Many people are surprised when they learn that I was back on the mats fighting barely one month after delivery.
I have not superpowers, but what I had was a little bit of good luck, an iron willingness and staying fit as longer and as much as you can throughout the pregnancy.
A little bit of good luck because my three deliveries were natural vaginal births, no complications at all. Not even a episiotomy in any of the three births (the little cut of the perineum to prevent spontaneous tearing) was needed. That being said, I could start the rehabiliation exercises much sooner than women who had a c-section, episiotomies or some kind of complications.
And a lot of willingsness and tenacity because I wanted to go back to jiu jitsu as soon as possible so I found always the time to do the boring but important exercises to recover my body, specially the hipps. Finding the time with a newborn or baby is not easy. You need to stablish priorities and above all, fight tiredness because usually, the only time you have for yourself to work on your body recovery, is the time you have to sleep.
And if you are healthy and have an uncomplicated pregnancy, keep training! Either BJJ, another sport, gym workout.. it will help you to stay fitter and stronger, to prevent overweight, make you feel mentally good AND to recover easily after delivery! Here my top 5 list why to keep training during pregnancy.
And I am not the only crazy one who thinks that. There are plenty of research studies that state it. It may also allow you to have a shorter birth and fewer complications.
My tip of the day? Use elastic bands for working out. I used them a lot specially in the late pregnancy stage. They are portable, so you can work from home too. In this page you can find a lot of information and exercises: https://greatist.com/fitness/resistance-band-exercises
Not every exercise is suitable for moms-to-be, so pleace check it first. I personally focused during my pregnancies on arms, back and legs. Have fun!
Do not forget to check our next BJJ Mums Camp in Sicily! For more information click here or go to the tab “Camp”
