The Do’s and Don’ts of Postpartum Exercise
When I was pregnant with my first born, I was not only counting down the days until I met her. I was also counting down the days until I would be able to run again.
Even with all my years of experience as a professional athlete, returning to exercise as a new Mum was intimidating. Our bodies change so much during pregnancy, it can almost feel like you are learning to walk again.
I can see all the mistakes I made rushing to get back into exercise. Pushing my body to do things before it was ready led to injury, incontinence and a level of exhaustion I never thought was possible..
The Do’s and Don’ts of Postpartum Exercise
Do – Get Support
Support can come in many different forms. I always recommend new Mums get support from a Women’s Health Physio before returning to exercise. A good physio will give you a personalised assessment so you are aware of any exercises you should do / avoid.
Not sure if you have stomach separation or pelvic organ prolapse? A physio will let you know and will help you to work out a plan to heal these common post-birth issues.
Don’t – Rush Back to the Gym
Having a baby is a huge achievement. Your body needs time to recover.
You are simply not meant to pop out a baby and be back in the gym the following day, or even the following month. In addition, most boot-camp exercises aren’t designed for new Mums. Some exercises like squat jumps, planks or burpees can make stomach separation, incontinence and prolapse symptoms worse.
In the months after you give birth, your body is doing huge amounts of work to recover and tone. It is a time to respect your body and embrace the changes that are happening.
You will be in a much better position to build your fitness and strength if you allow your body a chance to fully recover.
I’m definitely not saying that you will never get back there. Just take your time allowing your body to recover as you strengthen it.
Try this instead
Allow yourself at least 3 months to build your inner strength and fitness. Try out the Empowered Motherhood Program for expert led workouts to help you to heal your body whilst doing high quality postnatal workouts from home.
Do – Focus on Inner Strength
After nine months of your belly stretching, it is normal to have little or no core strength. You may even have stomach separation, a weakened pelvic floor or incontinence.
One of the most empowering things you can do is strengthen your body from the inside out. Having a strong pelvic floor and core will help you to build your inner strength and resolve, and are the foundations of your fitness and strength.
Start strengthening and toning your deep core muscles with post-natal specific exercises. The best way to do this is to see a Physiotherapist specialising in Women’s Health who will show you how to correctly engage both your core and pelvic floor.
One great tip that worked for me was to do my pelvic floor and core exercises when I was waiting in line or stuck in traffic! I had a range of simple exercises that I would do, but the easiest one was simply drawing my belly button back towards my spine and holding whilst maintaining a normal breath. It’s all about consistency, so using any spare moments to bring awareness back to your pelvic floor and core can make a huge difference. This is especially true in the early days
Don’t – Crunches and Planks
Just like when you were pregnant, avoid any crunching or twisting movements whilst you are recovering from birth. Crunches can not only be bad for your pelvic floor in those early postpartum days, but they are also bad for stomach separation.
If you have stomach separation swap these exercises for the ones above.
Sit Ups and Crunches
Planks and Chatarunga in Yoga
Russian Twists and Bicycles.
DO – Focus on the Positives
It can be frustrating when your body can’t do all the things that it used to do. Trust me, I’ve been there. At 8 months postpartum, I still rolled out of bed because I didn’t have the core control to sit up.
But what I have learnt is to stop looking back at what I used to be able to do and shift your focus to how well you are doing now. Focus on celebrating each small improvement that you are making. Work towards feeling a little stronger and a little healthier each day. Before you know it, you will be fitter and stronger than ever!
When I had my second daughter I would catch myself pinching the fat on my belly. I knew that this wasn’t a healthy habit so each time I found myself talking negatively, I would flip the thought around and say to myself: “I am beautiful, fit and strong”. This mantra helped me to get out of a negative headspace and really focus on how amazing the female body is! To get out of a negative thought pattern, you can use this mantra or any other affirmation or positive thought that makes you feel good.
DON’T – Do What You’ve Always Done
Don’t feel pressured to return to the same exercise you have always done. You have changed. Your body has changed. Honour that change and do what makes you feel good. I tried so hard to do the same exercise that I used to do before I had my daughters and I felt like crap. When I finally gave in and did what felt good, it was the biggest relief.
There are so many amazing forms of post-natal exercise. Find the type of exercise that makes you feel good and go with it. I used to hate any slow form of exercise before I had a baby! I was all about boot camp and running. But after I had my daughters, I fell in love with Barre and Yoga. Now I incorporate these types of movements into almost every workout I do.