Total Fitness & Athletic Therapy

Would you train for a marathon?
Would you train for a triathlon?
Would you train for sport season?

If you answered yes then why not train for labour and delivery? Instead of just thinking of prenatal fitness as just workouts, why not put more intention into them and help physically and mentally prepare for your big event?

No childbirth doesn’t always go exactly how we plan. But preparing for it can definitely help impact and empower you to a have a better experience.

My prenatal program helps you train for labour & delivery. Whether it’s your 1st or 3rd.

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https://carriemussbacher.podia.com/training-for-labour-delivery-a-3rd-trimester-prenatal-program?fbclid=IwAR1fzBNXEqMiXnqu0cE42O8jYh83R6mrwT8JVZXu0fPfxmZY_Fy4TJwAhc8

Training for Labour & Delivery - A 3rd Trimester Prenatal Program

Instead of avoiding certain exercises entirely, ask yourself or your health/fitness practitioner this: “WHY can’t I do it? Or When can I do it?”

If there are exercises your core and Diastasis aren’t ready for YET, what regressions can you do to be able to build up to that plank, sit up etc. I always love asking my clients what their goals are because it helps us guide what they need to be able to.

Working alongside a professional to help determine what exercises are best for you is definitely a good idea, but also check out my IGTV videos on what to look for when you are doing exercises on your own.

Running postpartum, symptom free, isn’t an easy thing that just happens!

There isn’t a magical time that works for everyone.

For me personally this is 6months postpartum after my third.

It felt so good to be coached and working with because I think we all do so much better when we have someone coaching us! I mean how many Olympic athletes were in Tokyo without a coach?! 🤔

Though I’m not read to sign up for a race just yet, progression has been key and will continue to be the key in adding volume and endurance to my running - just like after any other injury.

Watch this reel by total.fitness.at on Instagram

Can you squeeze your glute? Independently without squeezing both cheeks 🍑 ?! Can you squeeze your glute without your back or hamstring going crazy?

Well you’re glutes and pelvic floor are basically bffs.. they’re very important!

Give it a try… in a half kneel can you squeeze just your bum - and don’t fall over! Let me know how it goes 👇

Prolapse... You can’t tell who might be affected by it. Some don’t know they have it, while others do. Some are asymptotic, while others aren’t.

Prolapse is the downward descent of the pelvic organs. Causes of prolapse are not just childbirth - it affects others too. Here are some of the causes of prolapse:
1. Pregnancy & childbirth
2. Obesity
3. Chronic respiratory condition/coughing
4. Constipation & poor toilet habits 💩
5. Surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy).

So it’s not just important to be assessed by an physician or pelvic floor physiotherapist for your own knowledge of your own body, but if you’re a fitness or rehab professional who works with clients, having an understanding of what prolapse is, is extremely important and valuable!

June is here! ☀️ And it just so happens that June is both and so I get to spend the month raising awareness and sharing information on two topics that I love & care very much about.... So get ready! From working with clients, continuing education & professional development & my own personal experience I am excited to share and raise awareness!

Looking for postpartum exercise options that can be challenging & more pelvic floor friendly than running? Try the stairs!

👉Be sure you can tolerate walking on flat ground symptom free before attempting the stairs
👉Start with just walking the stairs both up & down.
👉Walking down provides eccentric load on your muscles which is a challenge, but without the impact of running.
👉Walking up you can do every single step or for more strength try every second step.
👉Start with a few sets that don’t cause any symptoms during, such as heaviness bulging sensation, leakage or pain.
👉Progress each time by a little bit, starting with duration/endurance before speed
👉If baby wearing be mindful of the extra load you’re wearing and monitor for symptoms
👉Take your kids with you or leave them at home 😉

Hypopressives can be done anytime, anywhere.
It is a core/pelvic floor restoration and maintenance program. Just like any other type of exercise, if you stop doing them you lose the gains you’ve made. If you keep doing them, you maintain the benefits.
How often should you do hypopressives? That depends on how much maintenance your body and symptoms need, or if you’re doing them to prevent symptoms. Individual needs create individual programs.

Walking postpartum, one of the best exercises.... BUT (yes there’s a but!) It’s not one of the FIRST exercises I recommend initially.
When you walk, there is load on your pelvic floor. If you just had a vaginal delivery, your pelvic floor was stretched... A LOT. So to minimize load on the pelvic floor too early/too soon here’s some things I recommend when it comes to walking in the early weeks .

1. Respect the first 10-14 days of tissue healing. This time might not be best time to go out for long walks
2. Connect with your breath, your transverse abdominus, pelvic floor doing some exercises without as much load should be a focus before long walks.
3. When you start waking, start with staying close to home and only about 5 minutes. Progress time by 3-5 minutes if you’re asymptomwtic.
4. When you start walking & progressing your walking times be sure to monitor DURING and AFTER for any heaviness, bulging sensation in the vagina/pelvic floor, and any incontinence.

Questions?! Let me know in the comments or drop me a DM!

Do you ever check your breath in your side plank?
I love this exercise for building cores strength of obliques and glute med - hitting up that lateral core system, but it is super important to check where you’re breath goes in this loaded position.
Is it all belly? Not ideal if you have .
Is it downward on the pelvic floor? Not ideal either!
Can you inhale into your ribs & exhale long & tall.
Now instead of timing just for seconds, try holding for however many breath cycles you can 😉