15 Postpartum Exercises You MUST Know After Giving Birth

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15 Postpartum Exercises You MUST Know After Giving Birth

By Inventive Minds Kidz Academy

Added Tue, Jul 07 2020

By Inventive Minds Kidz Academy

Added Tue, Jul 07 2020

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Once you are postpartum, you are always postpartum. But, that does not mean that your exercise habits will always have to reflect those as postpartum recommendations. Typically, the following Dos and Don’ts are geared towards women in their first year of recovery from childbirth.

There is a LOT of information out there about regarding postpartum women and exercise. Should you exercise at all? Should wait 6 weeks? Should never do a sit up again? etc... All of it can be quite confusing. But the truth is one of the reasons why the enormity of info is because it really is not a one size fits all approach.

As a Certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer who specializes in working with postpartum women, I have seen women who are so afraid to start exercising after giving birth for fear of injuring themselves because of all the info floating around on the internet and in mom groups about diastasis recti or incontinence. On the other hand, some moms are completely unaware that they should be treating their exercise regime differently following childbirth.

So, I am here to hopefully clarify some of the common Dos and Don’ts when it comes to exercise after having a baby. 1. DO wait 6 weeks before starting any sort of strenuous exercise. DON’T follow celebrities on Instagram who are back to their pre-baby activities only a few short months after giving birth.

DO start your deep core breathing in the first few weeks following child birth.

DON’T stress yourself out if you haven’t done a single kegel and your baby is now 1 year old.
DO seek professional help from a qualified person or practitioner such as a personal trainer who has done additional training in postpartum exercise (such as myself) and/or a pelvic floor physiotherapist. DON’T ignore things like leaking urine and low back pain. I hear it ALL the time. Women just think it is normal to leak a bit of urine when they sneeze or jump once they have had a baby. It may be common, but it is not normal and is a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction.
DO track your progress. It is very important to know your starting point. Since the changes in your body will be/should be gradual, you may not realize how much weight you are losing or how much stronger you are getting if you do not take measurements at the starting point. In addition to the scale and anthropometric measurements, I love taking pictures!! Often times you may not see much movement on the scale, but that does not mean that you are not getting stronger and losing fat in some places while gaining muscle in other. By taking pictures of your progress along your postpartum fitness journey you will be able to clearly see the changes your body is going through.
DON’T compare yourself to other women. Every single postpartum woman is on her own journey. Whenever I am teaching a group of moms together one of the very first things I say is to never look at the person next to you and think that you should be doing what she is. I can never stress it enough that you have to listen to your own body and know your own limits. That does not mean that you can’t push yourself your of your comfort zone, but you do have to remember that your comfort zone will be different than the persons next to you or the women you see on social media.
DO listen to your body. I am sure you have hear ‘listen to your gut’ before. Well it is true!! If something doesn’t feel quite right then don’t do it. Seek help. Ask for modifications. It does not mean that you can never exercise again, you just have to do what is appropriate for your individual postpartum body.

DON’T do something that doesn’t feel right, even if it is something you ‘should’ be able to do. When search online for postpartum exercises, there are many out there that are deemed ‘safe’ for postpartum women. But NO exercise should ever take a one size fits all approach. Even if the exercise is coming for a fitness or healthcare professional, if something feels off let them know! By being open and honest with your symptoms you can get the correct exercises, postures and modifications that are suitable for YOU!
DO adapt to your new surroundings. Now that you have a little one in tow, it might be a great time to find a local Mommy and Baby fitness class. I can’t wait to start teaching my Mommy & Me Fitness classes again in person. For now, I will stick to my online fitness classes through my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/jillfrankshealth).

DON’T start from right where you left off. Manage your expectations during your pregnancy so that you know what to expect after you give birth. Know that your body is not going to be the same. Your energy level is not going to be the same. Your motivation for exercising is certainly not going to be the same. But that is all OK. As long as you are true with yourself and know that you aren’t going to be running a marathon a month after the little one is born then you can relieve some of the burden to return to exercise following childbirth.
DO drink plenty of water, especially if you are breastfeeding. Even if you don’t feel thirsty – DRINK!!

DON’T be afraid to drink too much water in fear of having to go pee all the time. It is going to happen. You will have to pee – a lot. That’s okay. As long as you continue to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles the urge to urinate will become less frequent and you will eventually be able to return to jumping jacks without letting out a little urine.
DO increase intensity as you progress. This is where it is important to seek professional help. Even though you may be feeling good and the pelvic floor exercises you are doing seem ‘too easy’, this is such a crucial time to exercise properly and increase your load and frequency at a rate that is right for you.
DON’T increase impact too quickly. You can still have a great high intensity without the impact. Almost any exercise can be regressed to lower the impact while still keeping your heart rate up and ensuring you are getting in a great workout.
DO stay active by doing any activity like going for a stroller walk or gentle yoga. This is a time to enjoy your baby and find new activities.

DON’T think that if you can’t run or jump are aren’t getting enough exercise. Just because you may not be breaking out in a sweat or your muscles may not be super sore the next day doesn’t mean that you have not had a great workout. A lot of the work and repair needs to first come from the deep inner core and pelvic floor muscles…. Probably from some muscles you didn’t even know you had!!!
DO remember that the hormone relaxin is still in your system making your joints less stable. This is one of the main reasons why it is super important not to push yourself too hard at the beginning. Like everything else, it will take time for your joints to strengthen and regain stability.

DON’T add in too many stability and balance exercises without knowing your limits.
DO find a workout buddy. Having someone to keep you accountable will ensure that both yourself and your partner stay on track. It can also make those times when you just don’t want to get out of bed a lot more enjoyable. Have fun with your workouts. Chat, laugh, give high fives, vent… whatever you need to do to get through it. Many of my workout buddies have often turned into a lifetime friend!
DON’T isolate yourself because you are embarrassed by how you look while exercising. This is why it is so important to find a group of moms to go through this journey with. Once you start to open up about the highs and the lows of motherhood you will be amazed as to how many moms are in the same boat as you. And before long you will forget about hiding your baby weight or stretch marks because finding your tribe and being around other like-minded moms will far outweigh any insecurity about your body!
DO get enough sleep as possible, even if it means taking a nap during the day rather than folding the laundry. Your body recovers while resting and recovery is key to being able to exercise at this time in your life.

DON’T push yourself if you are feeling just too tired to get in your workout. It’s okay to take a rest day, or two or three. Again, listen to your body know and know what you need. If you are too tired to workout but you push yourself to get it in anyways then you might be too tired to look after the baby. And we all need to remember that the main priority these days is to provide proper care for our little one(s).
DO buy yourself a compression garment following a C-section if you feel like you need extra protection for the wound to heal. There are many on the market so do your research and find the one that is right for you.
DON’T wrap the support too tightly thinking it will help flatten your belly. Wrapping too tightly can put undue pressure on your pelvic floor and diaphragm which will in return negate any positive effects from the wrap.
DO remember that exercise during your first 12 months+ postpartum is meant to be a stress-reducing activity.
DON’T sweat the small stuff.
DO know your limits of your current body with the additional weight.
DON’T focus solely on losing the baby weight. While focusing on baby’s milestones, this is also a great time to celebrate your own postpartum fitness milestones. Celebrate the increase in strength, the increase in energy, the fact that you are keeping yourself healthy so that you can in return care for you child(ren).

When in doubt, seek help! I am always available if you have any questions regarding prenatal or postpartum exercise and I would love to hear from you!!

Jill Franks, PhD, PTS - Wholesome Habits Health and Fitness Coaching

Written by Jill Franks, PhD, PTS

DO start your deep core breathing in the first few weeks following child birth.

DON’T stress yourself out if you haven’t done a single kegel and your baby is now 1 year old.
DO seek professional help from a qualified person or practitioner such as a personal trainer who has done additional training in postpartum exercise (such as myself) and/or a pelvic floor physiotherapist. DON’T ignore things like leaking urine and low back pain. I hear it ALL the time. Women just think it is normal to leak a bit of urine when they sneeze or jump once they have had a baby. It may be common, but it is not normal and is a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction.
DO track your progress. It is very important to know your starting point. Since the changes in your body will be/should be gradual, you may not realize how much weight you are losing or how much stronger you are getting if you do not take measurements at the starting point. In addition to the scale and anthropometric measurements, I love taking pictures!! Often times you may not see much movement on the scale, but that does not mean that you are not getting stronger and losing fat in some places while gaining muscle in other. By taking pictures of your progress along your postpartum fitness journey you will be able to clearly see the changes your body is going through.
DON’T compare yourself to other women. Every single postpartum woman is on her own journey. Whenever I am teaching a group of moms together one of the very first things I say is to never look at the person next to you and think that you should be doing what she is. I can never stress it enough that you have to listen to your own body and know your own limits. That does not mean that you can’t push yourself your of your comfort zone, but you do have to remember that your comfort zone will be different than the persons next to you or the women you see on social media.
DO listen to your body. I am sure you have hear ‘listen to your gut’ before. Well it is true!! If something doesn’t feel quite right then don’t do it. Seek help. Ask for modifications. It does not mean that you can never exercise again, you just have to do what is appropriate for your individual postpartum body.

DON’T do something that doesn’t feel right, even if it is something you ‘should’ be able to do. When search online for postpartum exercises, there are many out there that are deemed ‘safe’ for postpartum women. But NO exercise should ever take a one size fits all approach. Even if the exercise is coming for a fitness or healthcare professional, if something feels off let them know! By being open and honest with your symptoms you can get the correct exercises, postures and modifications that are suitable for YOU!
DO adapt to your new surroundings. Now that you have a little one in tow, it might be a great time to find a local Mommy and Baby fitness class. I can’t wait to start teaching my Mommy & Me Fitness classes again in person. For now, I will stick to my online fitness classes through my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/jillfrankshealth).

DON’T start from right where you left off. Manage your expectations during your pregnancy so that you know what to expect after you give birth. Know that your body is not going to be the same. Your energy level is not going to be the same. Your motivation for exercising is certainly not going to be the same. But that is all OK. As long as you are true with yourself and know that you aren’t going to be running a marathon a month after the little one is born then you can relieve some of the burden to return to exercise following childbirth.
DO drink plenty of water, especially if you are breastfeeding. Even if you don’t feel thirsty – DRINK!!

DON’T be afraid to drink too much water in fear of having to go pee all the time. It is going to happen. You will have to pee – a lot. That’s okay. As long as you continue to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles the urge to urinate will become less frequent and you will eventually be able to return to jumping jacks without letting out a little urine.
DO increase intensity as you progress. This is where it is important to seek professional help. Even though you may be feeling good and the pelvic floor exercises you are doing seem ‘too easy’, this is such a crucial time to exercise properly and increase your load and frequency at a rate that is right for you.
DON’T increase impact too quickly. You can still have a great high intensity without the impact. Almost any exercise can be regressed to lower the impact while still keeping your heart rate up and ensuring you are getting in a great workout.
DO stay active by doing any activity like going for a stroller walk or gentle yoga. This is a time to enjoy your baby and find new activities.

DON’T think that if you can’t run or jump are aren’t getting enough exercise. Just because you may not be breaking out in a sweat or your muscles may not be super sore the next day doesn’t mean that you have not had a great workout. A lot of the work and repair needs to first come from the deep inner core and pelvic floor muscles…. Probably from some muscles you didn’t even know you had!!!
DO remember that the hormone relaxin is still in your system making your joints less stable. This is one of the main reasons why it is super important not to push yourself too hard at the beginning. Like everything else, it will take time for your joints to strengthen and regain stability.

DON’T add in too many stability and balance exercises without knowing your limits.
DO find a workout buddy. Having someone to keep you accountable will ensure that both yourself and your partner stay on track. It can also make those times when you just don’t want to get out of bed a lot more enjoyable. Have fun with your workouts. Chat, laugh, give high fives, vent… whatever you need to do to get through it. Many of my workout buddies have often turned into a lifetime friend!
DON’T isolate yourself because you are embarrassed by how you look while exercising. This is why it is so important to find a group of moms to go through this journey with. Once you start to open up about the highs and the lows of motherhood you will be amazed as to how many moms are in the same boat as you. And before long you will forget about hiding your baby weight or stretch marks because finding your tribe and being around other like-minded moms will far outweigh any insecurity about your body!
DO get enough sleep as possible, even if it means taking a nap during the day rather than folding the laundry. Your body recovers while resting and recovery is key to being able to exercise at this time in your life.

DON’T push yourself if you are feeling just too tired to get in your workout. It’s okay to take a rest day, or two or three. Again, listen to your body know and know what you need. If you are too tired to workout but you push yourself to get it in anyways then you might be too tired to look after the baby. And we all need to remember that the main priority these days is to provide proper care for our little one(s).
DO buy yourself a compression garment following a C-section if you feel like you need extra protection for the wound to heal. There are many on the market so do your research and find the one that is right for you.
DON’T wrap the support too tightly thinking it will help flatten your belly. Wrapping too tightly can put undue pressure on your pelvic floor and diaphragm which will in return negate any positive effects from the wrap.
DO remember that exercise during your first 12 months+ postpartum is meant to be a stress-reducing activity.
DON’T sweat the small stuff.
DO know your limits of your current body with the additional weight.
DON’T focus solely on losing the baby weight. While focusing on baby’s milestones, this is also a great time to celebrate your own postpartum fitness milestones. Celebrate the increase in strength, the increase in energy, the fact that you are keeping yourself healthy so that you can in return care for you child(ren).

When in doubt, seek help! I am always available if you have any questions regarding prenatal or postpartum exercise and I would love to hear from you!!

Jill Franks, PhD, PTS - Wholesome Habits Health and Fitness Coaching

Written by Jill Franks, PhD, PTS