Early Postpartum Checklist: Where to start with Exercise

Where can I start with exercise postpartum?

The truth is, there is no right answer to this question. Every body, pregnancy, and mama is different. While one mom may be ready to dive in a few weeks after baby, another mom may not feel ready for a few months. All of our journeys are unique, and very individualized.

Six weeks postpartum is often the recommended length of time before returning to exercise, and oftentimes the only appointment you have with your provider following birth.

Six weeks?! Crazy talk.

Six weeks is not enough time for healing from pregnancy and delivery, but also too long to delay the healing process. In the first six weeks postpartum when you’re ready we can begin introducing gentle mobility and breath work, pelvic floor and core re-connection, and light movement. From there it really depends on your goals, what you enjoy doing, how you are healing, and your state of readiness.

Postpartum Training Checklist

I love training postpartum mamas. When preparing for client sessions and writing fitness programs there are “big rocks” I like to focus on for integrating breathing, building strength, and helping you feel good. Overall my goal is to help you breathe and move better, feel prepared for the demands of motherhood, and do #allthethings without worrying about pelvic floor symptoms.

1. Breath work
Inhales: Controlled inhales with 360 expansion.
- Do we want our belly to expand? Yes. But, not the only thing to expand.
- Chest to expand? Yes, but not the first thing.
Exhale: Slow, soft, and long. We really work on getting a nice exhalation because this can help us better feel our abdominals and address postpartum rib flare.

With breath work we want to find supportive positions that allow you to ease tension and chill out. Over time we can add more challenge to our breathing and shifts in position. At first I recommend starting in a supine (on your back) or side lying position with support. Prop yourself up on pillows, use props, and allow yourself to be comfortable. In different positions we’ll aim for some back, side-to-side, or chest expansion, sending air to all those tight and compressed spots.

2. Glute and Pelvic Floor Release: If your glutes are grippy and tight this can be a key factor in addressing pelvic floor tension, low back pain, and pelvic floor symptoms. We want the backside to relax and find length in the glutes. Postpartum we are often in a more externally rotated position, which shortens the muscles on the back side of the pelvis.

Early postpartum we review:

• What is the pelvic floor and where is it located?

• Use props to get a sense of how your pelvic floor responds to the breath. You can sit on a ball, towel roll, or even use your hand. I also recommend a Pelvic Floor PT to fully understand and connect with your Pelvic Floor. Internal feedback can be super helpful too.

• Once we build awareness for the pelvic floor, we can also use different breathing positions to help drive release and length.

Check out this post where I dive into some of my favorites.

3. Connection to the inner thighs / adductors: This is often why you’ll see me use a ball or yoga block between the legs. Think of your adductors as an anchor into the pelvis. They help connect to the deep abdominals along the front line of the body and have a close relationship with the pelvic floor. They also have a HUGE relationship with the outside of the hip (ABductors) and are a key player in frontal plane (side to side) control and strength. When the ADductors check out, the pelvic floor may jump in to help. Strengthening the inner thigh can help achieve greater balance overall in the pelvis. Most mamas need some adductor strength and you may notice differences side to side.

4. Get that stack: by stack I mean rib cage over pelvis, or thoracic diaphragm over pelvic diaphragm. Postpartum we may find ourselves in a more open scissor position with ribs flared up. We need to get those hamstrings working (proximal specifically) without gripping the glutes and get the deep abs on board to help us regain that stack front to back.
- Hamstrings: I love something like a 90/90 at first to drive some proximal hamstring awareness. If this is too easy, I may put someone on a bench and have them “dig” into the bench with the heels.
- Deep abs: working on a solid exhale in different position. Hands and knees is a bit more advanced (hello gravity).

Finding the stack takes TIME. But, it’s important to address and find front to back first so we can unlock movement in other planes of motion too!

5. BUILD Foundational strength: Learn the basics of a squat, lunge, press, pull, and get things moving. Reconnect with the body, add rotation, move the spine, let go of the glutes, breathe into the tight back and chest, and just feel the body moving.

It’s helpful to focus on big movements you do throughout your day: carry a carseat, push a stroller, use the restroom, put baby in the car, etc. We can help prepare for the demands of motherhood via strength training!

Returning to exercise postpartum takes TIME! You can check out my free guide for a good starting point after baby <3

Questions? I’d love to help you get started.

xoxo,

Erica