A Sheffield bouldering centre has set up a free postnatal workshop to help new mothers return to climbing safely.
The Climbing Hangar Sheffield has worked alongside WomanKind Health to host two workshops focused on core strength and pelvic floor training.
The workshops, which will take place on 25 November, aim to give post-natal climbers knowledge to help them both climb and fall off the wall safely.
Emily Elgar, a Clinical Specialist for WomanKind Health, said: “There’s some really good guidelines out there in terms of returning to running and other sports.
“There isn’t really the same amount of support for climbers and climbing is a really dynamic sport.”
A main focus of the workshops is providing support, education and face-to-face contact for post-natal women to benefit their mental health.
Ms Elgar said that the isolation of new mothers was made worse by the pandemic as many maternity services turned to telephone and video appointments.
A 2021 study led by UCL researchers found that, in the first COVID-19 lockdown, 47.5% of new mothers met the threshold for post-natal depression, almost double the average European rate before the pandemic.
The UCL report found the more contact new mothers had with other people, the fewer depressive symptoms they reported.
The Climbing Hangar Sheffield hosts regular parents mornings to help build a support network for new mothers and fathers of all abilities.
Nell Gow, founder of the Mum’s Gone Climbing podcast, said: “The importance of community for new mum climbers cannot be overstated.
“It’s a period of life when support and encouragement is like life blood, and I truly believe the climbing community is a beautiful vehicle for this.”
