Post-partum training for hill walking and climbing
This article aims to explore some of the significant physical changes that occur during pregnancy and how they could impact your return to hill walking and climbing. We’ll highlight ways to progress your exercise, outline the main things you might want to focus on, offer some top tips and identify when you may need to exercise caution to best support your postpartum recovery.
Written by Jemma Powell - Lattice Training Coach and published as part of the BMC and Mountain Training's OutdoorHer resource hub. See bottom of article for reference list.
Physical Effects of Pregnancy and Birth
Pregnancy
To accommodate your growing baby, many physical changes occur, including postural adaptations. Some significant changes include:
- The widening of the pelvis in preparation for labour and the separation and lengthening of the abdominal muscles by up to 115% (REF 1).
- Increased production of the hormone Relaxin to facilitate the widening of the pelvis. Unfortunately, Relaxin does not affect the pelvis alone. Many women report joint laxity during pregnancy and whilst postpartum, especially in the hips/pelvis and knees (REF 2).
- Changes in deep core muscles, including the pelvic floor. This can mean reduced stability in the spine and pelvis and can influence the way that we breathe.
Mode of Delivery
The physical effects of birth will vary depending on the mode of delivery. This can therefore impact recovery times and strategies. Each bringing different challenges to your personal recovery.
Tearing
The pelvic floor muscles can become injured during pregnancy and labour. Knowing more about the severity of any tearing/cutting during labour should impact your decision-making when it comes to returning to exercise. High-grade tearing or other complications such as prolapse are often associated with slower rate of recovery.
Tearing grades
A surface skin tear that will generally heal without stitches.
A deeper tear that affects both the skin and the muscles of the perineum. This will generally require stitches.
NOTE: An episiotomy (the surgical cut sometimes used in an assisted vaginal birth) is equivalent to a grade 2 tear.
A more severe tear that affects the muscles of the anal sphincter. This will generally require surgical intervention.
A more severe tear that affects the muscles of the anal sphincter and rectum. This will generally require surgical intervention (REF 3)
When the Levator Ani muscles tear away from the pubic bone during labour (REF 4)
More information can be found in the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit here, (from page 11). (REF 5)
Returning to Climbing and Hill Walking
Because of the nature of these changes and/or injuries, complications can arise if they are not rehabbed appropriately. Returning to exercise postpartum is a process that should be taken seriously and the approach should be similar to that of returning to exercise after a sporting injury.
For returning to climbing, depending on your climbing background and mode of delivery, you may prefer to return to roped climbing first to minimise impact. If you're a confident leader, you should be able to return to leading but support your pelvic floor by having your weight taken by your belayer and taking small, controlled falls first. This will also help you to rebuild confidence. Avoid breath-holding during a fall by aiming to start an exhale just before you let go. If you had a C-Section, returning to your harness and taking falls may take longer.
Extra care must be taken with boulder falls or when jumping down from a boulder. To gradually rebuild the strength needed, start with a small number of low-level jumps/controlled falls at the beginning of the session whilst you are still feeling strong and fresh.
Talk to your GP, midwife, surgeon or a women’s physio to better understand the physical effects of your labour. This can be a fantastic way to better understand your body, build a solid foundation, and optimise both your long-term recovery outcomes and exercise performance.
Remember, every pregnancy, person and delivery is different. Your experiences and perceptions could place you anywhere on the recovery continuum. Approach recovery with an open mind and free yourself from the confines of expectation and comparison which can be unhelpful and unrealistic.
Adopting a beginner’s mindset initially can facilitate growth and exploration in a way that is fun, sustainable and rewarding. Your mind may be ready to dig deep and work hard, but your body will likely require you to prioritise differently!
Returning to climbing and hill walking priorities
Learn how to breathe well and how to use your breath to support your body during exercise. A simple starting point is to think about getting a long, full exhale to help facilitate getting a full inhale.
Ideally, when we inhale, the diaphragm contracts downwards and the ribs expand outwards in a 360-degree trajectory. Because of the postural adaptations that occur during pregnancy, rib mobility can become limited. Working on 360 Breathing postpartum is a gentle way to reactivate your deep core muscles (more here).
Focus on gradually increasing your overall work capacity or exercise tolerance over time, depending on how active you were before and during your pregnancy. Don’t rush this process as this can result in a set-back later down the line.
To help manage the overall load, focus on increasing either volume OR intensity, rather than both at the same time.
Avoid increasing volume (durations/reps/sets)**** by more than 10% a week, so that exercise and recovery remain manageable.
Increase intensity (weight/complexity) slowly, allowing a minimum of 4 - 6 weeks for consolidation and adaptation. Always focus on moving and breathing well and completing your exercise with good form and control. If you start to notice a dip in form due to fatigue, STOP! Aim to stop exercising whilst you still feel strong.
Consider starting with isometric or static holds (think wall sit/squat) or simpler movements that target one muscle group in isolation. Climbers could start with some low-intensity edge pick-ups to provide a stimulus for the fingers and forearms, before returning to climbing. Hill walkers may start with some simple calf raises to help stabilise the ankles before returning to the hills.
What to be extra careful of when returning to activities
Your abdomen serves as your body’s pressure management system. If you strain or breath hold during exercise, this can result in you putting pressure down onto the pelvic floor or out against the abdominal wall.
If you’re doing bodyweight exercise or resistance training, try to exhale during the challenging component of movement to help manage intra-abdominal pressure. This will also help you to provide stability to the spine and pelvis.
Experiencing pelvic floor symptoms can indicate that you are not managing pressure well or that the challenge level or volume of exercise is too high.
Symptoms can include a feeling of heaviness in the pelvic floor (a sensation similar to the feeling of a tampon falling out), urinary, bowel or gas incontinence, coning/doming/bulging in the abdomen and more.
If you experience any of these symptoms, reach out to your GP or midwife. Early intervention is crucial in preventing more serious issues from developing. Don’t accept symptoms as ‘normal’ because you’re postpartum. You are in a position where you can take action and influence change.
High levels of Relaxin can remain present in the body from up to 1 year postpartum, although levels generally decline in the first 6 - 9 months. For some, the presence of this hormone can result in joint laxity/instability and this is an important consideration when returning to exercise.
For hill walkers, this could mean that your pelvis/knees feel less stable than previously.
For climbers, note that joint laxity has been shown to impact stability in the wrists and fingers. Avoiding explosive/plyometric movements until you have established a solid strength foundation (which you may have worked on during pregnancy) can help to prevent injury.
Your abdominal muscles lengthen significantly during pregnancy and these muscles play a key role in effective breathing, pelvic floor function, and stabilising the spine and pelvis. Although you are no longer pregnant, it can take time for these muscles to switch back on and you may need to actively strengthen these muscles postpartum to support your return to exercise. [REF 6]
Sleep can have a big impact on your return to exercise. Your sleep will likely be interrupted and of sub-optimal quality, impacting your energy and recovery. This could also affect the function of your brain!
You may feel less co-ordinated, have impaired memory, be less tolerant of stress/fear and less confident with planning and problem solving.
Take these factors into consideration when choosing climbs and walking routes. Consider that you may feel differently about exposure, climbing style and falling. Ensure you have robust “buddy checks” in place to maximise safety and any momentary lapses of concentration!
Be patient and kind to yourself and accept that this is all going to feel new at first.
Environmental Considerations
Your pelvic floor won’t be the same as before, even if you had a C-section. Vaginal leaking can last for 2 - 6 weeks postpartum and you can also expect leaking from the breasts. Urinary and faecal incontinence or urgency can also occur, especially if you have been experiencing joint laxity (REF 7).
You may prefer not to travel to places where access to facilities and baby changing is limited. Consider where both you and your baby feel comfortable feeding, whether from the bottle or the breast. Instead of heading straight to a remote area, test the waters with some local adventures and build from there.
When you do start heading to more remote areas be sure to consider how you will manage toileting in the wild.
Hill Walking Equipment
Your pushchair or carrier choice can open up more scope for exploration.
A supportive carrier can help prevent you straining to support your baby, which could result in you putting pressure on the pelvic floor. Note that carriers can become uncomfortable, especially if carrying your baby for long periods.
There is a wealth of information online on front vs rear carriers. One example can be found here [REF 8]. Having enlarged breasts or a C-Section scar to contend with may impact your decision.
Remember that whilst you may get hot whilst pushing or carrying your baby, your baby will remain fairly stationary. Check the weather forecast and pack the necessary essentials like plenty of warm clothing, spare gloves/socks (because babies love throwing these on the floor!), sun cream, a sun hat, etc.
BMC members get 20% off LittleLife products
LittleLife is has you covered for all you need to head outside with your young adventurers. To get the LittleLife discount code, send the BMC office an email with your BMC membership number.
Climbing Equipment
If you had a C-section and are returning to climbing, you may prefer to continue using a full-body harness for a while, if this feels more comfortable.
Even for those who didn’t have a C-Section, you may prefer to use a harness with adjustable leg loops and a wider waistband. Not only will this be more comfortable, but it will distribute the load more evenly around your waistline, helping to manage intra-abdominal pressure. This could also accommodate any postpartum changes in weight.
In the early days, you may have some water retention in the feet and ankles, so consider going up a size or two in your climbing shoes. Renting from your climbing wall temporarily is an option.
You may also prefer to use a device like an OHM postpartum to minimise impact when belaying.
Possible Timeframes
This will depend entirely on your exercise history, how active you were during pregnancy, your support network and the mode of delivery. Always consult with your GP/midwife to get advice that is tailored to YOUR specific needs.
A rough guide for returning to climbing or hill walking after an unassisted vaginal delivery
- Continued core activation
- Gentle bodyweight exercises (postnatal yoga, wall sit/wall-assisted squat and half-kneeling lunge can be a good starting point)
- Continued core activation
- Gradually increase time under tension/volume/intensity
- Start low-impact exercise
- Gradually/progressively add resistance to bodyweight exercise
- Increase speed/intensity/duration of walks and low-impact exercise
WATCH: Climbing & Training Postpartum: Advice from World-Class Climbers & Experts
Starting on your postpartum journey can feel like an overwhelming and daunting prospect but returning to exercise and adventures in the outdoors with your loved ones is a very special moment. Don't be afraid to get stuck in and start working towards your recovery goals!
More information and additional NHS resources can be found here.
TOP TIPS: Climbing – Be Flexible
- Remember that you’re returning to climbing with a new body and with new life circumstances.
- Don’t let your expectations hold you back or detract from your enjoyment of this brilliant sport.
- Be patient and celebrate the gradual process of improving, like you did when you first started climbing.
TOP TIPS: Hill walking - Track your symptoms
- Don’t suffer through pain in the lower back or pubic area thinking it’s just a ‘normal’ part of postpartum recovery.
- Seek advice from a physio to help you to exercise without pain/irritation, feel empowered and return to full strength (and beyond!) more effectively.
TOP TIPS: Bouldering/Running Injury prevention
- Both bouldering and running can cause high impact on your joints and connective tissues – use this NHS checklist to progressively aid your return to both activities
References
- Recovery of Abdominal Muscle Thickness and Contractile Function in Women after Childbirth. DOI
- The Effect of Sex Hormones on Joint Ligament Properties: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. DOI
- Vaginal Tears in Childbirth
- A Review of Levator Ani Avulsion After Childbirth: Incidence, Imaging and Management. DOI
- National Maternity and Perinatal Audit
- Returning to Exercise and Sport After Childbirth
- Antenatal Prediction of Postpartum Urinary and Fecal Incontinence. DOI
- Front or Back Carriers, which should you choose?
Additional Resources
WATCH: Pilates as part of Postpartum Recovery for Climbers
READ: How to get back into climbing post-childbirth with Lattice Training
WATCH: Return to Sport after Pregnancy
READ: Best Baby Backpack Carriers for Hiking
READ: Steve McClures Top Crags for Climbing with Kids
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