You can very easily become overwhelmed by the amount of information you see on social media, hear from friends who have been there before and from just from Googling "beginner postnatal exercises". So I wanted to break it down into a more simple format so you can focus on two things, and two things only at the beginning.

1. Focus on taking just 5-10 minutes a day to do gentle exercise

Starting with just 5-10 minutes per day may seem utterly pointless or perhaps frustrating to the mother who previously worked out for 30-60 minutes at a time. But it is categorically not a waste of your time. 5-10 minutes is all you need as you establish a routine with exercise and also self care AND it is better than 0 minutes of your hopeful 30 minute workout.

When a baby is born, a new mother is born too. Even if it is your second, third or fourth birth, you are still starting afresh with a new baby and new demands as a mother and on your body. Its unchartered waters for you each and every time. But you learn to adapt, you learn that 5-10 minutes of time is perhaps all you can get at the start but also all the time you need as you build a routine.

Birth is a trauma to the body, its tissues, facia and its muscles. Therefore, regardless of birth method, your body doesn't need much activity and movement in the early stages postpartum or when you choose to return to exercise. It has to re-learn, or learn for the first time, all these movements and stresses again as it rebuilds and rehabilitates after birth.

You can then look to build on the amount of time you exercise for as your habit becomes more solid and also introduce a variety of exercises you do in that time.

2. Start with 'the boring bits'

‘The boring bits’, aptly named by one of my clients, is breath work and core rehabilitation. Yawn at it you may, but it is also the most important and fundamental part of rebuilding those foundations after birth. Why? Because you need to learn how to connect with your body again. It cannot perform at its best and just go for a run or do a strength session without any sort of rehab before.

Boring as it may sound because they dont make you feel like you've 'worked out' in a traditional sense - heart rate up, sweat pumping etc. - but they are a SERIOUS workout for the internal workings of your body post birth, trust me on that one! They are more than enough as you start exercising again and your body adapts!

If you worked out with me throughout your pregnancy and used The Pregnancy Program, you will know how much I harp on about the importance of building a strong core (and glutes) to help support your body through pregnancy to avoid aches, pains, niggles and keep you strong as your body changes. But I also explain how doing all this can support your postnatal recovery too, even in pregnancy.

Focusing on breathing and expanding the diaphragm evenly and completely can have not only healing powers for your body, but also help with you reconnect with your pelvic floor and core after birth as well as help with posture, aches and pains. From here you can focus on mobility and deep core connection - including knee raises, heel slides, bridges - helping your core feel like a ball of dough. The satisfaction when you feel it engage (and get the 'mini earthquakes') as you overload it and build the strength is so rewarding.

No, none of these exercises will make you super sweaty, you can do them in your jammies with baby lying next to you. Your heart rate won't be pounding like that spin class in the gym, but you will be surprised at how, after birth, just how much of a workout it will be for the core (and glutes!) as you build those foundations of strength again. After what your body has been through with birth, it deserves the upmost respect to heal and return to exercise slowly and in the right way.

Building good. strong foundations to help your postnatal recovery can start in pregnancy, however if you’re just starting out now, no matter how many weeks/months postnatal you are, these would be my first steps if I were to do it again.

If you want some exercises to try in 5-10 minute window my program New Beginnings is €15 and available for you to join today. It contains a series of follow along videos designed to help restore your core post birth, through breath work, Pilates style exercises and mobility.