Having a baby is no easy task, so if you’ve recently given birth, then give yourself a lot of credit. You have completely pushed your body to its breaking point, which even the strongest and most experienced athlete would struggle with.
After giving birth, it can be easy to feel deflated and lack confidence in your body. It is important to remember that just because your body might not look the same as it did before pregnancy, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have the potential to rebuild in a way that makes you feel confident and comfortable.
If your body has already created a whole human being, getting into shape and rebuilding your strength is going to be a piece of cake in comparison.
At POW8R, we pride ourselves on having supported countless women through their post-partum fitness journey, one of which is our very own trainer, Holly, who has helped us create the best postnatal workouts for our clients.
Keep reading to find the answers to any questions that you may have about postpartum exercise.
Postpartum Exercise Plan: Why It’s Important
There is a common misconception that following the perfect postpartum diet plan alone will cause your body to bounce back quickly. Though eating well is a great way to reduce your calorie intake and achieve a flatter stomach, if you want to rebuild muscle and strengthen your core, you must develop a post-partum fitness plan.
Staying physically active after giving birth can enhance your physical and mental well-being, restore muscle strength, and tone your body. Being a new mother can be incredibly exhausting; however, a robust postpartum exercise routine can help boost your energy levels.
How Soon After Giving Birth Can I Exercise?
Though we might have already made it seem incredibly appealing, before you rush into starting your postpartum exercise routine, it is important to note that the type of labour that you had may influence when you should start exercising and how complex your exercises should be to start.
How Your Delivery Type Might Influence When You Can Work Out
If you have experienced any of the following deliveries, below may be a good indication of when you can start exercising once again.
Vaginal Delivery
Typically, you can begin light exercises, such as walking and pelvic floor workouts, as soon as you feel ready, often within the first few days. You should consult your doctor before starting any exercise, especially if you have experienced tearing that requires stitches.
Cesarean Section
If you have had a cesarean section or you have gone through a complicated delivery, your recovery time before exercise is going to be considerably longer. In these instances, before you exercise, it is essential to have clearance from your healthcare professional.
Avoid Strenuous Exercise Before Your 6-Week Postnatal Check
We always recommend that our clients avoid high-impact exercise and activities before their 6-week postnatal check. Once you have had your check and your doctor has given you the all-clear, you can resume your usual exercise program, or begin completing tailored postnatal exercises.
What is the Best Exercise After Pregnancy
If you’re eager to get back into exercise, it’s important to start slowly and not jump in at the deep end. You should start off by doing some gentle exercises and following an easy guide for workouts for new mums, as this will allow you to ease into a more rigorous routine down the line.
Walking
Walking is one of the best exercises that you can kick off your new exercise routine with. In a matter of days after giving birth, you can enjoy a gentle walk, gradually increasing the duration and intensity of the walks as time goes on. Walking can not only relieve stress, but it also allows you to listen to your body as you begin to think about more rigorous postpartum workouts.
It’s important to start with short, gentle walks before you take longer, more strenuous ones.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Anyone who has had a baby will tell you that once you have given birth, your pelvic floor muscles certainly do not operate at the same strength that they once did.
Participating in pelvic floor exercises like kegels can effectively strengthen your pelvic muscles, supporting recovery and lowering the risk of developing issues like urinary incontinence or prolapse.
Gentle Stretches
Though it is still recommended that you take care when stretching, gentle stretches after giving birth can actually be a fantastic way to encourage recovery, engage your core, and strengthen the muscles.
To start, we suggest gentle exercises such as pelvic tilts, knee rolls, and pelvic floor stretches, which are beneficial for working out your lower area in a manageable way.
If you are experiencing many post-pregnancy aches and pains, these stretches can be a great way to combat tension or soreness.
Postnatal Exercises: Yoga and Pilates
Pregnancy may weaken core strength, leading to discomfort and general weakness. With a new baby, you want to make sure you can jump into action when strength is required.
Postnatal yoga offers an excellent opportunity to reconnect with your body after childbirth. It’s an invigorating way to activate your core, build muscle strength, and enhance your overall posture.
What Should I Be Aware of When Exercising?
It is important to remember that your body simply isn’t the same as it was before you became pregnant. If you regularly exercised before pregnancy, you may feel as though you have the knowledge to jump straight back in.
However, some differences in your body may be beneficial to consider when kickstarting your new exercise routine, as this can impact how you approach the exercises and the techniques that you use.
Weaker Core and Back Muscles
If you want a flat tummy after pregnancy, you may want to jump straight into core muscle exercises.
However, it is important that you don’t base your new exercise routine on older workouts that you used to complete before pregnancy, as pregnancy can have a huge impact on your abdomen. Again, there are dedicated exercise class types, such as our own POW8R workouts, that can help you with this.
When you are pregnant, your abdominal muscles expand, stretch and separate. You may even experience diastasis recti, which is the separation of your abdominal muscles.
When pregnant, your body is also flooded with hormones, which can weaken and stretch the muscles. This means that you may have to start with more precaution than you may have used previously, starting with lower weights and being more careful when exercising.
If you want to ensure that you are not pushing yourself or causing damage after labour, we recommend that you check out our postpartum core exercises. They are specifically designed to be gentle while still strengthening the targeted areas.
Increased Joint Flexibility
For a few months after giving birth, ligaments and joints are considerably more flexible, so stretching and lifting weights should be done with greater caution, as there is a risk of hyperflexion.
If you are worried about the risk of hyperflexion, we always recommend following a specially catered workout routine produced by an experienced PT, who can give you the necessary pointers to avoid injury. Jumping back into the same workouts you were completing pre pregnancy is not always the right solution.
Lochia
After giving birth, some bleeding is to be expected, and this bleeding is known as lochia, or postpartum bleeding. Some bleeding is natural, but there are some exercises which may worsen your lochia.
If you are exercising and you bleed heavily, it may be a sign that the exercise is too intensive for you at that time.
How Do I Know If I’m Overdoing It?
Your body is more intelligent than you may think, and if you are overdoing it, it will let you know. Listen to the messages your body communicates. If you’re pushing too hard, here are some indicators that it’s time to rest or ease up:
- Increased fatigue
- Feelings unwell
- Changes in lochia
- Muscle aches and pains
- Breast lumps and tenderness
- Pelvic floor pain and pressure
- Urine leakage
If any of the signs discussed above worsen or do not disappear over time, we recommend consulting a health professional for support.
Can I Exercise While Breastfeeding?
Of course, you can exercise while breastfeeding, but you might see better results if you put the baby down first.
Jokes aside, exercising while breastfeeding is generally regarded as both safe and beneficial for you and your baby. Exercise has been shown to boost energy, which can often be depleted by breastfeeding, so it can help to revitalise you.
We recommend feeding your baby or pumping the milk before exercise, as this can reduce discomfort when working out. Ensure that you drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise, as this will keep your hydration levels up after exercise.
Will Exercise Help With Postpartum Weight Loss?
Consistent exercise and a nutritious diet can greatly support postpartum weight loss and enhance overall well-being. Exercise is a fantastic tool for burning calories and fat, which in turn promotes weight loss.
How Can I Overcome Exercise Anxiety?
Exercising can be incredibly offputting if you haven’t exercised for a while and are no longer at your former fitness level. You have to remember that everyone feels nervous about working out, so you’re not alone in your anxiety.
If you are really worried about exercising at the gym or attending classes, we would recommend that you do at-home workouts. There are very few differences between traditional and at-home workouts, and you will still be able to obtain the same fantastic results, only from the comfort of your own home.
If you want a way to complete effective at-home workouts with the guidance of a trained personal trainer, check out the brand new POW8R fitness app. We have curated hundreds of workouts and recipes, many catered to postpartum women.
How Can I Fit Workouts into a Busy Mum Schedule?
There is a misconception that to get the most out of exercise, you need to spend hours doing a full-body workout. This isn’t true at all, as getting up and doing any exercise can be incredibly beneficial to your fitness and well-being.
Even finding 30 minutes spread across the day can benefit your health and provide you with the energy needed to keep up with looking after your baby.
Reclaim Your Fitness With POW8R
Hopefully, this blog has given you the advice that you need to be able to pursue a more fitness-oriented lifestyle after the birth of your baby. Being a mother can already feel like it takes priority in your life, so it is important for you to find the time to do something that is great for your physical health.
Join the POW8R app today to join a vibrant community of people looking to live a happier, healthier lifestyle, and you might even connect with people on a similar journey to you.