Once you have been cleared to exercise after your postpartum check up it can be overwhelming to know how to begin exercising safely again. Remember that your body has just gone through 9 months of pregnancy, plus labor and delivery, or a c-section. Not to mention the current sleep deprivation. And if you are breastfeeding, your body has lots of pregnancy hormones still coursing through your it. You will need to start your postpartum workout slowly and gently and expect your fitness levels to be lower than at the end of your pregnancy. Please listen to your body as you approach the following sequence. This whole postnatal workout can be done slowly, with smaller ranges of motion than depicted in the images, and even just a few reps will build strength.
What’s different about a postnatal workout sequence?
During pregnancy and delivery, whether vaginal or cesarean, the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles take a big toll. The goal of this postnatal workout sequence is to help rebuild strength throughout the whole body, while focusing on stability, breathing, and support through the pelvis and abs.
What should I watch out for when beginning to exercise postpartum?
If you feel any straining in your abdominals, pelvic floor, or lower back try reducing the intensity or range of the movement. Focus on exhaling while doing the hardest part of the movement.
Begin your postpartum workout:
Start with 10 reps or 10 second holds and build up to doing all the exercises 30 times, or holding for one minute.
Belly breathing: Inhale letting your belly gently inflate like a balloon. Exhale and let your belly gently deflate.Pelvic tucks: Inhale letting your belly gently inflate like a balloon. Exhale and press your belly towards the floorBridge: Exhale and press your belly towards the floor, then lift your hips. Keep a small pelvic tuck at the top of the bridge.Hands and knees belly breathing. Breathe into your belly and exhale, engaging your abdominals, all while maintaining a neutral back.CatCow
As you exhale, pull your belly to your spine and round your back. As you inhale arch your back and look up to the ceiling.
Bird dog: Reach opposite arm and leg out while maintaining stability through your back and hips.Modified side plank: Resting on your forearm and knees, exhale and lift your hips up off the floor. Clamshells: Resting on your side, open and close your top leg while keeping your heels together. Lean forward to deepen the intensity in the glutes.
Rotator cuff: Holding a band in both hands, open the band out to the sides while keeping your elbows close to your body.
Sideways band walks: With a band around your ankles, walk sideways.
BONUS: Put these two exercises together once you are comfortable with them
Wall plank: Build up to doing planks by first placing your hands or elbows on the wall. Walk your feet away from the wall until you feel your abdominals engaging.Heel raises: Holding onto a wall, rise up and down on your toes. Wall squats: With your back against the wall, walk your feet forward and sit as if you are sitting in a chair. Make sure your knees do not go past your toes. Go only as deep as you feel comfortable.Supported lunges: Build up to doing lunges by holding onto a chair or countertop.Standing rows: Attach a band to a door handle and pull the handles of the band. Imagine you are trying to squeeze something in between your shoulder blades. Try one arm at a time.Standing chest press: With the band still attached to the door, face away from the door and pull the handles forward to strengthen your arms, chest, and abdominals.Standing tricep extensions: Standing with your knees bent, and body leaning slightly forward while maintaining a neutral back, straighten and bend your arms to strengthen your triceps.
I’d like some guidance from a postnatal trainer
Reach out to Morgana Tessler for a complimentary consultation to discuss any particular issues you may be experiencing postpartum such as diastasis recti, pelvic floor prolapse, lower back pain, or just confusion about how to begin exercising postpartum.
What if i haven’t been cleared for exercise yet?
While you should wait to begin this postnatal workout series until after you have been cleared for exercise, there are safe ways to help your body heal after having a baby.
How can I heal faster from a c-section?
If you had a c-section, you can begin this postpartum workout once you have been cleared for exercise by your ob. Additionally, you can begin loosening up the scar tissue to help your abdominals and pelvic floor heal faster. Here is a great video that shows all the steps.
What if I have diastasis recti?
If you have diastasis recti, you can still do this postpartum workout except for the section on the hands and knees. Learn more about healing your diastasis recti.
Belly binding has been a part of postpartum traditions all over the world for hundreds of years. Unique belly binding techniques can be found in the birth traditions of Africa, Malaysia, Japan, and Latin America.
Many of these traditions use their own unique tying techniques. Such as the knotted bengkung bind from Malaysia, the sarashi wrap from Japan and faja stemming from several different cultures in Latin America. They all however, serve a similar purpose to provide physical and emotional support during the postpartum period.
These wraps are worn during the 40-100 days following birth. In Japan this is called ‘ansei’ and it prescribes 100 days of rest and pampering for a new mother to focus on herself and her baby. A cuerentena is a 40 day period of rest and recovery in many Latin American countries. The period of binding the belly after the baby is born and is sometimes combined with abdominal massage with herbs and oils and a simple, nourishing diet like in the traditions originating from the African diaspora and Latin America.
This practice is widespread in cultures around the world because it is so effective in providing postpartum support. Many women across cultures describe feeling grounded and emotionally supported by the practice, as well as soothing anxiety and grief. Belly binds also support hips and lower back and can provide postural support while lifting and feeding babies. They provide support internally as well, encouraging organs to shift back to prepregnancy position and allow for water and air built up during pregnancy to release. This can reduce bloating and discomfort in the days and weeks after birth. Connective tissue in between the abdominal muscles tends to widen and thin when growing babies, causing diastasis recti. The belly binding practice encourages the gap between the abdominals to close.
It’s these ancient practices that inspired the diastasis splint products on the market today. These products like the Tupler splint are made of elastic, spandex, and velcro rather than using a binding method with a long piece of cloth, however they serve the same purpose to support the back and hug the abdominals.
Always check with your doctor or midwife before starting any movement postpartum. Most women will get the green light on beginning with these gentle exercises.
Postpartum exercise, healing from pregnancy and delivery
As a prenatal/postnatal personal trainer I was well aware that it takes time for a woman’s body to heal after giving birth. And yet, somehow with my own body I was surprised after my daughter was born to find that my belly felt like a squishy, spongy pillow. Not to mention that I still looked very pregnant. I can not emphasize enough how important it is to give yourself the time, space, and kindness that your body and mind need to heal. I struggled with the pressure to return to my postpartum body as quickly as possible, but I now cringe when I hear women talk about needing to “bounce back”. Your body just grew and birthed a human being. Can the goal instead be to heal and recover from pregnancy and childbirth?
1. Walking postpartum
Start going for short gentle walks as soon as you are up for it. According to Mayo Clinic “If you had an uncomplicated pregnancy and vaginal delivery, it’s generally safe to begin exercising a few days after giving birth or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a C-section, extensive vaginal repair or a complicated birth, talk to your health care provider about when to start an exercise program.” Begin by taking walks at a pace that feels comfortable for you starting with 5-10 minutes and building up to 30 minutes a day. I also found this reduced fussiness in my baby if I took her out in the stroller.
2. Belly breathing
Belly breathing is an effective way to reduce stress and anxiety, as well gently restore health in the abdominals and pelvic floor. This video from Yoga Tune Up demonstrates and explains how to practice belly breathing. It is easiest to learn laying down and can be done in bed or on the floor. Once you’re comfortable breathing on your back, try doing it while seated or standing. I often practiced it while sitting up feeding my baby.
3. Pelvic tucks
Pelvic tucks are a safe way to start strengthening your core and pelvic floor postpartum. Building on the belly breathing (see video above), begin by laying on your back, with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Inhale, expanding your belly with air, as you exhale draw your belly button in and up, while gently pressing your lower back towards the floor. Inhale and return to a relaxed position. Repeat 10x.
4. Neck and shoulder exercises for new parents
A vital part of postpartum care is shoulder and neck stretches to relieve tension from feeding, holding, and caring for your baby. No matter how you are feeding your baby, caring for a little one involves a lot of awkward positions, holding, picking up, and putting down, which can result in neck and shoulder tension. This sequence typically helps reduce aches and pains caused by feeding and caring for your baby and can be done as needed or every day to prevent tension.
5. Icing and elevation for postpartum healing
In the same way you would be advised to elevate and ice after an injury or surgery in your knee, the same advice can be given following a vaginal or c-section delivery. Padsicles are a great way to ice your vagina postpartum. There are also DIY padsicles. Try to spend some time every day laying down to help elevate your pelvis and abdomen.
Additional resources for postpartum healing and recovery
For guidance on how to exercise after you’ve been cleared for exercise from your doctor or midwife, reach out to Morgana Tessler for a complimentary consultation to check for diastasis recti, and discuss a postnatal workout plan that is safe, effective, and enjoyable for you.
As we age we lose up to 13% of our dopamine receptors. Exercise can prevent this decline. An article for the The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley outlines how exercise can reshape our brain’s reward systems to circulate more dopamine and have more available dopamine receptors. Meaning, moving our bodies can make us more sensitive to joy. A regular physical practice of any kind can help to combat depression and increase motivation in all aspects of your life.
2. Exercise boosts the immune system.
Restorative movement like yoga and pilates can be a powerful tool in reducing stress and strengthening your bodies natural defenses. Breath work conditions our respiratory system, stretching and strengthening cleanses and tones our vital organs. To read more about how exercise is an excellent tool in boosting our immune system check out our January blog post Boost your immune system with yoga and food.
3. Exercise improves learning and memory.
Exercise builds more than physical strength and balance. This article discusses recent studies that have been done investigating the hormone Irisin, which is released during physical activity, and its connection to improved cognitive function. Exercise not only conditions our bodies, but also our brains.
Engaging in physical challenges (big and small) allows us to access neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity helps us learn and adapt to stress and challenges far beyond our workout. For more information about why exercise is a great tool for building cognitive function check out the podcast below.
Bone density is of particular concern to women. Especially postmenopausal women and women who are pregnant or nursing. There seems to be a lot of conflicting information regarding what is safe and effective for healthy strong bones.
With headlines from the New York Times stating that Vitamin D and Calcium Don’t Prevent Bone Fractures and research from the British Medical Journal showing that calcium supplements could increase the risk of myocardial infarction it is becoming clear that the ways to improve bone density are complicated and less well understood then we previously thought. I decided to dig around and see if I could find anything useful. I wanted to know more about supplements, diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking and even stress to see what is known, unknown, or still up in the air in terms of healthy bones.
Eating for bone density
The first thing I looked into was calcium, both in food and supplement form. Here’s a video that digs into some of the studies showing that calcium supplements are not effective in improving bone density. The video also talks about calcium in the diet. It seems that there is not a very compelling argument for eating large amounts of calcium either. But don’t go lower than 500 mg a day or there are clear bone issues. Despite these recent studies, the recommendation is still to eat 1000 mg a day for the general population and 1200 mg for women over 50 or who are pregnant or lactating. With conflicting information, personally, I’m going to err on the side of caution and aim to get close to 1000 mg of calcium a day through a healthy diet. But how to eat that much calcium? And what does that look like in a normal diet? And what if you don’t eat dairy, or don’t want to eat many servings of dairy every day? These were the questions I’ve been digging around trying to find answers for. The National Osteoporosis Foundation provides a list of top calcium rich foods with collard greens and some seafood being surprisingly good sources of calcium. My favorite post on calcium rich foods is from a vegan nutritionist who shows how to combine calcium rich foods in tasty and simple ways to easily reach 1000 mg of calcium a day. I strongly recommend looking at it, even if you include dairy and meat in your diet. One of my favorite combinations from this blog is dried figs and almonds. They are both high in calcium, and it seems almonds have bone health benefits beyond their calcium content.
As I continued digging around in the calcium bone density world I quickly found that as well as calcium, one of the big recommendations is to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and legumes for bone health. We all know we should be eating more from that list anyways, so here’s one more good reason!
While eating healthy foods, I’ve been focusing on the ones that are also high in calcium. Such as broccoli, soymilk, almonds, chia seeds, white beans, and citrus. I would like to take a moment to highlight chia seeds as a particularly helpful food when trying to increase the calcium in your diet. In just two tablespoons of chia seeds you get 160 mg of calcium, plus omega-3’s, zinc, magnesium, iron, and even protein. See below for my favorite chia seed pudding recipe. Vitamin D is seemingly also of great importance when it comes to bone health.
Chia Seed Pudding
This recipe makes a perfect breakfast, snack or dessert. Make up a big bowl and store it in the fridge to use throughout the week.
INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened milk of choice, I prefer soymilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Maple syrup, honey or other sweetener to taste (optional)
Fresh or frozen fruit
Mix the chia seeds, milk, vanilla, and sweetener together and allow to sit overnight or for at least 2 hours. Stir and add fruit.
Chia seed pudding with berries
Exercise for bone health
Then comes the exercise component. Everything from walking, running, dancing, aerobics, weight lifting, and now even yoga, has been shown to help build or maintain healthy bones. Here’s a list from the National Osteoporosis Foundation on exercise for bone health and from Harvard on the importance of weight bearing exercises.
It is often overlooked that exercise has benefits beyond bone density that impact overall fracture rates. Exercise increases strength, coordination, body awareness, and balance. All of these are key factors in preventing bone fractures caused by falls. Which might in-part explain why Yoga has been shown to be helpful in preventing bone fractures. The New York Times recently wrote about a decade long study following over 200 people (mostly women) with osteopenia or osteoporosis who practiced yoga for 12 minutes a day. The result was 0 fractures during that decade, and some improvement in bone density in the spine and femur.
However, there are some things to avoid if you already have osteoporosis, such as deep twists and flexion of the spine (rounding the spine forward). Learn more about the do’s and dont’s for yoga and osteoporosis. Stress is another culprit in bone loss. It is worth noting that the 12 minutes of yoga described above included savasana, the part at the end of a yoga class where you lay on your back, close your eyes, and breath.
Other lifestyle factors that impact bone density
And last, but not least, smoking, not surprisingly, is bad for your bones. The WHO states that an estimated “one in eight hip fractures is attributable to cigarette smoking”. However, the risks seem to decrease for people who quit smoking. Interestingly alcohol seems to have evidence for and against it with moderation being key.
What to do for bone health
In the end it all starts to sound like the usual healthy lifestyle prescription, with an emphasis on a few foods. With so much new research coming out and differing opinions in the medical profession I would recommend regularly checking in with your doctor to make sure that you are on the best program for you. For me personally, I’m going to focus on healthy lifestyle choices as well as lots of walking, yoga, Pilates and weight lifting as exercise for healthy bones. For diet, I’m working on ensuring adequate vitamin D, lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts with an emphasis on calcium rich ones such as kale, beans, almonds, chia seeds, figs, and citrus. Oh, and stress reduction. That’s always the hardest one to remember.
Let me know if you have any questions from all this, I’m happy to send more links!
As the weather turns warmer and the days become longer it is the perfect time to get outside for a workout. No need for the gym or any equipment, this full body workout makes use of your bodyweight and what you’re likely to find in your neighborhood park.
Join Personal Trainer Morgana in this fun outdoor workout!
Running up the Stairs: As a warm-up begin by walking briskly up and down a set of stairs. Build the walk up into a fast walk or run.
Squats: A great way to strengthen and tone your glutes and thighs. Starting from a wide parallel stance, bend your knees and send your hips back behind you. Keep your back flat and check that your knees have not gone past your feet. To come up push into your feet and tighten your abs and glutes at the top.
Mountain Climbers: A great exercise for strengthening your core and upper body as well as increasing your heart rate. Starting in a plank position alternate bringing your knees into your chest. To make it more challenging hop your feet in and out one at a time.
Lunge/Balance: Standing with your feet parallel and hip distance apart, bring one knee up and find a balance, hold for a few seconds. Step your lifted leg back into a low lunge. In your lunge lower your back knee so it is parallel with the ground, check that the front knee has not gone past your toes. Pull your abs in and keep your upper body lifted. From the lunge move back up into the balance position.
Tricep Dips: Find a bench and place your palms on the bench pointing towards your body. With either bent or straight knees bend and straighten your elbows squeezing into the back of your arms at the top. Try lifting one leg to make it extra hard!
Push-ups: The ultimate core and upper body workout. Starting in a plank with your hands wider than shoulder distance, keep your hips slightly lifted, knees tight, and abs pulled in. Lower towards the ground keeping the correct alignment.
Morgana Tessler is a Certified Orthopedic Personal Trainer, Yoga, Pilates, Meditation and Barre Instructor based in NYC. Morgana offers private and group fitness sessions. For more information visit www.morgana.nycFacebook, Instagram
