When Should I Begin Working Out Postpartum?

After delivery, you may be concerned with the pounds you have gained during your pregnancy. When you can begin working out postpartum is dependent upon your physical condition.

The pelvic floor is weakened during delivery.

Performing Kegel exercises will help strengthen the pelvic floor. 

It also depends on your energy and strength levels. In addition, it is important to consider your prior exercise history, not only before pregnancy, but during pregnancy as well.

If your delivery was uncomplicated and you did not receive an episiotomy, you can probably begin a very mild workout as soon as you truly feel ready physically and mentally.

With your doctor's approval, you may begin:

• Walking
• Stretching
• Kegel exercises

Start with 10 to 15 minutes of walking, three times a week, and then gradually increase activity up to 30 minutes per day, and 5 days per week.

The pelvic floor is weakened during delivery. Performing Kegel exercises will help strengthen the pelvic floor. Loss of bladder control is also a common consequence of child birth. Kegel exercises also help reduce urinary incontinence, which can be a problem when working out.

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Kegel exercises are named after the gynecologist who first made them popular in the late 1940s. To perform Kegels, lie on your back. Next, squeeze the muscles around the vagina and anus like you're trying to hold in urine. Hold for 10 seconds, then release. Experts suggest 10 or 15 contractions at a time, performing five or six sets a day.

Always listen to your body, stay hydrated, and stretch before and after exercise.

When to Delay Working Out

LaReiene Chabut, in her book Lose that Baby Fat, explains that there are certain situations in which you may not be able to begin working out until three to four weeks after delivery:

• If you have had a complicated, traumatic delivery.  
• If you have and an episiotomy, as it takes about three to four weeks for sutures to heal.

If you have had a cesarean section, you may not be able to start working out until after you have received medical clearance, usually after your first postpartum checkup, which is six to eight weeks after delivery.

Before beginning any exercise program, consult your physician. If you experience bleeding or blood in your postpartum vaginal discharge (lochia), stop exercising and consult your health care practitioner.

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Always listen to your body, stay hydrated, and stretch before and after exercise. By exercising postpartum, not only will you lose pregnancy weight, but you will enjoy increased energy levels, improved mood, reduced anxiety, less depression, and enhanced cardiovascular fitness.