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How Soon Can You Exercise After Pregnancy : Doctor's Advice

How Soon Can You Exercise After Pregnancy

The timing of when you can start exercising after pregnancy depends on a variety of factors, such as your overall health, the type of delivery you had, and any complications you experienced during pregnancy or childbirth. In general, it is recommended to wait until after your postpartum checkup, which typically occurs six weeks after delivery, before beginning an exercise routine.

However, it is important to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program. They can assess your individual situation and make recommendations on when it is safe for you to start exercising and what types of exercises are appropriate for your postpartum recovery.

If you had a cesarean delivery, you may need to wait a bit longer before exercising, as your body will need more time to heal from the surgery. Additionally, if you experienced any complications during pregnancy or childbirth, such as gestational diabetes or high blood pressure, your healthcare provider may recommend waiting longer before starting an exercise routine.

When you do begin exercising after pregnancy, it is important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts over time. Walking, gentle yoga, and pelvic floor exercises are good options for many new mothers in the early postpartum period. Remember to listen to your body and stop any exercise that causes pain or discomfort.

How Soon Can You Exercise After Pregnancy?

Sports activities that improve your health and boost your morale can help your body quickly get into shape. However, new mothers need to be careful in this regard. So, don't rush and choose the right activities! First, complete your postpartum recovery. Don't rush!

While you may be eager to put on your running shoes or basketball gear, remember that there is a sequence to everything. Strengthen the muscles in your birth area before starting to exercise. This large muscle mass carried the weight of your baby during pregnancy and was subjected to significant pressure during childbirth, so it needs to be restored to its former state to avoid later incontinence problems! There is no sport that will work this muscle. You should strictly follow your doctor's advice six to eight weeks after giving birth. You can start exercising after a healing process that will take about a month. If you exercise before this muscle regains its former state, you may experience vaginal and rectal problems, as well as bladder problems. However, after postpartum bleeding stops, you can confidently take 20 to 30 minutes of daily walks!

Start with light exercises. Instead of focusing on exercises that will increase your performance after the birth area muscle returns to its old state, focus on light exercises. For the first two months, 20 to 40 minutes of light exercise per week will be more than enough.

Choose activities such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming that support the abdominal and uterine muscles without damaging them.

Don't start doing your usual abdominal exercises as soon as the birth area has healed completely, as they can harm the muscles in that area. If there is unusual relaxation in your abdominal muscles, your doctor will recommend physical therapy for the abdominal area. If this is not the case, do breathing exercises for a few weeks before starting pilates and light gymnastics for a flat and strengthened abdominal area.

Wait three to six months before starting any sports activities that put pressure on the birth area with your doctor's approval. This includes all sports that involve hard ground contact, such as zumba, tennis, running, volleyball, jumping rope, and so on.

Adapt the exercises you do to yourself. Your body, like all mothers', is unique. Therefore, only you can know when you can start exercising again. Similarly, how you adapt the exercises you do according to your health condition depends on your delivery method and the parenting style you adopt for your baby.

If you have gained a lot of weight during pregnancy and want to quickly return to your pre-pregnancy shape, take it slow and don't strain your body too much. Prioritize sports activities that do not put pressure on your joints due to your body weight. Water sports such as swimming, water aerobics, and pool cycling can be your greatest helpers! When combined with the lifting force of water, your body weight decreases to one-fourth, allowing you to perform necessary movements without strain and without the risk of injury. After you start losing weight, you can challenge your muscles with exercises on a hard surface.

Breastfeeding your baby does not prevent you from exercising. Just choose sports that do not put too much strain on your muscles, such as relaxing (like yoga) and body-weight-supported (like swimming) sports. Waking up at night to breastfeed your baby means giving up restorative night sleep, so you should wait a little longer before preparing for a marathon! Also, don't forget to get a good bra and take care of your nipples with a special cream to prevent irritation due to friction.

If you had an episiotomy (cut) during delivery, wait for complete healing and cervical closure before starting any sports activities. Always consult your doctor. If you are cycling, make sure your saddle is comfortable. Under no circumstances should your saddle cause discomfort. If you had a cesarean section, even if you prefer it to a natural birth, you should delay abdominal exercises and sports that put pressure on your abdomen for a while. First, your muscles should naturally return to their places.

Generally, you can start walking and swimming about four months after giving birth, and sometimes even before your episiotomy has completely healed. However, your doctor or midwife will determine the most appropriate sports activities for you after examining you.

Don't hesitate to exercise at home. If you don't like swimming, running, or cycling, you can always turn to sports activities that don't require you to leave home. By practicing the following five exercises daily, you can get back in shape and relieve mild pains.

For Back Pain (Starting from the First Month):

Lie on your back, lift your knees up, bring your heels close to your buttocks, place your hands on your stomach, do not lift your head from the ground, push your back to the ground and forward your hips while looking down with your chin.

Lift your hips while exhaling and lower them while inhaling.

Stay in this position breathing through your mouth for 10 minutes. (After strengthening your hips)

Lie on your back, lower your chin, bend your knees, raise your feet up, and place your hands on your knees.

Try to push your knees with your hands for 20 seconds without moving.

Repeat this six times with thirty seconds of rest in between. (To strengthen thighs and develop shoulder muscles)

Sit on a chair, separate your feet at hip-width, and place your hands on your knees.

Try to join your knees with your hands without moving them.

Continue for 30 seconds.

Repeat this four times with twenty to thirty seconds of rest in between. (To tone upper body)

Raise your arms to chest height and open your elbows.

Make a fist with one hand and grasp it with the other.

Then try to push one hand with the other.

After 10 seconds, exhale and relax your hands, and repeat this exercise 10 times before making a fist with the other hand and repeating again. (To tighten buttocks)

Lie on your back, release your feet, and pass an exercise band under your knees.

After lifting your hips as high as possible while keeping your back and arms on the ground, push your knees forward while exhaling. Resist the force created by the elastic band.

Lower your buttocks to the ground and repeat the exercise five more times by joining your knees. Rest a little and do three or four more sets.

In this article, I provided information for new mothers about when they can start exercising after pregnancy.
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