After your baby arrives, almost all of your time and attention goes to your newborn, leaving little room for yourself. Rest is also really important during this period. But after a while, you'll probably want to feel a bit fitter again - and exercise can help with that. So when can you actually start again?
Easing back into exercise after birth
Resting in the first few days after birth matters: don't put strain on your pelvic floor too soon, as this raises the risk of issues like incontinence. Pelvic floor training does matter, but should happen gradually and without too much force - this helps lower the risk of prolapse or incontinence. From the first week after birth, you can carefully start with gentle abdominal exercises in bed, and gently build up light pelvic floor exercises. Always listen closely to your body while doing this. Had a difficult birth - for example due to an unusual position of your baby, or an episiotomy or tear? Your recovery may take a bit longer, and it's wise to rest a little longer too. So always ease back into exercise gradually.
Tips for pelvic floor training
Start pelvic floor training by focusing on feeling and control, not strength - it's about control, not squeezing as hard as possible. A few tips:
- Engage your pelvic floor in different positions: lying down, sitting, and standing.
- Only engage your pelvic floor, not your stomach or glutes.
- While holding the engagement, you can tilt your pelvis: backwards by rounding your back, forwards by arching it.
- Take enough time to relax after the exercises.
- Never do these exercises while walking or urinating - doing them while urinating can cause a bladder infection.
Tips for training your abs
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the mattress. Draw in your belly button and lower abdomen, and hold briefly.
- Ready for more? In the same position, engage your transverse abdominal muscle and pelvic floor. Breathe out as you reach a hand towards your knee and lift your head slightly. Alternate hands each time.
Getting back to intense exercise
After a vaginal birth, it's recommended to wait until 6 weeks before resuming intense exercise; after a caesarean, that's usually 8 weeks. Always get the go-ahead from your midwife or gynaecologist first, and discuss which sport is best to start with. Some activities, like running, are best postponed a little longer, while pilates and yoga can often resume after 6 to 8 weeks. Intense exercise is best picked back up under professional guidance - there are specific programmes designed to help you get fully back into shape.
The single most important thing in this whole process: listen closely to your body. Build up gradually, and avoid overloading your muscles - that's how you prevent problems.
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