After the work of labor and the glorious falling-in-love of the babymoon days—but before the cumulative fatigue of months (and years) of broken sleep erodes the psyche—emerges the question: “When can I start working out after giving birth?”
Our Magic Bullet-seeking society wants to jump right back into things; however, a postpartum exercise plan should be deliberate and slow. So many women, eager to recapture their fitness or physique, do long-term (and sometimes irreparable) damage because of their enthusiasm.
For women willing to focus on the basics, they’ll find themselves where they want to be fitness-wise far sooner than women who jump right back in to their old routine. Even better, they will have laid a firm foundation to help prevent injury as they gain strength.
A quality postpartum exercise plan should be based on the same premise as the tortoise and the hare.
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Making a Postpartum Exercise Plan
First and foremost: It is essential that you do not do any exercises that you have not discussed with your care provider. Advice contained in this post is not and should not substitute for advice from a licensed medical professional.
By asking your OB or Midwife, “When can I start working out after giving birth?” you open the topic to clear communication. They know that you are interested in returning to exercise, and they can provide you with clear guidelines as to how to do so safely.
Did you have a no- or low-intervention vaginal delivery with no sign of prolapse? Great! Simple breath and body exercises can begin almost immediately. Note, however, that “simple exercises” do not mean things like squats and crunches!
Rather, simple means basic. But it does not mean unimportant. Simple exercises focus on coordinating the breath and the body to reconnect neuromuscular communication patterns.
Here’s a good example: Take a deep breath. On the exhale, pretend you are fogging a mirror. As you “fog the mirror” feel your low abdominals– right above your public bone– contract. Do no more than 5 or 6 breaths at a time. If you’re doing this correctly, your body will be flushed with oxygen. But we don’t want you to get light headed!
A Critical Element of a Postpartum Exercise Plan
Diastasis Recti — separation of the abdominal muscles– is a common issue with women who have given birth. Knowing if you have separation in the abdominal muscles will let you know if there are any exercises that you should avoid during your recovery.
Ask your healthcare provider to check for diastasis recti at your six or eight week postpartum checkup. If you do have a separation, avoiding crunches, planks, and even downward dog is important for your healing process.
How You Hold Your Baby Affects Your Body
After practicing the breath work, your next point of attention should go to posture. Ensuring you hold your body in the most structurally-aligned way contributes greatly to gaining strength. If your body is aligned correctly, it can work most efficiently.
So much of your postpartum days are spent with inward curling of the shoulders due to baby holding and feeding. That’s why finding a supported counter-stretch feels fantastic. More importantly, the opening of the front side of the body creates space for the shifting internal organs as they settle back to their rightful places.
Image by Kelsey Tucker/www.describethefauna.com
Think about lying in a supported savasana (corpse pose) for a few minutes a day. You may find an extra thick yoga mat and a firm bolster make this supported savasana more comfortable for you. Allowing your arms to fall open and down but still be supported by the floor opens your front body.
The Pelvis-Spine-Core Continuum
Aligning the pelvis and spine are critical to regaining core strength. Bringing your awareness to the low back and pelvis may inspire more rounds of hip circles and cat/cow, just as your body craved in late pregnancy. See if you can catch yourself with your tailbone either tucked or pointed way to the back. Either of these common misalignments tugs unnaturally on your abdominal and back muscles. Work to find a neutral spine as you move throughout your day.
If there is one thing to remember, both for the immediate postpartum period and the rest of your life is EXHALE ON EXERTION. By exhaling whenever you stand, lift, push, or move any force, you decrease intra-abdominal pressure. With less pressure in the abdomen, there is less pressure on the pelvic floor.
Exhale on exertion should be the battle cry for all postpartum women who aren’t interested in having stress incontinence for the rest of their lives.
As such, lifting and bending (usually with “load” in the form of baby) movements must be mindfully done. Avoid torquing the back or knees as you lift and twist. Simple movements like going from the bed to standing require a little extra motor planning. Break this movement pattern down into multiple parts (roll to your side, swing feet off of bed as you sit up, stand) so that you can breathe intentionally as you move.
Other factors when considering a postpartum exercise plan
Know also that the timing of exercise vis-à-vis feeding schedule may change taste of breastmilk. Some babies react to this change more than others. Be aware that the I exclusively nursed all three of my kids, but it did take a little extra thought as to the timing of when I would work out. It was worth the extra effort—for all of us.
If you experience an increase of lochia flow or change from pink/brown to bright red, this is a clear indication that exercise intensity is too high. Back off! To be safe, inform your care provider so s/he can give you more specific direction about how to proceed.
Another “red flag” that indicate you are trying to do too much too soon is if your workout leaves you more tired than before you started. Your postpartum exercise plan should leave you feeling energized and more connected to your new mom body. If you’re feeling wiped out, then you’re doing too much.
Ready for more?
Have you answered the question “When can I start working out after giving birth” with NOW!?! If you’re looking for some guidance for “tummy-safe” at-home fitness workouts, I recommend Fit2B. Beth Learn has created a suite of workouts and programs especially designed for new moms (and not so new moms!). Each exercise and workout is carefully chosen so that it helps to build your body up. Creating strong, resilient mamas is the goal.
