IMPORTANT: Make sure you speak with your doctor before starting any form of exercise after birth!
Birth is traumatic on the body- even for those who exercised during pregnancy. That’s why it is best to rest and recover for the six to eight weeks following delivery, as usually advised by doctors.
Once you have been given the “good to go”, you may find that you are not able to perform certain moves you use to do easily. That’s perfectly normal. A lot of your muscles and joints have been stretched to the extreme and weakened- especially in the stomach area. You need to start with some basic exercises to begin moving those muscles back into place and rebuilding.
Here are some basic exercises I was given by my physical therapist to start with after I had delivered. These are also some moves, as a certified personal trainer, I use on clients completely new to working out, new moms, or post-op. If at any point you feel uncomfortable or experience pain, stop and talk to your doctor!
1. Kegels
Kegels are great to do during pregnancy and after you deliver. They help strengthen the muscles in the nether regions. Which can help prevent vaginal prolapse and leaks from weakened bladder muscles. These can be done pretty much anywhere and in whatever position you find comfortable. Most people prefer to sit or lie down.
For this exercise, you want to think about squeezing together all the little muscles in your pelvis. It should feel similar to when you are clenching your butt, except in your groins. Tighten those muscles and hold that for about 5 seconds, then relax. Do that about 10 times and then take a break. Repeat two more times.
2. Pelvic Tilts
Lay on your back with your knees up and bent at an angle. Allow your back to relax into a natural curve. Then, roll your pelvis up toward the ceiling.
Your goal is to have your lower spine touch the floor. You want to think about engaging your abdominals when doing this. Hold that for a couple of seconds and then release back into a normal spine. Do that a couple of times and then relax.
3. Foot Raises on Back
Using the position you were in for the pelvic tilts, flatten your lower back to the floor. Then, try to raise one foot off the floor. It doesn’t have to be that high. Just a couple of centimeters is fine. Place it back on the floor and try to lift the other foot. Repeat a couple of times, alternating between both feet.
4. Standing Kickbacks
Get into position by standing and leaning forward onto the side of a bed or the back of a couch. Kick your right leg straight back so it goes off the ground a couple of inches then return it back to the floor. Do it about 10 times on each leg. Take a break and then repeat once or twice more, if you can.
5. Easy Cardio
After giving birth, I had a hard time just walking around the block. Start easy and then work your way up, just like the other exercises.
You can go for a walk with the baby in the stroller. Or if a pool is available, go for a swim. You can water walk, use a kickboard and do flutter kicks, or swim freestyle. These moves are the best because the motions are the most natural on the joints.
I haven’t listed breaststroke or butterfly, because those require more muscles to be engaged and your ligaments to be rotated at unnatural angles. If you can do those comfortably, awesome! But remember, it’s always okay to back off the harder things at first and then work your way back up. It would suck to strain yourself and then take a couple of weeks off again, just to start back at square one.
Good luck on your health and fitness journey as you recover! It may take time to get to where you once were. But with perseverance and dedication, I'm sure you can reach your goals!
Regardless, try to be proud. Your body housed a human for nine months and then pushed it out! The most important part is that you heal and take time to breathe- even if it's just for the mental health aspect of working out.
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