Post Natal Exercise: Are you ready?

This is a question we are always asked

How soon after giving birth can I start exercising?

Many obstetricians will tell you to wait until your six-week postnatal check, although some feel that it's okay to gradually resume your pre-pregnancy routine based on your personal physical capability. It all depends on whether or not you exercised regularly previously.

Generally, if you exercised right up until the end of pregnancy, you can probably safely perform your pre-pregnancy workout -- or at least light exercise such as modified sit-ups and stretching -- from the start.

If you stopped exercising during your pregnancy or you are a newcomer to fitness, it is better to resume exercising more slowly. If you've never exercised or want to ease back into a fit lifestyle, see our exercise suggestions for the first six weeks. If you're beyond that point and need a new routine, you'll want to check out our exercises for after the first six weeks.

Check with your doctor or midwife for their recommendations. Also, remember that your joints and ligaments will still be relatively loose for about three to five months, so you will need to watch your technique carefully.

What about exercise classes?

Apart from abdominal exercises, pelvic floor exercises, and brisk walking, you should wait until after your postnatal check before attending classes. If you would then like to join an exercise class, choose one taught by a specialist in the field of postnatal exercise, you can check with our health professional, by clicking here or find a low-impact class with plenty of toning and stretching and let the teacher know you have just had a baby.

What is the "rec check"?

Before progressing to abdominal exercises, make sure the gap in your abdominal muscles has closed, otherwise you could impede the healing of your abdomen. Here's how to check to see whether you're ready (the "rec check"):

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent.

• Place the fingers of your left hand, palm facing you, just above your belly button.

• Inhale then exhale, and, as you do, lift your head and shoulders off the floor and slide your right hand up your thigh toward your knee. This will make your abdominal muscles tighten and you should be able to feel a gap between the two edges of the muscles. If the gap is three or more finger widths, you'll need to start with pelvic tilts, transversus abdominus exercises, and leg slides. Once the gap narrows to only one to two finger widths, and you can easily manage 16 head and shoulder raises, it's safe to proceed to sit-ups and more advanced abdominal exercises.

Avoid exercises that make your breasts sore or tender, and always try to exercise after feeding your baby. Your breasts won't feel uncomfortably full, and your baby will appreciate it, too. Recent research suggests that if a mother attempts to breastfeed immediately after rigorous exercise, her baby may shun the breast completely or feed less vigorously. (This distaste for breastmilk should pass within 60 minutes after the workout.) Provided the exercise is not too strenuous, this should not be a problem.

Are there any physical signs that I might be overdoing it?

Too much physical activity during the first few weeks after delivery can cause your vaginal flow, called lochia, to become pink or red and to flow more heavily -- a signal to slow down. You should also allow time for your incision to heal if you have had a caesarean. Check with your doctor if vaginal bleeding or lochia restarts after you thought it had stopped.

What's the best way to lose weight?

Many new mothers are understandably eager to work off the extra weight of pregnancy as soon as the baby is born. The immediate postnatal period is probably not a good time to start dieting, however, especially if you are establishing breastfeeding.

A good goal is to lose no more than a pound / half a kilogram per week. The best way is to do some form of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or swimming. Focus on fast-paced movements using large muscle groups (such as legs) that elevate your heart rate. To get the most of out your workout, exercise at 60%-80% of your maximum heart rate.

Work out for at least 30 (and preferably 50) minutes of exercise -- include exercises targeted at toning the muscles most affected by pregnancy -- at least three to five days a week. If you weren't active during your pregnancy, start gradually. If you tapered off on your fitness routine as your pregnancy progressed, begin at the modified level and increase the intensity or time as you feel ready.

Please note, that women who brestfeed their babies lose weight and regain their shape far quicker than those who do not, much research has been done on this. The excess fat stores laid down during pregnancy are natures way of providing for baby on days when not enough calories are consumed to make milk.  As the baby's supply on demand for milk is established and the mother's post-pregnancy metabolism balances itself out, it becomes clear that this fat is no longer needed and it is burned up over a period of time.. effortlessly!