Top tips for exercising after having a baby.

[AD] Choosing how (or even if) you want to exercise after having a baby is a very personal decision. It’s certainly not a one shoe fits all type of situation. Nor is it the same from one persons pregnancy to their next. There are a number of different things to think about beforehand. You need to make sure you have the upmost safest experience exercising after having a baby because your body has already been through so much.

Enduring pregnancy and childbirth hugely affects our bodies and its ability to cope with exercise. Here are 8 things to think about before you make a decision surrounding exercise.

_{[Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash]}

Exercising after having a baby.

When can you start exercising after having a baby?

The general consensus from the NHS is that you should refrain from exercise until at least your 6 week post birth check up. It’s at this point, at the very earliest, your midwife will be able to give you the go ahead to start exercising again. This blanket advice, is just that and should’t be seen as correct for all mothers. Each mother will be given advice on a case by case basis and it’s important you wait for the go ahead from your midwife.

Be wary of relaxin.

Relaxin is the hormone which is released during pregnancy. It loosens your ligaments, cartilage and cervix, essentially getting your body ready to expand . It’s this hormone that causes instability in your joints and it continues to be released up to 5 months after having your baby (potentially even longer if you’re breastfeeding). You may want to avoid high impact exercises to begin with until your body feels ready.

Pelvic floor exercises are still exercises.

Pelvic floor exercises are important both during and after pregnancy. I always find pelvic floor exercises the hardest thing to remember to do, but even just a little goes a long way.

Leaking during exercise isn’t normal.

The majority of women will experience some amount of leaking during exercise. Unfortunately because it’s almost seen as normal and joked about, it doesn’t mean that it is. Your pelvic floor has been placed under a huge amount of strain during pregnancy and birth. It’s important to recognise the symptoms of a weakened pelvic floor. Being unable to hold your wee, leaking if you cough or sneeze, leaking when jumping or experiencing stress incontinence are all symptoms you may want to contact your GP about.

Exercise & sleep deprivation don’t mix.

Sleep deprivation takes its toll on your body so much more than just feeling tired. If you’re suffering from sleep deprivation I’d really recommend swapping exercise that day for a period of self care. Exercising whilst feeling exhausted can damage your wellbeing, may negatively impact your progress and can inhibit recovery.

Your body changes in so many different ways - Your postpartum body physically isn't going to be the same.
Amy - While she dreams

Set realistic goals.

When you return to exercise after having a baby it’s so important to set yourself realistic goals. Your fitness levels aren’t going to be the same as they were pre-pregnancy. Your body is healing and you’re probably dealing with a huge lack of sleep looking after your new born. It’s important to be kind to yourself and recognise what’s achievable and what isn’t.

Be sure to have the correct equipment

Exercising appropriately and efficiently requires the use of correct tools, methods and appropriate clothing. Granted of course there is the notion that you can exercise anywhere with anything and still be successful. You can't deny the feel good factor and productivity positivity that comes with using proper kit. This could be anything from investing in a decent yoga mat, signing yourself up to gym classes or even ensuring you have appropriate footwear. Tennis shoes are built differently to running shoes for example. It's important to stick to sport appropriate footwear to try prevent injury and prolong longevity of the shoe.

Exercise & breastfeeding.

There’s been a lot of contradicting opinions thrown about regarding exercise and breastfeeding. It’s a tale as old as time. One thing I will mention however is that if you are breastfeeding, try and not feel the pressure to lose weight or get back into an exercise routine. Nailing your latch, maintaining hydration and eating what makes your body feel good is so much more important.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Like with anything parenting or pregnancy related, it’s very easy to play the comparison game. It’s so important to realise that everybody’s body works differently. And everybody’s body works differently after each pregnancy (which I know all too well). We all recover at our own pace. We all process calorie intake differently. We’re just different. So please try your best not to play the comparison game.

_{[Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash]}

The pressures of women exercising after having a baby.

Like with a lot of things pregnancy and parenting related, exercising after having a baby is something we often feel pressured to do. I polled my Instagram audience and found that 79% of women asked said they felt pressured to exercise after childbirth. Whether that's from society, the media or their own pressures, it's a pretty sad figure.

Pregnant bodies are celebrated - Postpartum bodies are scrutinised.
Claire mac

Exercising whilst pregnant.

I have no experience of exercising whilst pregnant, however it seems that this is where the pressures begin. Hannah Powley is currently pregnant with her first child and is participating in cross fit three times a week. She's been questioned by a number of people, being told that she shouldn't be exercising as it 'might' be bad for the baby. All whilst training with a qualified pre/postnatal qualified trainer and having the go ahead from her midwife. She's already feeling the double standards that is pregnancy and parenting. The judgement of motherhood is wild!

Body changes.

Amy, who runs the small business While She Dreams understands that postpartum bodies don't just carry extra baby weight. The human body is amazing but it changes in so many different ways during pregnancy. Bones move and change. Your postpartum body physically isn't going to be the same. Choosing to exercise isn't quite as simple as you'd like & we must be gentle with ourselves.

Time constraints.

Exercise can take up a large period of time. Not just the exercise itself, but the getting ready beforehand, making sure the kids are looked after and slotting back into parenting life afterwards. It takes a lot! As mum to three under three, Vicky from My Little Girl Tribe understands just this! Having three small children she explains that she struggles finding time to have a proper home cooked hot meal, never mind finding time to exercise.

Mummy MOT

Jennifer who runs the blog Hello Jennifer Helen recommends a Mummy MOT. This is to asses posture, ab separation and pelvic floor. She believes this is something every postpartum woman should experience.

I struggle finding time to have a proper home cooked hot meal, never mind finding time to exercise.
Vicky - my little girl tribe.

My experience exercising after having a baby.

I mentioned previously about how my experiences with exercise has differed from my first and second pregnancy. I'll be honest, after my first birth my body went back to (what I'd class as) normal (for me) pretty quickly. I was one of those women you secretly hate. I was surprised at how quickly my body changed back. Second time around it was a little bit different. My body hasn't 'snapped back' (I hate that term) and there are noticeable differences in my metabolism. It's because of this that my attitude towards exercise after having a baby has differed.

My story with exercise.

I was quite a sporty kid. I really enjoyed PE in school and always loved it when the Summer months came and we'd start doing cross country running. Unfortunately since leaving school I haven't really done much exercise. I've dabbled with going to the gym, but for me, it's just not so enjoyable. I'm not the type of person to put my body through something I don't enjoy, so my experience of going to the gym was pretty short lived. I've always enjoyed walking and regularly go out on hikes with my family. But in terms of exercise, this was about as much as I've done over the last 10+ years. That was up until giving birth to my second baby.

How I've chosen to exercise after having my second baby.

I know gym life isn't the life for me. But what maybe is the life for me is running. Honing back into my teenage years I've (bravely) donned my running shoes to get up and run again.

My body now is very different to that of my teenage self. I know I need to take things easy and break myself into exercise again since having my second baby. I was very gentle with myself and I think that's massively helped regain my love for running.

My first week of running started with running around the block. It's a 0.7K route and took me around four minutes to complete. This may seem like no distance at all, but for me it's been highly beneficial to start off small. It's built up my confidence and it's also made the idea of running much more accessible in my busy life parenting two small children. I ran this distance four times that week. My second week I decided to extend the run and have been doing the same up until this very day.

Now two months into my exercise journey I'm comfortably running 4K 2-3 times a week. I've even signed up to do my first park run this weekend. It'll be my longest distance at 5K, but I'm confident I'll be able to complete the race. I'm already excited for the feeling of triumph afterwards.