If a person has to work, I guess I’ve got it pretty good. I get to teach different kinds of movement to people (yoga, indoor cycle, kettlebell and other group classes) and help them reach their goals.

My favourite part of the “job” is easily the students. I couldn’t choose which class is my favourite because each one has a different group and I love them all. But…there are some special perks to teaching Fit Mama. Fit Mama is a baby friendly yoga/pilates class for new moms. One of the perks being, I get to be around all these beautiful new lives and their moms at this very special time in their lives’.

These beautiful women roll out their mats ready to get back some of the pre-baby strength and energy.

In a seven or eight week session, I spend the first two weeks with some awareness and work on the internal changes which occurred with the carrying and delivery of their babies. The first week is all about the pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor muscles are able to move up and down similar to a trampoline. They provide bladder and bowel control, sexual function and support of the reproductive organs. The pelvic floor muscles can become weakened from age, childbirth, obesity, chronic constipation, chronic coughing and heavy lifting. Weakened pelvic floor muscles can lead to incontinence, organ prolapse and chronic pelvic pain. Muscles that co-recruit with the pelvic floor are transverse abdominis (the core muscles that wrap around the back to the stomach), gluteals (the seat) and adductors (inner thighs).

In this first class we do a number of exercises with three different variations building strength, endurance and coordination of the pelvic floor muscles.

In the second or third week it’s all about diastasis recti. This is a separation of the abdominal muscles which occurs with pregnancy but can also occur at other times of either women or men’s lives. These muscles part to make room for the growing baby and uterus. Ideally, the muscles come back together after birth. But sometimes they do not, leading to a weakened core, a pooch or bulging of the stomach. Traditional sit ups and crunches can exacerbate the problem. In this class, we do core strengthening and stretching with the head bolstered so the abdominals rest down and do not bulge.

I also recommend that after birth when new moms are feeling their way back into some kind of a routine (albeit a new one), that they make an appointment to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist – a professional who can test, assess and provide an individual program should there be a need.