Exercise After Pregnancy: When and How to Start

We all wish to get our body back after pregnancy! For some, it’s easy, while for the rest of us, we need to work hard to lose all the body weight. It’s natural to have a tummy for weeks or even months after having a baby. We can get rid of that if we include healthy eating and an exercise routine into our lifestyle. Exercise after pregnancy has many benefits, along with losing weight. First, let us know the benefits of exercise for a new mom.

Benefits of Exercise after Pregnancy

For most of us exercise seems like a distant idea when we just want to sleep and get the much-needed rest. But it’s very important to get your body moving and introduce some kind of exercise for healing better. According to the National Physical Activity Guidelines, women should exercise for 150 minutes per week for optimum health.

1. Exercise after pregnancy can help you become stronger, have more stamina, and to deal with the baby blues. Exercising releases good chemicals that can help you cope with all the hormonal changes.
2. It can also lessen the body aches that follow pregnancy.
3. Our bodies go through extreme pressure throughout pregnancy and delivery. Also, we witness a lot of changes. Our belly expands which leads to the stretching of abdominal muscles. Our back muscles also shorten. Also, our pelvic floor weakens due to all the pressure of pregnancy. A workout routine can help new mothers to tone and strengthen the abdominal muscles as well as to strengthen the pelvic floor as well.

When to Start Exercising

Though it’s safe to start exercising as soon as you want after an uncomplicated pregnancy, it’s best to consult your doctor. Usually, doctors ask to wait for six weeks before starting a workout routine. 

However, you can start walking or even doing kegel exercises a few days after giving birth if you want to. It should depend on your comfort level. 

If you had a cesarean or difficult vaginal birth, it’s best to wait and take rest before your doctor permits you to do so. It will take some time for your body to heal, and exposing it to unnecessary activities might cause further complications. Every pregnancy and delivery is different. Thus, there is no hard and fast rule on when to start exercise after pregnancy. It should depend on your comfort level and health. 

If you are facing the following, it’s best to consult your doctor before starting working out again:

•         Pain in the abdominal area
•         Bleeding (lochia)
•         Vaginal pain
•         Leakage of urine or feces
•         Extreme vaginal pressure

How to Start Exercise after Pregnancy

The best way to start is to take it slow! Pay attention to your body. You might have been into fitness before having the baby. But now your body has changed, and you will have to give it some time to bounce back. So, it’s best to start slow with low-intensity workouts. Start with 10 minutes, slowly increasing the duration and intensity. As the months go by, you can go back to your pre-pregnancy fitness levels and include high-intensity exercises. 

The best exercises to start with are :

Walking

No one can deny the benefits of walking. Not only will it help you to start a workout routine, but it is also a great way to bond with your baby. Both you and the baby can benefit from the fresh air outside. It will boost your mood, also offering you an opportunity to go outside. You can either carry your baby in a carrier or a stroller. If you have someone to look after the baby at home, you can go out alone for some much-needed me-time. If the weather doesn’t permit, there are numerous youtube channels like “Leslie Sanson” that will help you walk within the comforts of your home. 

Jogging 

Jogging is also a great way to lose excess weight and start a moderate intensity workout routine. After you have walked for a couple of weeks, you can try jogging and find out if it feels comfortable. If it does, you can alternate between walking and jogging which in turn can be an effective cardio exercise. If you feel any discomfort, you can just quit before starting again whenever you feel fit enough.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

The pelvic floor muscles become weak and can cause leakage and incontinence after giving birth. Thus, doing pelvic floor exercises such as Kegel can help you strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. The exercise was named after Dr. Arndold Kegel. He developed these exercises to help women strengthen their pelvic muscles without invasive procedures such as surgery. 

How to do Kegel Exercise:

To do this exercise, you will have to contract your pelvic floor muscles as if you are trying to stop urinating midstream. Hold for 10 seconds before releasing and then relax for 10 seconds. Try to do three sets of 10 repetitions each day.

Yoga

Doctors recommend starting yoga after six weeks of an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. If you had a cesarean or difficult vaginal birth, you might even have to wait longer according to your birth and recovery process. 

Postnatal yoga is an effective way of getting your body back and also helps you stretch and relax your muscles. Yoga can be a great stress-buster in dealing with postpartum hormonal changes. However, there might be some yoga poses not suitable for a new mother. It is best to enroll in a yoga class if time permits or else take the help of YouTube channels that teaches postnatal yoga.

Some of the safest yoga poses are :

1. Balasana or child’s pose
2. Viparita Karani or Legs up the Wall Pose
3. Savasana or the Corpse Pose
4. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or the Bridge Pose
5. Gomukhasana or the Cow Face Pose
6. Tadasana or the Mountain Pose

The most important thing to keep in mind is not to push yourself hard. Ample rest is most important during the initial weeks after delivery. Without proper rest and care, your body will take longer to heal. Start a workout routine only when you are ready!

Do leave your comments about how and when you started exercising again! We are always looking forward to your valuable inputs!