After the birth Advice for Fergie on regaining her figure

Press, 6 October 1988, Page 11

After the birth Advice for Fergie on regaining her figure

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By

HEIDI KINGSTONE

Lala Manners is certain the Duchess of York faces a tough time before she gets her figure back after the birth of her daughter.

Lala should know. She is a fitness teacher and has been putting her experience to the test after having a baby girl recently. Like Fergie, Lala had her baby at the exclusive Portland Hospital, in London, and left an encouraging note for the Duchess to read when she checked in. Lala, aged 28, friend of the Duchess, and a guest at the Royal wedding, says Fergie shouldn’t try to rush things, and believes it could be a ninemonth battle before she rediscovers her body.

Lala Manners who has taught Gayle Hunnicutt and Jan Leeming at the Pineapple Studios, says that with help — and discipline and determination — Fergie should be able to shed most of her accumulated weight within six to nine months. “I cannot understand how she got so big. She was so incredibly strong at three months. “It is quite unusual for someone so fit to end up so enormous,” she says. “In order that she doesn’t get too depressed I think she has to concentrate on her good features. She’s got lovely hands, teeth, skin and hair. Lala, educated at Benenden and married five years ago to the Hon. John Manners, a cousin of the Duke of Rutland,

teaches the Medau Method, developed in Germany during the 1930 s by the gymnastics teacher, Heinrich Medau. He studied South American and Portuguese women to see how they moved. They were strong and fit, but expended only enough energy to complete the required task. Movement and interpreting music are an integral part of Lala’s teaching. Whether performing to classical sounds, or moving to something fast and modern, it doesn’t matter. Lala teaches co-ordina-tion classes for mothers and their small children

up to three years, and says that in the first weeks after the birth the mothers can feel very vulnerable and weepy. But when the Duchess of York is ready, Lala suggests she starts slowly with a little walking and gentle swimming. Lala, whose father is a leading London gynaecologist, lan Jackson, a senior consultant at the Portland, was in labour for only two hours. “I had a very easy labour and I attribute it to being as supple as I am. I taught full-time until I was six months pregnant, then I did one class a day for another six weeks. “The last few weeks I walked the dogs just to get myself out of bed. On Wednesday night, I just pottered around in a class and did what I could. The baby was born Friday lunchtime.

“People forget what a battering the body takes, so it will need time to adjust. Also most new mothers don’t sleep a lot, so are awfully tired. “But the key to getting the body back into shape has a lot to do with how strong it was before you go into hospital.” She has followed the Medau programme since going to one of her mother’s classes at Pineapple at the age of six. "What I like about it is that it is creative, relaxing and invigorating, but not shattering, like aerobics. "For us the body must work as a complete piece, Muscles shouldn’t be strained. If something feels uncomfortable, then don’t do it.” Lala’s mother, Medau teacher Lucy Jackson, recommends that new mothers exercising to regain their figures should move rhythmically to music and only do what feels right. The exercises should be carried out with the baby, but the mother should never be uncomfortable, she says. Breathing deeply will give the body inner strength. Don’t jolt, jerk or strain anything. —Copyright, DUO.