10 Postpartum Exercise Tips for New Mamas

376

Do you have any questions concerning postpartum exercise? Well, you’re not the only one who feels this way. Working out after having a kid isn’t as simple as you may imagine. When someone is a new mom, you have tons on your mind, and your postpartum fitness plan is probably the last thing you’re concerned about.

However, exercising after having a baby can help you feel more energized, decrease stress, and improve your mental health, so it’s crucial. But, particularly if you’re not getting any sleep and balancing a million things in one go, you’re probably unsure where to begin with a postpartum fitness routine.

Postpartum Exercise

Top Postpartum Exercise Tips

Here are some tips on postpartum fitness from Mahri Relin, a fitness guru and the founder of Body Conceptions:

1. Don’t compare yourself to others when it comes to postpartum exercise

You might look at a friend who had a baby around the same time as you and question why you feel and look so different. However, each pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum recovery process is unique. Know that you’re doing your best, and it’s critical to keep moving at your own pace!

2. Take it easy on yourself when it comes to your hormonal expectations

Be aware that your hormones will be out of whack after giving birth. It’s typical for a new mom to feel fatigued and gain weight due to varying estrogen and progesterone levels.

This can induce adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism, as well as higher cortisol levels from stress and decreased serotonin and melatonin levels due to sleep deprivation. So don’t feel obligated to resume your fitness routine right away! All of this is very normal.

3. Concentrate on your breathing

Breathing, believe it or not, is among the most critical aspects of postnatal recovery. Following pregnancy, your rib cage may flare, flattening the diaphragm and interfering with its relationship to the deep core and the pelvic floor.

Breathing correctly allows all of these aspects to work together to support you in protecting your spine, strengthening your core, and controlling your internal pressure so that you may heal effectively and avoid injury. Additionally, good breathing might assist you in de-stressing!

4. Be aware of your posture

Your body’s performance without pain or harm is affected by a variety of changes that occur throughout pregnancy (and well beyond!)? Carrying and scooping up your baby, for example, might induce tension in the upper back rounding and the front of your shoulders.

Keep a watch on how you stand while carrying your child; you don’t want to lean back because this can cause misalignment.

woman in white crew neck t-shirt holding baby

5. Pay attention to your body  

Whenever it comes to postpartum exercise, it’s critical to pay heed to your body’s cues. You’re more susceptible to injury because relaxin, the hormone that relaxes your joints, muscles, and ligaments throughout pregnancy, is still present.  

Furthermore, you may be healing from pelvic pain or an abdominal injury, so it’s critical to pay attention to what feels good and stay away from any part that needs to heal.

6. Don’t go all-in on high-intensity exercise 

Ignore the external demands to ‘bounce back.’ It’s necessary to keep in mind that your body must gradually and carefully re-acclimate.

Allow things to come together in their own time as you recover from the structural changes that have happened and strengthen your muscles. Begin with easy activities like walking, breathing, and focusing on your pelvic floor.

7. Seek advice from a professional 

You can discover how to correctly manage your fitness journey by talking with someone who knows postnatal rehabilitation. Some typical problems after pregnancy include pelvic floor incontinence or pain, diastasis recti, and other discomforts. Most of these problems can be exacerbated by improper postpartum exercise, but they can also be alleviated with adequate fitness.

8. Keep in mind that all fitness is important

To be successful, postpartum exercise does not have to be done in one session for an hour. You’re a busy mom, and it’s perfectly fine to take breaks whenever you need to. Why not attempt leg lifts while playing with your baby or practice your breathing while you unwind at night?

silhouette photography of woman doing yoga

9. Try exercising with your child

Don’t have the time or the means to leave your child? Try some exercises with your child. A stroller can simply be incorporated into your lunges, walks, or stretches. Even if you prefer not to exercise with them, your kid will enjoy sitting and watching you move around.

10. Engage in activities that make you happy

Fitness is even more crucial when it comes to confidence and joy, in addition to helping your body heal postpartum. Instead of completing a task you ‘should’ be doing, it ought to be something solely for you and an opportunity to feel wonderful. Take every day as it happens and do whatever makes you happy; if that means no postpartum exercise for the entire week, that’s fine.