Figuring out when you can exercise after birth is tricky!

Do you wait until the 6-week check in? But what if you feel ready to start trying some things earlier? Or what if you don’t? 

Will it cause delays in healing? Will it help you feel better soon? We will answer all of these questions and provide you with some safe exercises to do from 0-12 weeks after birth, so keep reading!

Should you wait until your 6-week check in to start exercising?

The short answer: NO! Think about it, you are already squatting, lifting, carrying, rolling in bed, walking around the house - you ARE exercising! It may not be a full blown group fitness class but it is movement and it counts!

The thing to keep in mind during the first four to six weeks after your little one is born is to listen to your body and monitor for bleeding. If you notice an increase in pain, soreness, or bleeding, your body is telling you to slow down.

While we will need to incorporate stretching and strengthening exercises into your daily routine soon, at this point the two main things I want you to focus on are:

1. Breathing
2. Posture

Breathing

Managing your intra-abdominal pressure (inside of the diaphragm, abdominals, and pelvic floor as pictured below) is key to provide support to your low back, abdominals, and pelvic floor! When we breathe in the abdominals expand and pelvic floor drops, then as we breathe out the abdominals draw in and the pelvic floor lifts up. It is important to utilize these mechanics to protect your body in the newly postpartum phase. 

To do this, remember the phrase “exhale on the effort” or “blow as you go.” This means, you should inhale to prepare then exhale as you go to lift baby up from the bassinet, crib, changing table, floor, etc. This is also true for any object you are wanting to lift, not just your little one, or any exercise you perform. 

Posture

There are a lot of new postures you are putting your body in when taking care of baby. Maybe this looks like stooping over the bed to change a diaper, popping out a hip to hold baby, or some variation of poses you will take to feed your little one throughout the day. In all of these postures it is ideal to remember a few things:

1. Your shoulders should be stacked over your hips - not hunched forward as we often see with lifting or feeding baby
2. Your hips should be stacked over your pelvis - not jutted out to the side or pushed forward to make a shelf for baby to rest on

Simply focusing on posture can make a big impact on how you feel in your body and after trying these posture changes you will see they are actually much more challenging to maintain than you may think. With that said, give yourself rest breaks and stretch as needed. Two of our favorite stretches are a pectoralis stretch and child’s pose. 

Okay so you are thinking: “I hear you on the breathing and posture, but what else can I do?”

Great question! Let’s take a look at ways to move your body and safe exercises to try between week 0 and week 12. 

Exercises during Week 0-2
During this time, it is important to listen to your body. Start with gentle movements that feel good for you. If you feel up to going for a walk, start low and slow at about 10 minutes and gradually increase your time to your body’s tolerance. Again, monitor for increased pain or soreness and bleeding, whether you delivered vaginally or via Cesarean. 

Looking for more? Try these exercises.

Exercises during Week 2-4

Now is the time to start increasing your walking time or distance, at your own pace. You can continue the exercises from week 0-2 as well as add in more core and leg exercises. Our goal is to start incorporating more standing exercises, as tolerated. Remember, it should not hurt so if it does, take a step back by moving through a smaller range of motion or try less repetitions. 

Try these exercises:

Exercises during Week 4-6

At this point, you can start to add in low impact exercises and cardio, as well as increase the exercises above. To do this you can add a resistance band, hand weights, or simply increase the number of repetitions or sets of each exercise. 

For a challenge, try these exercises:

• Recumbent bike (a stationary bike seat will likely not feel great at this time!)
• Elliptical
  

Exercises during Week 6-8

It is now time to check in with a pelvic floor therapist to assess your pelvic floor muscles and soft tissues to ensure they are coordinating appropriately, that scar tissue is not negatively impacting you, and ensure you are ready for more challenging activities. This is also the time to assess and address any feelings of pelvic pressure or heaviness with your pelvic floor therapist. 

Try these exercises:

• Power walking for cardio
• Increase the resistance bands or weights
• Or add them in now if you haven’t felt ready yet but now you are!
  

Exercises during Week 8-12

The current best clinical guidelines recommend returning to running around 12 weeks (or 3 months) postpartum. If you haven’t already, your pelvic floor therapist should screen you for strength, flexibility, range of motion, balance/coordination, and the ability to transfer load with activities that mimic that of running. 

Time for these exercises:

• Stationary bike
• Return to running

What if I haven’t felt ready to start exercising yet?

That is totally fine! You are honestly not alone. Everyone’s pregnancy is different and everyone’s postpartum journey is different. If you aren’t ready to start exercising yet, don’t sweat it.

Take the tips above and ignore the time frames. Use it as a progression from exercises laying on your back to being on your feet. Focus on breathing, posture, and being a new parent - everything else will fall into place when it is time. And if you feel like you need some extra help, reach out to us at Pelvic Pride, that is why we are here!

Where to find treatment in Maryland

At Pelvic Pride Physical Therapy & Wellness, we specialize in the treatment of ALL pelvic floor conditions, including tailbone pain, so you are in the right place! We are conveniently located in the Federal Hill neighborhood in Baltimore MD. Fill out our contact form & our Patient Care Specialist will reach out to you ASAP!

Next on Your Reading List

• Return to Running Postpartum
• Postpartum: When Should I See A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist