Online workout – Pros and Rules

This is a weird situation we are in, it calls for a lot of changes in our lives – even in our workout habits. It is quite a disadvantage that we cannot do our regular workout with our regular coach and we miss our training partners. On the other hand, it is time of workout adventures – we can try out a lot of new things we could not before because of time and space.

As a pre- and postnatal fitness specialist I train pregnant women and help them in regeneration after giving birth. I would like to help all the moms at home, taking the first steps of this workout adventure, with this article to make sure that you are all safe. During an online class the trainer is not able to take care of you one-by-one, to custom make the class, so it is very important for you to know, what to do while the others are doing the crunches.

These are the most important rules int the first 6 month of the post-partum period – but you also need to take them into consideration while breastfeeding.

1. Start working out progressively – if you do too much right at the beginning your body will respond with injuries! 

2. Do not jump, do not run long distances or intensively in the first 6-8 months after giving birth. You might feel that your leg and your lungs could do more, but your pelvis and your abs are not yet prepared for that. If you do not give yourself some more time it could cause life-long problems in mid/long-term. (Yes, you can walk intensively, or do some jogging).

3. Do not do wide-leg or deep squats! And please, do not do it with your kid in your hand. You can make very sexy and cute posts of it, but not only your pelvis but your pubic bone will hate it.

4. Do not put weight on your wrists! No straight arm planks – NO STRAIGHT ARM SIDE  PLANKS. (Try to avoid Carpal tunnel syndrome)

5. It is very important for everyone, to check your abs - if you have kid(s) it is even more important. If you have gap between your abdominals (diastasis recti) improper workout can cause hernia, pelvic floor problems and even spine problems. And your abs will never look like you want them to look like.

If you feel that gap, we suggest you to find an RTM – Rectus Training Method instructor, as our aim is not only to regenerate the abdominals but to make sure that you know how to live and do workout with this problem long-term – find any other type of workout and adapt it to your needs and health.

Do not do crunches and sit-ups in the post-partum period – not even if you hold your abs with your hands or a towel – it is not a solution for diastasis recti and these exercises are bad for your spine and pelvis. If your do not have ab separation after giving birth (what a lucky one!) you can easily create one with these types of exercises while you are in this hormone-sensitive period.

Try to find a workout for the regeneration of your abs and pelvis, or if you know these types of exercises, use them instead of crunches and sit-ups. Choose any type of body shaping workout – just make sure that you do narrow squats while the others are doing wide squats, you do ab regeneration exercises while the others are doing sit-ups and you plank on your forearm with knees on the ground while the others are doing straight arm planks.

And yes! #stayactive! It is one of the most important pillars of staying healthy. Choose any type of workout – only stick to these rules, have rest days and listen to your body – it will react with pain if something is not good. (Pain and intensive muscle-strain are not part of a well-balanced workout!)

Be careful, take care of yourself, stay active and ask for help!

Renáta Tőkés 

Fitness trainer, Pre- and Postnatal Fitness Specialist 

RTM - Rectus Training Method Founder 

Country Leader of Kangatraining in Hungary 

www.rectustrainingmethod.com 

https://www.facebook.com/rectustrainingmethodofficial/