Exercise during the Postpartum Period

Exercising during pregnancy will no doubt keep you healthy and in fit condition, as well as help prepare your body for labor. But, what happens after you’ve had your baby? I cannot stress enough that exercise at every stage of life is extremely beneficial. This being said, exercise is not only beneficial during pregnancy, but is equally beneficial during the postpartum period as well.

The first thing you need to understand is that your body has just been through, what feels like to some, a train wreck. You have labored and pushed for hours on end and then you’ve passed a 6lb + baby out of your womb. The growth of the baby from an egg to a human being is not the only miracle. It feels to many mother’s, that it is a miracle in itself that they made it through the birth and lived to tell about it. Now this may seem like an exaggeration, but consider this, every woman’s pain tolerance is different and not every woman uses the conventional methods of pain relief during birth. In thinking about this, you may ask yourself, exercise are you kidding me, after what I’ve just been through? Again, I must stress, exercise is beneficial during this time. I am not saying you should get up immediately and do laps around the hospital ward. Your Doctor will most likely tell you to take it easy until after your 6-week postpartum checkup. Nonetheless, there are exercises you can perform during this time while still adhering to your Doctor’s request.

Immediately after birth, you will want to start with your first exercise. Your first exercise after birth should be your Kegel exercises. These will be very beneficial in helping you to regain continence after your birth. Many women do not do kegel exercises and then find themselves releasing urine when sneezing, coughing and even laughing. Not only is the incontinence issue annoying and embarrassing, it is also preventable. Another important exercise you can do after labor and the most effective for losing weight is to walk. I understand the overwhelming feeling of taking care of a newborn and the house, and every other activity in your life, but if you can find just 20 minutes 3 days a week to take a nice walk, not only will you help to regain your pre-pregnancy figure faster, you will have more energy and sleep better. Good sleep and energy are essential for every new mother. As a new mother you need all the rest and energy your body can give you, but your body won’t just give it freely, you will need to exercise. Put your baby into the stroller and take a stroll for 20 minutes, not only do you get some fresh air, sunlight, energy and more, but you can show off your new little bundle of joy to the world. Now what I’m about to say may spark many different feelings to many different women, but what I’m about to explain is also exercise. Believe it or not, you do not need to wait to resume sexual relations until after your 6 weeks. If you feel you are up to it, try it. If your body isn’t quite ready, wait a little longer. With my first child, I ripped badly and it took 1 hour for the Doctor to sew me up and get me back to my room and I had tremendous pain for weeks, but I was able to resume sexual activity at 5 weeks. With my second child, I had no tearing and no pain and was able to resume sexual activity within a week. The point is: women should resume normal activity when they feel their bodies are up to it. No one can tell you when you are ready to continue your normal activities. If you feel up to it, do it, just exercise plenty of common sense and caution and if at any time your body feels as if it’s not up to it, STOP!

Exercise during the postpartum period can be fun while providing you with great health benefits. Get plenty of rest, eat healthy, drink plenty of water, enjoy your new baby and Exercise! You owe it to yourself!

About the Author:

Jennifer Englade is the owner of Natures Health Resources and works as a Natural Health Consultant. www.natureshealthresources.com.

posted at 3:02 PM