Many new mums are often keen to get back to pre-pregnancy fitness levels after giving birth and want to know when they can start exercising again and what exercises they can do, or should avoid. I was recently asked in a Facebook group to give advice on what exercises can be done after giving birth by caesarian section for someone who was joining a gym.
After writing my answer, I thought it would be great to turn it into a blog post, so here’s the reply I posted in the group:
“Hello, I'm an ante and postnatal exercise specialist and a This Mum Moves Ambassador.
Firstly, after a C-Section, you should have an 8 week check up after giving birth, during this check up the medical professionals should advise whether it's ok for you to start more formal exercise, I assume you've had your 8 week check (it's normally 6 weeks but after c-section it can be up to 8 weeks for the check up to allow extra time for healing).
What exercises you can/will be able to do at the gym, depends on a few things.
The main priorities post pregnancy are training the deep core and pelvic floor muscles which are stretched and weakened during pregnancy as the baby grows. This usually means pelvic floor exercises throughout the day, and gentle exercises to target the deep transverse abdominis muscle.
This helps to reduce risk of developing back pain and make sure the abdominal muscles are rehabbed properly, and can support you when doing other exercises/movements/activities of daily living.
Exercises such as sit ups, crunches and planks should be avoided. This is because in roughly two thirds of pregnancies the rectus abdominis muscle (the 6-pack muscle) splits apart along it's midline to accommodate the growth of the baby. Doing sit ups/crunches/planks too early after pregnancy before the abdominal muscles have fully come back together can cause permanent doming of the abdominal muscles. This is another reason why it's important to start with gentle exercises for the deeper abdominal muscles first, so they can support your back while this separation is coming back together. There's a very simple and easy check that can be done called a rec-check to see if you have abdominal separation and how far back together the two sides of the muscle have come.
Usually they will have come back together by about 12 weeks, but it's always wise to check first anyway, and still start with the rehab of the deeper core muscles first due to how pregnancy affects them and their role in back health.
During pregnancy your body releases a hormone called relaxin, which makes tendons and ligaments more lax, and the hormonal effects of this can last for up to a year post birth, so doing some strength training exercises can be really useful to make sure your muscles are strong enough to support your joints, and to help with the strength and energy levels to look after your growing new addition.
What exercises would be recommended though would depend on whether you have experience with strength exercises before or during pregnancy, so I'd need a bit more information to be able to advise, but I recommend starting light, with higher repetitions initially.
With regards to cardio exercise I recommend keeping it low intensity and low impact until the pelvic floor and core muscles have been rehabbed and a bit of muscular strength and endurance has been built up over time to support the joints.
It's recommended to take a slow and steady approach and build up fitness over a period of 3 months or more before moving on to anything more vigorous”
The key takeaways from this are:
-Make sure you get the all-clear at your 8 week postnatal check before starting formal exercise.
-Be aware of abdominal muscle separation (diastasis recti) and avoid crunches, sit ups, any exercise that repeatedly flexes, twists, or rotates the spine, and planks in the early stages of postnatal training.
-Priorities are gentle exercises for the pelvic floor and deep core muscles and gradual strength training.
-Cardio should be kept light, low intensity, and low impact to start with.
I’ve been training mums-to-be and new mums for over ten years now, so whether you want to train in a gym for time out for you, or at home for convenience and to be near to your family, if you would like the guidance of a qualified and experienced professional to guide you on your pregnancy or post pregnancy fitness journey, please feel welcome to get in touch. Using my virtual fitness coaching service, you can train with me no matter where you live or what location or time you want to train. For more info, click here
“When I discovered I was pregnant I knew that I wanted to be trained by Steve to ensure that I would be fit and healthy for the birth.
With his excellent knowledge of what happens to your body during pregnancy and the changes he made to work outs as I got bigger, I knew I was in safe hands.
Throughout my pregnancy I was pain free and able to walk and workout. During labour, the stamina and strength I had developed really helped me to get through the long hours. Without his program and constant motivation in the previous 6 months, I think I would have been in a much worse place.
Steve then advised me when I should start training again after the birth, talking me through what exercise I should be doing to help my body recover. Thanks to him I was back running within 7 months with the knowledge that all of my muscles were strong enough to take on that exercise safely.
I cannot recommend Steve enough to anyone who is pregnant or thinking of having a baby.”
For further information on pregnancy fitness, please see: Pregnancy Fitness Article or Pregnancy Fitness Podcast