My Signature Framework

There are two programme options: 

Core Essentials is a bespoke and in-depth focus on regaining strength in your core and pelvic floor to help you to return to full body workouts.
Optimal Core is a bespoke core exercise programme, for those who want to physically restore strength plus holistic coaching on nutrition, sleep and stress management to heal and repair your body in the best possible way. 

 

How does it work?

 

Breathing is the foundation for our entire system! 

My Core Essentials Programme will help you to effectively engage and rebuild your core and pelvic floor during exercise.

The first goal of postpartum exercise is:

  • to regain abdominal and pelvic floor control;
  • optimise the diaphragm towards a deep breathing pattern;
  • bring the ribs and pelvis into alignment;
  • counter postural changes resulting from pregnancy. 

It’s worth noting here that a deep breathing pattern decreases stress hormones (by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system).

Tell me a mother who doesn’t need more of that 🙂

ALIGN

  • Counter postural changes resulting from pregnancy, nursing, baby carrying and fatigue
  • Reduce or prevent joint pain
  • Look and feel better

BREATHE

  • Manage core pressure
  • Assessment of breathing pattern
  • Optimise breathing biomechanics
  • Effective methods for treating Diastasis Recti and Pelvic Organ Prolapse

STRENGTHEN

  • Exercises programmed according to your individual needs
  • Programming design to allow tissues to repair and heal before progressively returning to exercise
  • Measurable progress
  • Return to running, your favourite class or sport
Apply for Core Essentials

…Include Holistic Coaching for Optimal Results

My Optimal Core Programme involves whole-person coaching in addition to your Core Essentials exercise programme.

Your daily habits around nutrition, sleep, stress management and connection to yourself and others are important areas of deep health.  

They have an enormous impact on your body’s capacity to remodel tissues and strengthen muscles, helping you to reach your goals, enhance your overall well-being in the best possible way. 

NUTRITION

  • Mindful Eating
  • What to Eat
  • Portion Sizing
  • Planning & Preparation
  • What to Drink

LIFESTYLE

  • Sleep
  • Stress Management
  • Movement
Holistic

MINDSET

  • Values & Goal Setting
  • Body Confidence
  • Emotional Eating
  • Future You
  • Growth Mindset
  • Willpower
Apply for Optimal Core

My Framework

Alignment

Good postural alignment is when your spine is is aligned with your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Postural adaptations happen during pregnancy as your centre of gravity shifts because your abdomen grows to accommodate your developing baby. Bringing your attention to your alignment will help you to strengthen and mobilise areas of your body that are compensating because of these postural changes. It is especially important during the healing postpartum period to practice good alignment because it helps you to avoid placing excess pressure on the pelvic floor and core muscles and tissues.

Breathing

We optimise your breathing so that you are able to manage core pressure. Core pressure is what happens when we cough, sneeze, sit up, twist, lift something or even just stay balanced. Managing core pressure is important for placing an appropriate level of challenge on the abdominal muscles and tissues; allowing them to heal and get stronger over time. I am certified in Munira Hudani’s InCore Method for treating Diastasis Recti and I am a certified Oxygen Advantage Instructor. My methods include assessing your breathing pattern and prescribing exercises to make improvements and then coordinating your breath with the core and pelvic floor muscles to give you a strong foundation for returning to exercise. I am also certified in instructing hypopressives, which is a low pressure form of core training which is proving to be a successful method for treating pelvic organ prolapse.

Strength

This phase is designed to meet you where you are at in your return to fitness journey. Every mum progresses at her own pace. The approach is bespoke, meaning that they are designed to strengthen and mobilise areas of your body that need it most; and progressive, meaning that your 12 weeks programming blocks will challenge you at the right level for you and make you better by the end of each 12 week block. Your results are tracked so you have tangible data to see how well you are doing. This phase is where you can take your fitness to the next level and get you ready to return to running, or your favourite HIIT class or sport.
Empower

Empowerment

Feeling like yourself again after pregnancy, birth and the intense demands of life with a newborn takes more than prescriptive exercise. Gut health, hydration, sleep and stress management are essential for good overall health. This is why I take a holistic approach to coaching mums as a whole person.
Have you ever tried to get healthy or lose weight with a restrictive diet plan? It can be very time consuming, feel overwhelming, and ultimately fail because restriction is not a sustainable way of life. My holistic coaching will allow you to prioritise your health along with your busy mum life without having to restrict yourself or commit to a huge overhaul that will leave you feeling depleted and like you failed again at the latest diet fad. You will learn how to make health a part of your routine, with nutrition and lifestyle skills and mindset practices so that your health will become a habit for life. The holistic coaching experience will improve your understanding of your body and help you become independent in terms of how to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle in both body and mind.

Book Your Free Discovery Call

Jen de Mel

Jen de Mel

FAQ's

It’s generally safe to start gentle exercises like walking, and core and pelvic floor connection exercises within the first 24 hours of a vaginal birth if you feel up to it.

For more strenuous activities it’s best to wait until you have had your postnatal check up at around 6-8 weeks. You will then be guided at a pace that is appropriate for your body and level of strength and fitness.

After a c-section it is recommended to wait at least 6 weeks after birth to begin exercises. Gentle walking and breathing can be practiced before this time if it doesn’t place significant tension on the abdominal muscles around the wound.

Doing too much too soon can interfere with the healing process and increase the risk of diastasis recti or pelvic floor symptoms.

Initially you can avoid exercises that place high levels of tension on the abdomen or high impact exercise that could impact your pelvic floor.

Yes. Your fitness journey focuses on gradually strengthening your core and pelvic floor. This enables you to go back to the exercise or sport you want to do or the live the lifestyle you aspire to.

Additionally, I collaborate with women’s health physiotherapists to address all recovery aspects beyond my expertise as a fitness professional.

There are no restrictive diets on this programme. You will learn to honour your body’s hunger queues and receive guidance on how much – and what to eat – for optimum health.

I will work with you to set goals that are in line with your values, so that we can succeed at building behaviour based habits that will help you reach your long term goals, consistently.

Our initial session will include a movement screen, where I will assess your movement, posture and breathing patterns. This will guide me on what to focus on in your exercise programme. We will also have regular check-ins where we assess your lifestyle and nutrition habits and make small adjustments according to where you are at.

Motherhood is unpredictable. I understand that sometimes life gets out of hand and you have to deal with child sickness etc. In these circumstances I would appreciate if you could provide me with 24 hours cancellation notice so that we can reschedule during the same week.

If you are feeling tired and overwhelmed, I encourage you to come to the session. Don’t worry about the intensity, I’ll tailor the session to focus on rejuvenation and restoration so you will leave feeling refreshed.

Nobody ever regrets doing an act of self-care.

I love what I do and I love learning about it in my free time. I am a MumSafe Trainer, which means that I am a member of a team of fitness professionals who are committed to providing safe and effective exercise for mums. I follow thought-leaders on women’s health topics and I attend webinars and undertake certifications. I have just completed a Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist certification in May 2024 and I have just enrolled on Pelvis Pro. I am also studying a course on Sleep, Stress and Recovery.

During your first month, we set your goals in alignment with your values. Then we agree on small behavioural habits that will lead towards achieving your short or long term goals.

Every week you will track your ability to follow a habit with the idea to make this habit part of your lifestyle, rather than a temporary fix.

Every quarter you can fill out a feedback form that is aligned with your goals to check your progress.

You also have the option to record measurements, such as weight, muscle, photos, diastasis and pelvic floor symptoms, pain, energy, mood and even your menstrual cycle.