Connect with us

News

Focus on your breath during pelvic floor exercise

Published

on

0237085_Image.jpeg

By Selina Looney, Pre and Postnatal Specialist at Activate

The foundation for everything in pregnancy and postpartum exercise is your breath.

Your pelvic floor and diaphragm work in tandem with each other; imagine it as an elevator.
When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts and moves down and your pelvic floor mirrors this by relaxing.
When you exhale, your pelvic floor lifts and contracts and your diaphragm rises in mirror response to it.

Why is this important?

It’s all about regulating intra abdominal pressure to prevent your body from experiencing problems.
Everyone should do this, but it is even more important for mamas and mamas-to-be.
During exercise we want our pelvic floor to lift when we exert ourselves or lift heavy objects.
We want to teach our bodies to exhale with exertion - the toughest part of the movement.

For example, when you squat:

* Inhale when you lower down and relax at the bottom
* Exhale to stand, lifting pelvic floor and drawing deep abdominals together - this same strategy applies to any exercise.

As a mom, you also want to exhale with every day movements such as:

* Lifting a toddler -> exhale as you lift
* Lifting heavy bags -> exhale as you lift
* Lifting a car seat -> exhale as you lift

Blow before you go mamas, this will really help your diaphragm and pelvic floor work together.

This is something we teach in our classes which begins on September 20.

Activate Moms is built for all phases of womanhood — pre-conception, pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.

These classes will teach you how to properly breathe and recruit your deep core and pelvic floor, strengthen your body, improve diastasis recti, prolapse, leaking, and back/hip pain and help you feel connected to your body whether you had your baby days ago or years ago.

To book your spot email selina@activate.ie.

Advertisement

News

Céilí Mór will send ‘em home sweatin’

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this […]

Published

on

It will be a case of all around the house but mind the dresser at a traditional Céilí Mór which will be one of the real entertainment highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

It will take place on the eve of the big feast day in the Killarney Great Southern and there will be a wonderful party atmosphere guaranteed on the night.
Providing the tunes will be the very highly regarded Uí Bhriaín Céilí Band and they promise to send everybody home sweating after what will be a memorable night for locals and visitors.
The March 16 céilí will commence at 9.00pm and continue right through until midnight and the admission for a wonderful night of pure Irish trad is just €10.00.
Bookings can be made on the festival website or patrons can pay at the door on the night.

Continue Reading

News

St Brendan’s student Aodhagan O’Sullivan crowned CPR champion

Published

on

By

Aodhagan O’Sullivan, a student at St Brendan’s College, Killarney, has been named the 2026 School CPR Challenge Champion.

The prestigious award was presented on Thursday, 26 February, during a large-scale event at the Gleneagle Hotel, where approximately 300 students from post-primary schools across the county gathered to compete for the title of “who can compress the best.”


Now in its fourth year, the event is organised by the Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) Community First Responders.

The KCRU is a volunteer-led group that provides vital emergency response services to Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Firies, Rathmore, and Kenmare.

The challenge focused on “Quality CPR” (QCPR), combining a high-stakes competition with practical life-saving training and the chance for students to engage directly with local emergency and community services.


The competition utilised advanced QCPR technology to measure the depth and rate of compressions, ensuring that students aren’t just learning the motions, but are performing life-saving techniques to a clinical standard.

Beyond the competitive element, the day served as an educational hub, highlighting the “chain of survival” and the importance of immediate bystander intervention in the event of a cardiac arrest.


The 2026 challenge was made possible through the support of the Vodafone Foundation, The Gleneagle Hotel, and First Aid Systems Ltd, alongside a variety of local sponsors. Organisers praised the enthusiasm of the 300 participants, noting that such events are essential for building a “heart-safe” community and equipping the next generation with the skills to save a life.

Attachments

Continue Reading

Last News

Sport