Returning to exercise after having a baby

When can you start exercising? 

'How soon can I start exercising after having a baby? Is a question we are asked a lot!

It's wonderful to see the tide gradually changing, and women appear to be getting much more switched on to the importance of proper postnatal recovery before returning to exercise. 

However, there is still the misconception that 'passing' your 6-week GP check is the green light to start exercising again. In reality, that GP check is often a 10-minute appointment in which your GP needs to check both you and baby. It is simply not possible in this amount of time to assess whether your body is ready to start exercising again. 

In fact, many women report they do not receive a physical examination at all. 

Your GP appointment should cover lots of essential topics, such as how you are adjusting mentally to the responsibility of being a new mother, how you are coping with sleep deprivation or flagging any concerns regarding Birth Trauma. 

Postnatal depression is a serious condition, and it's extremely important that your GP checks that you are not experiencing symptoms. 

Physically, they are likely to check whether you have any unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding, ask about your scar site if you've had a C-section or a perineal tear or episiotomy, and screen for any signs of infection.

But that may only happen if you voice any specific concerns. 

You can expect a discussion around contraception and advice given if required.

These checks do not qualify as an all-clear to return to exercise.

Physiotherapists are specialists in functional assessment, exercise prescription and progression and Women's Health Physiotherapists undergo extensive additional training in Pelvic Health, Diastasis management and Postural assessment related to pregnancy and the postnatal period. 

This is why a Physiotherapy Assessment is the best measure of when and how you are ready to start exercising.

Of course, 'exercise' can be interpreted in many ways too. For example, many of the exercises we cover in our postnatal recovery course can be done from earlier than six weeks, because they are directly focused on postnatal healing. These are activities such as breathing exercises, connecting your deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and using movement to aid your recovery. 

But for some, exercising means doing what they did before pregnancy - running, gym classes, HIIT classes or weights sessions. This must be approached with caution, and expecting your body to be ready for this at six weeks is just not realistic. 

For women who have had an uncomplicated delivery, the guidelines for returning to postnatal exercise are to expect to return around 12 weeks after having a baby. 

This does not mean starting at the same level you were at before pregnancy, but beginning the process again. For example, if you're a runner, you might begin with a Couch to 5km programme at 12 weeks, building up your fitness and strength gradually rather than immediately expecting to run the 10km loop you were doing while pregnant or before.

You can begin to work on appropriate strengthening exercises during those first 12 weeks to ensure your body has recovered well and is strong enough to tolerate the demands of running. 

Starting too soon, or pushing too much, too quickly leaves you at risk of developing an injury, causing long-term postnatal issues such as incontinence, pelvic floor and core dysfunction or prolapse. 

Postnatal depletion is a condition caused by women spreading their energy stores too thinly, not recognising that the body is using up a lot of energy to repair, heal and for breastfeeding mothers, produce milk. All of this at a time when sleep deprivation is likely high and time for self-care and relaxation is low!

While you may feel perfectly well, and still crave the endorphin high after an exercise session, there are likely to be long-term consequences of pushing your body back to intensive exercise too quickly. These set-backs often present themselves much later down the line but can be avoided by just giving yourself a little more time in the early stages of your postnatal journey. 

Taking the time to rebuild the foundations of a strong, capable body will reap many rewards in the future - not just in terms of your fitness, but for your overall well-being.

Too often, we've seen women who wish they had heard this message while they were recovering from birth, sometimes suffering from issues many months or years after their own birth experience. 

This was the motivation behind creating the exercise section of the 360 Mama course. 

We've focused on the methods of Yoga and Pilates due to the restorative nature of these forms of exercise. 

We understand that movement is an essential component of physical and mental recovery after giving birth. 

The exercise and movement segments we've included are designed to encourage you to return safely to exercise, boost your energy, relieve aches and pains and rebuild your posture and strength to prepare you to progress onwards to your preferred method of fitness when the time is right.