Three things to consider before swimming post-baby

23rd May 2019

Mumma, you did it. Your body did it. You grew a baby inside of you! But now things are a bit different. You might be starting to think about exercising but it is so important that you do it the right way. 

Our very own postnatal fitness expert Vanessa Barker knows her stuff. We asked her for her thoughts on returning to swimming post baby and there are a few things you need to consider before you jump back into the pool. 

"I get asked a lot if swimming is safe post partum but really the question is not so much if it is safe but more a case of whether it can prevent your diastasis recti from healing or even worsen it. 

For all those of you who are thinking "diastasis what now?!", diastasis recti is the separation of your abdominals during pregnancy to accomodate your growing baby. You know that poochy tummy some women are left with after having a baby? Well, this can be the cause. There's a lot more to it than that and I explain exactly what it is and how to check if you have it in my free Restore My Core Mini Course. I urge all mummas to make sure they have an understanding of this as well as pelvic floor function - sure, it's common to wee when you sneeze, cough or jump but it isn't normal. Again, I cover this in more detail in my free Mini Course. 

If you already know that you have diastasis recti and are wanting to swim while restoring your core, there are a few things to consider. Your alignment in the water is really important so you need to keep an eye on your technique. For instance, if your head is out of the water the whole time then you are going to arch your back and stretch your abs. This will flare out the ribs - something I see a lot of in postnatal mums - which means you’re better off avoiding swimming until your diastasis has healed. 

Core strength, flexibility, mobility, breathing and core connection all impact your alignment and technique when swimming. We need to consider all these things before knowing if swimming will prevent your diastastis from healing or even worsen it. I've put together three questions you should ask yourself before diving back into the pool (pun intended!). 

#1: Core strength

Can you control your core well enough when swimming? If you're not sure, you can test your core strength by lying down and reaching your arms in the air as I demonstrate in the image below. 

Then let them fall behind you as seen in the image below.

In the image above, you will see that my back arches and my ribs flare out. If you do the same, then there’s a good chance that you’re doing this too when you swim and reach in front. 

If you engage your core, can you lift your arms WITHOUT arching your back? I have demonstrated this is the image below.

As you will see, my ribs have dropped down and my back has a gentle curve as opposed to a larger arch. You need to engage your core to do this.

Even if you can do this while lying down, can you do this while swimming? Be honest with yourself because if you can't, you might be better off working on increasing your core control before you get back in the pool. 

#2: Shoulder mobility

Another thing to consider is if shoulder mobility - or lack thereof - could be impacting technique and therefore having a negative effect on diastastis. While you were checking your core strength, did your arms fully reach up? Did they flop to the side? If you weren't able to fully extend your arms or if they flopped to the side I would suggest increasing your flexibility in that area before swimming.

#3: Core connection

Can you engage your deep core and breathe diaphragmatically? This will really will help you to control your core, control your spine and rib position and minimise any pressure on your diastasis. If you're not sure if you can do this than you might require some postnatal core training. Personally I would work on this core connection before getting in the pool. Swimming is a very repetitive movement - you don’t want to be doing it in a way that repeatedly puts pressure on a tummy that needs to heal.

In short...

Swimming itself isn't neccesarily bad for your diastatis but it does depend on your technique. If you are not 100% confident in your technique, have a large diastasis or one that isn’t healing, it might be worth taking a short break from swimming whilst you work on restoring your diastasis."

We hope Vanessa's tips here have been useful in helping you decide whether swimming is right for you and your body. It is so important that you return to exercise in the right way and we want to empower you to make the right decision for your body. Unfortunately, so many trainers give postnatal advice which simply isn’t appropriate or safe. You deserve better. Your body deserves better - it’s just created life! 

We've teamed up with Vanessa to create a 14 week online programme to help get your fitness and confidence back. It’s a holistic approach of self-care. The programme has been specifically designed for postpartum mothers by Vanessa to help with their postnatal recovery and return to fitness. It's a great place to start before jumping back in the pool, hitting that spinning class or going for a jog because if you haven't restored your core first, these types of exercises could be doing more harm. Click the link below to find out more.