Exercising after baby

The Triumphant Mom - 04 May, 2010

Ok, so you’ve done the hard bit, a few weeks have passed and now you feel like maybe you can get back to some exercise.

But where to start?

Firstly and most importantly, if you had yourself a ‘normal’ vaginal birth and the blood loss (lochia) has stopped, then there’s no reason as to why you can’t get straight back into some sort of exercise routine (even if you only start out with those crucial pelvic floor exercises). BUT, if you had a cesarean, then it’s a different story…..the consensus is do NOTHING until 6-8 weeks after the op and then ease your way in gently (if you ever needed a better excuse not to exercise, you just got yourself a gold VIP pass, congratulations!) in all seriousness, never underestimate the tremendous change that your body has gone through and make sure you look at your road back to fitness as a gradual process.

Exercising after baby

Once you do land the go ahead from your doctor and you’re feeling pumped, motivated and ready to get back into it, you may need some ideas on exactly what to do (sleep deprivation will do that to us all). If you did exercise prior to the arrival of your small, demanding, sleepless bundle, you’ll probably just want to ease yourself back into it with modified versions of what you did before. If you didn’t exercise beforehand, then a beginner programme is always a safe bet.

Always good to start with the pelvic floor muscles and when you feel like you’ve mastered them, you can up the anti a little and starting off with walking - always going to be a winner. Walking gets you out of the house, in amongst nature/the world, and it costs nothing! Brisk walking a handful of times a week will tone muscles, oxygenate the body and help reduce blood-sugar levels. Walking (or other exercise) regularly is also good for PPD. Generally most women know when they’ve walked far enough the first few times because their bladder and their pelvic floor speak to them whether they like it or not – another very good reason why you should never ignore those pelvic floor muscle exercises!

Swimming is also a great way of easing your way back into exercise without being too vigorous or challenging. It’s also safe and enjoyable and an excellent tension reliever.

Gentle yoga poses can be a great way to get your blood flowing while reducing stress. You may need to avoid some poses (like inversions), but basic are a great place to start. You may also be able to find a postpartum yoga class at a local gym or health club.

With some modifications, you will also be able to do basic Pilates exercises to strengthen the core and increase your flexibility.

Now, while we’re on the subject of abs, some of us will experience separation of the abs or ‘diastasis’. Diastasis is a separation of the two halves of the rectus abdominis muscle in the middle of our belly that sometimes occurs during pregnancy. You can check for it by lying on your back with your knees bent. (If you start to feel faint while on your back, roll to your left side; then use pillows under your shoulders to prop yourself up.) Place your fingertips 1 to 2 inches below your bellybutton, fingers pointing toward your feet. Lift your head as high as you can and see if you feel a ridge protruding from the midline of your abdomen - that’s diastasis. If you have it check with your doctor and take care to not exacerbate the separation when you do abdominal exercises.

Stick to a Routine

A ‘routine’ you scream! I’m lucky if I manage a shower once a day before bed let alone thinking about a routine! But, if you can, to make the most of your postnatal fitness, try to set up a routine that you can stick to. Establishing some sort of schedule will help maintain regular workouts that fit into your everyday life. Also, try to workout at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes each time. If you are determined to lose your weight quickly, then exercise more often. However, never exercise to the point of exhaustion. If your body is telling you it’s tired, listen to it and stop exercising immediately.

Advice For Breastfeeding Moms

If you are breastfeeding, there are a few things you should keep in mind when you’re exercising. Firstoff, you may have noticed a dramatic increase in size to your breasts (duh!), so for goodness sake, make sure they’re well supported when you exercise! You can even wear two bras just to feel properly supported if you want. It’s also, a good idea to try and feed your baby before you exercise – it’ll help you feel more comfortable since your breasts won’t feel full.

Plus, some studies have found that some babies who are fed post-workout can be fussier because their mother’s milk tastes different due to an increase in the level of lactic acid in the milk. If you can’t feed your baby before you workout, then think about expressing some milk into a bottle. This will help to make your breasts feel less full as well as make your baby happy with the pre-exercise milk. Also, try to keep your breasts dry and clean, which will help prevent your breast ducts from getting clogged and possibly infected.

NOTE: if you feel faint or dizzy, have shortness of breath, experience heart palpitations, have an increase in vaginal bleeding or have troubles walking or seeing, stop exercising and contact your health care provider.

By Tasha Lawton - www.pregalates.com and contributor to Caring for your newborn: How to enjoy the first 60 days as a new mom

Image: 

Your Comments

Sign up first to receive notification when new comments are posted.