When Can I Start Exercising Again?
Its a good question and in all honesty, not a one size fits all answer. Whilst there is a general guideline of 6 weeks for an uncomplicated, vaginal delivery you might not be quite ready then. If you had a C Section delivery, you might want to wait until nearer the 8-12 week mark. If your delivery didn’t quite go to plan, you may want to wait even longer.
And that’s OK. Give yourself permission to heal, to take it slow and at YOUR pace. To focus on breathing and connecting with your core and pelvic floor. Focus on posture, ribs stacked on top of hips, encouraging your bottom back into a neutral position. Focus on walking and getting out and about with the buggy; putting the Travel system together can be a workout in itself! and pushing the buggy along with a toddler on the buggy board is a whole different ball game!
On the flip side you might be chomping at the bit to get back into it. We say 6-12 weeks for good reason though. Before then, your pelvis, joints and yes, your pelvic floor are unlikely to have the stability to withstand anything more active than a walk. Going too hard too soon can leave you open to injury. And you definitely don’t want that happening whilst you have a tiny baby to look after.
Here are some things to be mindful of;
Your body is full of the hormone relaxin. Practically, this means that your joints will be slightly looser than normal so whitest you might be able to stretch further than normal, this leaves you open to instability and injury
Your pelvic floor may lack the strength needed for normal day to day function let alone exercise. Growing your baby and childbirth put this small group of muscles under great pressure. If you’ve had an assisted delivery, episiotomy or tear then this can cause further trauma. Take some time to build strength and help repair weakness before moving on to physical activity such as weights. And maybe leave jumping on the trampoline to the toddlers for now. It doesn’t mean you’ll never do it, just take time.
If you’ve had a C Section dont do anything that causes your scar to ache or hurt. Whilst the superficial, outer layer of your scar may have healed, it’s hard to know what’s going on in the deeper layers. Take time to gently build your core strength to aid recovery.
Before 6 weeks you are at risk of haemorrhage if you do too much. Take it steady. Get out in the fresh air and walk, focus on pelvic floor and breathing correctly. You’ll soon feel ready to take it further, safely.
More intense activity like running should be approached slowly. Don’t go out and run a 10k the moment you’ve had your 6 week check (if you have one!). Build up slowly and gradually.
Cuddle your baby, drink lots of water, take time to recover. Its hard not to compare when your friend appears to look exactly the same as she did before pregnancy. No one is the same and your postnatal fitness needs to be tailored to how you are feeling and recovering. When you’re fit and ready to exercise and get those happy hormones flowing come and join the Tribe.
In the meantime there are lots of things you can do to get yourself ready for a postnatal exercise class. Take a look at the Early Days Stretch and Mobilisation Session in the workout area and the Week by Week Guide with videos.