Class Formats

Pre Natal babyFIT

Post Natal babyFIT

Pre Natal babyFIT (60 mins)

Pre Natal babyFIT exercise classes are for pregnant ladies. They are designed to help you have a healthy pregnancy, to help prepare you for labour, childbirth, and for minding your baby!

The classes predominantly focus on strengthening the muscles used in childbirth, in the tasks involved in minding your baby, and on postural alignment and stability. The classes 'can' work on maintaining 'some' level of cardiovascular fitness if particpants would like.

For whom
All Mums-to-be! This class is safe to attend throughout your pregnancy with your doctor’s permission and in the absence of contra-indications. Due to the musculokskeletal and physiological changes that occur in each trimester of pregnancy, all exercises are adapted so that exercise continues to be safe for you and your baby. Ladies must be at least 14 weeks pregnant to attend.

Class Objectives
1. To help you feel healthy and energised
2. To reduce fatigue and any anxieties
3. To help you maintain a healthy weight
4. To help alleviate some of the postural discomforts and muscular aches that accompany pregnancy, especially back and neck pain
5. To prepare you for labour and hopefully a speedy recovery

Class Structure
1. 10-minute warm-up
2. 30-40 minutes of strengthening exercises for the upper and lower body with a strong focus on the pelvic floor, abdominal and lower back regions. Walking drills may also be included.
3. 10-15 minute cool down and gentle stretching

The warm-up specifically focuses on the lower back, pelvic and hip joints.

Conditioning the pelvic floor muscles is a priority of pre natal babyFIT as these are the prime muscles used during childbirth. Strengthening them will help both your labour and delivery. The abdominal muscles are also targeted as they support the weight of your baby throughout your pregnancy. You may have heard of the Kegel and Pelvic Tilt exercises - these are a mandatory component of this class as they train the pelvic floor and abdominal regions.

As pregnancy results in changes in gravity, this in turn can lead to postural discomforts e.g. rounded shoulders from extra weight at front, and lower back pain from anterior tilt of pelvis. Strengthening the upper back can however help combat rounded shoulders, and gentle stretching can greatly ease lower back tension and pain, therefore these exercises and stretches are included.

The following movements are always avoided in pre natal babyFIT: quick directional changes, sudden lateral movements and spinal rotation movements. The walking drills are low impact and of mild to moderate intensity. Jogging is an unusual component of a pre natal class but can be included for certain participants at their request. Its inclusion also depends on the stage of pregnancy, and on the goals and previous fitness levels of the participant.

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Post Natal babyFIT (60 mins)

Post Natal babyFIT exercise classes are for post natal ladies (and their babies). The classes work on slowly re-building cardiovascular fitness, on strengthening the muscles Mums use on a daily basis, and on bringing the body back into alignment.

For whom
This class is specifically designed for early post natal Mums, but is suitable for Mums of all fitness levels. If you had a non-surgical birth, your baby must be at least 6 weeks old and you must have had your routine 6-week post natal check-up before you can start. If you had a surgical birth, your baby must be at least 10 weeks old, and you must have had your routine 10-week post natal check-up before you can start.

Class Objectives
1. To 'slowly' re-build your cardiovascular fitness (heart & lungs) with mild to moderate aerobic exercise
2. To strengthen the "muscles of motherhood"
3. To strengthen the muscles weakened by pregnancy and birth
4. To facilitate fat burning (the intensity of this class falls within the fat burning range)
5. To improve posture, in particular for walking with buggy, lifting baby, lifting baby accessories etc.

Class Structure
1. 10-minute warm-up
2. 30-40 minutes of walking drills combined with strengthening exercises for the upper and lower body
3. 10-minute cool down and gentle stretching.

The walking drills can be of mild to moderate intensity, bu can also include speed and power walking drills, which increase the intensity somewhat. Jogging is optional but is not usually engaged in by early post natal Mums. The strengthening exercises focus on the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles as these will have suffered during the birth. They also target the back, legs and arms, as well as the postural and stabilising muscles to address the postural effects of pregnancy.

For classes, bring your baby in buggy! Bring a towel, blanket, water and anything else you or your baby may need!