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Getting Started with Exercise After Giving Birth

Movement & Motherhood
GETTING STARTED WITH EXERCISE AFTER GIVING BIRTH

By: Kristin Colsky Gavin | April 4, 2024

It can be a daunting task to figure out how to start exercising again after giving birth. Our bodies, at least early postpartum, likely feel very different from pre-pregnancy, as well as from during pregnancy. While our main focus is our baby, it is also important to care for our own bodies and minds not only through rest and recovery but also through gentle movement. Getting back into some form of exercise, even if extremely simple, can boost energy levels, help rebuild core and pelvic floor strength, relieve stress and anxiety, support mental health, and make us feel a little more like ourselves.

When to start is a bit different for everyone and should be determined on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with a medical professional. As you navigate your own path, try not to compare yourself to others and their journeys. Everyone has a unique pregnancy, birth, and history with exercise. For Pilates training for example, starting formally six to eight weeks postpartum for vaginal births and eight to ten weeks for cesarean births is generally a good practice. However, focused breathing and other gentle core and pelvic floor exercises can be helpful earlier on, in addition to walking.

Deliberate, focused breathing is critical in the beginning to reconnect to your core and pelvic floor. Practice breathing in different positions: starting with lying on your back, then lying on your side, hands and knees, standing, etc. “360 breathing” that includes pelvic floor and abdominal engagement is beneficial for new moms to learn. To try it, inhale deeply laterally into your rib cage and posteriorly into your back, continuing into the belly and pelvic floor, thinking about 360 degrees around your body. Putting your hands on the sides of your rib cage and belly can give some nice tactile feedback as you breathe. When exhaling, lift up through the pelvic floor and draw in the deep transverse abdominis muscle like a corset is wrapping around you. If done correctly and with intention, repeating this breathing can feel like serious core work. It can also help you regulate intra-abdominal pressure, which is especially important postpartum when your core and pelvic floor muscles are weaker and you are trying to regain a sense of connection to them. Learning how to manage this pressure can help to heal potential issues stemming from pregnancy, such as diastasis recti, or when the linea alba tissue has been stretched and there is a distinct separation of the left and right sides of the rectus abdominis muscle. Once you have the hang of this breathing in a static position, you can bring this foundation to your movement practice, exhaling on the stronger effort.

Kegels are a popular exercise to incorporate into life as a new mom and can be beneficial for restrengthening the pelvic floor. However, it is important to not forget to incorporate the lengthening and relaxation portion of a kegel. The pelvic floor muscles, just like any other muscle group, need to both contract and relax to be fully functional. Moreover, some people have weak pelvic floor muscles, some are stronger, and some have tighter muscles with difficulty relaxing them. It is quite possible that you do not know where you fall in this spectrum until you have been thoroughly examined. Consulting a pelvic floor physical therapist can be useful in determining where you stand and what you should focus on with your exercise program moving forward. Ultimately, being able to contract and relax the pelvic floor muscles automatically in daily life when necessary, not just when doing kegels, is going to serve you well, and there are many other exercises that can also support pelvic floor function.

Another movement for new moms to consider is opening the chest and strengthening the upper back. Simply lying on your back and opening your arms to the sides or bending them in a goal post position can feel like an amazing stretch for tight chest muscles. Starting to strengthen the upper back can also help to counteract the rounded shoulders and forward posture that is so common for us to experience from feeding and cradling our babies. When ready to take on more movement, Pilates can be a near perfect practice for new moms. The focus on the core, breath, alignment, precision, concentration, the mind/body connection, and the combination of strengthening and stretching can be incredibly supportive.

When in doubt, taking it slowly is going to be a better approach than doing too much too fast, and working with a professional who can give you personalized, targeted instruction can ease any concerns that you may have and inspire confidence in your postpartum body. It may be tempting to want to get right back to activities like running, difficult abdominal work, or whatever you used to be able to do before. Maybe it even feels like not being connected to part of your identity, in a time when your whole life is transformed. But this is only a brief period of time in your life, and you will be served so much better by slowly working your way up to where you were before or where you want to be. It is important to tune into our own body awareness and connect with how we are feeling during and after any exercise we attempt. Does this make me feel more energized or more depleted? Does this put too much pressure down on my pelvic floor or out on my abdominals? How did this exercise cause my body to react?

Always remember to hydrate and eat enough to fuel your body for any exercise that you do, especially if breastfeeding. Giving birth, irrespective of how, is an incredible physical and mental feat, and no matter what you should feel empowered for carrying and giving birth to your baby. While it may not seem like it in those first few days postpartum, and it may take longer than you think, it is entirely possible to regain the strength that you once had and to feel like yourself again… and still, to be completely changed forever in the best way imaginable.

Kristin Colsky Gavin is a native of Sausalito and lives there now with her husband, John, and her two-year-old son, William. She is a UC Berkeley graduate and Pilates instructor with ten years of experience and her own business, Kristin Gavin Pilates. Kristin has worked with all kinds of bodies, ages, and fitness levels but has a particular passion for working with pregnant and postpartum clients. She is also studying to consult on nutrition for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Contact her at kristin@kristingavinpilates.com. Website coming soon!

When not practicing or teaching Pilates, Kristin can be found swimming, practicing yoga, hiking the trails of Marin, cooking, writing, studying languages, traveling near and far, and spending time with her family. She started open water swimming several years ago and has completed the Alcatraz to San Francisco swim three times.