Postnatal Yoga Fusion

Postnatal Yoga Fusion is a blend of Yoga and Pilates designed to retrain your body back into shape after your pregnancy. It is suitable for women approximately 6 weeks after a normal delivery of 10-12 weeks following a C-section. It is always advisable to speak to your healthcare professional before starting a postnatal Yoga or Pilates programme.

Practicing postnatal yoga fusion will help you:

Regain strength and muscle tone in the core muscles and pelvic floor
Improve posture
Reduce the occurrence of backache
Improve upper body strength and stability to help your body cope with feeding and carrying your baby
Promotes relaxation and a sense of calm
Interacting, bonding and relaxing with your baby.

Pelvic Floor exercises

For more information on the pelvic floor muscle: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/pelvic-floor-exercises

Try to complete these exercises 1-3 times per day. These exercises can be done anywhere. Try to complete the exercises in different positions e.g. walking sitting, kneeling.

· Hold a maximum contraction for up to 20 seconds if you can. This may be difficult during the early postnatal phase, so try to gradually increase the length of time you can hold the contraction for.

· Let go completely between each maximum contraction for 4 seconds.

· Pull up 100% and let go completely 10 times

· Pull up 100% then drop 10% 10 times.

If you find it difficult to contract the front of the pelvic floor, lean slightly forward.

Warm up

Postural changes may occur during your pregnancy and postnatal. Be aware of how increased weight of the breasts and tummy may change the position of your shoulders, spine and pelvis.

General Posture Check

Open chest by gently contracting between the shoulder blades.

The weight of your baby may caused an anterior tilt in the pelvis – bottom sticks out and lower back becomes excessively arched causing back ache and discomfort. Try tilting the pelvis by sending the tailbone to the floor and lifting the pubic bone.C

Connecting with your breath is important throughout the class on many levels:

Provide focus and calm
A strong full exhale can also help connect with core muscles

Breathing– Inhale through the nose and exhale through pursed lips. Imagine you are blowing out a candle when exhaling. Focus on gently tightening around the waist and gently drawing up the pelvic floor. The breath should be full and steady. Try not to hold the breath when exercising.

Repeat this several times in order to feel the connection with the (transverse) abdominal muscles.

Move to a lying position and rock the pelvis forward and back to find a neutral pelvis position (the hip bones and pubic bone should be on the same horizontal plane). Continue the breath pattern to connect with muscles around the core.

Knee Drops– Challenges the abdominal muscles to maintain a neutral pelvis.

Focus on maintaining a neutral pelvis throughout the exercises:

Inhale – drop knee to the floor.

Exhale– return to the centre

Imprint – Release

Inhale– prepare in neutral

Exhale and gentle tilt the pubic bone towards the navel. Focus on shortening the space between the ribs and hips. Flatten the lower belly and maintain light pelvic floor contraction throughout.

Inhale– return to neutral

Leg lifts

From and imprinted position.

Inhale– prepare

Exhale– raise on leg from the floor.

Inhale – stay.

Exhale– straighten leg

Focus on maintaining an imprint throughout the exercises.

Hip Rolls

Start from a neutral position.

Exhaleand move through imprint and start to articulate through the spine lifting each vertebrae from the mat. Gently contract the glutes (buttocks) throughout the movement.

Inhale – stay at the top resting on the shoulders.

Adapted Sun Salutation

Neutral Quadruped Position

Inhale– stay

Exhale – shift weight forward and focus on contacting the front of the pelvic floor.

Repeat x 5

Inhale– focus on maintaining neutral alignment throughout.

Exhale– return.

Inhale– step forward on the right leg.

Exhale– sit back

Inhale

Exhale

Inhale– lengthen spine and reset neutral spine position.

Exhale– extended child’s pose

Inhale– return.

Repeat x 3 each side

Push ups

Inhale– lower chest to the floor

Exhale – return

Ab prep

Maintain a neutral pelvis throughput and ensure the abdominal muscles do not dome (push out). Flexion exercises should not be continued if this occurs. Gently tighten around the waist and lift pelvic floor muscles before and throughout the exercise.

Inhale – head nod

Exhale– flex torso from the floor

Inhale – stay

Exhale– return to the floor.

Progress to holding flexed position for 3 breaths.

Kneeling backstroke

Maintain a neutral pelvis and spine throughout the exercise. Gently tighten around the waist and lift the pelvic floor. Imagine you are arching over a bar positioned at the tips of the shoulder blades.

Inhale– prepare

Exhale– draw elbows back, contracting between the shoulder blades.

Wide squats

Focus on lifting the pelvic floor muscles and maintaining a neutral pelvis throughout the exercise.

Inhale– stay Exhale– squat down

Repeat x 10

Shoulder raise with flex-band

Focus on maintaining a neutral spine and pelvis throughout the posture

Inhale– prepare

Exhale – raise arm to shoulder height

Inhale – return

Repeat – 10 x each side.

Navasana – Boat Pose

Seated position, support the weight of the upper body on the hands.

Exhale– Gently tilt the pubic bone towards the navel (seated imprint position). Shorten the space between the ribs and hips and sit just off the back of the sitting bones.

Inhale– hold

Exhale– raise one foot from the floor

Inhale– stay

Exhale – lower

Progress to lift both feet and holding the balance for 3-5 breaths.

Inhale– return to neutral.

½ Roll back