3 Easy Exercises Women Can Try After Giving Birth (If Cleared By A Doctor)

Imagine it—you just went through the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth. You are elated, excited, exhausted. Your body does not quite feel the same as it did before. Once the initial emotions of bringing a new person into the world have worn off, you are ready to get back to all the things you enjoyed before the baby was born. You are ready to exercise, but where do you start? Is it okay to just pick up where you left off? Should you start something new? How much is too much?

Every person is different, and will move at a different pace. Respect your body, and do what feels good. I recommend starting with a foundation—a stable base where you can build and grow. While you should wait to return to cardiovascular exercise and strength training until you have received clearance from your OB/GYN, there are some exercises you can start in the initial days and weeks after childbirth that will help you build your foundation. Foundation exercises should include general mobility, breathing, pelvic floor muscle activation and relaxation, and exercises to help retrain the gluteal muscles.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is common after childbirth, and may lead to things such as urinary or fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse or pelvic pain. The PFM become susceptible to injury due to stretching throughout pregnancy and pushing during labor. Taking time to rehabilitate these muscles in the early postpartum period can improve or prevent these symptoms. The diaphragm’s primary role is to control breathing. It also makes up part of the deep core system (along with the low back muscles, abdominals and PFM). Postural changes during pregnancy can affect diaphragm function. Due to these connections, addressing breathing early in the postpartum period may improve not only overall endurance but also the function of the abdominals and PFM.