Courtney Wyckoff on how to shift baby weight safely

A lot of new mothers complain about the pressure of getting back into shape after giving birth and about how difficult it can really be.

Former ballet dancer and mother-of-two Courtney Wyckoff has been through the difficult journey, trying to strike a balance between caring for yourself and getting active again.

Now, she has curated a mom-friendly way to ease back into the fitness levels you enjoyed pre-pregnancy.

A lot of post-pregnancy health, argues Wyckoff, founder of Momma Strong, is strengthening your pelvic floor, correcting your posture and focusing on deep breathing.

Most doctors advise that women who have just given birth give their bodies at least six weeks to heal before they hit the gym. Wyckoff said that is very important – but there is a lot you can do in that time to begin to prepare your body.

And even if you aren’t pregnant or don’t have kids, it’s never too early or late to learn these exercises.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO 

Former ballet dancer and mother-of-two Courtney Wyckoff (pictured) has been through it, and has since curated a mom-friendly way to ease back into pre-pregnancy workouts

She claims her workouts can work for anyone, from celebrities like Beyonce, to athletes like Serena Williams, to people who hate exercising 

MOMMA STRONG: FITNESS GURU’S EXPERIENCE WITH POST-PREGNANCY PAIN 

After giving birth to her first child, Wyckoff said she was experiencing a lot of lower back pain and had trouble doing even simple things like lifting her children. 

As a Pilates instructor and former ballet dancer, she’d always been in good shape, and did some digging to see what was wrong. She realized that for a number of women who have children, a phenomenon occurs where their abdominal muscles separate and never completely heal. 

‘When you’re a new mother it’s a happy time, you want to feel strong and play with your child,’ Wyckoff said. ‘But it’s hard to do that when you’re in pain and feel weak constantly.’   

She also explained that it’s not about getting into shape or losing weight, though that will happen over time if that is your goal. 

‘My approach is about overall post-pregnancy and general wellness, so people can feel as strong as possible.’ 

Wyckoff, whose title is a corrective health specialist, teaches new mother workshops, but also has regular exercise classes at her ‘momma strong’ location. She teaches mothers exercises they can do at home or in between chores. 

‘It’s about function over appearance. I get new mothers coming into my studio who just say they don’t want to feel pregnant anymore, and, luckily, I’ve got the answer for them,’ she said.  

Wyckoff ( pictured left) teaches new mother workshops, but also has regular exercise classes (pictured) at her ‘momma strong’ location. She teaches mothers exercises they can do at home or in between chores

1. KEGELS ARE NOT KING: HOW TO HEAL AND STRENGTHEN THE PELVIC FLOOR

Wyckoff said that, despite what your doctor might tell you, kegels are not the answer to all of your fitness problems.  

They are important, she said, but doing them alone isn’t enough, and instead you have to make sure to pair them with dynamic breathing and good posture. 

‘Remember to press the belly button to your spine as you exhale, then release the kegel,’ she explained.   

‘Most programs teach women to hold the kegel, but it is essential to learn and know how to release it, because that’s what helps repair your pelvic floor, which is incredibly important after delivering children.’

When you release it, Wyckoff explains, you have to completely relax your core, pelvic, and back muscles, restoring them and teaching your body how to heal.  

• Celebrity trainer secrets: Personal trainer to Game Of…
  

  SECRETS OF AN A-LIST BODY: This week, we reveal how to get…
  

2. FOCUS ON DEEP BREATHING TO PREPARE YOUR BODY FOR MORE INTENSE WORKOUTS WHEN YOU’RE READY

In between each kegel, Wyckoff said it’s important to completely relax your body and let go of all of the tension in your muscles. 

‘Without doing this, your body never truly learns to heal,’ she said. ‘Just by doing that for the first six weeks after giving birth, any new mother will be physically and mentally prepared to get back to their  

Just by doing this for six weeks, then any new mother can get back to her normal vigorous work out routine. 

After giving birth, a woman’s body reacts like it’s injured. it tries to protect those muscles instead of strengthening and healing them, so your body will naturally bypass them. 

By syncing your breathing method with the pelvic floor exercises, you are telling your body to heal that part of your body and to continue using and strengthening it

Courtney adds, ‘The goal is to challenge our nervous system to get back to the old system of doing things before pregnancy. That is best way to let the body know its young – not old – and can persevere.’ 

Wyckoff said the exercises can be taught at any age, and that it’s not about getting into shape or losing weight, though that will happen over time if that is your goal

After giving birth to her first child, Wyckoff (who is pictured left) said she was experiencing a lot of lower back pain and had trouble doing even simple things like lifting her children

3. PERFECT YOUR POSTURE AND POP THAT BOOTY  

The final piece in the puzzle is perfect posture, Wyckoff explained. 

There’s a myth that women need to tuck their spine – but the natural curvature in it is what makes humans, and particularly a woman’s, posture unique to her body. 

‘Keeping your posture in the right position will be key, as your spine needs to be positioned properly. New mothers need to make sure to keep their tailbone behind them wherever they go,’ she said. 

‘Basically “Keep your booty back”Just by doing this while walking becomes a core workout alone.’

She also explained, that by keeping your tailbone behind them, they are engaging their core muscles instead of their hip flexers. 

‘By pulling your hips back slightly your core and pelvic floor start to work together, making you stronger,’ she said.  

BEYONCE’S WORKOUT SECRETS: HOW QUEEN B KEEPS HER BODY 

Though Beyonce says she hasn’t started working out since giving birth to twins Rumi and Sir Carter last month, the 35-year-old is notorious for her intense workout regimen

Though Beyonce says she hasn’t started working out since giving birth to twins Rumi and Sir Carter last month, the 35-year-old is notorious for her intense workout regimen. 

Sharing her workout routine with Glamour Magazine in 2016, her personal trainer, Marco Borges, said the popstar loves boxing and swinging weighted ropes to build her endurance up. 

The athletic star, whose curves are world famous, also does plenty of sprinting to get her performance-ready and performs one-minute sprints followed by two minutes of power walking, alternating this for thirty minutes.

‘Sprints are ideal for building stamina and explosiveness, which B needs to move across the stage,’ he said.

The mother-of-one tones her entire body with a move called the kettlebell squat-and-press, which involves holding a dumbbell by your chest and squatting so low that your elbows touch your knees. You then come back up, raise the dumbbell above your head and repeat.

To tone her legs, she swears by single-leg step-ups, and limbers up by stretching her entire body after her workout.