The right way to exercise after pregnancy

The post-pregnancy snapback is something that comes easily for a handful of women. They give birth and within a few weeks their bodies are back to what they were pre-pregnancy.

There are, however, many women who struggle to get back into shape. Sometimes it takes months, if not years. It also doesn’t help that we put unnecessary pressure on one another to shed the weight gained during pregnancy.

The truth is, a women’s body goes through a radical transformation during pregnancy and we need to be kind to it, give it some time.

My personal philosophy is nine months in, nine months out. Just as it took nine months for the body to transform during pregnancy, give yourself the same amount of time to shed the weight gained.

Many factors affect the snapback journey. The main one is the choice of birthing technique: natural birth versus caesarean section.

Post a natural birth, the body can essentially get into training mode almost immediately. I do caution against an immediate sprint off the starting blocks post-natural birth because of a hormone called relaxin, which is released during pregnancy.

Relaxin is released by the placenta and ovaries from the beginning of pregnancy. It helps to increase laxity (looseness) of the ligaments around the pelvis, thereby softening and widening the cervix for the birthing process. Relaxin causes joints, muscles and ligaments to relax and stretch, even those that aren’t directly related to the pregnancy, like the knees and ankles.

This is why I caution against a high-intensity start post natural birth.

If you want to start immediately, I would suggest you begin with minimal-impact activities such as walking, swimming, cycling and pilates two to three times a week for the first four to six weeks. This is a cautionary measure for your joints.

After six weeks, you can incorporate high-impact activities such as running, jumping, high-intensity interval training or high-impact aerobics.

So I wouldn’t suggest running a marathon a week after giving natural birth. You can start moving with a 5km walk.

Post-caesarean section exercise is a lot more complex because recovery from surgery is experienced differently by each individual.

The general guideline is that moms need to recover for at least six weeks post c-section surgery before engaging in physical activity. Besides recovery from the incision, the main aim within the six weeks is to acquire general mobility.

Let me share my own experience post my c-section surgery. When my catheter was removed 24 hours post-surgery, I slowly shuffled from my bed to the door and back to test my legs. Even though it was a struggle, it did not cause pain so I did this twice on the first day.

For flexibility, while showering I started off by reaching for my toes. The trick within the first six weeks is to simply test your flexibility and agility. If you experience pain while doing anything, it’s too soon for that particular activity.

Once my six weeks was up, I started with brisk walking and stationary cycling for cardio and a few bodyweight exercises like basic squats, push-ups and triceps dips to improve strength. Boxing is also a great cardio and strength exercise to incorporate into the post-pregnancy programme to help burn calories.

Following a training programme for some moms post-pregnancy can be challenging if you don’t have full-time assistance with the baby. I made this work by incorporating my daughter into my sessions by doing some mum and baby exercises. They doubled up as a bonding session for us and a strength-training session for me.

The main trick for my own snapback was signing up and paying for sporting events that took place at my six and 12-month post-partum milestones. This forced me to be consistent with my training.

You can do the same to help avoid procrastination. Don’t forget that part of the snapback includes following a balanced, healthy diet that is full of nutrients for your baby. Consult a dietician for a plan that suits you.

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