There are so many benefits from taking part in physical activity in the postnatal period, some of which include:
- Faster postnatal recovery
- Relieves stress and may reduce the risk of postnatal depression
- Helps to strengthen and tone abdominal muscles and slow bone loss during lactation
- Helps with sleep, general mood and energy levels
- Also helps the return to normal weight providing you with confidence
As well as all of the above, I have found that it is also great for your little ones to see you being active and incorporting them into the activity you are doing. My little one is 2 and is awesome at burpees. When she has too much energy before bed I ask her to do 10 for me. She quite happily smashes them out!
Postnatal exercise concerns
I know how hard it can feel to fit exercise in after giving birth. Your whole world has changed with the arrival of your little one. You are just adjusting to this new routine and I am sure exercise is low on the list. However, I feel it is so important for your own health and well being.
Some concerns you may have are:
- Lack of time
- Feeling absolutely knackered and having no energy
- Unsure about what exercises are actually best to do
- Then of course you have your little one to work around
There are ways you can overcome these concerns. You can have shorter workout routines/mini sessions which might just be a 10 minute blast. That way, you can fit in when your little one is having their own tummy time. You can allow for more rest periods if doing longer circuits. Of course you don’t need to workout everyday so if you are feeling tired, rest. The inital period after giving birth is a tough one so don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
If you want to start exercising but are unsure of what exercises are best, maybe get in touch with a personal trainer for a sessions or 2 to get you started. Or if you are a member of a gym, ask the staff. If you are thinking of joining a gym, you may want to look for one that has a childcare facility. Especially if like me, you have no family nearby that can look after the little one for you whilst you go and workout.
Just thinking about these little things can take away those concerns and give you a fresh outlook for how to start working out in this postnatal period.
When to start exercising after giving birth?
As I said earlier, just start increasing the intensity with your exercise routine, you should wait until you have been signed off by a medial professional after your 6-week check-up. If you have had a complicated birth or a ceasearean, you may find you need to wait longer.
What activities to start with?
Walking is a great activity you can start from the get go. Start off slowly and build up to longer walks. Just getting out for 10 minutes initally might be enough. Going with the pram is also great as it gives you that extra bit of resistance. I was a fan of wraps and carriers so having that extra weight to carry was great for me. Find what works for you.
Walking was great for me as I didn’t have any family near by to help out with looking after my little one. I had to incorporate her into everything I did. For the first 5 months, she didn’t want to sleep in a moses basket or next to me crib so for that afternoon nap, I put her in a wrap and went out for a 2 hour walk. She slept, I got some exercise, could listen to some music or a podcast or phone someone and of course we both got some fresh air. This became a great routine for us and for the first year we pretty much did this most days of the week.
Once you have been signed off for exercise, it is important to work on those pelvic tilt exercises and to start incorporating them into your routine. I will do a separate page on this. Also starting some bodyweight training and working up to those strength training exercises is great. Use your little one, they are a great weight which add a natural progression as they put weight on. Just don’t throw them around after they have been fed!
Doing things like squats, chest presses etc keeps them happy. And of course if you are in to running, getting a running pram is great. Once the little one can sit up properly, you can start running with them. For me that was when she was about 6 months. This was a great activity for working on some cardio. As my little one got older, we used to do a 10km run which had lots of parks on the route. So we would run to one park, have a little play, run to the next etc. So she wasn’t just sat in the pram the whole time but was having some fun too. As she got older, we swapped to taking the bike.
Conclusion
I know it is hard to fit in exercise when you have a little one but you can get creative and have fun. I feel exercise is so important for you in this period and allows you to take some time for yourself. If you are struggling to see how you would fit it in, write out your day and make a plan. Having a routine make it easier.
Also, if you have scheduled coffee catch-ups into your day, you could always swap one of these for coffee to go! Grab a coffee and all go for a walk together! Build a routine that is easy for you to stick too and fits in everything you want to achieve in your day. Sit down on a Sunday evening and plan your week, including meals, as this does make your week easier!
We still regularly use the bike or pram to travel to the numerous toddler classes we go to. So it is great that we have still incorporated this into our general routine and she loves it! It was easy to continue with this as we started from the get go so is still an easy way I get a workout in! Most all, have fun and don’t get too stressed about what workouts you are doing. Just getting in 30 minutes or moferate activity 5 days a week is all you need.
