What You Need to Know Before Returning to Exercise Postpartum (PART ONE)

Pregnancy and delivery can cause changes to your body. Many moms can identify changes in their abdominal wall and pelvic floor, however changes may also occur in feet, ligaments, alignment, ribs, fascia, hormones, posture, proprioception, breathing, center of gravity, balance and more! Sometimes changes can be substantial and other times changes can be more subtle giving no symptoms at all (aka asymptomatic).

There is a lot of information available (especially online) on what is good to do and when. The most difficult job for moms is figuring out which information is good, and which is good for them as an individual. As with all exercise and movement, what is good and appropriate for one person, may not be suitable for another.

An individualized assessment by a qualified pelvic floor physiotherapist can help answer your questions and give you an individualized plan based on your needs. A pelvic floor physical therapist can assess your abdominal wall, pelvic floor, everything below and everything above.

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This is a good checklist for movement in pregnancy and post-delivery:

• You should never feel pain or pressure (especially in your pelvis, pelvic floor, vagina or rectum)
• Movement should not cause urinary or bowel leaking or urgency
• There should be no back, hip or pelvic pain during or after movement

General Guidelines are:

• Start slow and gradual. For many new moms this might be 10 minutes a few times per week.
• Every day is different. Your energy levels and ability to perform physically are impacted by sleep, stress, diet, health and nursing. Your ability to perform can change day to day. Listen to your body.
• Your body is recovering. Many women take much longer than 6 weeks to start returning to movement and exercise. Impact should be started when ready, but not before 3 months.
• Err on the side of caution. It is always better to take things slow than push too hard too soon.
• Consult your doctor or pelvic floor physiotherapist if you have questions or concerns about your body and movement.