YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO POSTPARTUM EXERCISE
Intro to Returning to Exercise Postpartum
Hi friend!
I know how eager you are to get back into exercise postpartum. I need you to know though that women who “bounce back” to intense exercise immediately postpartum are the exception, not the rule. It is totally normal to take 12-months, to 2 years to get back to intense exercise. Whether you're 6-weeks, 6-months, or 6+ years postpartum, it's important to take it slow.
And here’s the thing: the slow road to recovery is actually faster in the end. If you start slow and gradually return to exercise, there will still be ups and downs because recovery is not linear. However, the downs will be less drastic than if you rushed your return to exercise. So in the end you’ll end up further ahead!
If you're dealing with symptoms like diastasis, prolapse, incontinence or pain, recognize that your body is NOT BROKEN. There is so much that you can do to manage these symptoms and still get back to the exercise that you love to do. You don't have to wait until you’re symptom-free to start.
I know you’ll find this postpartum exercise blog useful. These are all things I wish I had known postpartum!
You’ve got this!
Blog Contents
Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor is NOT Just About Doing Kegels! (including 3 of my favourite ways to lengthen and relax the pelvic floor)
Diastasis Recti, Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Incontinence/ Leaking
4 Tips to Help you Ditch the All-or-nothing Mindset with Exercise Postpartum
About Your Physiotherapist/ Coach
I’m Rhonda!
I help busy moms like you return to exercise with realistic, sustainable fitness plans that you can FINALLY stick with!
I am a mom to 2 girls, physiotherapist and lover of all things fitness and wellness.
I have been practicing as a physiotherapist since 2010. I started my own virtual physiotherapy and fitness coaching business in May 2020, and I'm excited to watch it continue to grow!
My love of exercise began at 3 when I started competitive gymnastics, a sport that I competed in for over 12 years. I now find my passion in strength training, and in inspiring women to realize how strong they really are!
After having a more challenging recovery with my second daughter, I found a passion for all things pregnancy and postpartum.
I attained my Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism (P&PA) Coach Certificate in March 2020. And I've continued to learn and expand into this specialty since.
My mission is to help busy moms return to exercise feeling supported and encouraged. I can help you to ditch the all-or-nothing mindset and show you that it is possible to fit exercise into your busy #momlife!
Am I Ready to Get Back into Exercise Postpartum?
There is A LOT going on when you become a mom. Sometimes, we can forget to honour our basic needs. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you get back into exercise postpartum:
1. Are you getting enough rest?
Sleep is hard to come by as a parent (especially in the early postpartum phases) and rest is important for healing. This is why rest takes priority over exercise if you're not sleeping enough.
2. Are you drinking enough water?
A good rule of thumb is 1/2 your body weight in ounces. (for example: if you weigh 200lbs, aim for 100oz of water). This will aid with healing and help prevent constipation, which will minimize straining on your pelvic floor muscles.
3. Are you eating enough?
Avoid the temptation to diet or restrict calories, especially early postpartum. Nourishing food is needed for healing and breastfeeding (if applicable).
4. Are you getting adequate fibre?
A good rule of thumb is 25-30g for women daily. This will help keep your bowel movements regular which will help with pelvic floor symptoms. Examples include dried fruit, veggies, whole grains, and flaxseed meal. *Bonus tip: using a squatty potty will help your poop pass more easily!
5. Have you booked an appointment to see a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist?
If you have the means, this is a great way to get a baseline of your core and pelvic health before resuming exercise. Check out this Global Directory for a PFPT near you.
6. How are you managing mentally and emotionally?
The postpartum phase is no joke. Can you find other strategies to assist with mental health? Relying solely on exercise can lead to rushing back too soon. Some examples of added support can include: therapy (if you have the means), meditation, journaling, talking with friends/family, and postpartum support groups.
What is My Pelvic Floor and Why Does it Matter?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissue at the base of our pelvis.
The pelvic floor muscles have 6 important functions:
Part of our core canister
Supports our organs (and baby when pregnant)
Helps keep us stable for standing, walking, exercise etc.
Controls bowel and bladder function
Plays a role in sexual function
Pumps blood and lymph back to the heart
Check out these podcast episodes to learn more:
Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor is NOT Just About Doing Kegels!
Learning to RELAX your pelvic floor is just as important as learning to contract it
Pelvic floor strengthening = whole body strengthening!
For your pelvic floor to function at its best, it needs to shorten and lengthen fully (think: contract and relax.)
Constantly doing kegels = very tired muscles, unable to flex anymore to do their job
Tired muscles can lead to symptoms like leaking, heaviness (prolapse symptoms), pain with sex, constipation etc
This is why it's important to learn to relax and lengthen the pelvic floor as well as strengthen it.
Here are 3 of my favourite ways to lengthen and relax the pelvic floor:
Cat cow - try 5-10 reps
Figure 4 stretch - try 30s-1min each side
1/2 frog- try 30s-1min each side
To learn more on pelvic floor relaxation check out these resources:
Listen to these podcast episodes:
What Does “Listen to My Body” Mean?
"Listen to your body" is advice many women are given during pregnancy and postpartum but what does that even mean? Here are some symptoms to be aware of when you're getting back to exercise postpartum:
Leaking urine/stool/air (or feeling of urgency)
Bleeding (after bleeding has already stopped)
Pelvis or abdomen pain/discomfort/pressure
Heaviness or bulging in the vagina
Hip, tailbone, low back pain (or anywhere else in body)
Coning/doming of abdomen (significant bulge in the midline of the tummy)*
Dizziness/ nausea
*Coning/doming is a grey zone, and can be a completely normal occurrence. When in doubt, seek the advice of a pelvic floor physiotherapist (PFPT) or pre/postnatal fitness coach for guidance.
Don't panic if you experience these symptoms. It is simply a way for your body to talk to you, and give you feedback about how it's healing.
If you do experience any of these symptoms, it might be worthwhile to book in with a pelvic floor physiotherapist or pre/postnatal fitness coach if you have the means to get an assessment.
Additional resources on listening to your body:
Click here to learn more about Strong at Home VIP and to book a 1:1 virtual appointment with Rhonda
Check out this Global Directory to find a pelvic floor physiotherapist near you
Learn more about listening to your body in this podcast episode
Diastasis Recti, Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Incontinence/ Leaking
There are several symptoms that you might experience postpartum. 3 of the most common are:
Diastasis Recti
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Incontinence/ Leaking
These symptoms can be frustrating and scary at times. However, there are a lot of things you can do to treat these symptoms and still get back to the exercises you love to do. Let’s touch on each of them briefly.
1. Diastasis Recti
What is Diastasis Recti?
Diastasis recti is the normal and necessary separation of the two sides of the rectus abdominal muscles (your “6-pack” muscles) that happens during pregnancy.
Diastasis recti occurs in nearly 100% of women by the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
This is a process that needs to happen to make room for baby!
The fascia that holds this group of muscles together is called the linea alba.
The linea alba is made up of connective tissue that is designed to stretch!
How do you measure diastasis?
The distance of separation is often measured using finger width or cm.
A 2-3 finger width/cm separation is considered normal and is nothing to be concerned about
Check out this blog post for more on how to perform a diastasis recti self-assessment
Common diastasis recti symptoms
Pain/sensitivity in the abdomen
Coning/doming in the linea alba with certain activities
Loose/ sagging skin in the abdomen
How do I heal my diastasis recti?
For some women the abdominal separation heals naturally 6-8 weeks postpartum.
For others, the gap remains beyond 8-weeks postpartum and even years postpartum.
This does not need to be regarded as a bad thing!
What research is beginning to show is do not worry about the size of the gap!
The focus should be on learning how to build tension in the linea alba and abdominal muscles leading to increased density of the tissue.
Like any muscle in our body, the only way to build tension and density in our tissues is to load it ! This doesn’t mean start doing a million crunches a day. (See below for how to exercise safely with a diastasis).
Note: Some women with a sizeable gap that doesn’t close may opt for surgery down the road.
This is a completely personal decision that should not be taken lightly.
My recommendation would be to try all conservative methods first (pelvic floor physio and a postpartum fitness coach) to learn how to manage symptoms and work on strengthening the tissue.
If surgery is still something you’re considering, I highly recommend checking out Tummy Tuck Rehab
What exercises are safe for diastasis?
Rehabbing your abdominal muscles should be done so in a deliberate and progressive manner.
I like to use the 4R’s as a timeline for recovery. I learned this from one of my mentors, Jessie Mundell: Rest, Recover, Rehab, Retrain.
Rest and recover: Your muscles went through a lot during pregnancy so they need time to heal! (This is a great time to check in with a pelvic floor physio and/ or postpartum fitness coach). In this phase - it is also worthwhile to start core connection breathing (a way to gently learn to connect your breath to core/pelvic floor contraction and relaxation).
Rehab: Once the rest/recover phase is complete (anywhere between 6-12+ weeks postpartum), the next stage is rehabbing those muscles. In this stage, you can start to progress into basic rehab movements such as bird dogs, quadruped hovers and side bridges for example.
Retrain: In this stage the goal is to slowly and progressively load the tissues with more challenging movements. This is how your abdominal muscles will get back to supporting you in everyday life and with your athletic goals!
Don’t let diastasis recti stop you from doing the exercises you love to do!
Always remember: Diastasis recti is a totally normal process, and it does not mean your body is broken.
The goal is to allow the tissues to heal, and then progressively load them to create density in the linea alba and strength in the abdominal muscles.
There is SO MUCH that you can work on to improve the function and strength of your abdomen, even with a gap!
You got this!
More resources on diastasis recti:
Listen to these podcast episodes:
2. Pelvic Organ Prolapse
What is pelvic organ prolapse?
Pelvic organ prolapse (or POP for short) is the downward descent of pelvic organs toward the vaginal opening.
POP is very common, and does not ONLY affect women who have had babies.
The stats are mixed on the prevalence of POP, but it is estimated that more than 50% of women will experience some degree of POP in her lifetime.
What are the common types of POP?
Cystocele (prolapse of the bladder) (anterior vaginal wall prolapse)
Rectocele (prolapse of the rectum) (posterior vaginal wall prolapse)
Uterine (prolapse of the uterus)
Urethrocele (prolapse of the urethra)
Enterocele (prolapse of the small intestine)
Vaginal (prolapse of the top part of vagina/ vaginal vault)
How is severity of prolapse measured?
POP is often graded on a scale from 0-4 based on degree of descent:
0 = no descent
4 = descent past the vaginal opening
Note: The gold standard for the assessment and treatment of POP is internal pelvic floor physical therapy. Visit this website to find a PFPT near you!
What are the common symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse?
Pelvic pressure or sensations of heaviness/ gaping/ burning/ stinging
Feeling like a tampon is coming out
Visible bulge out of the vagina
Painful sex
What causes prolapse?
Risk factors for POP include:
Pregnancy
Vaginal delivery (especially with forceps or vacuum intervention)
Chronic constipation
Chronic asthma (coughing)
Increased age
Jobs with heavy lifting
How can I make my prolapse better?
Here are 5 tips to decrease POP symptoms:
1. Get assessed by a pelvic floor physiotherapist (if you have the means)
A PFPT can check your pelvic floor strength, tone and coordination.
And make sure you're doing kegels correctly and not bearing down (which can worsen symptoms of POP).
2. Avoid straining on the toilet
Constant straining causes a lot of downward pressure on the pelvic floor which could impact POP symptoms.
Tips to help with this include:
Using a squatty potty or step stool
Don't force pee out/ avoid the "just in case pee"
Increase water intake
Increase fibre intake
Listen to this podcast episode and this blog with Aliya Dhalla for more on this topic!
3. Work on pelvic floor relaxation
It’s not always about kegels!
For some, your pelvic floor muscles may be too overworked leading to symptoms of prolapse.
Working on pelvic floor relaxation like deep breathing and gentle mobility may help!
4. Modify the activities that cause POP symptoms
You don't have to completely avoid exercises that cause symptoms.
For example - if you have heaviness when you squat try changing your breathing, not going as low or performing less reps and see how it feels!
5. Work on whole body strengthening
Pelvic floor strengthening is whole body strengthening!
The best way to build the capacity of our tissues to handle the stressors of our daily activities is to gradually load it!
Bonus tip:
A pessary may be a useful tool for you to look into to manage your symptoms during exercise (or everyday).
It is a silicone supportive device that is often referred to as “a sports bra for your vagina”.
Speak to your OB/ Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist about being fitted for one.
Can pelvic organ prolapse be reversed?
It may not be possible to reverse POP, but symptoms can be managed to a point of becoming symptom-free.
Note: Surgery may be indicated for certain cases of POP. Please consult with your physician/ OBGYN if your symptoms are severely impacting your quality of life.
Don’t let pelvic organ prolapse stop you from doing the exercises you love to do!
Always remember: If you experience POP symptoms with exercise, it does not mean your body is broken.
It is simply feedback from you body letting you know you’re touching on its threshold.
And there is SO MUCH that you can work on to improve your symptoms!
You got this!
More resources on prolapse:
Listen to these podcast episodes:
3. Incontinence/ Leaking
What is incontinence?
Incontinence is the unintentional leakage of urine, gas or stool.
There are several types of incontinence:
Stress (when you cough, laugh, sneeze, jump, skip)
Urge (sudden need to go, starting to pee before you’re on the toilet, uncontrolled/ hyperactive bladder)
Mixed (combo of the two)
Overflow (bladder doesn’t fully empty)
Why does leaking happen?
Your bladder is a muscle that functions on a stretch reflex and, sometimes, the body is not able to handle the pressure demands being placed on the bladder.
This could be due to pelvic floor muscle weakness, lack of endurance or coordination.
This can also be due to hypertonic pelvic floor muscles (muscles that are contracted too often and are unable to fully relax).
Have you been told to "just do kegels" to help with your leaking? Kegels are NOT the only answer! Especially for those with hypertonic (tight/overactive) pelvic floors.
*Note: If you're unsure whether you have a weak vs. hypertonic pelvic floor, the gold standard is to have an internal assessment. Visit this website to find a PFPT near you!
How can I improve my leaking/ incontinence?
Here are 6 ways to minimize leaking…
1. Decrease caffeine/ carbonated drinks intake
You may not need to get rid of your fave morning coffee completely.
However, it may help to be mindful of the amount of caffeine that you're consuming as this can contribute to bladder irritation.
2. Increase water intake
Dehydration can cause the urine to be more acidic which may irritate the bladder, resulting in worsening symptoms.
To ensure you’re drinking enough water, a good rule of thumb is 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily.
3. Avoid straining on the toilet
Tips to help with this include:
Using a squatty potty or step stool
Don't force pee out/ avoid the "just in case pee"
Increase water intake as above
Increase fibre intake
4. Work on pelvic floor relaxation
It’s not always about kegels! For many of us, our pelvic floor muscles may be too overworked which actually leads to leaking.
Working instead on pelvic floor relaxation using tools such as deep breathing and gentle mobility may help.
5. Make a gradual return to any activities that are causing your leaking
For example, if you leak when you run it may be worthwhile to track the distance where leaking begins.
Then, gradually work your way up to that distance.
Try starting with run/walk intervals and see how your body responds, slowly increasing the time you spend running.
Your body may just need more time to adapt!
6. Work on whole body strengthening
Pelvic floor strengthening is whole body strengthening!
The best way to build the capacity of our tissues so that they can handle the stressors of our daily activities is to gradually load them.
Bonus tip:
If you find yourself peeing when you cough or sneeze, try “the knack”.
The knack = a deliberate kegel/ pelvic floor contraction right before you’re about to cough or sneeze.
Don’t let your leaking stop you from doing exercises that you love!
Always remember: If you experience leaking, it does not mean your body is broken.
It is simply feedback from you body letting you know you’re touching on its threshold.
And there is SO MUCH that you can work on to improve your symptoms!
You got this!
More resources on incontinence/ leaking:
Before You Return to Exercise Postpartum
A good place to start before you return to exercise is to recognize your common breathing, posture and tension habits.
We all have different tendencies for breathing, posture and movement.
The common habits described below are not wrong but it might be worthwhile to try different strategies because our body loves variety. Giving some of these new breathing, posture and tension strategies a try may help with any pelvic floor symptoms you have.
1. Common Breathing Habits
Do you tend to hold your breath doing everyday activities? (e.g. carrying laundry, lifting car seat, picking up baby?)
Try working on a full inhale and exhale while doing these movements.
A great way to start working on this is "exhale on exertion" – breathe out during the hardest part of the movement.
Another way to think of it is “blow before you go” (thank you physiotherapist Julie Wiebe for this one) - e.g. before you pick up the car seat, take a deep breath in, start your exhale and then pick up the car seat as you continue to exhale.
When in doubt, just breathe! Try not to overthink it.
2. Common Tension Habits
Do you find yourself sucking in or gripping your abdomen all the time? This is a common habit, especially with women wanting to make our bellies appear smaller postpartum.
Do you also find yourself squeezing your glutes all the time? Typically if we are holding tension in our glutes, we're also holding tension in our pelvic floors! This can lead to symptoms like leaking, heaviness and pain.
Whenever you think of it throughout the day, catch yourself and relax your abdomen and glutes. Imagine them melting like butter.
While you’re at it – relax your neck, shoulders and jaw too!
3. Common Posture Habits
It is common with pregnancy to tuck our butts under and thrust our ribcage forward due to the weight of the baby.
Often this posture continues when we are carrying our babies postpartum.
Focus on keeping your ribcage over your hips to put less strain on your abdomen and pelvic floor.
Your best posture is your next posture!
Our bodies love movement, so the best thing you can do is change your posture. This means that you don’t need to stand in “perfect posture” all the time. Vary between your “habit” posture, ribs over hips, sit, stand, weight on one hip, then the other etc. to keep your body happy!
4. Common Pressure Habits
Do you have a tendency to force breath into your abdomen or bear down into your pelvic floor (push down like you're taking a poop) with movements?
Practice the umbrella/ 360 degree breath (click for video demo) – breathe into abdomen, ribcage and back evenly on your inhale. Imagine these areas opening up like an umbrella.
The true learning comes in when you can incorporate all of the above into your movements – in workouts and everyday activities! This comes with practice!
Check out this workshop recording to learn more:
6 Helpful Postpartum Exercise Tips/Reminders
1. The slow road to recovery is faster in the end.
Taking it slow will lead to fewer setbacks and get you to your goal of returning to your favourite activities sooner. Check out this Podcast episode to learn more!
2. The road to recovery is NOT typically linear.
There will be ups and downs. Don’t panic if you have a return of any symptoms over the course of your recovery. This is normal. Symptoms can be impacted by many things including: lack of sleep, hormonal fluctuations, stress, anxiety, change in feeding schedule, constipation, etc.
3. Your body takes longer than 6-weeks to heal.
In fact it can take up to 18-months to 2 years to recover fully. Your frustration with your body postpartum is valid. It’s a big adjustment mentally, physically and emotionally. You will get back to the activities you love to do, but it will take time.
4. Find something you enjoy doing (or at least don’t hate).
I think it’s a misconception that you have to love exercise to do it regularly. Find something you don’t hate or are neutral about. Maybe over time you’ll grow to like it, maybe not. Remind yourself that our bodies are meant to move. You may not love vegetables but you know they’re good for you, so you eat them. Consider thinking of movement the same way.
5. Reconsider your “why” for exercise.
We’ve been led to believe that the only benefit of exercise is for weight loss. The truth is there are many reasons to exercise that have nothing to do with changing your body. Does it help you feel less tired? Does it give you more energy to keep up with your kids? Does it allow you to have fewer aches and pains? Focus on these “why’s” as opposed to weight loss to create more reasons to be consistent with movement.
6. Remind yourself exercise doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing.
Your definition of what “counts” as exercise may need to change postpartum due to time and energy constraints and depending on what your body is ready for.
4 Tips to Help you Ditch the All-or-nothing Mindset with Exercise Postpartum
1. Remember that all movement counts
Even if you’re not sweating buckets or sore the next day
Walking, stretching, rehab exercises, playing with your kids - all “count” as exercise.
2. Your workouts don’t need to be an hour long to be beneficial for your mental and physical health.
The 10-minute workout you DID do is better than the 1-hour workout you DIDN’T do.
Let it be all or something instead of all or nothing!
3. You don’t have to workout 6 days a week to be healthy.
You may need to change your definition of consistency.
Focus on 1-3 times a week of intentional movement.
4. Remove the barrier of having to change into workout clothes.
Workout in your pjs or sweats and bare feet!
More resources:
Follow Rhonda on Instagram for more sustainable and realistic fitness tips for busy moms!
Listen to these podcast episodes:
Ok Let’s Get Moving with 6 Postpartum Exercises!
The next section of this blog features 6 postpartum exercises that are typically safe to do when you're just starting out. As always, it's best to consult with a pelvic floor physiotherapist and/or postpartum fitness coach if you have the means before starting an exercise program.
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions/ concerns as you go through these exercises!
Here is a sample workout with these 6 exercises:
2-3 rounds:
5 glute bridge
5 side bridge each side
5 hip hinge
5 squats
Finish with 10 deep breaths in z-lying and/or prone lying to help relax your pelvic floor!
1. Glute bridge - 5 reps
Lying on your back, arms by your sides.
On the inhale, relax all your muscles and expand your belly.
On the exhale lift your hips off the ground. Gently contract and lift your pelvic floor and contract your abdomen. This should only be about a 20-30% contraction.
Don't worry about squeezing your glutes. Only contract as much as is necessary to lift your bum off the floor.
Don't stress about the breathing pattern if it's confusing. When in doubt, just keep breathing.
2. Side bridge - 5 reps each side
Lying on your side with your elbow resting on the ground directly under your shoulder.
On the inhale, relax all your muscles and expand your belly.
On the exhale lift your hips and push them forward to open them up. Gently contract and lift your pelvic floor and contract your abdomen. This should only be about a 20-30% contraction.
Don't worry about squeezing your glutes. Only contract as much as is necessary to lift and open your hips.
Don't stress about the breathing pattern if it's confusing. When in doubt, just keep breathing.
3. Hip hinge - 5 reps
This is a great lead-up exercise for the squat.
Start in high kneeling, hands on your hips, knees hip width apart.
On the inhale, relax all your muscles and expand your belly.
On the exhale send your hips back and tilt forward at your torso maintaining a neutral spine. Gently contract and lift your pelvic floor and contract your abdomen. This should only be about a 20-30% contraction.
Don't stress about the breathing pattern if it's confusing. When in doubt, just keep breathing.
4. Squat - 5 reps
The squat is one of the most functional movements to work on postpartum. You squat every time you sit on the toilet, sit on the couch and pick your baby up from the ground.
Start in standing, feet a bit wider than hip width apart.
On the inhale, relax all your muscles and expand your belly.
On the exhale send your hips back as if you're going to sit in a chair, and tilt forward at your torso maintaining a neutral spine. Gently contract and lift your pelvic floor and contract your abdomen. This should only be about a 20-30% contraction.
Don't stress about the breathing pattern if it's confusing. When in doubt, just keep breathing.
5. Deep breathing in z-lying - 10 breaths
Think of this as a bonus mini nap break! Lie on your back with your legs up on the couch or soft ottoman. You can place a pillow under your hips if that feels better as well.
On your inhale, focus on relaxing all your muscles including your tummy, pelvic floor, glutes, back, neck and shoulders (picture your muscles melting like butter).
On your exhale, try to do a VERY gentle pelvic floor lift (pick up a blueberry with your vagina) (This should only be about 20-30% contraction).
If you can't figure out the contraction, don't worry. Just focus on deep breathing and relaxing right now.
6. Deep breathing in prone lying - 10 breaths
Another bonus mini nap break! Lying on your tummy (if this is comfortable for you), with your hands under your forehead, looking at the floor (you can also place a towel under your forehead).
This is a great position to practice relaxing your belly as the ground gives you feedback. As you inhale, think about expanding your belly into the ground. Continue to focus on relaxing your glutes, pelvic floor, back, neck and shoulders.
On your exhale, try to do a VERY gentle pelvic floor lift (pick up a blueberry with your vagina) (This should only be about 20-30% contraction).
If you can't figure out the contraction, don't worry. Just focus on deep breathing and relaxing right now.
If you’re loving this movement and you’re looking for more:
A Note About Kegels
A reminder that it's important to strengthen your pelvic floor AND learn to relax/ lengthen it!
Disclaimer: Kegels/ pelvic floor contractions might not be appropriate for everyone. It's important to have an assessment with an internal pelvic floor physiotherapist (if you have the means) to get assessed to see if kegels are appropriate for you AND to assess whether you're doing a kegel correctly.
If you aren't able to have an internal assessment done, try the kegels and if you're symptoms such as leaking, heaviness or pain are not improving or getting worse, focus more so on the pelvic floor relaxation/ mobility and stop the kegels.
Note: it's great to bookend your workouts with some mobility and relaxation breathing. So try not to skip the cool-down (even if you just do part of it). This will help to relax and lengthen your pelvic floor and calm your nervous system at the end of your workout.
More resources on Kegels/ pelvic floor relaxation here:
Listen to these podcast episodes:
Ways to Modify Your Postpartum Workouts
If you’re feeling ready to get back into exercise postpartum, here are some suggested ways you may choose to alter your workouts depending on your symptoms, amount of sleep, stress etc.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
1. Perform less reps and/or rounds than prescribed
E.g. if the workout says 10 reps, you can choose to stop at 5-7 reps.
2. Make it lighter
If the movement you want to do is weighted (e.g. goblet squat), you can modify by doing an unweighted squat.
3. Switch to a different movement
You can switch out the movement to something that feels better (symptom-free or minimal symptoms). Try to use a movement that will work similar muscle groups if you can. (e.g. if lunges bother your pelvis, you can switch to a squat or step-up).
4. Alter the range of motion of the movement
E.g. if a full squat causes hip pain, only go 1/4 to 1/2 depth to a point there is no pain).
5. Alter the tempo of the movement.
Slow down and really focus on breath and control of the movement (e.g. if a squat doesn’t feel right, count to 5 as you lower and concentrate on your breathing to see if it feels better for your symptoms).
Next Steps...
If you're looking for more advice and guidance from a physiotherapist and postpartum fitness coach, I'd love to work with you!
Looking for 1:1 virtual guidance? Check out my Strong at Home VIP (Physiotherapy) Tier
Want an exercise program you can do from home on your own time (with guidance from me)? Join the Strong at Home Membership here
Check out my FREE Ease into Fitness Workout Guide!
Want an easy-to-follow, DIY, low cost return to exercise program to follow? Check out my Strong at Home Foundations program here
Reach out to me for more information and guidance!
