Some women are champing at the bit to get back to their pre pregnancy shape as soon as possible after giving birth. It doesn’t help that we see images of the Hollywood Celebrities back into their glamazon size zero clothes in a matter of weeks after having babies! The reality is, it took nine months to put the weight on in the first place, it will more than likely take that long to get it off.

The postpartum period can be an exciting, exhausting, rewarding and emotional time. If you’re a keen exerciser balancing the urge to workout with diminished energy levels can be a real challenge at times. The most important thing is to ease your way back into an exercise routine, allow yourself plenty of rest and listen to your body.

Generally if you have exercised prior and throughout your pregnancy, and you had a normal vaginal delivery you can safely resume light activity days after giving birth. If you are craving some sort of activity during this early post partum period keep it gentle and low on impact with walking, light resistance work or soft stretching all great options. Even if you had a straightforward birth you may not feel like any activity at all – an uncomplicated delivery can still leave you feeling battered and bruised weeks after!

If you had medical intervention during your birth, it is a good idea to wait until your six week check up with your GP before you start a structured exercise routine. You may find that you regain strength quickly, in which case follow the gentle activity guidelines mentioned above, but again stressing the importance of a gradual and slow return to exercise and listening to your body.

If you had a Caesarean delivery, generally you can expect to wait six to eight weeks before being able to start exercising again. A Caesarean is a major operation that requires an incision along your abdomen, and doing too much too soon can not only slow down the healing process but could also result in internal damage.

Predictably, one of the most common areas of concern for post partum women is the tummy. Pelvic Tilts and Kegel exercises can be performed within the first few days after giving birth and are recommended as they will speed up healing and increase blood flow to the pelvic area. Additional care is needed when looking to reintroduce more traditional abdominal exercises such as crunches / sit ups into your routine.

During pregnancy most women develop a separation between their abdominal muscles to cater for the growing baby. After giving birth, it can take between four to eight weeks for this gap to close. Any isolated abdominal exercise performed before this gap is closed can cause further injury to these muscles, so it is important to ensure your tummy is ready before incorporating these into your routine. To check this:

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent.
• Place your index and middle finger just above your belly button with finger tips pointed towards your face.
• Slowly lift your head and shoulders off the floor and begin to perform a standard sit up. This action will make your abdominal muscles tighten, and you should be able to feel the gap where the muscles have separated.
• If the gap is less than two finger widths apart, sit ups and crunches can be slowly reintroduced back into your exercise routine.
• If the gap is three or more finger widths apart, it is recommended to continue with pelvic tilt or leg slide exercises to strengthen the muscles and minimise the gap.

Click here for step by step instructions on how to perform all of the post partum abdominal exercises mentioned above.

When you do return to exercise remember that your joints and ligaments will still be loose for another three to six months. Reduce your range of motion when performing resistance work and be cautious when returning to high impact activity such as running and aerobics. Exercising with a Registered Exercise Professional / Gym Facility who specialises in Post Partum health – or offers Post Partum classes - would be a recommended place to start.

Artilce written by Sovita Corkin, Personal Trainer
 

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