Exercising after childbirth: 3 postpartum exercises you should consider

Exercising After Childbirth: 3 Postpartum Exercises You Should Consider

Exercising After Childbirth: 3 Postpartum Exercises You Should Consider

Postpartum
Article
Oct 26, 2016
3 mins

Once you’ve given birth, you may begin reminiscing to those simple days before pregnancy.

Once you’ve given birth, you may begin reminiscing to those simple days before pregnancy. When you could wake up for 6am runs and then go for a swim in the evening. While you may be eager to get back into shape with some exercising after childbirth, your body may not be ready. Your body may still be recovering from giving birth to your child and you wouldn’t want to be running like Usain Bolt or swimming like Michael Phelps. Having said that, here are some safe and easy exercises to ease you back into working out.

Kegel exercises

These exercises may be familiar to you if you were doing them during pregnancy. Also known as a pelvic floor exercise, the movement consists of contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles. How does it help? Well, after giving birth, your pelvic floor muscles can be weaker than they used to be, which can lead to urinary incontinence. They may also help speed up the healing after a tear during childbirth. In short, they’ll help you avoid adult diapers in the future.

Here’s how you can do Kegel exercises:

  1. Find your pelvic floor muscles. Pretend you’re trying to hold in your urine flow. It’s similar to a feeling of squeezing. Those muscles you’re feeling are the pelvic floor muscles.
  2. Contract and release. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, and hold it for about five seconds. Then, relax for five seconds and try again. Try it for about four to five times in a row. The long term goal is ten seconds. Make sure it’s only those muscles and not your tummy or your butt.
  3. Repeat at least three times a day, so you can build those muscles.


Pelvic tilts

Exercising after childbirth shouldn’t be too difficult. Pelvic tilts are super easy to do, and they are another great postpartum exercise for your abs. Of course, they won’t give you the six pack abs of a bodybuilder, if that’s what you want. They’re just to help you strengthen your abdominal muscles and help you slowly recover from childbirth.

Try this:

  1. Lie on the floor, bend your knees so your feet are on the floor. Put your hands behind your head.
  2. Hold your back against the floor and tilt your hips to raise your butt very slightly.
  3. Hold the position for about a few seconds, and slowly move your hips back to their original position.


Flexibility exercises

As part of exercising after childbirth, you can also perform stretches to get your flexibility back. Try the following:

  1. Leg sliding. Lie down on the floor with one knee bent. Slide the heel of the straight leg up to your butt while keeping the help in the floor. Remember to keep your back flat. Repeat up to five times for each leg.
  2. Ankle circles. Simply rotate your ankles in clockwise circles for about ten times, and then anti-clockwise for about ten times. Repeat with each leg three to five times.

Once you feel up to it, go for low impact exercises like walking, yoga, or cycling. Avoid high impact postpartum exercises like running or sprinting. Swimming is a no-no if you still have vagina discharge. And if you notice your lochia colour changing to pink or red, or if it starts flowing again after it’s stopped a while, then you may doing too much. Speak to your healthcare professional for advice.

Exercising after childbirth can be great in helping you get that energy back, and losing a few kilos. Just be sure to start off slow, safe and easy, and have fun while you’re at it!

 

Related articles

View details Signs of Baby blues vs postpartum depression
Article
Signs of Baby blues vs postpartum depression

Signs of Baby blues vs postpartum depression

Wondering how to know if I have postnatal depression? You’ve just birthed a human, your whole has been turned upside down, and you haven’t slept for what feels like an age.

5 mins to read

View details C-sections: What you need to consider
Article
C-sections: What you need to consider

C-sections: What you need to consider

How you bring your junior into the world is a very personal decision, with different factors at play. Here are a few things to consider about an elective caesarean, also known as a C-section.

2 mins to read

View details Postpartum Body Changes: What Causes My Breast Pains?
Article
Mother holding her breast in pain, one of her postpartum body changes

Postpartum Body Changes: What Causes My Breast Pains?

Postpartum body changes can be a pain in the breasts, literally.

Danial Ahmad, Author

3 mins to read

View details C-section recovery: Things to think about
Article
167289239_xl

C-section recovery: Things to think about

As with any surgery, C-section recovery takes time and self-care. Here are some things to have in mind to help you heal, from C-section recovery time to cleaning C-section incisions.

2 mins to read

View details Postpartum Complications: Conditions that Affect You After Birth
Article
Postpartum complications: conditions that affect you after birth

Postpartum Complications: Conditions that Affect You After Birth

After your child is born, your body is on an ongoing quest to recover and adapt into a superhuman that’ll save the world.

3 mins to read

View details How to Get Relief from Postpartum Back Pain
Article
How to get relief from postpartum back pain

How to Get Relief from Postpartum Back Pain

Back pain would have become quite familiar to you after nine months of pregnancy.

Danial Ahmad, Author

3 mins to read

View details Is Your Little One Vomitting? Learn Why and How to Handle It
Article
Is your baby vomitting? learn why and how to handle it

Is Your Little One Vomitting? Learn Why and How to Handle It

In general, little one vomiting will freak you and your partner out.

Danial Ahmad, Author

4 mins to read

View details Understanding Mastitis
Article
understanding-mastitis-1

Understanding Mastitis

Don’t let mastitis affecting your enjoyment as a mother.

Danial Ahmad, Author

3 mins to read

View details Need some space from visitors during postnatal?
Article
How to handle visitors after giving birth

Need some space from visitors during postnatal?

If you’re an overwhelmed mom or dad with too many visitors, don’t panic. Here’s our top five tips on how to handle visitors after giving birth, giving you time to bond with your little one.

2 mins to read

View details Allergies — what you need to know
Article
Baby allergies_01_EXPLORE_Allergies what you need to know

Allergies — what you need to know

Did you know? Milk protein is one of the most common allergens affecting children during their early childhood life.

Danial Ahmad, Author

2 mins to read

Join

  Join

Here’s where you’ll find everything you need to make the best of those first 1,000 days of parenthood… TOGETHER.

icon paper

Content for you

Enjoy personalised content, parenting tips, latest product updates and promotions.

icon faq

Tips & Advices

Need nutritional advice? Speak to our nutrition experts.

icon box

Free Samples

Request a sample and try our products today!

icon calendar

Tools

Try our tailored practical tools to guide you through the parenting journey.