New moms often face the challenge of caring for their babies and themselves when they first come home. One factor that makes getting back into shape even more difficult is that postpartum workouts differ from the traditional fitness program you did before getting pregnant. Your body has gone through a dramatic change. The pelvic floor muscles are weak, and there are issues with pelvic stability. If you’ve exercised throughout your pregnancy and had a natural delivery, you can start sooner but always check with your healthcare professional before starting your fitness program.
Start slowly by walking.
Low-impact exercise like walking can help you build endurance and strength. It increases circulation to improve healing and builds stamina. Even if you exercised before and during pregnancy, take it easy initially. If you choose walking as your exercise, don’t try to do it for an hour. Start slowly and continue until you get tired. If it’s only five to ten minutes, that’s not a problem. Don’t push yourself. You can start doing Kegel exercises to help rebuild the pelvic floor about three weeks after giving birth. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises strengthen the abdominal muscles, and you can start them early.
Doctors often give the green light to start six weeks after giving birth.
If you’ve already been walking, it’s time to do mild core exercises and stretches. If you haven’t, it’s time to start a low-impact exercise. You may have noticed you’re getting stronger. It comes from giving your arms a consistent workout by lifting the baby. You’re probably ready for other low-impact exercises like riding a stationary bike, swimming, and doing yoga or tai chi. Many yoga poses can help build abdominal muscles, such as the cow-cat combination or the bridge. If you were active before giving birth, consider poses like the plank.
Building core strength should be a top priority.
If you’ve been doing mild exercise for 30 minutes daily, even if you have to break it into two sessions, it’s time to start working on core strength. You may have been doing the cat-cow yoga pose and the plank. You can add to them to build core strength. Use a stability ball to do bird-dog holds or glute bridges. Avoid jumping exercises and other high-impact ones initially.
- You can add bodyweight and strength training exercises to your workout, alternating between days you’ll walk. Include push-ups, squats, lunges, and weight lifting with light dumbbells.
- You can judge when you’re ready for more vigorous exercise like HIIT. Usually, it’s at about the twelve-week mark. Consistency is a priority no matter what exercise you’re doing. Always listen to your body to know how much to push.
- If you’re doing weight training, wait six weeks to start. Focus on repetitions rather than on weight. If you haven’t already started, work on your posture. Pregnancy changes your center of gravity and your posture.
- Exercise does more than build strength and endurance. It improves circulation, helps tighten your skin, enhances skin’s elasticity, and aids weight loss. It helps relieve stress.
For more information, contact us today at Egan’s Bootcamp & Personal Training!