Labor and delivery (11)
- Signs of labor: Know what to expect
- Episiotomy: Can you deliver a baby without one?
- Inducing labor: When to wait, when to induce
- see all in Labor and delivery
Postpartum care (7)
- Exercise after pregnancy: How to get started
- Maternity leave: Tips for returning to work
- Weight loss after pregnancy: Reclaiming your body
- see all in Postpartum care
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continued:
Exercise after pregnancy: How to get started
Physical activity goals
For most healthy women, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week — preferably spread throughout the week — after pregnancy. Consider these guidelines:
- Take time to warm up and cool down.
- Begin slowly and increase your pace gradually.
- Avoid excessive fatigue and dehydration.
- Wear a supportive bra.
- Stop exercising if you feel pain.
- Stop exercising and seek medical help if you have bright red vaginal bleeding that's heavier than a period.
Activities to try
When you're ready to exercise, start with something simple — such as a daily walk or laps in a local pool. If you're looking for camaraderie, check out a postpartum exercise class at a local fitness club or community center. With your health care provider's OK, also consider these specific exercises:
- Leg slide. Try leg slides a few times a day to tone your abdominal and leg muscles. Lie flat on your back and slightly bend your knees. Inhale and slide one leg to a straight position. Exhale and return to the starting position. Repeat with your other leg.
- Bridge. To strengthen your core muscles, lie on your back with your knees bent. Keep your back in a neutral position, not arched and not pressed into the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Raise your hips off the floor until your hips are aligned with your knees and shoulders. Hold for three deep breaths. Return to the starting position and repeat.
- Pelvic tilt. Try the pelvic tilt a few times a day to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for up to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.
- Kegel exercise. Use this exercise to tone your pelvic floor muscles, which can help control bladder leaks and heal your perineum and tighten your vagina. Contract the muscle you use to stop your urine flow. Hold for up to 10 seconds and release. Repeat 10 times at least three times a day.
Overcoming barriers
When you're caring for a newborn, finding time for physical activity can be challenging. Hormonal changes may make you emotional, which can lead to sedentary behavior. And some days you may simply feel too tired for a full workout. But that doesn't mean that you should put physical activity on the back burner. Instead, do what you can. Seek the support of your partner, family and friends. Schedule time for physical activity. Exercise with a friend to stay motivated. Include your baby, either in a stroller while you walk or lying next to you on the floor while you do abdominal exercises.
Remember, exercise after pregnancy isn't easy. But it can do wonders for your well-being, as well as give you the energy you need to care for your newborn.
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- 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/pdf/paguide.pdf. Accessed Dec. 17, 2008.
- Factsheet: Postpartum disorders. Mental Health America. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/postpartum. Accessed Dec. 17, 2008.
- The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. Exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2002;77:79.
- Ostbye T, et al. Active mothers postpartum: Rationale, design and baseline characteristics. Journal of Women's Health. 2008;17:1567.
- Groth SW, et al. New mothers' views of weight and exercise. The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 2008;33:364.
- Larson-Meyer DE. Effects of postpartum exercise on mothers and their offspring: A review of the literature. Obesity Research. 2002;10:841.
- Mottola M. Exercise in the postpartum period: Practical applications. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2002;1:362.
- Labor, delivery and postpartum care: Getting in shape after your baby is born. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp131.cfm. Accessed Dec. 18, 2008.
- Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 7, 2009.
