EXERCISE AFTER HAVING A BABY - 4 THINGS TO KNOW

Many new moms look forward to returning to an active life, despite the new responsibilities. A common question they have is when they can start exercising again, so they can regain strength and rebuild some energy. The body undergoes many changes during and after pregnancy, which take time to heal and for the body to adjust to its new form.  

Before you start any kind of physical exercise or activity post-pregnancy, keep these 4 points in mind: 

1 - Post-Pregnancy Exercise Timeline 

If you have had a normal vaginal delivery and have exercised all through your pregnancy, you can safely do some light exercise like walking, stretching, yoga, modified push-ups, within a few weeks after delivery.  

In case of a C-section, check with your gynaecologist before you begin exercising. The C-section incision takes several weeks to heal and may hurt during workouts. Hence it is best to avoid workouts for at least 8-10 weeks. Light aerobic exercises like walking at a slow pace is encouraged since it promotes healing and helps prevent complications. 

2 - Take it Slow 

Just don’t overdo it. Too much exercise too soon can cause unnecessary and unwanted complications. Your efforts to get energized may have you end up feeling exhausted, and you may experience muscle and joint soreness and when you first start exercising again. Start with a light exercise for 10 minutes a day, slowly increasing the frequency and intensity as the weeks progress. Go slow and pick up pace as you feel more confident. 

3 - Don’t Forget your Kegels 

Pregnancy and childbirth can weaken your pelvic floor muscles, causing uncomfortable pelvic pressure and unwanted urine leakage. Kegels are the most effective way to tone the right muscles back into shape, focus on strengthening your core abdominal muscles and your pelvic muscles, and you’ll start to regain your strength. 

4 - Postpartum Exercises 

Knowing the right kind of exercises for the post-delivery period is also important. Here are a few mommy-approved classes that you can start with. 

Gentle flow yoga is a type of gentle yoga which helps you relax with an easy, satisfying workout. It starts with fundamental yoga poses followed by a carefully curated sequences of poses with transitions to different poses. This makes you feel like you literally are flowing through your flow yoga class. Gentle flow yoga helps you build stability, while releasing your stress and tension and makes you feel completely relaxed. Breathing techniques combined with easy poses, helps you create a sense of a rejuvenated union between your mind and body. Restore your physical and mental balance with the help of gentle flow yoga. 

Core flow yoga is a combination of short and to the point yoga poses to help fire up your core. Work your core from the front, back and the sides using different yoga poses like boat pose, locust pose, and side plank. Core strengthening helps you to get fitter and makes you feel energized and rejuvenated. 

Pregnancy is not an easy change and along with physical changes, there are many other emotional and mental changes as well. Do not think of the number of exercises or the amount of time that you are exercising for. Your only aim should be to feel good after exercising and feel energized to be able to enjoy motherhood with your little one. 

In case of any pain or discomfort, stop exercising and consult your gynaecologist.