HOW SOON CAN I START EXERCISING?
For at least two weeks after the birth, all physical stress should be avoided (ie, don’t carry anything heavier than the baby). Do not resume full daily activities or exercise for a minimum of six weeks. If the delivery was by Caesarean section then exercise should not be resumed for

eight to ten weeks to allow for healing. It is best to inform your GP or health visitor if you are planning to take up exercise after this period. They may give you a routine health check.

WHEN CAN I START TONING MY STOMACH?
During pregnancy the abdominal muscles separate to allow the uterus to expand. You need to wait until the gap between them has closed sufficiently before you put any strain on the area. Don’t rely on the six-week standard.

To check to whether you are ready for abdominal work lie flat on your back with your knees bent and place the fingers of your left hand, palm facing your tummy, just above your belly button. Inhale, then exhale, and, as you do, lift your head and shoulders off the floor to tighten your muscles.

You will feel two ridges running from below the middle of your rib cage down towards your belly button. If the gap between these ridges is three or more finger widths do these gentle tummy-crunch exercises until the gap narrows to less than two finger widths.

Gentle tummy crunches
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on floor.Cross your arms and hug your tummy so that each hand is resting on the opposite side of the waist. Slowly lift your head from the floor and breathe out, lightly pulling both sides of your abdomen together at the same time. Lower back down and repeat eight times. Pause for one minute and repeat eight times.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I EXERCISE?
Start light. Your body has been through a lot of stress so diving straight into an intense exercise programme may cause injury. Begin with some gentle, low-impact cardio work (ie, powerwalking, swimming, cycling). Try to do a minimum of 20 minutes three times a week. Do a light resistance programme, ie, light weights and two sets of ten repetitions, two to three times a week. See timesonline.co.uk/dietandfitness for my exercise plan. Once you feel your stamina is improving, gradually increase the regularity and the intensity of your workouts.

The rule at this stage is to listen to your body. Don’t work yourself to exhaustion but don’t under-work your body either. Work on a scale of one to ten (one being relaxed and ten being exhausted) and aim to reach about six to seven on this scale when first resuming exercise.

WHAT EXERCISES SHOULD I AVOID?
During pregnancy, hormonal changes cause the ligaments to become looser, giving them more elasticity to aid delivery.This leads to several exercise implications. Stretching to increase flexibilty should be avoided, as should lifting heavy weights and high-impact activities such as jogging on a hard surface or jumping and landing heavily.

You need to listen to your body, and introduce these exercises to your routine slowly, and only when you feel that your joints are returning to their usual flexibility.

DOES IT MATTER THAT I AM STILL BREAST-FEEDING?
No. Increased lactic acid levels during very intense exercise may give post-exercise milk a sour taste but this will wear off after about an hour.

It is advisable for you to feed the baby before exercising, if possible, as it reduces the breast weight and chance of leakage during the workout. Always wear a good supporting sports bra during exercise to prevent over-stretching of breast tissue.

To send a question to Lucy Sinclair, click on the button below

To book a session with Lucy Sinclair, call 07875 467931 or e-mail lucy.sinclair@yahoo.co.uk. To find a personal trainer specialising in pre- and post-natal care, www.newbornfitness.co.uk

Next month: pelvic-muscle exercises

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