A Guide To Postpartum Exercise: Tips, Benefits & Workouts, From A Corrective Exercise Specialist

Pregnancy and childbirth are arguably the most intense physical endeavors a human being can take on. It would stand to reason that, like with any athletic event, training could assist for maximum success.

As a certified Pilates instructor and prenatal and postpartum corrective specialist, the question I often find myself asking is: "Why do so many prenatal and postpartum fitness classes focus just on restorative practices and not on actually building the strength and stamina required for motherhood?"

Exercise designed for the postpartum body can help with pelvic floor dysfunction, rebuilding core strength, and healing abdominal separation. It also aims to ease hip, back, and neck pain.

Your primary focus post-baby is restoring your deepest core and pelvic floor muscles, and part of this includes relearning how to breathe. Because the growing baby essentially pushes organs up into your diaphragm, you may have become accustomed to short, shallow breathing—this can prevent you not only from finding nervous system relief but also from using your core functionally. Learning to breathe three-dimensionally (into the pelvic floor, plus the side and the back ribs) will free up tension and make your core exercises more effective. 

Intra-abdominal pressure also increases during pregnancy, as the growing baby causes the abdominal muscles to stretch, which ultimately means a weaker core. Intentional core exercises with breathwork integration will also support closure of abdominal separation, or diastasis recti.

Always consider the pelvic part of your core because even if you have a C-section, the pelvic floor has been supporting the weight of your baby for nine months and will need some focused training to prevent/heal pelvic floor pain and dysfunction.

"Functionally, it's about finding a connection to your deep core muscles, but more importantly, know it's a process, so be patient!" says Melbourne-based physiotherapist Chloe Gregor, P.T., of Pilates with GoChlo. She also advises working with someone who has specific training in this arena to concentrate on "pelvic floor activation, breathing, and deep core contraction. If you notice any leaking of urine or wind during exercise, it's usually a sign of a pelvic floor issue, so make sure you get assessed by a pelvic floor physical therapist or doctor."