Postnatal Fitness considerations week 0-6
First things first. If you chose not to move around much, have prioritized way more important things like feeding yourself and your baby, and/or don’t even want to think about fitness, thats ok! When and how you decide to move your body and what you do with your body is completely up to you!
If you’re interested in learning about what you can do at (estimated) 0-6 week mark while recovering from labor, here it is. These are not exercises in particular, rather a set of 4 basic movements with coaching cues (see below). All movements include breath and functional ranges of motion that invite an increased awareness to many movements you’re probably already doing, like walking around, getting up from bed, and getting out of the car.
Further, at a 6 week follow up, your doctor may clear you to exercise, thats great! However, jumping right into all and any exercise is not advised. Given my knowledge and experience, a more progressive approach is necessary. So together, you as a new mother and owner of your body, and me as your fitness guide and fitness design expert, and with your doctors clearance, can begin an exercise program!
In this blog, I’m going to share with you how to breathe to relax and access, even strengthen deep abdominal muscles, stretch and mobilize your neck, shoulders, and pelvis, maybe even begin going on walks again.
FYI: A 6 week return to all normal exercise is a myth. The postnatal phase close to a year long phase in our training together and you do need a release to exercise from your OBGYN and or general practitioner before beginning a fitness program. Please feel free to reach out here with questions. Contact Brie
Let’s get to it!
Weeks (0-6) After birth:
This is an interesting time for you, yes? Having just brought a human into this world, and getting familiar with them, your body, your mind, your new family dynamic, and the time you have in a day to get shit done. You’re most likely experiencing less sleep than you’re used to as you adapt to your baby’s feeding and sleeping needs, are recovering physically from birth whether vaginal or c-section, and learning to cope with mental stressors, or maybe just facing mental stressors at this point. Did I mention parents, in-laws, and societal pressures to ‘bounce back.’
Among all that is going on. If you remember to breathe, take a few deep breaths for yourself this may be the most calming part of the day! This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the part that tells our human bodies it’s going to be ok.
Priorities during the first six weeks postpartum are (1)
Recover from birth
Get rest (whenever possible)
Establish feeding
Establish gentle movement and re-establish good breathing patterns and the core-pelvic floor connection (if you have the energy and desire)
In the first few weeks, some people experience incontinence and pelvic floor weakness, this is normal, and this should improve from week to week, especially if you do the pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation exercise below. If it does not improve and there is a painful sensation within the pelvic floor area after the six week mark, you should reach out to your primary care provider or OBGYN and seek out a pelvic floor physiotherapist.
Goals of exercise in this period are (2)
Improve pelvic floor muscle activation (early pelvic floor exercises can actually help with pain and swelling via the muscle pump action)
Practice contraction and relaxing pelvic floor muscles
Relieve aches and pains in the spine
Work on optimal breathing patterns
Begin a gentle walking routine
Work on alignment, especially if post c-section
Some Fitness Considerations
1. Pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation looks like this:
Imagine your pelvic floor is a clock…The pubic symphysis (front) is 12 o’clock, the perineum (back) is 6 o’clock, and the hip muscles are 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.
Inhale through your nose and fill the clock with air. This should feel like you’re releasing gas out of your vagina and anus and filling your hips with air.
Exhale out your mouth and pull 12, 6, 3, and 9 o’clock together. Can you hold for 1…2…3…maybe…4….5….6 seconds (eventually)?
Inhale relax and release for the same amount of time you contracted the clock in.
Exhale contract. Inhale Release. Repeat for 1 set of 6-8 reps, over time increase to 10 reps, eventually increase to 2 sets.
2. Mobility and stretching: (this can help relieve tension in the neck, chest, and lower back and can be done in bed)
Pelvic tilts with pillow squeeze.
Lying on your back with knees bent and feet to floor. Put pillow between knees. Inhale, inflate pelvis and untuck pelvis (as if pelvis was a bowl, pouring water out). Exhale, squeeze pillow, draw pelvis up and pull muscles inward (‘catch’ water in pelvic bowl). 1-3 sets of 10
Supine upper trap stretch. Reach fingers beside your body toward your heels. Pull shoulders down and stretch head toward one shoulder. Hold 30 seconds. Switch. 1-3 sets of 30 seconds each side.
Thoracic rotations. If c-section, wait until scar heals. Lie on your side with pillow between knees. Reach arms out in front of you, on your side, with hands sandwiched together. Rotate top arm and head behind you. Only push as far as your body can tolerate. 1-3 sets of 30 seconds each side.
Functional Roll. Getting out of bed. Before rising up. Bring Knees up and together toward hips. Roll to side (with a pelvic floor contraction and or connection breath ((see below)). Use top hand to push up to seat on edge of bed. The same roll can be done getting out of car. Pull knees together in seat and use upper body strength to pull toward door. If dealing with hip pain, you can sit on a plastic bag in car for easy rotation.
3. Connection breathing: (this deep breathing technique is a helpful way to ease your mind and drop into your body. This breathing technique also helps access deeper muscle activation of the transverse abdominis muscles (TA), aka the deep ab muscles. If you’re recovering from a c-section ensure you’re not breathing too deeply so your lower stomach only inflates and deflates a little with each breath. This way you’re not over stretching the healing incision.
Place one hand just below your ribs on your diaphragm.
Place the other hand on your belly button.
Inhale into your top hand for a count of 3 (the one just below the ribs).
Exhale and feel both hands sink in and up into your body for a count of 3 (like an elevator going up from your bottom hand to your top hand).
Repeat for 1-3 sets 6-10 reps. Also play with breath count, inhale for 3….4….5 sec/exhale for 3….4….5 sec.
1.&3. Once you have the hang of both pelvic floor clock breath and above breathing technique, blend the two together.
Inhale release pelvic floor and stomach and diaphragm. The pelvic floor and diaphragm naturally lower during this.
Exhale pull together pelvic floor clock and draw stomach and diaphragm up and in.
Inhale release.
Exhale contract.
**Sometimes it helps people to think, “exhale on effort” or “inhale to inflate”. **
4. Walking:
This may be a new challenge for you. It can also be something that you’re excited for, don’t want to do, and may be anxious to try. This is personal to you and your comfort level.
Wherever you are at this time, you’ll need to take it slow. My suggestion is to start with a 10 minute walk. And work up to 2x short walks (10-15 minutes) a day. But remember to continue to check in with yourself and see how you feel after the walk and the next day too. You can work your way up to one long walk once you feel you’re ready, without any symptoms, and as time allows. If you’re bleeding or experiencing a lot of fatigue it’s time to scale back a little bit. Maybe focus on other goals, like hydration, or naps!
You may also be pushing the baby stroller or carrying your baby on your body in a wrap so consider the added weight and what it does for your alignment. For example, its easy to want to lean forward when pushing the stroller. Check in that your joints are stacked with head and ribs over hips. It may feel odd, but yeah, thats neutral.
In general we’re seeking alignment that is optimal for function, everyones posture is unique. There’s no perfect posture, however there are joint patterns that allow for better muscle activation which will help you feel stronger and help you heal faster. I can help you when we train together on alignment and you can choose cues that support that alignment.
One more thing! Arm Swing! Don’t miss this part of walking. If you have arms free by your side, let them gently move as your shoulders twist slightly from side to side. Here, you’re introducing some gentle twists and rotations both stretching and strengthening your mid-body.
You’ve got this. Don’t worry about getting all 4 steps done at once. Aim to master one to start!
And you’ve just given birth to a human so give yourself some serious credit 👏👏👏 Recovery looks different for each person and so do your needs, schedule, and desires.
(1, 2)The Girls Gone Strong Academy Pre-and Postnatal Coaching Certification Manual. 2018. Girls Gone Strong. P.388-P.389
I’d love to hear from you! Schedule now for free 30 minute consultation call!
