By, Kayla Stoneback – O2X On-Site Specialist
A woman’s body goes through many changes during a pregnancy and the postpartum phase. Every labor, delivery, and recovery is different for each person, therefore, postpartum exercise will look very different for each person depending on the level of fitness pre-pregnancy. If one had a c-section, difficult labor, any complications, or tearing, it may take longer to recover than a mom who didn’t have any complications. It is imperative to listen to the body when it comes to pain and the recovery process.
Regardless of the amount of exercise one did during a pregnancy, exercising postpartum has many benefits when done correctly. Benefits include, boosting energy levels, promoting better sleep, strengthening and toning up abdominal muscles, relieving stress, preventing postpartum depression, and helping lose the extra weight gained during pregnancy. As always, check with your healthcare provider before trying any new exercise. For the first few days after a delivery, it is important to let your body rest and recover as much as possible. Complete postpartum recovery can take up to a year or sometimes even longer. However, significant progress can be made within the first 3 months postpartum.
For proper healing, there are a few things to consider avoiding in the first couple of weeks to months. High-intensity exercises and frontside abdominal exercises should be avoided during the initial recovery phase. These exercises can cause your abdominal muscles to bulge out in the front (coning/doming), causing too much pressure on both your core and pelvic floor muscles.
Exercises to avoid for the first 6 weeks:
Plyometrics
Jumping
Running
Front side abdominal exercises (Planks, Sit ups, Push ups, V-sit ups)
On the flip side, there are ways to start the recovery process through movement. While in the early stages of postpartum recovery, a great way to start is with low impact, low-intensity cardio exercises, around 25-50% of what your maximum effort would be prior to pregnancy. Walking, biking, and the elliptical are low impact and a great start. Aim for small duration intervals such as 5-10 minute walks to see how your body feels. When that is comfortable and painless, you can slowly increase your duration and intensity. As you progress, pay attention to your body and signs you might be overdoing it. These signs could include soreness in the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, heaviness in the pelvic floor, incontinence (leaking urine), increased bleeding, or worsening Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation from pregnancy).
*Disclaimer* Prior to starting to exercise, always consult with your doctor. Stop any exercise immediately if you feel dizziness or discomfort and contact a healthcare professional.
Stage 1 Exercises
The main focus is to work on deep breathing and pressure management within the core and pelvic floor muscles.
360° Breathing Supine:
Lay on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Now place your hands on the sides just below your ribcage. As you inhale, relax your pelvic floor and expand your lungs out into your ribcage. You should feel the breath coming down into your abdominal cavity and pressing out in all directions; front, sides, and back. As you exhale, contract your pelvic floor muscles pushing the air back up, and draw in your transverse abdominals. Think as if you are wearing a corset and you are tightening that corset. Try to draw in and contract your abdominal muscles on the exhale, pushing the air back out of the lungs.
Complete 5-10 reps for 3 rounds
360° Side Lying Breathing:
Lay on your side, knees stacked and slightly bent. As you inhale, relax your pelvic floor and expand your lungs out into your ribcage. You should feel the breath coming down into your abdominal cavity and pressing out in all directions; front, sides, and back. Focus on breathing into the side of the ribs that is on top. As you exhale, contract your pelvic floor muscles pushing the air back up, and draw in your transverse abdominals. Think as if you are wearing a corset and you are tightening that corset. Try to draw in and contract your abdominal muscles on the exhale, pushing the air back out of the lungs.
Complete 5-10 reps each side for 3 rounds
360° Breathing Seated:
In a seated position, place your hands on the sides of your ribcage. As you inhale, relax your pelvic floor and expand your lungs out into your ribcage. You should feel the breath coming down into your abdominal cavity and pressing out in all directions; front, sides, and back. As you exhale, contract your pelvic floor muscles to push the air back up, and draw in your transverse abdominals. Think as if you are wearing a corset and you are tightening that corset. Try to draw in and contract your abdominal muscles on the exhale, pushing the air back out of the lungs.
Complete 5-10 reps for 3 rounds
Stage 2 Exercises
The main focus is to work on posture and correct any postural changes from pregnancy, holding a newborn, and breastfeeding.
Child’s Pose:
Kneel down on your knees, and sit your butt on your heels. Lean forward so that your chest drops toward the floor and rest your forehead on the floor. Bring your hands above your head and place your palms on the floor. As you inhale, expand your ribs and draw your breath down deep into your abdomen. As you exhale, contract your pelvic floor gently, then contract your transverse abdominal muscles drawing into your belly button.
Repeat this for 2-5 mins
Thoracic Spine Rotations:
Lay on your side and place a small pillow/yoga block/ball between your knees. Bend your knees up to 90 degrees so they are at hip height. Place your top hand behind your head and rotate your shoulders to open up your chest. As you open up your shoulders, aim to get your top arm/elbow to the ground behind you so that both of your shoulders touch the floor without your hips rotating from the starting position. Keep your knees stacked and squeezing the pillow/yoga block/ball to stabilize your pelvis. Inhale and bring that breath down into the abdomen (360 breathing pattern). Exhale slowly and relax all muscles as you exhale. Each breath, try to go deeper into the stretch if you can.
Complete 10 breaths each side for 3 rounds
Serratus Floor Slides:
Lay with your back on the floor, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms straight above your head, palms facing up. From this position, keeping the back of your hands and forearm in contact with the floor, slide your elbows down toward your sides. Go as far as you can go without having your hands and elbows come off the floor. You should feel a slight stretch in your chest. Then slide your hands back up to the starting position.
Complete 10 reps for 3 rounds
Hip Flexor Stretch:
Lay on your back. Bring one knee up and hug to your chest while you extend your other leg out straight and flat on the ground. You should feel a stretch in the front of the leg and hip on the straight leg, and a stretch in the glute on the bent leg. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then switch sides
Complete 5 reps on each leg
Cat/Cow Stretch:
Start on your hands and knees. Hands should be directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips. Arch your spine up and down slowly. Focus on feeling each segment of your spine move. Focus on the areas that feel most tight/stiff and try to get them to move nice and smooth.
Complete 10 reps for 3 rounds
Stage 3 Exercises
The main focus is to help reconnect and strengthen your abdominal muscles to help prevent Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation from pregnancy).
Heel Slides with Abdominal bracing
Lay on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Inhale, then exhale and brace your core. Slowly slide one of your heels out and then back in keeping your core engaged. Repeat
Complete 10 reps on each side for 3 rounds
Pelvic Tilts and Squeeze
Lay on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a rolled up towel between the knees. Squeeze the towel with your knees. Then press your low back into the ground and tuck your ribs down towards your hips contracting your abdominal muscles. Repeat
Complete 10 reps for 3 rounds
Glute Bridge with Knee Lift
Lay on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Inhale and then exhale, bracing your abdominals, squeeze your glutes and drive your heels into the floor to raise your hips up off the floor. At the top position, your knees should be at 90 degrees, low back should be off the floor and in a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold this position and slowly raise one foot off the ground, keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees. Then place your foot on the floor and slowly lower your butt back down to the floor. Inhale as you lower your butt back down to the floor. Repeat that for the other leg.
Complete 10 reps each leg for 3 rounds
Birddogs
Start by placing your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Make sure your spine is aligned and your ribcage and pelvis are lined up. Gently push through your armpits and hands so that you fill in the space between your shoulder blades to find a neutral position. Brace your core by tightening your abdominals then start to slowly lift your right arm and left leg, extending them straight out. Be mindful to not arch your back. There should be a straight line from your fingertips to your heel. Think about having a glass of water on your back, try not to let any water spill out as you move. Bring both the leg and arm back to the starting position slowly. Repeat with the opposite side.
Complete 10 reps each side for 3 rounds
Stage 4 Exercises
The main focus is to build strength through full ranges of motion for activities of daily living, and to re-establish a baseline strength based on the individual’s pre-pregnancy fitness level.
Deadbugs
Lay on your back, brace your abdominals making sure they remain flat with no coning. Bring both knees up to a tabletop position. Inhale into your back and sides, exhale keeping your abs flat. Extend one leg at a time, keeping your pelvis still and your back flat on the ground. As you extend one leg out straight and hovering above the floor, extend the opposite arm above your head. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg and arm.
Complete 10 reps each side for 3 rounds
Leg Lifts and Lowers
Lay your back on the floor. Keeping your back flat and your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed, brace your abdominals as you bring your knees up to a tabletop position. As you inhale, keep your back flat on the ground. As you exhale, lower one leg down slowly and then back up. Focus on keeping your back on the ground and your pelvis stable. Repeat with the other leg.
Be mindful of your lower abdominals and make sure there is no bulging/coning. Stop if you see any coning/bulging of the abs.
Complete 10 reps each leg for 3 rounds.
Side Elbow Plank (Elevated)
Try first on an elevated surface to make sure your core can handle the demand.
Start with your elbow on an elevated surface (chair, couch, bench, ect.), and stack your legs straight out. Focus on keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels. You are working on breathing under a braced core. Keep your abdominals engaged while lengthening them as you inhale and bring the breath into your back and sides, and then as you contract your abdominals during the exhale pushing the breath back out.
Hold this plank for 30 seconds each side.
Complete 30 each side for 3 rounds.
Bodyweight Squats
Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and with your toes pointed slightly outward. Inhale, relax your pelvic floor, exhale, lift your pelvic floor, and contract your abdominals and descend down into a squat and then ascend back up to your starting position while keeping your core engaged.
Complete 10 reps for 3 rounds.
Movement is medicine. This is especially true during postpartum recovery. One of the most important things is to learn how to regulate intra-abdominal pressure during movement and re-learn to stabilize the core during any movement and exercise. The core muscles need to be retrained to pull inward and stabilize the spine. When prescribed correctly and specific to individual needs, exercise provides many benefits for the mom and baby. When motherhood begins, athleticism doesn’t end. Pregnancy and postpartum is just a phase in your lifetime of athleticism. As always, you should contact your healthcare provider and a certified pregnancy and postpartum exercise specialist for any and all training/recovery inquiries.
You can also find more resources and workout plans for postpartum recovery on the O2X App.
About O2X Mental Performance Specialist Kayla Stoneback Kayla Stoneback is an O2X On-Site Human Performance Specialist for Frederick County, MD, specializing in Strength and Conditioning. Kayla is also a certified Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist. She graduated from Winona State University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Nutrition. Kayla continued her education and graduated with a Masters of Science in Kinesiology and Outdoor Recreation: Sports Performance & Conditioning from Southern Utah University in 2019. Kayla began working with the fire service in 2016, which was early on in her career. She got started with the Rochester Fire Department through a private Sports Medicine facility while completing her Master’s degree. Kayla spent 3 years implementing a human performance program for the career department that included annual movement screenings, pre-habilitation programs, tactical strength and conditioning programs, and developing an overall health and wellness program for the whole department.
About O2X Human Performance:
O2X Human Performance provides comprehensive, science-backed programs to hundreds of public safety departments, federal agencies, and the military. O2X works with clients to elevate culture, improve mental and physical wellbeing, support healthy lifestyles, and reduce healthcare costs associated with injuries and illnesses. Driven by results and cutting edge research, O2X programs are designed and delivered by a team of Special Operations veterans, high level athletes, and hundreds of leading experts in their respective fields of human performance.
