Postpartum Recovery: Easy At-Home New Mom Workout

propelactive.com • May 02, 2021

An Easy At-Home New Mom Workout

Updated on May 1, 2021  |  By: Dr. Peter Lejkowski

Header image of Easy At Home Exercise Program for New Moms BLOG

Have you recently had a baby and are struggling with your mental and physical health? Do you want a quick and easy at-home new mom workout that won’t break the bank or be too time-consuming?  Then this article is for you!

CLICK HERE for a video of an EASY HOME NEW MOM WORKOUT

Congratulations!  Giving birth is a major accomplishment and this is the beginning of many more wonderful events to come now that baby is here!  Newborns are little bundles of joy, but at the same time, it is hard to know what to expect.

As you navigate your way through the first feedings, sleepless night, or hours of hearing your baby cry (whether this is your first baby or third) it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed.  Although several aspects of our lives have been put on hold for the last year, there are some things we just cannot postpone.

Your health is one of them.

This is especially important if you are a new mother.  If you gave birth recently you are probably feeling a lot, both physically and emotionally.  There are several challenges you are probably dealing with, including fatigue, new physical pains, and just getting used to how your body has changed through pregnancy and delivery, just to name a few.  Now more than ever is a great time to remember that these concerns need to be a priority.

It is easy for a new mom to feel a sense of selfishness or guilt when you choose to make yourself a priority, especially when your new baby needs constant care and attention. The good news is that there is a simple solution that can help you to manage many of the postpartum recovery concerns listed above – EXERCISE!

It doesn’t have to be complicated, no fancy equipment or expensive gym membership required. While we all know that exercise is important, research shows that it is essential in your postpartum recovery. While the idea of incorporating a workout into your already packed day may seem daunting, we’re going to make it super simple with our easy at-home new mom workout routine.

Image of Postpartum Recovery Blog section about What happens to your body after giving birth

What Happens To Your Body After Giving Birth?

The postpartum period, also known as the 4th trimester, occurs immediately following childbirth (1).  This period is often associated with psychological and physical changes that can impact your health throughout your postpartum journey.

There are 3 distinct phases of postpartum , with the 1st phase starting in the first 6-12 hours following birth (1).  This is known as the initial/acute period.  Here you will experience rapid changes, and it has the most risk associated with it. Although rare, these can include developing a hemorrhage, uterine inversion, or eclampsia.

The 2nd phase  is called the subacute phase which occurs during the first 2-6 weeks after childbirth (1).  You will experience slower changes in your genitourinary recovery, metabolism, and emotional status.

The 3rd phase is the last and longest phase, lasting up to 6 months. This is the time when muscle tone and connective tissues are restored to pre-pregnancy status (1).  This is typically when women start to think about getting their bodies and minds back to where they were pre-pregnancy.

When it comes to resuming exercise postpartum, however, many new moms struggle with motivation and may be unsure about how, and when it is safe to get back to fitness.

I’m Just So Tired!

And you have every reason to be!

You’ve just gone through 9 months of carrying your little one, throw in 12-24 hours of labour, and now you are expected to raise your newborn.  All of this can be very tiring and requires a huge amount of energy! You’ve probably experienced many sleepless nights already, perhaps skipped a few meals and now you’re feeling overwhelmed.

There are 2 types of fatigue – physical and psychological (1).Physical fatigue can be experienced due to the exhaustion associated with childbirth, childcare, and motherhood.  Psychological (or mental) fatigue can be precursors to postpartum depression, anxiety and stress. As these stressors begin to build up, it’s easy to find reasons not to incorporate physical activity in your already hectic day.

However, moderate-intensity exercise has shown to be beneficial in improving all these aspects (1-3)!  Most women would think that doing physical activity would cause more fatigue, but it actually does the exact opposite!

Even a quick stroller walk around the block can be enough to give you that extra energy needed to get through another long day.

Keep reading to discover our recommended at-home new mom workout.

Image of Postpartum Recovery Blog section About Diastasis Recti Abdominis

About Diastasis Recti Abdominis (i.e. that gap in your belly)

One of the most common physical symptoms that you may be dealing with is something called “ diastasis recti abdominis “.

Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) is defined as an impairment within the midline between the two rectus abdominis muscles (or commonly known as your 6 pack muscles) along the linea alba (4-6). This can occur when the ab muscles stretch and separate as your baby grows.

Most studies suggest DRA is present when you have a distance of more than 2cm at the level of your belly bottom or 4.5cm above or below.  This can be measured using a practitioner’s finger-breath or, more accurately, using a diagnostic ultrasound (4-6).

DRA can be seen in the last trimester of pregnancy and can occur in anywhere from 66% to 100% of postpartum females (4).  It was reported that 39% to 49.5% of women still can report this occurring up to 6 months postpartum, with up to 32.6% still reporting after 1 year (4).

Women who have DRA are more likely to experience mental health issues due to the appearance of the actual gap in the belly (4, 5).  It is also common to feel abdominal bloating and discomfort.

While DRA can be associated with weaker abdominal muscles, research does not support this as the primary cause. It is simply a symptom of pregnancy that persists postpartum.

It is important to know that exercise can be used to effectively manage DRA, and the focus should be on improving functionality and re-establishing proper movement patterns.

 

Image of Postpartum Recovery Blog section on Postpartum Low Back Pain

Image of Postpartum Recovery Blog section on Postpartum Low Back Pain

Postpartum Low Back Pain

Up to 25% of women will experience low back pain postpartum.  Most women will notice the back pain subsiding a few weeks to months after delivery, but this pain can continue in about 10% even up to 2 years after (6)!

This pain is described as severe in up to 10% of cases.  If you’ve had low back pain in the past, there’s a good chance that you had pain during and after pregnancy, as this is the strongest predictor of pregnancy-related low back pain.

Why is lower back pain so common in pregnancy?

Consider how much, and how quickly the body changes to accommodate a growing baby. This alters your biomechanics (how your body moves) significantly.

Also, as the baby grows, your body releases a hormone called Relaxin , which allows the pelvic joints to loosen, and open to make room for the baby and prepare you for labour. Unfortunately, this loosening of the joints, primarily the Sacroiliac Joints, decreases stability in the pelvis, lessening the body’s ability to transfer load from the torso to the legs. This increased joint movement, combined with increasing load on the joints, often leads to pain. Many pregnant women will feel these effects as early as 18 weeks, but some as late as 3 weeks postpartum (6).

There are two types of low back pain that are associated with postpartum, explained below (6)

Pregnancy-related Low Back Pain

The first type of pain is called pregnancy-related low back pain (PLBP).  With this type of condition, you will most likely experience a dull pain and most commonly felt while bending forward due to tight and sensitive muscles in the low back.  This pain feels similar to non-pregnant low back pain.

Pelvic Girdle Pain

The second condition is called pelvic girdle pain (PGP).  This pain is felt predominantly in the SI joints, in between your SI joints, and into your buttocks.  Pain is described as stabbing, shooting, dull or burning and can sometimes travel down into your thighs.  Pain usually comes and goes, and is worse with sitting, walking, or standing for more than 30 minutes.  Compared to PLBP, this pain is not caused due to sore muscles in the low back.  This is due to increased motion in the pelvic joints.

Image of Postpartum Recovery Blog section on Urinary Incontinence

Image of Postpartum Recovery Blog section on Urinary Incontinence

Urinary Incontinence

Peeing when you sneeze or during a workout is common in postpartum women. But, this doesn’t mean it’s normal. #mombladder is not something we want to have for the rest of our lives!

Pelvic floor dysfunction  (or PFD) is related to weak supporting structures, degeneration, and trauma, and is linked with conditions including urinary incontinence (UI), and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) (1).   These are all associated with pregnancy and delivery.

During pregnancy, your growing uterus and changing hormones can lead to a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.  Compression of these muscles or injury of nerves during delivery can all lead to PFD as well.

It was reported that more than 1/3 of postpartum women experience at least one symptom of PFD up to one-year post-delivery (1).

Want to know how to fix this? … you guessed it, exercise!  As mentioned above your pelvic floor is made up of muscles.  You can always strengthen a muscle.  By incorporating regular exercise, you can improve your pelvic floor muscle strength, leading to less peeing your pants! All the more reason to learn about our new mom workout!!

Header image of Easy At Home Exercise Program for New Moms BLOG

Header image of Easy At Home Exercise Program for New Moms BLOG that deals with Postpartum Recovery

Postpartum Self Care

If you’ve read this far, I’m sure you can see how exercise can positively impact your mind and body!  Exercise is medicine!  This is the strongest tool we have in preventing and treating pain and dysfunction.

Exercise can be difficult for a new mom, especially in the first 6 weeks after giving birth, however, is it very important for your postpartum recovery.

Exercise has a multitude of benefits, including increased energy, improved sense of wellbeing, decreased depression, reduced weight, and wiliness to participate in physical activity.  A common misconception is that exercise must involve lifting heavy weights in a gym, an hour at a time, 5 days a week.  This is far from the truth. 

Exercise can be anything that you enjoy and should be implemented early on in your postpartum recovery.  There are some things to consider prior to starting a new exercise routine, and you should be medically cleared by a healthcare professional prior to beginning.

The good news is your local chiropractor can help to determine whether you can begin safely!  If you have already been medically cleared, then you are safe to follow the new mom workout program below!

The following new mom workout has been adapted from a recent scientific publication in the “Strength & Conditioning Journal”. For a link to the full study, CLICK HERE

Postpartum Exercise: How Much and When ?

The most commonly used method of determining whether or not you are ready is to track pain while exercising.  Ask yourself, “Do I feel pain, or is the pain getting worse?”.  If it hurts then stop, but if it feels good then it’s probably safe.  It has been shown that even 15 minutes per session, 3 times a week can significantly decrease levels of fatigue and perceived stress in only 4 weeks.

After 12 weeks at this frequency, there is a significant improvement in the quality of sleep.  Both aerobic and resistance training are recommended for postpartum recovery.

 

Postpartum Aerobic Training

Aerobic training is any form of exercise that includes cardiovascular training, also known as cardio.  Aerobic literally means “with oxygen” so any type of exercise that increases breathing and heart rate can be considered cardio.

An initial frequency for postpartum moms to start aerobic training would be 3 times a week at 15-60 mins per session.  The goal is to progress to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, (20-30 min per day for 6 days a week). Some examples of moderate-intensity activities include brisk walking, gardening or light effort bicycling.

The best way to know if you’re doing the activity at the correct effort is to track your breathing and sweating.  You should feel your breath increase, but you should still be able to have a conversation, and you should only feel a light sweat after 10 minutes.  This can be accomplished with any activity you enjoy, as long as your heart rate increases, and you break a light sweat, it counts! So simple, and no equipment needed.

 

Resistance Training

Resistance training is any form of activity that causes a muscle, or group of muscles to contract against an external force or weight (using dumbbells, resistance bands, or body weight).

During the first 6 weeks, it is recommended that you incorporate 2-3 non-consecutive days of resistance training per week.  Finding 8-10 simple exercises focusing on large muscle groups is the most beneficial.

Be sure to incorporate 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions for each exercise.  You should aim for a 90-second rest between each exercise to ensure proper recovery.

You may be asking yourself, what weight you should use first ?  If this is the first time you’re exercising, then I would recommend using light weights.  This can be a can of soup, a 5-pound dumbbell or even your own bodyweight.

If you were active prior to getting pregnant then use a weight that is light and comfortable enough to complete 12 reps.  Try to focus on exercises that target total body strengthening such as:

      • planks
      • dead bugs, or
      • modified push-ups

Easy At-Home New Mom Workout

So here’s what you’ve been waiting for … the new mom workout! 

*DISCLAIMER – this is for postpartum females who were previously not active prior to getting pregnant, please consult a healthcare professional before beginning any new exercise routine*

Aerobic Exercise

Choose something you enjoy, and that you’ve done before.  No need to get any fancy equipment or learn any new complex movements.  You are more likely to start and continue exercise if you enjoy the activity!

* Remember the best way to track difficulty is to see if you can carry on a conversation, and you should only be experiencing a light sweat *

Types of activities:

    • walking
    • biking
    • gardening
    • hiking
    • dancing
    • walking up and down your stairs

How Long : for 15-20 minutes

How Often : 3 times a week

 

Resistance Exercise

Exercises :
    • Modified planks
    • Shoulder presses
    • Squats
    • Heel raises
    • Bent over rows

How many : 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise

How Often : 3 times per week

 

Need Help Getting Started With Postpartum Exercise?

 

If you still are unsure if you can safely start the new mom workout, or if you just need help getting back into fitness, we offer FREE Fitness Consultations!  To schedule an appointment or a consultation with Dr. Peter Lejkowski, you can Book Online or call (905)333-5665.

 

Reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram and let us know how it’s going! We would love to hear about your experience!

 

To learn more about Dr. Peter Lejkowski, click here.

 

Check back regularly as I will cover more topics related to simplifying health and fitness. 

About the Author

 

Hi, I'm Dr. Peter Lejkowski

I am a practicing clinician, a published author, an educator, entrepreneur, consultant, anatomy nerd and a movement junkie.  To learn more about me, click here. To chat, leave a comment or send me an email by filling out the form below.

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