The Bump Plan: Your guide to fitness and exercise during pregnancy and the postnatal period from @thepilatespt and founder of The Bump Plan, complete with illustrated workouts

Product Information

A few warning signs that you need to stop exercising and speak to a health professional as soon as possible are: A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a deep vein of the leg, calf or pelvis. Whilst DVT is still rare during pregnancy and after birth, it is more common in this period than at other stages of your life.

Around one in three women will suffer from diastasis recti, the separation of the abs muscles, so introducing safe core exercises can help to heal this. Speak with your doctor or a women's health physio for advice on how to do this safely if you have diastasis recti. Over the last 12 years I have enjoyed the most incredible career in the fitness industry. After a short (and stressful) career as a pastry chef in London, I started my fitness journey as a receptionist in a London reformer Pilates studio and instantly fell in love with Pilates. I loved that Pilates focussed on how the body functions and moves, rather than how it looks or what it weighs. This emphasis on performance has inspired my whole career in fitness and is why I have never bored of teaching it. The Bump Plan has now helped over 30,000 women around the world and it’s only just getting started. We have incredibly exciting things planned for the brand in the near future which are going to help women and mothers even more be the strongest and most prepared they can be during these incredible phases of their lives. We’re not all about workouts: the trying to conceive plan will provide you with all the tools you need to enter pregnancy strong and capable. Here’s exactly what she wants women who have just had a baby to know. 1. Gentle recovery can begin, early doorsI would advise that exercise be low to moderate impact initially and higher impact exercise is gradually reintroduced after around three months of this, if there is no pelvic floor or abdominal wall dysfunction," Holly adds. A heavy or painful feeling in the leg (a lot of people say that it feels like a really bad pulled muscle that doesn’t go away) Your body can change in many ways during pregnancy. Pilates can help improve your posture, whilst functional movement techniques will help your body perform at its best. Placing the focus on how your body performs, rather than looks, will help keep any toxic diet noise at bay, and allow you a more positive outlook on your new body.’

READ MORE INFORMATION ON NHS GUIDANCE What to consider when exercising after giving birth Listen to your body From name length and style to country of origin and meaning, you’ll find baby’s name in one of The Bump’s specially curated lists. Wear a supportive sports bra, especially if you are breastfeeding. This will make exercising postnatally more comfortable and protect the integrity of the breasts.It’s for this reason that WH has called upon Hollie Grant, founder of The Pilates PT Method and The Bump Plan, for some inside intel. As a mum, she has first-hand experience of slowly and gently returning to movement after birth, and has trained the likes of Jourdan Dunn and Ella Mills (a.k.a. Deliciously Ella). Stay hydrated. As parents we can find our needs aren’t always met, but please do ensure you drink water before/during/after your workouts.