5 best postpartum workouts to restart your fitness journey

Postpartum workouts can help women recover from the physical changes brought about by pregnancy and childbirth.

When other postpartum concerns, such as getting your home ready for the baby, become a priority, maintaining a fitness routine can became more challenging.

Exercise can help you mend and recover, but for many weeks, your workouts will be different from what you're used to.

While many are eager to lose that baby weight, you should, however, consider postpartum exercises a way to heal while gradually recovering strength in muscles that were compromised during pregnancy.

5 best postpartum workouts

Connecting to your core muscles, particularly your pelvic floor muscles, is where you want to start after pregnancy and birth, the muscles that are most stretched and pulled.

These muscles assist in the regulation of internal pressures.

You can do exercise at home with the infant because they don't take long and may be spaced out throughout the day and can be done multiples times.

#1 Pelvic Flor Exercises

Kegel exercises, also known as pelvic muscle exercises, are used to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which can help avoid accidents, strengthen vaginal muscles, and improve sexual performance.

How to do pelvic floor exercises:

• Begin with an empty bladder, then tighten and relax the pelvic floor muscles for five seconds.

• On the first day, try to complete 10 to 20 repetitions (reps). After that, work up to 10 seconds at a time.

• Every day, aim for three sets of ten reps.

#2 Swiss ball bird dog holds

This exercise improves stability, posture, and lower back pain, which is very frequent after postpartum. To complete this move, you'll need a stability or exercise ball.

Here's how to do Swiss ball bird dog holds:

• Place your torso on top of the ball so that it is completely covered. With your palms flat on the floor and toes on the ground, your body will be in a straight line.

• Lift and reach your left foot and right arm while looking down at the floor. Hold the position for one or two seconds.

• Change sides and return to the starting position.

#3 Swiss ball glute

The Swiss ball glute bridge exercise is beneficial for core and pelvic floor stabilization during postpartum. The abdominal muscles, glutes, quads, and hamstrings are all worked out.

How to do Swiss ball exercise:

• Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and a stability ball by your feet.

• Raise your hips into the air by placing your feet flat on the ball and pressing through your heels. Assist with your glute and hamstring muscles.

• Return to the original position while keeping the ball motionless.

• Perform three to four sets.

#4 Side plank leg lifts

This is a variation of the normal plank is the side plank leg lift. Because it's more advanced, you might want to wait until six to eight weeks after giving birth to do it. This exercise works your glutes, obliques, and shoulder muscles to a minor extent.

• Lie down on your stomach, forearms on the floor, elbows under shoulders. Your toes will be on the floor and your feet will be flexed.

• Turn sideways while holding yourself on one forearm.

• To get into a side plank position, lift your body off the floor.

• Raise and hold your top leg in the air for 20 to 30 seconds. Now, switch legs.

#5 Cat-Cow in tabletop

The Cat-Cow stretch is a basic yoga pose that supports back muscles, strengthens the core, and increases spine mobility. This exercise can help alleviate back pain, induce relaxation, and improve circulation in postpartum workouts.

How to do Cat-Cow in tabletop:

• Get down on all fours. Maintain a flat back with a neutral spine and a downward gaze. Your wrists will be directly behind your shoulders, and your knees will be directly beneath your hips.

• Take a deep breath and inhale. Look up towards the ceiling and exhale. Your head and tailbone will become more aligned.

• Hold for one to two seconds in the cat position.

• To go to the cow position, inhale, arch your back, lift your tailbone and head toward the sky, and release your belly to the floor.

• Do this for roughly 60 seconds in a row.

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Why is it beneficial to exercise postpartum?

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to boost your mood, strengthen and tone muscles, and improve your general health at any age. Notably, during postpartum time, fitness has the ability to do the following:

• Strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles that were strained during pregnancy,
• Increase your energy,
• Encourage better sleep, and
• Aid in the loss of any excess baby-weight if gained.

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The Takeaway

Exercise can help you strengthen your core muscles, improve your mood, reduce stress, and prevent low-back issues during the postpartum period. It also allows you to focus on yourself, which becomes difficult when you're a mother.