Postpartum depression is a major concern among new and old moms who experience behavioral changes after childbirth. This leads to crippling physical and emotional health consequences such as anxiety, crying spells, mood swings, and difficulty sleeping. The symptoms range from mild to severe and can lead to recurrent thoughts of suicide and death.
Today, personal fitness trainers have developed a post-pregnancy workout to help new and old moms transition to their pre-pregnancy selves. It’s not just about getting the old body back, but it’s about helping the body regain its energy, confidence, and physical strength. While most moms experience various emotions after birth, a postpartum workout plan can help them refocus their mental health and feel better physically and emotionally.
Most moms have a hard time adapting certain types of exercises to their post-pregnancy bodies. Doing a postpartum fitness plan can be the best type of workout to address certain complications you experienced during pregnancy and delivery, including your health needs and body type. With that in mind, we’ll explain the basics of postpartum exercise, its benefits, and how to start a postnatal workout plan.
Benefits of postpartum exercise
Although it’s difficult to stay active while attending to a newborn, staying fit should be your priority during recovery. Postpartum exercise offers loads of benefits for physical health, stress levels, and overall mood. Fitness is a proven way to help the body heal and provide an avenue to focus and recenter yourself. In other words, staying physically, mentally, and emotionally fit gives you the energy you need to care for yourself and your newborn.
Postpartum depression can bring extreme mood disorders in the form of postpartum psychosis, which can take a toll on a woman’s mental health. Countering its effects through postpartum exercise will help moms gain control and shift their attention to stress-relieving activities.
Consistent exercise offers a significant boost to physical and mental strength. Going through pregnancy subjects the body to various changes, making it difficult to return to your old normal. But following a regular exercise routine will help the body heal inside out. Other benefits of postpartum fitness lead to increased strength, weight loss, better sleep, and balanced hormones.
The best time to start a postpartum exercise
It is a fact that exercise before and during pregnancy is vital for your health and the baby. But staying active right after childbirth is also just as important. Most moms feel exhausted and overwhelmed after giving birth, while others are itching to return their old bodies. Regardless of your motivations, the type of delivery and pregnancy are important considerations when starting a fitness plan.
Whether you had a healthy or difficult pregnancy, it’s important to consult a doctor before starting any postpartum exercise program. Those who had a smooth delivery can often start a gentle exercise as soon as they’re comfortable and ready after giving birth. But for those who had a cesarean delivery or other issues, such as a severe vaginal tear or diastasis recti, you need to consult a doctor to determine the right time to work out again. Taking everything slow will help the body to relax and achieve full recovery.
Women who had normal deliveries can start with light exercises, such as walking. If pain or postpartum bleeding occurs, this may signal that you’re overexerting yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Instead, start slow and gradually intensify your workout while keeping the doctor’s advice in mind.
Steps for starting your post-pregnancy fitness plan
While waiting for your doctor’s advice to begin your postpartum exercise, use the time to brainstorm the ideal postpartum fitness plan. Start by keeping your workouts slow and gentle. Returning to your old workout routine right after giving birth can lead to serious health consequences, no matter how fit you are. A great tip is to avoid intense exercises for two weeks.
Those who are still healing from their C-section should defer the routine until the post-operative checkup. Give the body time to recover and go for leisurely walks. When starting a routine, watch out for signs of bleeding and take it easy when breastfeeding. Your post-pregnancy body requires 500 calories each day to support your fitness activities. Another tip is to consult a postpartum fitness trainer to find the best workout routine for your body. They can create a fitness plan to help you feel restored and rested during your post-pregnancy recovery.
Motherhood is not always easy, but the joys are simply immeasurable. Whether it’s your first, second, or third trip on the postpartum block, make sure to prioritize your physical and mental health. There will be some bad days after childbirth, so it’s important to take everything slow and go easy on yourself not just for your health but also for your baby.
