Your baby is here, congratulations! Life is very different now and if you're reading this then you're probably considering how and when to return to exercise after having a baby. This is massively individual! It will depend on your pre-birth fitness, what kind of birth you had (eg, did you have a C Section / Episiotomy?), and how you are feeling now. I'm now 27 days postpartum as I write this, and so am going through this all right now. These are my tips, using knowledge from completing pre and postnatal training in 2018 and also now based on my own experience (which changes everything!)
Firstly just to acknowledge that birth is a huge amount of work for your body, and probably the most rapid change your body (and mind) will ever go through and in a relatively (very!!) short space of time. After your baby is born, the first few weeks are a massive adjustment to make time for your baby, and inevitably you sacrifice time you would have spent doing the things you enjoy! Not to mention the basics - peeing / eating / brushing your teeth may sometimes feel impossible, let alone finding time for exercise! CHALLENGES TO EXERCISE
Consider your new mummy challenges; you can review each of the below every day and come to your own conclusion as to what is achievable / beneficial for you:
Sleep deprivation & fatigue.
Postnatal body - diastasis recti / perineal stitches / c section recovery / leaky and uncomfortable breasts / weakened pelvic floor and incontinence / headaches & general aches & soreness to name some of the obvious ones.
Time - suddenly there isn't any! And when there is, you may be too tired, or be working through a list of other priorities such as sleep, admin, housework...
State of mind - how are you feeling? Maybe exercise will improve your mood or maybe it's an extra pressure you just don't need right now!
EXERCISE GOALS Re-consider your goals! You may have been focused on weight loss / maintenance, or even specific event focused training prenatally. Some useful goals now may be:
Relaxation / Stress management / Emotional wellbeing
Time out!
Pelvic floor
Very gentle abdominal strengthening
Postural exercises & Relieving back / neck / shoulder pain
Gradual & sensible weight loss
You may need just a number of days to recover, or you may need weeks or months. It's advised that you wait until you've had your 6 week check and been approved by a doctor. Whatever you feel applies to you, allow yourself that time. In the meantime you can begin with some basics that can be done almost anywhere & will improve your wellbeing, without adding extra stress & pressure:
Pelvic floor exercises
Gentle stretches for the arms, back, neck and shoulders which are likely to be taking some strain with breast / bottle feeding and holding and snuggling with your baby
Walking even 5+ minutes per day as a base foundation to build up from
Top 5 tips:
Evaluate how you feel physically & mentally each day & listen to your body.
Begin with Pelvic Floor exercises, Postural stretches / exercises and gentle short walks if possible.
Whatever you were doing before, reduce the intensity & duration. Take small & frequent steps and build up gradually. If you overdo it because you're feeling on top of the world one day, but actually you have stitches that are healing, you may pay for it in the coming days when your body has to heal from over exertion too soon.
Work with your own individual challenges & be patient & kind to yourself.
Be realistic & flexible with your goals & give yourself time to get there.
I hope this has been helpful, if you read this and have thoughts or questions don't hesitate to get in touch.
Good luck with your journey & enjoy your new family life! x
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