You're ready to resume your health and fitness journey. That’s great, mama! Gentle regular activity is beneficial not only for your body, but for your mind too.
Benefits of training post-birth include:
- Improve your general wellbeing, including both emotional and mental state
- Can assist you in your postnatal recovery
- Help reduce stress levels
- Promote postnatal fat loss
- Improve your sleep
- Create friendships with other new mums and have that emotional support
- Strengthen and increase your fitness levels safely
Although it is difficult to make time to work out while caring for a new baby, a proper postpartum workout plan timeline can be an important part of your recovery.
You can resume exercise once your Women’s Health Physio gives you permission:
- Vaginal deliveries – this usually happens at the 4-6 week postpartum appointment.
- C-Section deliveries – this usually happens at the 8-12 week postpartum appointment.
Here is a general timeline of when you can excerpt to return to exercise again after giving birth:
0-6 Weeks
- Walking, core and pelvic floor exercises.
6-10 Weeks
- Gentle strength, mobility and stability exercises.
12-16 Weeks
- Slowly up the intensity and use light weights for full-body low-impact strength workouts.
18+ Weeks
- Low-impact HIIT-style cardio and a more diverse range of strength movements.
Remember, every mama is different. Wait for the green light from your physician to begin postpartum exercise.
Important things to consider when returning to exercise post-clearance:
Weight training:- Start with body weight and lightweight movement patterns
- Focus on your posture, your breathing, establishing good technique and stability
- Awareness of connecting your pelvic floor with your abdominals, realising your core will not be as strong as it used to be
- Keep your loads supported and safe especially with overhead movements
- Low impact to begin with, limiting the jump!
- Swimming and/or aqua aerobics
- The use of stable cardio equipment e.g. a stationary bike, rower or elliptical trainer
- Modify movements to suit your situation
- High intensity movements can be added at low impact
REMEMBER, MAMA
Trying to do too much too soon, can set you back if you aren’t careful. This is why it's important to get the “all clear '’ to commence training again from a Women’s Health Physio and not just your general GP. If you experience any discomfort, pain or bleeding while exercising, stop immediately and consult your physician.
We got you, mama! THE BOD Postnatal Training Programs are HERE - your go-to training guides to help you return to fitness post-birth.
Available in TWO levels, depending on your fitness level, these 6-week training programs are here to help you heal, rebuild your strength and confidence, and safely regain your health and fitness, using gentle strength, mobility and stability movements. Inside you’ll find full-body workouts incorporating low-impact and modified exercises, expert tips and tricks to ensure safety, options to work out at home or in the gym, plus pelvic floor, activation and stretching guides.
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