Movement Over Exercise: Small, Daily Shifts for Postpartum Mental Wellness
Featuring Abigail Waisner
With Lauren Zatezalo, OT student, and Melissa O'Neal, OTR/L
On this episode, we talk with guest speaker Abigail about the video resource she created for her capstone project. We discuss the benefits of movement postpartum on your mental health, how the term movement is different from exercise, and ways you can start getting back to movement safely after birth to promote your mental wellbeing.
About Abigail Waisner
Abigail and co-host Lauren went to undergraduate together and both decided to pursue a career in occupational therapy. She is a pediatric occupational therapist with a passion for family centered care and holistic wellness. She recently completed her occupational therapy doctoral program and did a capstone project on maternal health and the impact of movement on mental well being. With a background in dance and a degree in kinesiology, she is passionate about movement for individuals of all ages and has experienced firsthand the impact that it can have on one's mental well being.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- The difference between exercise and movement: exercise typically means high intensity workouts that increase heart rate, while movement can be walking around your house, picking up your baby, going for a short walk, or gentle stretching. Movement does not have to look like typical exercise to be beneficial.
- Reframe your thinking from 'I am exercising to lose weight and look like I did before I was pregnant' to 'I am moving my body because it is good for my body and my mind.'
- The 6 week checkup does not have to dictate when you start moving. The 6 week time frame is based on typical healing processes like the uterus returning to original size and wounds closing, but it does not mean everything is back to normal. Everyone's healing is different.
- Movement benefits mental health by building motivation and a sense of achievement, supporting executive functioning and higher order thinking, and helping modulate the fight or flight response so your body becomes less reactive to stress.
- Start with healing your pelvic floor and core muscles through deep breathing, pelvic tilts, and walking. These muscles are the foundation for returning to higher intensity movement later on.
Show Notes and Resources
Study on the benefits of movement on mental health (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9902068). Study on physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9528725). Video: Assess where you are physically as you return to movement (youtu.be/xaRWYMW7OAg). Pregnancy and Postpartum TV YouTube channel (youtube.com/@PregnancyandPostpartumTV). Video: Pelvic tilts demonstration (youtu.be/u0AJnVg0tcc).
From This Episode
It is helpful to reframe your thoughts to 'I am moving my body because it is good for my body and my mind' NOT 'I am exercising to lose weight and look like I did before I was pregnant.'
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