AMC - Newsletter April 2023

Spring has sprung, time for new beginnings 💐

Hello, its great to have you on board with the Active Mums Club.

Whatever stage you are at during your pregnancy or post natal journey, we hope that we are able to help you make informed choices about what, how and when you can be active.

We want to provide you with safe and trusted information about being active and to connect you to local sessions in your area. Visit our website for the latest information about sessions in your area, or other ways to be active - www.activemumsclub.org

PHD Study

We have been approached by a PhD student to assist with a study they are conducting around the return to physical activity postpartum.

Here is a little bit of information about each study. Any help from our amazing Active Mums will be much appreciated!

Study 1: is a short (5min) survey which asks questions surrounding pre, during, and post- pregnancy activity levels as well as if, and when, women have returned to exercise and barriers they may have faced when returning to physical activity.

Study 2: is over a longer period of time and involves women filling in a pain drawing every 2 weeks for up to 12 months, this will allow her to identify how and where pain presents itself in the postpartum period.

Study 1

Study 2

Meet our Ambassadors

New Ambassador Alert

Find a session

We are pleased to welcome Gemma Richardson from Her Physio, as our newest Active Mums Club ambassador.

Here is a little about Gemma in her own words:

Her Physio - Getting you back to you

As women, our bodies are capable of amazing things. But because of those things (along with the impact of time) they can cause us a lot of issues too.

From stress incontinence to prolapse, pelvic pain to back and joint issues, your body sometimes needs a little bit of help to get it back to where it needs to be.

That's where I come in. From postnatal checks (mummy MOTs) to pelvic health and Pilates, I can provide treatment, support and techniques to help you and your body get back to where you want to be.

I'm Gemma and I've been a qualified physiotherapist within the NHS for almost 20 years, with a specialism in women's health and musculoskeletal. I've also been a Pilates instructor for the last 16 years. In that time I've helped thousands of women to improve their pelvic health, mobility, strength and fitness and I continue to breakdown barriers for women who thought it wasn't possible.

Personally I gave birth to two gorgeous boys of my own (and had a few postnatal issues to contend with), so I really do get how tough the impact on your body can be, as well as how important it is to get back to doing the things you love with your very energetic young family!

Get active for free this Easter.

There are so many beautiful places to go for a walk in Leicestershire. A large majority of them being free or pay for parking. Some even have some lovely coffee shops near by.

Its a great way to get out, get some fresh air and get moving.

Follow the link below to out walking page to find places near you.

Stress Awareness

Ways to help with stress.

April is Stress Awareness Month. Often the challenges that come with having a child can contribute to stress, along with a number of lifestyle factors.

There are a number of ways to help reduce stress in our daily lives, including being more active, talking about your problems, and recognising the signs of burnout.

Breathing exercises are an excellent way to combat stress. Can you find 3 minutes in your busy day whilst your baby is asleep to take time to breathe?

Sit or lie in a comfortable position, gently close your eyes, breathe in gently for a count of 5, breathe out gently for a count of 7.

Keep repeating, try and let go of your stresses for that short period in your day.

Let's Get Moving at Home

Active Mums Club 'At Home' series has been created for you to try workouts, exercise routines and stretches at home. We know that sometimes you want to get moving but for whatever reason you cant get out and about that day. The series is designed to help fill that gap for you, some are live follow along video's and some have the instructions on the videos to follow.

A new video will be released every month exclusively to our club members First, through our newsletters. They will also feature on our YouTube channel so if there is ever any you missed or want to try again they are all there for you.

Always make sure you warm up properly before doing any exercise and stretch after.

The video this month is a pregnancy safe workout. Let us know how you find it 😊

At home workouts information

Pregnancy Safe workout

Grab a cuppa ☕

Launching our new, monthly online events: Grab a cuppa - 'Ask an expert...'

1st Event 11th of May at 7:30pm - With Nesting Lotus - Midwife Led Aquanatal.

Each month we will have a chat with an expert in their field, providing the opportunity for you to ask any questions you want to those in the know.

Included will be a 10 minute shake up, to get ready for the day or shake the day off then sit down with a beverage of choice and have a chat.

We are really excited to launch the event series and have some amazing guest speakers lined up already.

By popular choice, the events will be hosted on either Instagram or Facebook so make sure you are following/like both.

They will be hosted at different times as well, in the hope everyone is able to watch some live.

We look forward to seeing you at the first live event with our wonderful ambassadors from Nesting Lotus! Keep an eye on the events section on our website and social media accounts of how to join in on the day.

Perinatal Mental Health

Did you know .....

More Information

Around 1 in 5 women experience a perinatal mental health problem during pregnancy or within the early postnatal years.

Here in Leicestershire, the Perinatal Mental Health specialist service provides care for women during pregnancy and up to one year after childbirth. Following an initial assessment, the service can offer various treatments either in homes, community locations, clinics or via video calls. The aim is to help mothers and parents get the support they need to enable their family to live a happy, healthy life together.

For more information about the importance of positive mental health during pregnancy and after the birth of your baby please click the more information box above.

Let's Get Moving Together!

Would you like to win an exclusive Active Mums Club goodie bag?

All you need to do to enter is tag us your pictures, on Instagram or Facebook, of you being active using the #activemumsclubmove