Mathilde is a first time mum.
Pre-pregnancy she enjoyed HIIT classes and running. At 8 weeks post c-section and with a diastasis, her body felt vulnerable and she was fearful about returning to these activities she so loved, which would boost her energy and support her wellbeing.
She didn’t even have the confidence to squat or lunge.
Mathilde read conflicting guidance online about do’s and don’ts, leaving her even more uncertain about how to move forwards without injuring herself.
After a Discovery Call with me she signed up to the Stride & Thrive 1-to-1 coaching pathway.
Fast forwards 4 months…
Mathilde was back doing all the sports she enjoyed – running, biking, swimming, hiking and tennis – without any worry of injury.
She now feels strong and confident once more in her body.
She is in a consistent fitness routine incorporating her strength training (which she now sees as key to being injury free) and doing her favourite sports.
She continues to mindfully fuel and nourish, and prioritises her needs, through the principles she gained inside Nutrition Navigator and Wellbeing360.
All this was achieved whilst navigating unpredictable days with a newborn, and still enjoying time with friends and family.
How did we do it?
Using my signature process – The STRIDE Method: from postpartum to running a 5k without leaking, pain or fear of injury.
- your STORY – meeting Mathilde at her individual start point
- TRAIN your Foundations from the inside out – a programme tailored to her c-section recovery and strengthening her diastasis, whilst empowering her with confidence in her core capabilities. It’s about intention, not intensity.
- add RESISTANCE – building full-body strength, using resistance bands and then weights. Navigating her pre-existing knee pain by focusing on ‘how’ she did, ‘what’ she did. Progressing over time at her pace.
- get IMPACT ready – building resilience in her readiness to run, after all running is considered a ‘single leg high impact sport’ you need to prepare your postpartum body for.
- DISTANCE builder – going from 0 to 5k with walk-run progressions, and moving forwards in her own timeframe with a weekly running frequency to align with her schedule.
- EMPOWERED running – this is running without setbacks. Mathilde gained confidence in her ability to run, without aggravating her knee pain, no c-section discomfort, and the fear of injury she had before she started her postpartum fitness journey was gone.
Here’s what Mathilde had to say in her google review:
“Louise helped rebuild my strength from the get-go, developing a tailored programme that helped gradually rebuild my strength and fitness, whilst fitting around my life as a first time mum. Four months on, I am feeling strong and back out running, cycling, swimming and playing tennis, which is exactly where I wanted to be. I can’t thank Louise enough for getting me there and couldn’t recommend her enough as a coach.”
Mathilde’s greatest learning:
“The importance of being patient with my body and not rushing to get back to running – there are other ways I can get my cardio fix”
Mathilde started her coaching journey with fully customised 1-to-1 coaching with Louise to ensure her programme was tailored to her unique circumstances – her c-section recovery and diastasis, her lifestyle as a newborn mum, and her return to run goals.
She now continues her fitness journey as an engaged member of The Active Mums Club.
If you are looking to get back to running without any leaking, pain or fear of injury, then book a Discovery Call with me to explore where you are right now, what symptoms or concerns you have, and your personal goals. You will have your personalised Training Gameplan to go from Postpartum to 5k mapped out on the call.
