags? Or do you have diastasis recti, this separation of muscles in the center of the abdomen and your abs are flabby and soft or simply because you have stitches on your back when you breastfeed?

Some examples of exercises

To refine the size

Sit on the ball with your baby on your lap and make small circles with the hips, rocking back and forth and then side to side. This will slim your waist, tone your abs, and heal your episiotomy or perineal tear by increasing perineal blood flow. As a bonus you rock baby who will find it very pleasant and fun…

Pelvic floor

Have you ever squeezed a big ball between your legs? Well, this exercise strengthens the adductors and re-educates the pelvic floor if youadd some small visualizations. In a supine position, place your calves on the ball and press your heels hard into the ball, imagine that you are sucking the perineum inwards, this exercise will tone your pelvic floor, your incontinence problems will gradually disappear.

The Obliques

Specific exercises for the obliques will correct your rectus diastasis such as twists with resistance while seated on the ball or crossover crunches, in supine position with the legs resting on the ball.

The Back

Exercises while sitting on the floor or standing with the ball in your arms will strengthen the lats to reduce pain under the shoulder blades when breastfeeding. Massages with the back resting on the ball whether it is resting on the ground or on the wall will relax you.

Balance

The exercise ball allows you to develop both strength and flexibility, although postnatally you should focus on strength work, because relaxin is present up to nine months after childbirth and so and as long as you are breastfeeding. Find your pre-pregnancy center of gravity with the ball, which also develops balance.

Sleep

Postpartum exercise allows you to sleep more soundly, even if your nights are shorter to meet baby's needs. With exercise, you reach deep sleep more quickly and so it will be morerecuperator.

We can take training

Ah, that famous ball! Everyone talks about it, everyone has one at home, but very few people really know what to do with it… Ballon Forme offers a wide range of classes and its technique is unique. Ballon Forme exploits the exercise ball in terms of its mobility rather than its stability. The ads show us athletes standing on them. The exercise ball offers countless possibilities and the risk of injury is almost zero, provided you do not try to stand on it.

For those who have the motivation to train alone. Ballon Forme offers an intensive private postnatal training of approximately 2 hours to learn how to use the exercise ball to recover your physical condition after childbirth. No need for a babysitter, no travel, no need to plan your exercise session around the breastfeeding schedule. Training with the ball is like having a home gym.

Postnatal exercise also prevents postpartum depression, going out, meeting moms who are going through the same situation are good ways to avoid it. Postpartum depression is taboo, we don't talk about it much. When we are part of a group, our companions can guide us to available resources. And exercise in itself is an excellent means of prevention and treatment.

And baby in all this?

Since a new mother who gave birth naturally usually has theweak pelvic floor, therefore rebounds in a seated position on the ball are therefore not recommended. So, little hopping with dad may make baby's colic pass. Place your baby's belly on your warm belly and do circles, side to side movements, rocking forwards, backwards. Or lay your baby down with his stomach resting on the ball on a small blanket. Move the ball forwards, backwards, to the sides, make circles, apply light pressure… Baby will love the ball too!

For those who have used the exercise ball prenatally and the birth ball during childbirth and postnatally, it is just as interesting even with babies. Have fun!