To complete my return to tri training we just have swimming left. You might think that this is the easiest of the 3 sports to return to as it can be so gentle but specifically from my personal experience post C section it involves some challenges that took a bit longer to work through.
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Starting from the basics again, the first thing is obviously the wound must be healed. Then we come to scar tissue tension or tethering. Although this can be felt locally along the scar it can have impact further away. Initially after my section the hardest thing to do was tying my hair up. Raising both arms in front, especially after sitting down for a while would pull on the scar. I had a large haematoma along the whole top edge so the tissues were particularly sticky & tight. Whichever stroke you swim you need to get your arms above head height, I refer to this as Anterior Sling Length.
The Anterior slings are the teams of muscles running down & across the front of your body (mirrored by posterior versions). If you imagine lying face down & swimming, you need length in all the tissues from your toes to your finger tips to get your kick & arm stroke, as well as rotation- so Any restriction particularly right in the middle could have a big impact!
Our abdominals have also been stretched out of their usual working patterns & back muscles tend to be tighter from pregnant posture. Although the water offers us some support from buoyancy the abdominals need to hold us up for a sustained period of time. So it is not only important to be able to engage these muscles in this position but they need endurance. Remember the abdominal fascia has only regained <60% of it's tensile strength by 6 weeks.
Weakness in your core muscles will make you rely more on your limbs to drive you through the water. Postnatally we are prone to stiff shoulders & hips from sitting so much, carrying & feeding. Adding in overuse of your arms in your swim stroke could cause your shoulders to feel tighter, & tight hip flexors could make your back stiffer & possibly cause more cramp when swimming. The deep hip rotators are also connected to your pelvic floor, so dysfunction in either- from pregnancy, birth or postnatal lifestyle could impact the recovery of the other.
Another important element more noticeable in swimming than other activities is the breathing. I always talk about breathing! An effective mechanical ability to breathe, eg rib & thoracic mobility & being able to take diaphragmatic breaths, has physiological as well as psychological benefits. Swimming can actually be a great opportunity to practice your deep breaths, like a child learning to put their face underwater, see how long you can blow bubbles for! Having good thoracic mobility is also important for the quality of your swim stroke.
Baring all of this in mind it shows how it is just as important to wean back in & focus on technique with swimming just as you would with a higher impact activity like running.
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