After welcoming a new bundle of joy and getting the green light from their doctor, many women are eager to get back into an exercise routine.
However, workouts might look a little bit different after giving birth, especially as you’re busy with a newborn and getting into the swing of your new lifestyle.
While it might be a challenge to get started, getting into a postpartum exercise routine can help rebalance your hormones, improve your sleep, give you an energy boost, and help you build strength and muscle.
In most cases, you can begin working out again between six and eight weeks after birth.
Whether you had a smooth delivery or dealt with some complications, you’ll still want to start off slow and steady, without feeling pressured to do too much too soon.
Rather than jumping right into high-intensity training sessions, it’s best to start off with some gentle exercises to ease your way back into a regular workout schedule.
Here are some of the best exercises for new moms that will help you safely reach your fitness goals:
Stretching
One of the simplest ways to ease back into exercise postpartum is to carve out time every day to stretch.
Recovering from your delivery can cause sore muscles, stiff joints, back pain, and a weak pelvic floor.
Stretching daily can aid in your recovery by alleviating some of that pain and stiffness, while gently building strength in muscles that may have been inactive during the later stages of your pregnancy.
A gentle yoga routine that incorporates poses such as Child’s Pose, Cat-Cow, and Thoracic Rotation can help open your body back up and loosen up those stiff joints and muscles.
Go For a Walk
Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that virtually anyone can do. It can help you heal from your delivery, restore muscle strength, and get your heart pumping to enhance your cardiovascular health.
Walking also comes with additional perks, such as the ability to bring your baby along with you as you get out of the house for a while to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.
Many new moms feel cooped up in the house with the baby, so taking a brisk walk every day can do wonders for your mental health as well as your physical health.
Swimming
During postpartum recovery, women should avoid putting too much pressure or strain on their joints.
Swimming is a great new mom exercise choice for that reason, since it offers buoyancy while you are submerged in water.
It also provides a light cardiovascular workout and lets you move every muscle of your body gently and without unnecessary strain.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Childbirth often comes with a variety of lingering physical health problems, including pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, and pain during sex.
These newfound ailments can lead to further physical and emotional turmoil during what can already be a stressful season of life.
Postpartum pelvic floor exercises can help strengthen your pelvic floor to aid in postpartum recovery, while also improving bladder incontinence, enhancing sexual function, and reducing the risk of prolapse.
Creating a sustainable postpartum exercise routine is an essential part of your recovery. It will help improve your muscle strength, cardiovascular health, sleep patterns, and overall sense of wellbeing.
Starting with some simple, gentle exercises will help you build a routine that you can stick to long-term, while enjoying all of the physical and emotional benefits that can help ensure a happy and healthy postpartum recovery.