Safe Ways To Work Out After C Section

Exercise after a C section can be a scary new part of motherhood to navigate.

While it is one of the best feelings ever to have a new baby in your life, the impacts of pregnancy on your body also comes with its fair share of issues. Your body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy as it is, and adding a C section surgery on top of that can mean your recovery takes a little longer.

So, why not take a look at our guide to the best and safest options for a post C section workout?

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C section recovery time varies as no pregnancy or body is the same. As C sections are an abdominal surgery, you should wait a minimum of six weeks after a C section before you begin to exercise. Once you reach the six weeks, you need to check with your doctor before you get back into an exercise routine. Exercising too soon can cause other complications, including infections and a slower wound healing rate. Ensure you listen to what your body is telling you.

So, if you've gotten the clear from your doctor and are feeling ready to exercise, we've compiled a list of safe exercises for you to do post C section. While your workouts might begin slowly and for very short periods of time, you will eventually regain your strength. It is a good idea to begin with low impact exercises like light walking, pelvic exercises, and light stretches.

Make sure to be gentle with yourself and don't push yourself too hard. If you are having issues with sleep, you might struggle to exercise due to fatigue. If you feel pain during any of these activities, stop immediately and seek advice from your doctor.

The recovery time for Cesarean section varies from woman to woman, so it's a good idea to check with your doctor before you begin your physical activity.

Once it is safe for you to begin exercise after a C section, you can check out the exercises below that can help strengthen your abdominal wall, your lower back and your pelvic area.

You can also start to get your cardio up with low impact exercises for at least the first few months after your C section. This includes walking, cycling and swimming. This will help to strengthen your heart and lungs. Even if you can only do 10 minutes to begin with, you will eventually get your strength back.

Remember that a C section is a major surgery for your body and it's important that you get the rest you need to recover your health, even if that goes beyond six weeks. Pace yourself and gradually increase your physical activity when it feels right. Begin your exercises slowly and don't push your body too hard. Eventually you will be able to increase the intensity as you get stronger. Even just walking around the house, holding your baby and pushing a stroller is a good way to exercise your core muscles.

While there shouldn't be any pressure to lose weight after a C section, some moms may want to slowly work towards a weight loss goal. Although strenuous physical activity may not be an option for a while, there are still a few ways you can achieve weight loss after Cesarean section if this is important to you. Do keep in mind that swelling after C section surgery, around the scar, is completely normal and should subside after a few weeks.

A Healthy Diet

Having a healthy diet will help you feel better sooner after pregnancy and it can also help with shedding a few pounds post C section. Try to stay away from oily and sugar-dense foods, but make sure to get all the nutrients you need. It's also super important for the health of you and your baby that you're both getting enough vitamins and minerals.

Exercise

If your doctor has given you the clear to start exercising, then scroll through the list of exercises in this article to see what works for you.

Stay Away From Alcohol

Alcohol can make you gain weight as it's high in kilojoules, stops your body from burning fat properly, and can lead to increased hunger and poor diet choices (we've all been there). So if you're looking to drop some weight, staying away from alcohol for a bit longer is a good idea.

Pelvic floor muscles support your womb, bladder and bowel. These muscles will be impacted during pregnancy as they work overtime to support the extra weight of your baby and become softer due to pregnancy hormones. Stretching and weakness occurs in both vaginal deliveries and in Cesarean sections. These muscles can be felt by stopping the flow of urine the next time you are on the toilet, but please note that repeatedly stopping the flow of urine is not recommended as it can damage the bladder.

When pelvic floor muscles are weakened, you may find it much harder to control when you pass your urine, faeces or gas and you may also find that having sex is painful.

There are two types of twitch fibres in your pelvic floor muscles. Fast twitch fibres work quickly to stop urine leakage when you sneeze, laugh or cough and slow twitch fibres work constantly throughout the day and night. Here we will talk you through two pelvic floor exercises that you can try out to strengthen your these muscles.

Pelvic Floor Exercise One: Slow Twitch Fibres

This first exercise works to strengthen the slow twitch fibres in the pelvic floor muscles. Simply tighten your pelvic floor muscles, then release for ten seconds. When you first start, you may only be able to hold it for two or three seconds. However, as you train these muscles they will get stronger. So, just work your way up to ten seconds.

Repeat this 10 times. While tightening these muscles, make sure you keep breathing and you don't contract your stomach, thigh or bottom muscles.

Pelvic Floor Exercise Two: Fast Twitch Fibres

The second exercise works to strengthen the fast twitch fibres. Tighten the same muscles as hard and fast as you can, then release. See how many of these you can do. The aim is to do this 10 times, but just do as many as you can, which might only be four or five. Again, do not hold your breath or tighten any other muscle sets while doing this exercise.

Once you get more comfortable with this exercise, you can start holding each squeeze for a couple of seconds. You can also try adding more squeezes to your sets each week. Make sure to take rests between each set of squeezes and don't overwork yourself.

These are both great exercises because you can do them anywhere. You will need to practice these exercises in different positions for the best results: lying down, sitting up, walking and standing. You may also find it beneficial to tighten these muscles if you feel a sneeze or cough coming on to help prevent any leakage.

You should ideally be doing your pelvic floor exercises at least three times per day. You also don't want to overuse these exercises as it can cause muscle fatigue and increase the chances of urine leakage. After a few months you should start to feel improved strength in the area. Once you start to notice these improvements, you should still continue to do these exercises.

Your abdominal muscles will also be impacted by pregnancy and a C Section. Remember to slowly get back into working out your abs, as the area is very sensitive from the surgery.

After giving birth, many mothers will discover there is a gap between their abdominal muscles. This occurs as a result of your abdominal muscles expanding to make room for the baby growing inside your tummy. Usually, abdominal gaps are less than two inches and return to normal after birth. However, some women may find that after a few weeks there is still a noticeable gap in their abdominal wall muscles. This is known as Diastasis Recti. If you are in this situation, you should contact your doctor for a modified exercise and workout plan that is suitable.

So, if you've gotten the all clear from your doctor to start doing tummy workouts, then we've got a few workout exercises that will help you tone your abs and support your spine and lower back.

If you've got a little bit of tummy fat you're looking to get rid of or you just want to strengthen the area, these exercises can help. It can take a few months to see the effects so it's important to keep doing these exercises even if you feel like the changes aren't visible.

Pelvic Tilt

Lie on your back and bend your knees to a 90 degree angle with your feet on the floor. You can do this exercise on a mat or on a bed. Pull your stomach in towards your back, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and tilt your hips upwards by lowering your back flat on the floor. Hold this position for three to five seconds maintaining steady breathing and then release. Once you get more comfortable with this, you can start doing the exercise sitting down, standing or lying on your side. Repeat this 10 times, three times per day. This exercise is also great for strengthening your lower back.

Leg Slides

Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Begin by pulling your stomach in and slowly lifting one leg straight out in front of you before returning it back to a bent position. Now do this on the other leg. Do 10 reps, three times per day.

Clam

Begin by lying down on your side with your knees bent on top of each other. Pull in your stomach and lift your top leg upwards while keeping your feet together and your pelvis still. Hold this position for five seconds. Do ten reps of this, three times per day.

Bridge

Lie on your back, knees bent and spread your legs hip-width apart. Gently begin to lift your bottom and back off the floor before returning to the starting position. Repeat this four to eight times.

Here are some of the exercises to avoid after a C section that can help with avoiding injury in your recovery.

It's important to do your research and talk to your doctor about what exercises you want to start doing as some exercises can stop the scar from healing properly, damage the pelvic floor and increase abdominal separation.

Any Exercise That Causes Pain

We recommend avoiding any activity that puts a lot of pressure on the area of your wound or causes any pain. If you find any of your workouts cause pain, stop doing them and see your doctor immediately.  

Weight Lifting

A good rule of thumb is to avoid lifting any objects heavier than your baby. This means no heavy weight lifting for quite some time after your baby is born. This helps strengthen and protect your lower back as it regains strength after carrying a baby for nine months.

High Pressure Ab Exercises

As your core is recovering from the C section, it's important to avoid exercises that either cause the stomach to bulge out, place a lot of stress in the abdomen, or put you in a twisted position. This includes sit ups, crunches, front planks, leg raises and bicycles.

High Intensity Workout Classes

Sadly this means Zumba, kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu are off the table as your body is healing.

Plyometric Exercises

Exercise like skipping, sprinting and burpees put your lower back, neck, hips and knees at risk of injury as your core muscles recover.

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