Is it possible to exercise after pregnancy and childbirth?

Once the baby is born, in the postpartum period, it is common to have questions about the baby's care, but also related to the woman's own care and recovery after pregnancy and childbirth.

Among these doubts, and especially if the woman already practiced sports before pregnancy and has been active during pregnancy, it is quite common to find out when and how to resume physical activity after the birth of the baby.

However, an assessment by your gynecologist and a pelvic floor physiotherapist will be important to exercise safely after pregnancy.

When and how to start exercising postpartum?

After giving birth, a period known as puerperium begins during which the woman's body returns to its pre-pregnancy state. This period covers about 6 weeks if the delivery was vaginal (about 8 weeks if by cesarean section). The end of the puerperium will mark changes in the physical activity that the woman can perform.

Physical activity during the postpartum period

The pelvic floor and abdominal muscles are recovering in the postpartum period from the stress they have undergone during pregnancy and childbirth. Therefore, these first 6-8 weeks postpartum should be a period of some rest in which the body should be allowed to rest and physical activity should be avoided, as the pelvic floor and abdomen are weakened.

However, even if physical activity per se is avoided, rest during the puerperium should be active rest. The woman can perform her daily routines at home and with her baby, and even add some mobility exercises focused on the upper half of the body.

What to do during the puerperium?

When the puerperium and the woman's recovery have progressed a little further, about two weeks after delivery, you can also start taking some walks with the baby in his stroller. These walks should be brief and stopping when necessary, without forcing, since they are not performed as a sport, but as a distraction and to move around a little. Also, at this point, perhaps the midwife has given guidelines to start some exercises to activate the pelvic floor.

Physical activity after the puerperium

When the puerperium is over, that is, at 6-8 weeks postpartum (depending on whether the delivery was vaginal or by cesarean section), before doing any other type of physical activity it is essential that the woman first begins with the practice of exercises to fully recover her abdomen and pelvic floor.

This recovery may require more or less time depending on the particular situation of each woman (her physical condition before and during pregnancy, how the birth was...) and should always be done to avoid possible problems such as urinary or fecal incontinence.

Ideally, this pelvic floor and abdominal recovery work after childbirth should be started with the authorization of the gynecologist and after an assessment by a physical therapist specialized in postpartum. Thus, this specialist will be able to adapt the recovery exercises to the woman's needs (condition of the pelvic floor, if there is abdominal diastasis...).

Beginning exercise after childbirth

Subsequently, once the condition of the pelvic floor and abdomen allows it, the woman may decide to gradually introduce other exercises to resume or gradually start practicing sports in a normal way.

Benefits of exercise after childbirth

Regular moderate exercise is always beneficial. However, after giving birth, physical activity guided by a professional and initially aimed at recovering the pelvic floor and abdomen, has many benefits for women in the postpartum period. These include the following:

• It cares for cardiovascular health and improves blood circulation to prevent the formation of blood clots.
• It keeps women in good physical shape and strengthens the muscles that may have been most affected by pregnancy and childbirth.
• It avoids possible postpartum urine leakage if the pelvic floor recovers properly.
• It favors weight loss and avoids retaining the weight gained during pregnancy.
• It provides a feeling of vitality and the woman is more active and energetic.
• Relieves possible back and leg discomfort after the overload caused by pregnancy.
• It helps to rest better and to have a better quality of sleep.
• It improves mood, reduces stress and helps prevent postpartum depression and reduce its symptoms.

Benefits of including exercise in recovery after childbirth

Therefore, sport in the postpartum period offers many benefits for women on a physical level, but also in the psychological aspect and in their emotional well-being. However, in order for recovery to be correct and safe, the guidelines of a postpartum exercise professional should be followed.

Recommendations

To start exercising after pregnancy, or to resume it if the woman was already exercising, it is important to take into account some tips. Among them are:

• Obtain authorization from the gynecologist.
• Previously go to a postpartum physiotherapist for an assessment. In this way, he will be able to prescribe the appropriate exercises for the correct recovery of the pelvic floor and abdomen, according to the specific situation of the woman. It is essential to recover the pelvic floor and abdomen after childbirth before starting any other physical activity.
• Start gradually to practice the desired physical exercise, once the pelvic floor and abdomen have recovered, and progressively increase the intensity and duration, without overloading.
• Hydrate properly during exercise, but also throughout the day and especially while breastfeeding.
• Use a bra that allows the breast to be well supported.
• Seek motivation not to give up this habit, for example, by attending group exercise classes after pregnancy.

Tips for initiating exercise in the postpartum period

When the baby is born, parents will need some time to adjust to their new routine, which includes newborn care. However, postpartum exercise is very important and necessary for the woman's own care and recovery and, therefore, should also be included in this new routine.

Undoubtedly, it will be easier if you have the help of your partner and family members and with a good organization. In addition, certain exercises can be done at home with the baby at the side or in postpartum classes that allow the little ones to come with mom.

FAQs from users

When can you exercise after a multiple birth?

After a multiple birth, the pelvic floor and abdomen may be even weaker than after a single birth.

Therefore, it is even more important to have a gynecological check-up and an assessment by a physiotherapist specialized in postpartum to guide the woman in performing pelvic floor and abdominal exercises until full recovery.

Once the pelvic floor and abdomen have recovered, which may take a variable amount of time depending on the woman's particular situation, normal exercise can be gradually resumed.

Is it possible to do sit-ups to regain your figure after childbirth?

After childbirth, women may wonder when they will be able to regain their pre-pregnancy figure and how they should go about it.

However, before doing any type of exercise, a gynecological assessment and an evaluation by a physiotherapist specializing in postpartum should be done. The reason is that, after pregnancy and childbirth, the abdomen and pelvic floor of women are weakened by overexertion and must first perform exercises focused on their recovery.

The physiotherapist specialized in postpartum can guide this recovery of the pelvic floor and abdomen of the woman, scheduling the exercises adapted to her particular situation. The typical abdominal crunches would not be indicated, being a better option the hypopressive abdominals always guided by this physiotherapist to perform the recovery safely.

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