I am really pleased to introduce Emma Harris from Bespoke Postnatal Personal Training, a personal training service designed to meet the specific and individual needs of postnatal women.

In this blog post Emma talks about why she started her business and how she can help Bristol mums with their postnatal health and fitness…

“Remember to squeeze your pelvic floor”, “don’t lift anything heavier than your baby for a few weeks”, “don’t exert yourself”…. examples of the woefully limited, unrealistic and generally inadequate ‘advice’ many postnatal women are given.

As most mums will testify, motherhood is a highly demanding athletic sport – just think of how much weighted bending, extending, lifting, lunging, squatting, pushing is required every day (and night).

Lazing around just isn’t an option. The paradox here is that the early postnatal body will not be functioning optimally, that is a certainty.

Both the tissues of the abdominal wall and the muscles of the pelvic floor (vital parts of the stabilising core system) will have been stretched and therefore weakened.

Assisted birthing and C-section will cause further tissue trauma. How to perform the functional exercises required by daily life safely, respecting the weakened, fragile core is a mystery to most mums.

Add to this the myriad of postural compensations her body has been making as pregnancy progressed. It is no wonder that postnatal women suffer, almost as routine, from muscular discomfort, a poochy stomach that shows no sign of recovering, pelvic floor dysfunctions and lethargy.

Many just don’t feel fully fit for purpose.

Addressing these issues is essential for both short and long-term health; incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse can both result from pelvic floor weakness.

Having been through the experience myself, I designed Bespoke Postnatal Personal Training to help women recover from the physical rigours of pregnancy and birth, to support them through early motherhood, to get stronger, fitter, feel energised and up for the job.

Every client is treated as the unique individual that she is. Great time and care is taken to fully, deeply assess and understand her needs.

There are no set programmes to which she will be assigned – hers will be unique to her and will change as her body adapts and with how she feels. I only train on a one-to-one basis giving each client my full, undivided attention.

I also offer advice on healing nutrition (no strict dieting) and an understanding ear. The studio in my home provides a private, relaxing atmosphere for clients to spend an hour out, focussing on themselves…for a change!

All mums’ bodies have achieved something amazing. Bespoke Postnatal is here to offer support and guidance to fitness, strength and health.

To find out more about Bespoke Postnatal Personal Training please visit https://www.bespokepostnatal.co.uk/.

*Disclosure: Sponsored post.