Great coaching is all about helping people to sustain a positive relationship with physical activity and sport. At differing ages and stages of life our interests and motivations naturally change, as well as our overall levels of activity.
There are many ‘life changing’ experiences that we go through in our lifetime that have the potential to fundamentally change our relationship with activity. Some can be positive and others negative. Some changes can be temporary – until we get used to a ‘new normal’ – whereas others can be longer term.
Throughout pregnancy and after childbirth are two stages in life that, for many women, can have a huge impact on their relationship with – and levels of – physical activity.
While maintaining some form of an active lifestyle throughout all stages of life is advocated by health professionals at the highest levels, transitioning into a the ‘new normal’ as a parent with child can be filled with challenges.
For many, whether drawing motivation from becoming pregnant or on the arrival of a new child to get more active, or keeping active throughout, this means having to navigate a maze of often confusing and conflicting messages about becoming or staying active in a safe and healthy way.
As coaches, we have a critical role to play in understanding how to support women throughout pregnancy and after childbirth, ensuring we can provide the support needed to help sustain a level of activity and build this into their lifestyle in a way that works for them.
Working with Senior MSK Physiotherapist, The Mummy MOT® Practitioner and Postnatal Pelvic Health Specialist, Victoria Bateman, UK Coaching commissioned a series of expert opinion articles detailing some key considerations for coaches in helping women safely return to activity after childbirth.
Subscribe to read the rest of the series, which is made up of five key episodes and two Infographics:
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Infographics: Coaching Women Returning to Activity After Childbirth (available August 10)
UK Coaching Participation Team
About the Author:
The UK Coaching Participation Team is relentlessly passionate about getting more people active. Brimming with energy and abundant of ideas, we’re sharing over 50 years of combined experience in coaching, teaching, leading, activating, educating, engaging and keeping people active. We strive to create the habit in children, sustain the habit in young people and adults and change the habit for people to reconnect positively with sport and physical activity.