Am I in perimenopause, or am I just struggling because I am postnatal?

can I be postpartum and perimenopause

Many women could be experiencing perimenopause and postnatal symptoms simultaneously. As the age of women giving birth is later in life is increasing and perimenopause can also start as early as 35. Postpartum women’s hormones are often the same as menopause I’ve always found it really interesting how postpartum women’s levels of estrogen and progesterone are often…

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Stop feeling guilty about not doing enough exercise

female-fitness-exercise-bodyfabulous-dahlas-fletcher

You are not alone if you feel guilty about “never exercising” or “not going enough”. Many women think they “don’t have enough time to exercise” if they are not doing it for 1 hour or not getting red faced, exhausted or “feeling the burn”…so sadly they don’t start to exercise or completely stop what they…

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3 Ways to use a Fitball

pregnancy_postpartum_fitball_workouts

You may call it, a Fitball, Swissball, Birthball or Stability Ball. Regardless we’re talking about the same item of fitness equipment, that is one of my favourite items to use. They are fabulous for pregnancy exercise but also have many other added bonuses if postbirth or recovering from injury or pelvic floor concerns! Here are 3 simple but effective moves to try with a Fitball: 1.…

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7 Female Fitness Myths

female fitness myths

Here are 7 common female fitness myths that need to be debunked. 1. Stop forcing down 4L OF WATER PER DAY – you might be flushing important minerals tune into your thirst cues, sip as you need (your bladder will also thank you). 2. Exercise does not reduce your baby’s milk supply or change the…

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How the feet impact the core and pelvic floor

feet-ankles-pelvic-floor-connection

If you have been hanging with me for a while you would have heard me say….the Pelvic Floor and the rest of the CORE –  DON’T WORK IN ISOLATION, they are part of a fascially integrated and functionally synergistic WHOLE. The ‘conversation’ between the core and the rest of the body runs from the toes to the…

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Just because you COULD doesn’t mean you SHOULD – for postpartum exercise

Some days I want to shout from the rooftops, that just because you COULD doesn’t mean you SHOULD when it comes to your postpartum recovery. FEELING GOOD post birth or postpartum does not necessarily mean you SHOULD. I totally understand that this may seem counterintuitive especially after you have had 10 hours sleep, had your 6 week…

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SHOULD I DO KEGELS?

kEGELS perimenopause and postpartum at same time bodyfabulous female fitness coach hormones kegels

If only it were true that all you need is 40 reps a day of KEGELS for a “stronger better, tighter, pelvic floor”. Unfortunately there is ongoing Kegel or not to KEGEL confusion! Why I don’t work with Kegels If you have been following me for a while you have probably learned that I don’t really…

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Do you have Postnatal Depletion?

postpartum_depletion

Unfortunately when women enter motherhood it has become the new normal that experiencing symptoms of fatigue, exhaustion and stress are just part of the new mama package. But postnatal depletion is real – it is a syndrome of accumulated issues including deep fatigue, hyper-vigilance, and overwhelm. After birth many women are focused on the newborn…

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To plank or not to plank – during and after pregnancy ?

postpartum_plank

I am regularly asked …”can I plank during pregnancy and postpartum to train my core or lose the “mummy tummy”.” Some other questions include… Is a plank safe to do when pregnant ? Will planking help strengthen my core post birth ? Can I plank if I am healing diastasis recti ? What about post…

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