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Module: 2

Learn to walk before you run

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After 9-months of pregnancy and a number of restrictions to your physical activity, it’s common for

women to want to jump right back into their old workout routines. However, right now is a crucial

moment to properly heal since your body just experienced stress and a significant change with the birth

of your child. As you work hard to get to the physique you want, it’s important to adapt to a plan that

will help, not hurt, you. Taking things slowly and beginning at a low-intensity will lay the groundwork

for when your body recovers and is capable of more intense activity later down the road. Remember

that slow and steady wins the race, and while getting your body back in shape after pregnancy can feel

like it will take forever, you will find the greatest success by being patient and avoiding the setbacks that

come with too much, too soon.

What you’ll learn in this module:

2.1 Before you start

2.2 Pace yourself

2.3 Exercises to avoid

2.4 Caring for a C section tummy

2.1 Before you start

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After giving birth it’s normal to feel a sense of anxiety about many things, and for some women getting

back into shape is one of them. Other women, however, often put their own needs aside in order to

attend to their newborn, leaving exercise as a low priority luxury that they’ll get to when they have

enough time. As discouraging as it feels, it’s important for women to know that there will never be a

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time where you “feel” like you have the time for it. Unless you have an excellent support system willing

to take care of the little one often enough so you can devote some time to yourself, you probably won’t

feel motivated to get moving when a nap seems like a better alternative.

Most women realistically know that getting back to their pre-baby body is going to take some hard work,

but again, motivation is a key factor at play during this time in a women’s life. In order to kick-start your

motivation and determination, take a look at the benefits of post-pregnancy exercise.

relieves stress

boosts energy

improves overall mood

restores muscular strength, particularly important for the abdomen

promotes healthy weight loss

allows mother much needed time to herself when performed alone

allows mother and child bonding time when performed with the baby

can help reduce risk of post-partum depression and aid in its recovery

When to start your exercise regimen

Starting your routine depends on when you feel your body is ready to be pushed. For women

who give vaginal birth, most doctors recommend roughly 6-weeks before any strenuous

actions should be performed. However, each woman’s recovery time will differ, so when you

feel that you are easily able to get around and are comfortable, whether at 3-weeks or 8-

weeks, you know your own body best. Women who give birth via C-section or any

complications during birth should consult their physician before regular exercise begins.

Just because your comfort level is where it needs to be, doesn’t mean beginning an exercise

program is going to be easy. Motivation and time are the key factors that keep women from

working out after having a baby, so prior to starting your workout, come up with a realistic

plan of when and where you can get your fitness time in. Having a plan and scheduling

workouts will keep you from coming up with excuses and from slipping out of routine. For

instance, you might find that asking someone in your family to babysit a couple of mornings a

week gives you time to get to the gym, maybe plan that during the newborn’s afternoon nap

you strength train in your living room while watching TV, or every weekday afternoon you

take a nice stroll around the neighborhood with baby in tow. Whatever it is, planning it out

into your schedule will keep you accountable and eventually become a habit that will aid in

losing the baby weight and getting back to a figure that you feel comfortable with.

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Another setback that many women face when planning to workout post-pregnancy is the myth

that exercise can affect breast milk production. In no way does exercise limit the amount of milk

you can produce, and studies have shown that it does not affect the baby in any negative ways.

In fact, your baby is affected in a positive way from working out, because you have more energy

to take care of him or her. Even though breast milk production isn’t a concern, when women

perform high intensity activity, it can produce lactic acid in your milk, which could make the

taste of your milk sour to the baby. The result would be that the baby doesn’t feed as well due to

the unappetizing taste. To avoid this, stick to low intensity exercise during your breast-feeding

months, or make sure you pump or feed right before working out. Pumping the milk prior allows

for your baby to feed after your workout without the negative drawbacks.

What you need to know before beginning your plan

Become knowledgeable about low and moderate intensity exercises within the first 5-6 months post-

pregnancy so that you are well equipped with plenty of physical options prior to starting. Preparing

your home with light dumbbell weights and a yoga mat can be the little push you need to actually get

something done, even when life seems too busy and hectic. Here are the other key points that will make

beginning physical activity motivating and healthy while promoting results.

Include a minimum 5 minutes pre and post workout to stretch your muscles

Begin at low-intensity, working up to moderate, and eventually high-activity after 5-6 months time

Drink plenty of water during and after your workout

If you feel pain or fatigue of any kind, take a break or stop your workout for the time being

Wear a very supportive sports bra, and if you’re nursing stock up on nursing pads in case leaking occurs

Any time you begin a workout routine, it is crucial that you don’t just jump in headfirst. If you have any

lingering questions or concerns prior to beginning your plan, discuss it with your health care

professionals. Your first priority right now is your newborn baby, but along with that comes your own

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physical and emotional well-being so you can take care of your baby now and in the future to the best of

your ability. Before you start your workout, be prepared with a schedule and plan, knowledge about the

exercises your body can take on at this time, and the understanding that only you know what feels right

for your body. Therefore, allow yourself to take the time you need to heal and when the time is right, you

can start a plan that is both realistic and challenges your body.

2.2 Pace yourself

Women often have a tendency to take on a lot of responsibility on to fulfill the many roles in their

lives. From being a professional, to a wife, to a friend, and now to a mother, you may have many

shoes to fill all at once. It’s easy, especially after giving birth, for women to think they are capable of

all these things and more at one time. That’s why many women are eager to continue to push

themselves to the limits in the form of exercise not long after childbirth. The number one thing you

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can do for yourself and for your baby at this time is to pace yourself when working out and working

toward your goals. Far too often women who push the limits too quickly end up exacerbating tears,

prolonging pain, and becoming fatigued and even bedridden in ways they could have easily avoided.

In setting up your goals and a schedule for yourself within the first few months post-partum, taking

things at a slow and steady pace, and gradually working up in intensity over time will allow you to

reach optimum results that will benefit your body and ability to care for your newborn.

Be realistic

Setting achievable and realistic goals for your body is the first step in pacing yourself. Remember,

that it took months’ worth of carrying a child as well as the strain of birth, whether vaginal or C-

section, to affect the changes in your body at this time. Many times new mothers are aware that they

will have to lose “baby weight,” however, what often comes as a surprise is that in addition to excess

weight, their body compositions have changed due to pregnancy. This isn’t a bad thing, and it’s

completely normal, it just takes extra work, more patience, and a realistic mindset to move yourself

in the right direction. 9-months worth of hormonal and physical changes will not be remedied

overnight or with a “quick fix.”

Another reality for new mothers is that every woman’s body doesn’t adapt to exercise at the same

rate. A relatively fit woman who worked out throughout her pregnancy and who had a birth without

complications will likely be prepared to start moderate exercise after a few weeks’ time. However, if

you’ve experienced any pregnancy or birth complications or were not previously in good shape, you

will have to wait a little bit longer and start at a lower intensity and slower pace of working out.

Signs you should exercise at a gradual pace:

Had an assisted birth

Had a caesarian section

Experienced other complications during birth

Are experiencing leaking of urination

Are experiencing back, abdominal, or pelvic pain

Are producing vaginal blood or recovering from vaginal tears

Weren’t in optimal physical health or weren’t very active prior to or during your pregnancy

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Where to begin

Taking things slowly means that you begin incorporating exercises into your routine when your body

feels ready. You shouldn’t be going for a 3-mile run, nor should you be bench-pressing heavy weights at

the gym. Instead, you’ll start with stationary floor, seated, or standing exercises that begin to strengthen

internal muscles, but don’t require much movement. A good place to start would be with pelvic

exercises. Pelvic exercises will strengthen lower abdominal muscles and reduce the risk of leaking urine

when you later begin sit-ups and other core exercises. The pelvic muscles should be your first step to lay

the ground work for more moderate exercise later on, allowing yourself to adapt to your internal core

muscles being worked, but not using any extraneous energy or difficult movements that will put your

body in distress.

In addition to pelvic strengthening, your next move should be to get into the habit of walking. Begin with

a 5-10 minute walk around the neighborhood with the baby in a stroller, and if you feel good, over time,

increase your distance, time, and even pace. When walking, be sure to allow yourself recovery time and

rest at home. A walk sounds like it wouldn’t take much out of you; however, when you begin walking

after pregnancy your body will absolutely need some time to adapt to the movements.

Within the first 1-2 months, these are the two exercises you should be focusing on. After your first post-

natal checkup with your doctor, as long as you received the go-ahead from your physician, you can begin

upping the ante and expanding your exercise routine into something that will produce long-term results.

Remember, you grew a life inside of you and went through the most physically challenging thing a

woman can ever experience. Every day post-pregnancy woman is working out toward getting their “old”

body back. Some, unfortunately, push themselves with too much too soon, resulting in disappointments,

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loss of motivation, and longer time to recover. Listen to your body and your doctor, and adapt to the

more stationary exercises first. There is plenty of time to pump up the volume in the future.

2.3 Exercises to avoid

After giving birth your body will enter the phase of healing. How you take care of yourself at this time

will determine how well your muscles perform in the future and whether or not you will lose the excess

weight you gained from pregnancy easily or not. In addition to weight, the exercises you do can either

promote healthy weight loss or they can cause negative, long-term effects on your body. Be sure to

understand which exercises can cause harm so that you can avoid them at the very beginning of your

recovery and know when it’s safe to incorporate them back into your routine.

Sit-ups and crunches

No matter who you talk to or ask about exercise post-baby, women are going to focus on wanting to

flatten those abdominal muscles that have weakened and expanded over the course of the last 9-months.

Online there are endless amounts of advertisements and articles about how to get those abdominal

muscles back into shape. However, what women most need to know is that performing sit-ups and

crunches too early after giving birth can have extreme adverse effects on those internal muscles.

Working out those inner abdominal muscles can bring on Diastasis Recti, otherwise known as

“abdominal muscle separation.” When the abdominal muscles tear, they leave other parts of your body

vulnerable; for instance, your uterus, bowels, and some other organs can be compromised by not having

the proper abdominal support to function normally. Other concerns of Diastasis Recti is that it will cause

constipation, back pain, and extreme and rare cases can lead to a hernia since the tissues surrounding

the organs have torn from excessive movement and exasperation.

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Running

As previously stated, post-pregnancy, women should walk before they run, and this is true for multiple

reasons. Most doctors recommend beginning to run again anywhere between 6-weeks to a 1-year. To

many women anxious to get their bodies in shape, the prospect of a year sounds outrageous. However,

each woman has individual needs she will discuss with her doctor and different symptoms that either

speed recovery of joints, ligaments, and muscles, or symptoms that inhibit them from moving forward

with intense movements. It’s no secret that running is the best exercise for cardiovascular health, as well

as one of the best ways to feel better physically, emotionally, and mentally. However, post-pregnancy, a

top priority is minimizing stress to the pelvic and abdominal region. Without low-impact, core

stabilizing exercises to lay the ground work, running could become painful, produce urinal leaking, lead

to bleeding, or reopen stitches. In addition, after giving birth to your child, your joints and ligaments are

likely loose and less able to support you when working at full-impact. Your feet hitting the ground

repeatedly could result in torn ligaments, sprained or broken bones, and just overall pain and fatigue.

Start your workout routine with walking, and gradually work up to jogging and running when your

doctor suggest your ready or when your body is telling you that picking up the pace is the right thing to

do.

Other high intensity aerobics

Similar to running, any high intensity workouts that will make you break a significant sweat can

cause more harm than good after you’ve had a baby. It’s easy to think that really working the body

with high impact, intense moves will help shed the weight you’re looking to lose; however,

performing extreme movements might cause bodily harm, broken bones, aches and pains, and even

more dangerous internal tears in your muscles and organs that could take long-term care to heal or

even make you a candidate for surgery. High intensity interval training is the current “buzz” word

used by gyms and trainers to enforce weight loss. After being cleared by your doctor after your six or

eight week checkup, you might be able to begin incorporating some of these exercises into your

workouts. In the meantime, stay clear of the following cardio activities and focus on slow, low-impact

movements that will build muscles that can help you sustain these moves in the future.

Jumping jacks

Mountain climbers

Burpees

Jumping lunges

Jump rope

Box jumps

Elliptical trainer

Cycling or spinning

Tabata

Kickboxing

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Dance fitness

Sports

You might feel inclined to get outdoors and breathe the fresh air, which is great for women to de-stress.

However, it’s important that you don’t partake in any sports right away, no matter how big of an athlete

you normally are. Whether its swimming, soccer, volleyball, tennis or even sports with less movement

like golf, you need to be cautious so that you don’t bring on any injuries. Take advantage of the first 6-

weeks post-natal to rest and rejuvenate your muscles in a slow and steady way prior to joining in on a

game.

Excessive strength training

Every woman should invest in a pair of light dumbbells for at home workouts after giving birth.

However, if your normal fitness repertoire consists of heavy strength training, now is the time to take

a nice long break and turn the volume down. Stick to light hand weights that are 10lbs. or less when

beginning, and slowly work your way back up to your normal lifting volume. Avoid any weighted leg

exercises, squats, or lunges until you’ve reached your first post-natal visit with your physician to

discuss how well your body is healed. Don’t opt for large weights like barbells that would force you to

bend over and put a lot of pressure on your back or hips. Instead, in a seated position begin with

working your arms, keeping the lower body and core stabilized and just doing simple bicep, triceps

and chest moves that won’t irritate the rest of your body or your back.

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2.4 Caring for a C section tummy

The period of time following the birth of a baby is the most stressful time for families, particularly new

mothers. For women who are recovering from a caesarian surgical delivery, this stress can be even more

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severe since the recovery time is longer and the ability to do physical activity of any kind is restricted.

Not only does this refer to exercise, but this refers to bending down to pick up the baby, going to the

grocery store which includes walking and lifting things, and performing house work. Rest and relaxation

are the key ingredients to care for your C-section tummy; however, understanding what to expect after

your delivery and how you can promote healing will significantly reduce the stress associated with the

post-partum phase.

What you can expect

Many symptoms can result after a caesarian birth, so the best way to prepare yourself is to know what to

expect. Here are some of the more common features that women experience in the first 6-weeks

following C-section births.

Dizziness and shortness of breath during quick movements

Pain that might require medication (be sure to discuss this with your health care provider if you plan to

breastfeed, since anything you put into your body will affect the baby as well)

Your uterus will need to shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size. This is called the “involution” process and

will result in significant bleeding within the first 6-weeks. Because of this, you will need to use

menstrual pads to soak up the blood (don’t use tampons as you don’t want to further disturb the uterus

or vaginal walls).

What to avoid

In order to make the most of your recovery time after your C-section, you need to beware of

activities that will irritate your abdominal muscles and uterus. Keep the following activities at bay for

the first 6 to 8 weeks of your recovery.

Lifting and bending, which can affect regular household chores as well as have an affect on your ability

to lift your newborn child

Sexual intercourse

Using tampons

Baths, pools, or hot tubs

Climbing stairs excessively (at times you won’t be able to avoid this depending on the construction of

your home)

Avoid exercise or strenuous activity until 6 to 8 weeks or your doctor gives you the go-ahead

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What you can do

It can feel discouraging since doctors, family, and friends will constantly be telling you to rest and not

to do things. However, while you’re resting and healing, you can still find plenty of ways to promote

care after your caesarian. Here are some of the best things you can do for yourself to care for your

tummy at this time.

Drink plenty of fluids in order to keep hydrated, restore your energy, and avoid constipation

Eat plenty of fiber that will promote healthy bowel movements

Keep changing tables and feeding supplies nearby to avoid getting up often

Care for your incision by cleaning with soapy water in the shower (but not rubbing or scrubbing)

If your tummy folds over the incision area, keep a dry pad there to protect it from accumulating sweat

and moisture

Understand that you will have scars, but that after 6 to 8 weeks you can use scar reducing ointments

that will lighten and reduce the visibility of your incision

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your friends, family, and neighbors so that your responsibilities can

be lessened

Utilize the opportunity for extra sleep, because as a new mother there are few times that you will be able

to selfishly take advantage of others around wanting to help, and no other time than post-partum

caesarian recovery that you will need rest more

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After having a caesarian section, women are most often concerned with the physical aspects of their

surgery. However, it is the emotional recovery that often needs the most attention paid to it and is the

most surprising to new mothers. You’ve brought a beautiful newborn baby into the world, and at times

you may struggle with feelings of inadequacy since you’ll have to rely on others so often within the first

several weeks. There should never be shame in asking help from your loved ones during this difficult

time, and seeking help should bring relief rather than stress. When you are with the baby, it’s a good

idea to take extra time to sit with him or her to bond. This will put your mind at ease that the little extra

things you aren’t able to do throughout the day won’t be affecting your relationship and bond with your

baby. Women often have pride in having vaginal births, but C-sections are very common and make the

birthing process no less significant or heroic. Take pride in the healthy birth of your child and try to

expel any negative feelings associated with the surgery so that you can focus on the health of you and

your baby.