Empower Postnatal Plan

Reconnect. Rebuild. Revive. A structured 12-week plan created by experts to help you safely return to exercise post birth

Hi, I’m Charlie and welcome to the Empower Postnatal Plan!

Congratulations, your gorgeous little one is finally here! As soon as I had my little girl Florence in September 2023 I knew that (time allowing!) I wanted to create a simple guide to help new mums like myself navigate through the unknown territory of the fourth trimester and beyond. Birth and labour is a wild ride and those first few weeks post birth can be completely daunting and overwhelming. I wrote this guide during my maternity leave (mostly during naps and late at night) with the hope of helping you feel reassured and confident in your return to exercise post birth. Whether you’ve had a vaginal birth, an assisted delivery or even a C-section, I’m here to support you in your safe return to exercise and feeling your best again!

Finding the time to exercise with a little one can be challenging. As a pre and post natal exercise specialist, I’m here to help guide you through quick, safe and effective workouts that will hopefully leave you feeling energised, supported and inspired. We’ll work on reconnecting to your deep core and pelvic floor, rebuilding your strength, and reviving yourself through higher intensity sessions. The workouts along with the physio approved e-book are bursting with information to help guide you through the many post partum changes you might be experiencing. I'm so excited to share this incredible journey with you all!

Specialist women’s and pelvic health physiotherapist Katy Megson on what to expect during the early days post birth

What can I expect from the Empower Postnatal Plan?

The Empower Postnatal Plan is an exercise and educational plan to lead you safely through the fourth trimester and beyond. We all know time is like gold, so all the classes are short and sweet so you can get in, get out and get on with your day. Sometimes we only have a few minutes before baby needs us, so I completely understand that time is of the essence!

The 12-week plan is split into 3 phases; Reconnect, Rebuild and Revive. You can start the plan when you feel ready, however it’s advised that before beginning you get medical clearance to exercise at your 6 week check up. The Reconnect phase involves very gentle movement including lots of pelvic floor engagement and deep core connection. The Rebuild phase involves more grounded strength training with the option to add weights, and the Revive phase is when we begin to ramp things up with a little HIIT and cardiovascular work. Each phase is designed to last 4 weeks, however it’s entirely up to you when you decide to progress to the next phase. Forget the pressure to ‘bounce back’ - everything is in your own time mama!

Your 3 Steps to Recovery

  • Suitable for the first few weeks post birth (provided you've had a ‘straightforward’ pregnancy and birth) the Reconnect phase focuses on pelvic floor engagement and deep core connection. You might also like to include some gentle walking and stretching if you feel comfortable. Once you’ve had the all clear from your GP at the 6 week check up, you can begin to incorporate more bodyweight strength movement such as squats, lunges and glute bridges. The Reconnect phase includes workouts that will safely support you in your return to exercise during the first few weeks postpartum (sweatpants and comfy sports bra highly recommended!)

  • Once you’ve spent some time in the Reconnect phase and feel ready to progress you can start the Rebuild Phase and begin to incorporate some low impact strength training. In this phase we will focus on building the foundation and cornerstones for all functional movement patterns. We will also work on building up your flexibility, range of motion and mobility. You can spend as long as you like in this phase and will need light to medium weights (or weight of baby in a carrier!)

  • Suitable from around 12 weeks, or when you have passed the postnatal fitness test in the Rebuild Phase and you are ready to add more high impact exercises such as running, hopping, jumping and skipping into your routine. Please make sure you've seen a pelvic floor physio (we recommend Jenny at Mint Wellbeing) to make sure your pelvic floor is functioning optimally before you go back to high impact. This is important to reduce the risk of developing symptoms. Make sure you have a good fitting sports bra, comfortable shoes, and it might be best to do a quick feed before you start!

Meet our Experts

  • Charlie Finnigan

    Founder of SWC and creator of the Empower Pregnancy and Postnatal Plan, Charlie has been in the fitness industry for over 10+ years. She has represented Team England in 2 World Lacrosse Championships, has run 3 marathons, is NASM-CPT Personal Trainer qualified, with a specialism in Pre & Post Natal Exercise and has consulted for and been an indoor cycling instructor at numerous boutique studios around the world. Charlie is passionate about helping women build strength for the demands of everyday life and motherhood, whilst helping them feel more confident and empowered in the process!

  • Katy Megson

    Specialist Women’s and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist. Katy treats individuals with pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and supports women throughout their childbearing years when suffering incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic girdle pain and breastfeeding related clogged ducts. Katy has a particular interest in postpartum pelvic floor and abdominal wall rehabilitation and is passionate about supporting women in their safe return to activity post pregnancy. She worked in both the NHS and private practice in London before relocating to join the JD Evolve team in Hong Kong in 2021 .

  • Julie Gardner

    Certified 200 hour yoga teacher, with perinatal training and a qualification in mindfulness and meditation, Julie is a former D1 athlete and coach with a long history of focus on the mental side of sport and life. As a new first time mum, she is excited to be focusing on postnatal specifics in her own practice, as well as her class offerings. Julie will be leading us through some beautiful vinyasa yoga practices as we move through our healing journey.

  • Jenny Fielding

    Jenny is a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist and mum of 3 who specialises in Women's Health. She works with women in all of life's phases supporting them with transition and guiding them through their rehabilitation journey. She is passionate about improving access to women's health and normalising the conversation around incontinence, prolapse, diastasis, sexual pain and more. Her approach is to empower women to thrive and return to what they love, whilst gaining a deeper understanding of their own bodies. She is now based at Mint Wellbeing, Wimbledon having recently returned from Hong Kong where she led a large Womens Health Team (JDE) and created Hong Kong’s first Womens Health physio clinic.

How to get started

  • Sign up today to your free trial!

    Start your 7-day free trial today and get started right away. Upon registration you’ll be asked to complete a health waiver and sign a liability form to make sure you and baby are safe and ready to move. If the plan isn’t for you, you can cancel anytime!

  • Download the physio approved e-book and join the community!

    The e-book is bursting with educational information which we highly recommend you read before starting the programme. We’d also love for you to join our community of new mums via our online forum, Facebook and Whatsapp groups to hold you accountuble!

  • Begin your workouts!

    It’s time to start moving from the comfort of your home with minimal equipment. Every 4 weeks OR when you feel ready, you and Charlie will progress to the next phase of workouts. Over time you will begin to feel stronger both mentally and physically and feel empowered to be the best version of you for your little one!

First 7 days free, then £35 a month

Your structured postnatal plan:

Perfect to start anytime, whether you’re 6 weeks or 6 months postpartum

Safe expert-led on demand classes in strength, sculpt cardio, prenatal yoga and mobility, available 24/7

A phased and progressive programme (Reconnect, Rebuild, Revive) as you follow Charlie’s postpartum recovery journey

A ‘Return to Running’ 12 week post natal fitness test

Access to the SWC Couch to 5K running plan

Physio approved e-book including exercise modifications, diastasis recti & pelvic floor recovery, and postnatal nutritional advice

Educational videos from pelvic health physiotherapists Katy Megson and Jenny Fielding including how to care for your wound, reconnecting to your core and how to self check yourself for Diastasis Recti

Community forum, Whatsapp group and early bird access to bonus content and events

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Absolutely! If you were not particularly active before or during pregnancy, this is a perfect time to start. We recommend making sure you’ve had your 6 week check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.

  • Yes! Whether you’re 6 weeks or 6 months post partum, this plan is for you! You can take as long or as little as you like to move through the phases, however we recommend a minimum of 12 weeks for the postnatal plan before you head back to the SWC regular on demand library and live classes

  • We’d recommend a selection of dumbbells and a resistance band. Optional to bring a pilates ball / yoga block. The beauty with at home workouts is that we can get creative!

  • Yes! If you want to ‘try before you buy’ there is a 7 day free trial which is great to get an idea of how the programme works. You will automatically be enrolled into a monthly membership at a cost of £35 if the trial is not cancelled before the end of the 7 days.

  • The classes range from 10-40 minutes with no one class being too long. We realise that as a mum that time is of the essence so the classes are short and sweet!

  • Absolutely! You might just need a little extra time to recover, so do make sure you’ve been given the all clear to exercise from your healthcare professional and don’t forget to check out our educational video on ‘Caring for your wound’. Any questions, feel free to get in touch with Charlie

  • Head over to your widget (make sure you’re logged in) to cancel your membership. We’ll be sad to see you go, but understand if this programme isn’t right for you!

Questions?

Feel free to contact us below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!