Exercise after birth
When can you start exercising again after childbirth?
After giving birth, it’s understandable that many are eager to start exercising to get back the body or condition they had before becoming pregnant. It’s similar to pregnancy, but with increased reliefs and more variation before you return to normal. Just be careful not to push too hard too quickly - tailor the activity to your shape, and gradually increase the amount and intensity.
Some may start with their regular workouts just a couple of weeks after birth, but it’s recommended to play it safe and wait six weeks or perhaps longer - but this is individual 
Activities you can do
For some, the path back to normal is steeper. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, it varies individually when one can continue with the corresponding training they were doing last. It must, of course, be physically and medically safe for it to be justified, and the timing when it occurs varies depending on whether it was a complicated birth or not. For example, after a cesarean section, you may need to wait more than six weeks before you can resume exercising.
Just like when you scaled down during pregnancy, you now need to scale up again
Daily activities where you for example take stroller walks, go up stairs like you might have done during pregnancy, do household chores, and perhaps play with children - are a perfect start to your training. And if you previously did pelvic floor exercises/kegels, continue with that as it is still relevant to prevent leakage and it can help counter a feeling of pressure during activities.
If it turns out that you still cannot do activities that involve running and jumping because you experience leaks, strengthen your pelvic floor and switch to brisk walking, cycling, or gymnastics.
It is also unfortunate to inform you that - especially if you enjoyed this during pregnancy - you must avoid swimming or bathing until the bleeding has stopped due to the risk of infection, which usually ends after four to six weeks.
Nursing before exercise
You must be careful not only with your own body, as if you nurse, it can affect the child’s fluid or nutrient intake. A moderate weight loss while nursing seems to be the safest, according to NHI. Intense workouts can cause the milk to taste sour or bitter, which in turn can lead to the child refusing to nurse.
So a valuable tip we can convey regarding nursing is to do it before you actually exercise. You will also avoid breast engorgement/sore breasts and what we mentioned earlier about the milk potentially being sour due to built-up lactic acid after the workout.
Simple exercises you can do
In our article about exercise during pregnancy, we talked about an exercise you could do throughout your entire pregnancy, but it is also applicable now after childbirth. Pelvic floor training or kegels is very beneficial for preventing unexpected urinary leakage.
Here are three other exercises you can do at home
- Deep breathing through the abdomen with contractions
Here’s how to do it -
This is an exercise you can even do an hour after giving birth. It helps the muscles become more relaxed while simultaneously starting the process to rebuild and tone the abdominal muscles and the abdomen itself.
Sit upright and breathe deeply, feeling the air draw in from the lower part of the abdomen. Tighten your abdomen and hold your abdominal muscles tight while breathing in, and release as you breathe out again. Gradually increase the time you spend in that tight position.
- Mini bridge
Here’s how to do it -
Lie on your back with hip-width distance between your feet, arms down along the sides of your body and feet planted on the floor. Activate your abdominal muscles and tighten your glutes to lift them up, while pressing your heels down into the floor.
A bonus exercise in this is to do a kegel when you are at the top of the bridge, holding it for three seconds before you release and slowly lower your glutes back to the floor. Release the pelvic floor muscle when you start the mini bridge.
- Squats
Here’s how to do it -
Be cautious and make sure you have something to support yourself against, or get a friend or partner to ensure you don’t fall before you attempt a squat. You never know how your first squat will go.
Stand with your legs parallel to each other about shoulder-width apart. Engage your core muscles and bend at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight throughout the process. Bend down until your thighs are at a 90-degree angle to your shins at the knee joint, then press yourself back up to standing position.
But do not be too eager and go too low if your body doesn’t allow it. The muscles and ligaments can be loose from pregnancy and you do not want to injure anything. If you want to ease back into the squat, you can start by simply sitting up and down again on a chair.
Get a great start on this new phase of your life
Take a look at our various training leggings to have a nice and fresh start in this new phase, and the great leggings guide if you are unsure of what you want from the leggings and recommendations on what is best for what.