How To Get Your Body Back After Baby. Exercises For Week One After Childbirth.

 How To Get Your Body Back After Baby. Exercises For Week One After Childbirth. 

You hear from everyone that you should wait with exercises at least 6 weeks after you had your baby. Yes, it is true but it also applies to intense and more impact exercises. You should definitely wait with them until you are properly healed.

It does not mean that for the next 6 weeks you should do nothing. It is advised to start gentle exercises even from day one after birth. If you were active during whole pregnancy and had natural labour with no complications you are good to go right away. Before you start with even the easiest exercises ask your physician if it is ok for you to do that.

Here is 6 reasons why exercising from day 1 is good for you;

1. Good mood – exercises will boost your mood and lower risk of post-natal depression
2. Healing – all your wounds after childbirth will heal faster
3. Weight loss – it will take much faster for you to loose pregnancy weight
4. Relaxation- exercises will help you to relax body and calm your mind. It will definitely lower stress and anxiety level, plus you will sleep much better
5. Healthy back– will reduce level of lower back pain after labour. Also they will improve your stamina
6. Circulation – they will improve your circulation and that will reduce swelling and bruising

Before you start your exercises, even the gentlest ones make sure you are good to go.Check with your Physician that you can start basic, gentle exercise routine. Days after childbirth might be overwhelming and stressful. If you do not feel right and you are really week give yourself few days. There is no rush to start them. It is ok to start days or weeks later. Just listen to your body.

The most important exercise for new mom is to rest and to know your baby.

Dear moms first week is hard for many reasons so make sure you will follow this 4-point guideline:

Your 4-point guideline:

1. Progress on your own rate. Gentle exercises are important to help to heal muscles
2. Take as many brakes as you need
3. Breathe deeply throughout exercises
4. Only few repetitions per each exercise

YOUR WEEK 1 EXERCISE PROGRAMME

Your very first cardio

1. Walking – from day one. Do not stay in the bed, just go and walk. Slowly. In a first few days you might be swollen and bruised so start short distance, around the house to the kitchen, bathroom. Take breaks, sit down and have a rest. It is not easy at the beginning. Your body need some time to recover.

Your very first stretching

1. Body stretch

• lie on the floor or bed, legs hip distance apart, straight
• cross your ankles together
• tighten your thighs and squeeze your buttocks
• hold for up to 5 seconds
• repeat 5 times

Pelvic floor exercises

1. Kegel (Pelvic floor exercises)

Kegel exercises are the most important exercises after childbirth. During labour, your pelvic floor muscles are weakened by birth and you might need to strengthen them up.

• Lie down, legs extended, arms alongside your body. Keep spine in neutral position, relax shoulders and neck.
• Imagine you need to stop strain of urine immediately. Squeeze as you were trying to do that.
• DO that for 1-2 seconds in day one and move up to 5-10 in following days.
• Repeat your exercise up to 5-10 times during each day.

Arms and upper back stretch exercises;

They are perfect right after childbirth to solve your neck pain. It is natural for your neck to be sore after labour. It was a hard work and you have been using most of your muscles to get it done. It is from bending of your head downward during pushing.

Here is few stretches that might give you relief;

1. Stretch sequence

• sit up or stand, look forward
• lift both arms above your head, palms facing in, elbows soft
• now straighten your arms, fingertips pointing to a ceiling
• hold 5 seconds, release
• lower arms to shoulder level on the side of your body, palms facing down
• now push both arms backward as you were trying to clasp your hands behind your back
• make sure your hands will stay at shoulder level
• as they go backward, squeeze in your shoulder blades together
• hold 5 seconds
• lower arms down
• repeat whole sequence 3 to 5 times
• breath throughout the exercise
• 2. Head circulation

• stand straight, legs hip distance apart
• arms alongside your body
• close your eyes and make circles with your head to the right and to the left
• 5-10 circles on each side
• Do only one set
• 3. Neck flexion and extension 
• 4. Hands stretch

• stand straight, legs hip distance apart
• lift both arms in front of you at shoulder level. Wrap them together and push away from you – almost like someone was pulling them

For circulation;

1. ankle circles

• lie on your back, arms alongside your body, spine in neutral position
• make 15 circles with your ankles clockwise and then counter clockwise
• change position – sit-up and do this exercise again
• do maximum 15 repetitions in 3 sets

Your first abs exercises; 

For your abs routine go here;

https://www.momsfitnessheaven.com/first-5-abs-exercises-after-baby/