If you’re injured, postpartum, or have never healed your core and floor postpartum, even if it’s been years, start here.
Do the following recovery workout 5 times per week for three weeks.
You will then move on to the HB Hormone Reset Template for two to three weeks and then begin using the HB Strength-Training Template using the customization strategies you learned in Week 3.
Be sure to review the video instructions carefully for each prescribed movement before attempting your first workout.
Forced Exhalation
Perform 2 sets of 5 breaths prior to starting the Bear Crawl Progression – and do this breathing exercise twice daily and when you start lifting weights, do this prior to your weight lifting session.
Bear Crawl Progression
Bear Hold
When you can perform the bear hold position for 45 seconds, progress to the bear crawl.
Bear Crawl
Bear crawl 2 times, 20 feet forward and backward
Leg Lowering
6-8 each side
Bi-lateral Glute Bridge
Do 3 sets of 8-10 with a 5 second hold at the top of the bridge.
Side Plank From Knees Or With Top Foot In Front
3 sets of x 8 reps with 3 sec hold at top
Kegels
Do sets of 10 as often as you can throughout the day—in the car, at the office, watching TV, etc. Be mindful of your pelvic position. Aim to not be anterior, (low back arched, pelvis tilted forward, ribs flared) which is typically the default, instead try to stay neutral throughout the day. Also continually check in on your alignment, to make sure your shoulders are stacked over your lower ribs and over your hips. Be especially mindful of pelvic position and keep your core tight as you do the squats of daily living such as getting in and out of a chair, getting off the toilet, picking something up from the floor, or getting something out of a low drawer.
To do a proper Kegel, be sure you’re in good alignment and posture as we just described. You may want to practice Kegels lying on your back on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor before you start doing them in a seated position.
A Kegel is simply a contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, but you may not know how to isolate them and give a strong contraction and a full relaxation. To connect with them imagine picking up a blueberry with your vagina or imagine pulling your clitoris towards your vagina. This is better practice than common advice to isolate your pelvic floor muscles by stopping your urine stream mid-stream but if that’s the only way you can connect to them and get a feel for what you’re contracting, try it.
Once you’ve isolated your pelvic floor muscles, and you are in proper alignment as described above, you’re ready to do a Kegel. Take a deep breath in and imagine inflating your pelvic floor with air (this is the relaxation phase) and then as you exhale contract the pelvic floor (feeling your vagina and anus lift up) to about 30% of your max contraction.
Continue breathing in and out following this relaxation and contraction for the full set of ten. If you find that the relaxation is hard for you, continue to practice just the relaxation phase without a full contraction as you may (as many women do) have a tight but weak pelvic floor and once you properly learn to relax it you can move back to this full Kegel practice and improve your strength. Once you’ve nailed your Kegel technique, do sets of 10 as often as you can throughout the day—in the car, at the office, watching TV, etc. Be sure to go to full contraction and then full relaxation.