Top 5 Tips for Returning to Exercise Postpartum
Ready to return to exercise postpartum but not sure where to start? I got you. Here are my top 5 tips to keep in mind as you step back into exercise after giving birth.
1. reconnect to your breath
What’s the very first step on your path back to exercise postpartum? Learning to breathe well. It is the foundation of safe + effective exercise and can even be done in the hours after giving birth. By training proper breathing you are building the foundations for deep core engagement and a balanced pelvic floor. Let’s try it!
How to Diaphragmatic Breathe
1. Inhale through your nose. Allow the air to expand 360 degrees throughout your core. You should feel expansion of the rib cage side to side and ftont to back. The belly will gently rise and there is a gentle softening or opening in the pelvic floor.
2. Exhale and allow the ribs, belly, and pelvic floor to return to neutral. I like to say “do nothing”. Avoid pulling back in or engaging.
Mistakes to watch for:
Breathing solely in the chest, neck, and shoulders. There is naturally a bit of movement in the chest, but don’t make these your main breathing muscles. They are sure to fight it, leading to tension and tightness!
Forcing it. Your body was made to breathe this way! Resist the urge to push out or down on the inhale or forcefully pull back in on the exhale. Think gentle movement and be patient as your body learns this new pattern.
2. learn to spot the signs an exercise is too intense
Often we hear “Just listen to your body” in a fitness class. While this is phrase as great intentions, what does that really mean? Especially in postpartum when your body can feel foreign to you.
The signs listed below are a few ways your body might be talking to you. They are NOT just normal parts of postpartum exercise. It’s my goal to help you be aware, not afraid, of these issues. You can remember them simply as the Three Ps.
Pain
Pain in the pelvic floor, hips, pelvis or back can be common when returning to exercise postpartum.
This is not the time to push through as it’s likely you will end up doing more harm than good if you do.
Pressure
Signs that you are mismanaging pressure can include heaviness in the pelvic floor or coning or doming in the middle of the abdominals.
These are signs your body is not handling the pressure of that exercise well. We recommend first trying to reconnect to your breath. If that doesn’t remove the symptom reduce your range of motion or lessen the resistance. Finally, at Materra we always give the option to level down or do a version of the exercise that puts less demand on the body. And sometimes that exercise just needs to be tabled for another day!
Pee
This includes leaking pee or poop as well as feeling like you need to go to the bathroom urgently while exercising.
This is a sign your pelvic floor isn’t prepared to handle the exercise at hand. We recommend going through the same modification steps listed above.
In addition to being signs an exercise is not quite right, the Three Ps during exercise are also a good indicator that seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist would be helpful for you!
*Bonus Tip: So it doesn’t start with a P but it’s still a good tip! If you find yourself holding your breath while you do an exercise it may be a sign it’s too much for you right now. Alternatively, you might just be in a patten of holding the breath. Either way, make sure you are letting your breath flow in and out as you exercise!
3. Recognize Risk vs. Reward
You are in this early stage of postpartum for a limited amount of time. Acknowledge that this time period is temporary and necessary for your body to heal. Jumping back into intense exercise too soon increases your risk for injuries. Don’t forget, you have the rest of your life to move, let’s make sure you are able to move well for years to come!
Could you go back to running or bootcamp the day you’re cleared? Sure, you could likely *will* yourself through that class or run. But, is it worth it to risk injury to your pelvic floor and core muscles? In my opinion, nope.
Remember, just because it is too much right now does not mean it will always be. The movement you love will be waiting for you when your body is ready!
4. build strength before high impact exercise
While you may be cleared at 6 weeks to return to exercise your body is likely not ready to jump back into your pre-pregnancy exercise routine. Too hard too soon often leads to injury. It’s best not to go from 0 to 100, but instead to ramp up gradually with smart training.
Take time to build strength in the areas of your body that were most impacted by pregnancy and motherhood. While we believe in full body strengthening our methodology focuses specifically on building balanced strength and connection in following areas for postpartum exercise:
Deep Core (transverse abdominis)
Pelvic Floor
Glutes
Back Body
Rebuilding a strong foundation is one of the first steps in getting back to exercise postpartum.
5. Find a Nurturing Exercise Program
Whether it’s online classes, a personal trainer or group exercise I encourage you to ease your way back in with people who have a solid understanding of the specific needs of the postpartum body.
Find a program that has a focus on deep core engagement and balanced pelvic floor strength as well as a deep understanding of the physical aspect of pregnancy + postpartum. You will not need this studio or individual forever, but they can be an amazing resource as you journey back to the type of movement you love!
Good news. You don’t have to look far for high quality evidence based exercise for the postpartum period. Click below to learn more about Materra Method offerings.