Sports and exercises after childbirth. A set of physical exercises after childbirth to regain your former shape

Of course, we are all very different, and there are lucky women among us who, after giving birth, do not feel dissatisfied with their figure. But they also notice minor annoying changes and decreased tone of the abdominal muscles, and the desire to get rid of any imperfection is typical of most women.

There's another reason to think about exercise after giving birth. The fact is that at the end of pregnancy the body faces very difficult and, in fact, diametrically opposed tasks: yesterday it was normal to carry a child to term, today it was to give birth safely, and tomorrow you need to start feeding the baby and taking care of him.

These problems are solved precisely due to a sharp change in hormonal levels, which is accompanied by serious stress for the woman’s body. And the result may be a consistent change from postpartum fatigue or melancholy to depression. This dangerous condition for mother and newborn, of course, must be combated. But how?

A drug solution to the problem is, as a rule, excluded: almost all drugs penetrate into breast milk, and some of them can cause irreparable harm baby. This is where physical exercise after childbirth comes to the rescue.

Most athletes are familiar with the term “feeling of muscle joy.” Its essence lies in the fact that after intense physical training, a person’s well-being significantly improves and a surge of strength occurs.

This is due to the fact that when the muscles perform a load, a large number of biologically active substances are released, including endorphins and serotonin, which have a positive effect on the body and provide good mood, for which they are called hormones of joy and pleasure.

When can you start exercising after giving birth?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions to obstetricians. And the most common answer to it: “Not earlier than 2 months after birth.” The reason for this limitation is the physiological changes in the postpartum period, which lasts 6–8 weeks.

Firstly, after childbirth, a bleeding wound remains in the enlarged and overstretched uterus - the placental area. This is the place where the placenta was attached, which will heal by the 40th to 60th day of the postpartum period.

Because of this wound, you cannot swim, take a bath, go to the bathhouse or sauna, or lift weights for some time after childbirth. And it is also the main reason for limiting physical activity: when performing physical exercises after childbirth, blood circulation in the pelvis increases significantly, which provokes heavy bleeding from the genital tract.

Secondly, the body needs exactly 2 months to restore the normal functioning of all systems and organs that experienced double load during pregnancy. And unreasonable overload during this period can cause a number of serious complications, from which doctors are trying to protect postpartum women.

What to do in such a situation: on the one hand, you want and need it, but on the other hand, you can’t? This dilemma can be resolved quite simply: as in any matter, you need to find a middle ground: start by doing light exercises after childbirth, which at first will not even seem like a load. And as the body’s condition improves and at the end of the postpartum period, the exercises will become more complex and intense.

So, you can and should start exercising within 48 hours after birth. But the set of exercises will be significantly different from anything you have encountered before.

Two days after birth

So, two days have passed since the birth, and you can already begin to implement a grandiose plan to return to ideal physical fitness(or purchasing one).

Perhaps you have no desire to do any exercises after childbirth, you probably still have weakness, pain, or discomfort in the perineal area, especially if there have been tears or episiotomy (an incision in the perineum). Therefore, you need to approach the first exercises very wisely: do them carefully, monitoring how you feel, and start with a small number of repetitions (3-5 times).

If while performing the complex you feel weakness, nausea, dizziness or extreme fatigue, stop exercising immediately and rest. Try to come back to them the next day.

These exercises are good because they can be performed without getting out of bed, and some of them are even combined with feeding the baby.

Postpartum exercise for abdominal muscles

Lying on your back, place your hand on your stomach and bend your knees. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, while exhaling, try to draw in your stomach as much as possible. At first, perform 3-5 repetitions, gradually increasing the strength of contraction of the abdominal muscles. 2 weeks after birth, you can increase the number of repetitions up to 20–25 times.

During the first days after childbirth, while performing this exercise, you will most likely experience increased nagging pain in the lower abdomen and bloody discharge from the genital tract, caused by a contracting uterus and lochia. There is no need to be afraid. This is normal and even very useful.

If a woman moves little during the postpartum period, there is a danger of blood and clots accumulating in the uterine cavity, since the uterus is not yet able to adequately contract on its own and push out the lochia that accumulates in the cavity. The abdominal muscles and the force of gravity come to her aid (that is, the more we move after childbirth, the better).

But not everyone finds it easy to walk in the first days after childbirth, therefore, in order to prevent postpartum endometritis (inflammation of the uterine lining), doctors recommend turning over more often from one side to the other and lying on your stomach: even with such a minimal range of movements, the abdominal muscles contract and the discharge of lochia from the uterus improves.

Exercise after childbirth for the abdomen and buttocks

This exercise will help restore tone to the muscles of the abdomen and buttocks. It can be performed lying down or standing; in addition, it is very convenient to combine it with feeding.

Tighten and relax the muscles of the buttocks and pelvic floor, and then the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. At the same time as the buttocks, the pelvic floor muscles will also tighten.
If you have sutures in the perineal area, then this complex should be postponed for 2-3 weeks until the sutures have completely healed.

Postpartum leg exercise

Lying on your back in bed, straighten your legs and spread them so that the distance between your heels is approximately 30 cm. At the same time, pull the toes of both feet toward you, then pull them away from you. To begin, repeat no more than 8 times. Then make rotational movements with your feet clockwise and counterclockwise, also 8-10 times with each leg. Gradually the number of repetitions can be increased.
This exercise will improve blood circulation in the leg muscles and is especially useful for varicose veins veins When performing it, be careful: overstretching the leg muscles can provoke cramps, so you should start this exercise very carefully.

After caesarean section

It is especially worth mentioning physical activity in the first days after caesarean section. Undoubtedly, women who have undergone this operation experience more pain, which prevents them from starting physical exercise immediately after childbirth.

But, paradoxical as it may sound, physical activity in this case should begin much earlier - 5-6 hours after birth. The restoration of intestinal function and the prevention of the formation of adhesions in the abdominal cavity and pelvis depend on this.

Rifles

The first exercise for women after a cesarean section is to roll onto the right and left sides alternately, from a supine position. To reduce pain in the suture area, it is advisable to lightly press the seam with your palm. A post-operative bandage will make any physical activity even easier.
Try to roll over from your back to your side and back at least once every 15 minutes during the first 24 hours after surgery. Over time, this exercise will be much easier than at the beginning.
The next day, complicate the exercise by turning first on your right side, then again on your back and, without stopping, on your left side. Rest for 20-30 minutes and continue turning. As soon as you feel that the exercise is easy for you, try to increase the number of repetitions.

Sitting down

By the end of the first day after surgery, during the normal course of the postpartum period, add a second exercise: you need to sit in bed for 2-3 minutes and slowly lie back down. When you rise again, try to stay in a sitting position for 5-10 minutes. You should rest between exercises.

Getting out of bed and walking

When the exercise works well enough (usually after 3-5 repetitions), you can move on to the third part of the complex: get out of bed and take the first few steps. This must be done smoothly and slowly.

Remember that any exercise—especially getting out of bed for the first time after surgery—must be supervised by medical staff and should be stopped if you feel unwell.

But it is better to postpone abdominal exercises after a cesarean section for 1.5–2 months.

Two weeks later

Now you are allowed to start more intensive classes. This complex can be performed during the first 2–3 months after birth, gradually increasing the load.

Strengthening the abdominal and back muscles

Lie on your side, arch your back and draw your knees toward your chest. Exhaling, pull in your stomach, and at the same time try to round your back even more. Then inhale, straighten your back and relax. Movements should be smooth.

Start with 6 repetitions for each side and gradually increase the number until you reach 20.

When the exercise becomes easy for you, make it more difficult by keeping your abdominal muscles tense, but your breathing should remain even.

Pelvic rocking

The exercise can be performed lying on the floor or in bed. Lie on your back, bend your legs, press your knees together. Without lifting your upper back off the floor, lift your pelvis slightly while squeezing your gluteal muscles. Try to stay in this position for 3-4 seconds, then lower your pelvis and relax your muscles.

To begin with, it is advisable to repeat this exercise 6 times, gradually increasing the number to 20, and the time of tension gluteal muscles when rising up to 8–10 seconds.

Exercise for the pelvic floor muscles

The pelvic floor is usually called all the muscles of the perineum located between the pubis and coccyx. After spontaneous childbirth, performing this exercise may present certain difficulties due to the fact that the sensitivity of the pelvic floor is temporarily impaired.

The reason for this is the strong stretching of the tissues of the birth canal as the child passes through it, which injures small nerve endings, as well as postpartum edema, which disrupts the nutrition of the nerve fibers. It usually takes 2–3 months to restore normal sensitivity, sometimes more. It all depends on how the birth proceeded, whether there were ruptures or dissection of the perineum (episiotomy) and, of course, on the individual speed of recovery of nerve fibers for each woman.

Lying on your back, bend your knees and spread them apart. Try to tense the muscles of the perineum, pulling them up, hold them in a tense state for a few seconds and relax. If you can't feel your vagina yet, contract your anal muscles as if you were trying to hold back gas.
The next step is to tense and pull up the vaginal muscles (as if you want to hold something inside the vagina or suddenly stop urinating). By the way, the best test The strength of the pelvic floor muscles is to stop urination in the middle of the process. If you succeed, the muscles are in good shape.

Abdominal exercise

Lie on your back, bend your knees and lift them so that your shins are parallel to the floor. Stretch your arms forward, lifting top part body to the legs, the chin tends to the chest.

This is one of the most effective abdominal exercises. But start doing it very carefully, gradually increasing the load. When you manage to bring the number of repetitions to 20, complicate the exercise by holding at the top point for 4-6-8 seconds.

In three to four months

These exercises require good preparation, so you should start doing them 3-4 months after the start of daily training.

Abdominal restoration complex

To return your belly to its previous shape and maintain it, you will have to work every day. When performing abdominal exercises in a lying position, you must ensure that your lower back is pressed to the floor. Otherwise, the abdominal muscles will not work fully.

Exercise 1. Stand straight, place your feet shoulder-width apart, hands on your waist. Bend sideways to the right, head and chest pointing forward. Leave your right hand on your belt, and extend your left hand above your head in the direction of the inclination. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement, tilting to the left.

Exercise 2. Sitting on the edge of a chair with a backrest, lean back slightly and extend your arms straight forward, keeping your back straight. Raise your legs bent at the knees one at a time, trying to touch your knee to your chest. Repeat 12-15 times for each leg.

Exercise 3. Lying on the floor, legs straight, arms extended along the body. Raise both legs approximately 30° from the floor without bending them. Stay in this position for as long as possible. Then lower your legs. Repeat 12–15 times.

Improvement of the spine and strengthening of the back after childbirth

This complex will not take much of your time and effort, but you will notice the effect of it within 1–2 weeks. Moreover, it does not require good physical training, and you can start implementing it within 1.5–2 months after giving birth.

Exercise 1. Lean your back against the wall, straighten your back as much as possible, making sure that your heels, back of your head and shoulders are pressed against the wall. Then lower your shoulders slightly and draw in your stomach. Stay in this position for 3-5 minutes. Try to take it as often as possible, watch your posture throughout the day.

Exercise 2. Stand on all fours, knees shoulder-width apart, hands turned so that the fingers are directed towards each other. Tighten your abdominal muscles and at the same time bend your lower back upward; bending your elbows, try to touch the floor with your chest. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 7-10 times.

Exercise 3. Stand straight with your feet together. Bend over, keeping your legs straight, and try to touch your fingers (or better yet, your entire palm) to the floor near your feet, while trying to reach your stomach towards your hips. Repeat 7-10 times.

Strengthening for chest muscles

The mammary glands also undergo significant changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Of course, all women want their breasts to remain as attractive after childbirth as before. Simple exercises to strengthen the chest muscles and improve posture serve this purpose.

Exercise 1. The most effective exercise for strengthening pectoral muscles– push-ups from the floor. Classic version: lying on the floor with your stomach down, lift yourself up using your toes and palms shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight. Slowly bend your elbows, lowering yourself as low as possible to the floor, then straighten your arms completely. You can start with 2-3 approaches, gradually increasing their number to 20-25. To achieve the effect, it is important to perform this exercise efficiently and without jerking.

If classic version is too difficult for you, perform push-ups from the wall from a standing position facing the wall at a distance of 40 cm from it or push-ups from the floor with your legs bent at the knees.

Exercise 2. Standing, place your palms in front of your chest, fingertips pointing toward your chin. Pressing your palms tightly together, alternately pressing right hand to the left and left to the right, shifting them in the appropriate direction. The hand being displaced must provide strong resistance.

Restoring your figure after childbirth is not an easy task for most women, but it is doable. Of course, you can find a lot of obstacles and excuses. The main thing is to remember that weight loss and figure correction are necessary not only for beauty, but also for health. Now you are a mother, and the baby needs your attention, which means you don’t want to get sick!

Kegel exercises: restoring the pelvic floor muscles

Kegel exercises help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which were intensively involved in the birth process. Since stretched and weakened muscles support the internal genital organs less well, their gradual drooping and even loss may occur. Kegel exercises will help prevent this. You can start doing them immediately after giving birth. If there is a stitch in the perineum after a tear or cut in the perineum, Kegel exercises may be painful, so you should wait until the stitch heals.

Compression. You can perform the exercise standing, lying down, sitting. You need to tense the muscles of the perineum, as if you want to stop urinating. Hold the muscles in a tense state for 8–10 seconds. Relax.

Abbreviations. Tighten and relax the muscles of the perineum at a fast pace.

Pushing out. Push slowly, with moderate force, as if you were trying to push out foreign body from the vagina. Almost the same, but with much more greater strength we tense these muscles during childbirth or during constipation.

First, you should perform each exercise 10 times. It is recommended to do them at least 5 times a day. Gradually increasing the number of repetitions, bring their number to 100. And most importantly, you need to perform the complex regularly so that over time it becomes a habit.

Because they are afraid of harming the body that has not yet recovered.

However, doctors have proven that doing simple exercises in the first weeks after childbirth is not only possible, but also necessary. Simple gymnastics will allow you:

improve your mood as physical activity increases your level of chemical compounds, which are responsible for well-being;
regain your former figure and lose overweight;
increase vitality and improve physical state, which will greatly facilitate child care.

When to start exercises if mommy has had a cesarean section?

The exercises we offer are: safe for mothers who have gone through both natural childbirth and survivors. However, it is better to start with the simplest exercises aimed at the abdominal muscles, which can help your muscles recover more quickly after surgery.

During exercise, you may experience some pulling on the stitch, but there should be no pain. If you get tired quickly, then give your body a rest, because you survived the operation, and this is quite normal.

Where to begin?

It is not surprising, but experts It is recommended to start practicing with Kegle exercises after childbirth. If you start doing them immediately after childbirth, the perineum and vagina will recover much faster.

They consist of contraction of the pelvic muscles that support the vagina. Typically, these muscles contract when a woman tightens her vagina or stops urinating.

During the exercises, the muscles are tensed for one to two seconds and then relaxed. To achieve the optimal effect, it is worth repeating them from 5 to 30 times.

American gynecologist Arnold Kegel was sure what women who do such exercises get from intimate life much more fun. And as they age, they do not have problems with incontinence.

Exercise No. 1

It is necessary to alternate contraction of the muscles of the vagina and perineum, relaxing for 10 seconds and tensing for 10 seconds.

Exercise No. 2

This exercise is also called an “elevator”, in order to perform it you need to contract the muscles (“1st floor”) for 3-5 seconds, then contract the muscles (“2nd floor”) and hold.

So you need to get to the 4-5th floor, you also need to relax back in stages. These exercises can be performed anywhere and in any position.

In addition to strengthening your muscles, such exercises will also increase sexual function as they promote blood flow to the genitals and increase muscle tension.

A set of exercises for the abs, chest and back

You should train your abdominal muscles from its bottom, since this is where the transverse muscle is located, which, together with the pelvic floor muscles, supports the pelvis and back itself.

By doing these simple exercises, you can regain the flat stomach you had before pregnancy.

For this lie on your back or side and bend your knees. Inhale air, and as you exhale, tense your pelvic muscles. To make this exercise easier, you can imagine that you are holding back urination.

When you are sure that the muscles are tense, begin to slowly pull your navel up and inward, while you should feel your abdominal muscles tense.

You need to stay in this position for 10 seconds; you don’t need to hold your breath. Then relax your muscles. Wait 5 -10 seconds and repeat. At the same time, do not move your back or tense your upper abdominal muscles.

It will be completely normal if in the first days you are able to tense your muscles only for 2-3 seconds. Train your body, and very soon you will be able to withstand 10-15 seconds.

Pelvic tilts will greatly help you strengthen your back. They will make it easier, you can do bends while sitting, standing or lying down.

Lying down

For this lie down on the bed, place a pillow under your head, bend your knees. Begin to tense your pelvic floor and draw in lower muscles belly until you hit the bed.

You need to stay in this state for 3 seconds, so you can arch your back. Repeat 10 times.

Sitting

Sit on a stool or chair with your feet flat on the floor. Now begin to tighten your lower abdominal muscles, then lower your back and arch it so that your chest and pelvis are arched upward.

The exercises should be performed smoothly, stretching your back in both directions.

Upper back exercises, is necessary especially for mothers who often slouch and are constantly in an awkward position. A simple back stretch will do this.

Sit up straight with your arms crossed over your chest, alternately turn left and right, repeat this exercise 10 times. Next, sit down, join your hands on the back of your neck and turn in different sides. Then join your palms in front of you, raise your arms as high as possible above your head, stay in this position for 3 seconds, then slowly lower your arms.

Chest exercises are aimed primarily at strengthening the muscles of the back and chest. By performing these exercises, you can ensure that your chest rises due to strengthened muscles.

It is necessary to do the exercises 3-4 times a week, 6-8 repetitions for each exercise.

Stand up straight, bring your palms together in front of you at chest level. At the same time, press with one hand on the other to tighten the pectoral muscles. Put your hands down and relax. To make this exercise easier, you can hold a tennis ball between your palms.
Stand up straight, clasp your hands in a lock and try to break this “lock”. There is no need to perform exercises with strong efforts; it is better to alternate actions.
Face the wall and lean on it, with your arms spread at shoulder level. Then press hard on the wall, as if you want to move it away. Relax. Repeat about 8 times.
Stand up straight and perform the movements shoulders forward - back. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides but at shoulder level, and perform circular movements back and forth.

Fitball exercises

Fitball is a simple gymnastic ball that can rightfully be called magical, since it helps a woman cope with pain not only during childbirth, but also tighten problem areas after it.

Making your body beautiful with its help will be a pleasure. Simple exercises on the ball after childbirth will certainly lift your spirits and will not require much effort.

Sit on the fitball and bounce on it as quickly as possible. After a while, make the task a little more difficult for yourself, alternate - spring once, pull your knees to your chest the second time. When springing, try to also make sharp turns to the sides.
Lie on the ball with your stomach, lift your legs slightly above the floor parallel to your body. Now start walking on your hands so that the ball rolls along your body from your shins to your chest.
Lie down on the ball again, stretch your legs and arms, rest your toes and palms on the floor. Try to increase pressure on the ball with your stomach, while maintaining balance and lifting your feet off the floor. Raise them as high as possible, then hold for 5 seconds.
Place the ball under your shoulder blades and begin to lift your pelvis, without lifting your feet off the floor, this way you will strengthen the thoracic vertebra and strengthen the pelvic muscles.
Lay your back on the ball, in this case, the ball should be under the lower back, hands behind the head, the pelvis is not mobile, the legs are firmly on the floor, now begin to perform turns with the body.
Lie on your back on the floor, place the ball under your bent knees. Try to lift your pelvis off the floor without moving the ball. This will strengthen your pelvic and leg muscles.
Lie on your side on the ball. One leg should rest on the floor, the other should be straightened and pulled up, swing your leg up and down at least 50 times.
Get on your knees with the ball under your chest and stomach, hands rest on the floor. Your task is to simultaneously lift the opposite leg and arm to your back, while maintaining balance.
Lie with your back on the ball, bend your legs at the knees, press your feet to the floor, cross your arms behind your head and raise your shoulders as high as possible without touching the elbow area to the ball.

During the period when a woman carries her unborn baby for nine months, a significant restructuring occurs in almost all systems of her body. Due to the increased overall load and hormonal changes The woman’s weight increases, and as a result, after the birth of the baby, the young mother remains extra kilos.

Without a doubt, every young mother wants to return to her previous shape as quickly as possible. But in the postpartum period, the body is weakened, a reverse restructuring of all systems occurs, and very often, in order to return to the previous weight, you have to not only limit yourself in nutrition, but also ensure sufficient physical activity.

In general, the postpartum period lasts about eight weeks: during this time, the restructuring of the body occurs most actively. Due to such high tension, doctors do not advise practicing too active physical stress at that time. But still postpartum gymnastics can be gradually introduced into lifestyle a young mother from the first weeks. The main condition is that exercises in the first days after childbirth should be as gentle as possible, and the load can be increased gradually, from day to day.

Basic rules of postpartum gymnastics

It is optimal to start playing sports after the birth of a child only after consulting with your doctor: he will be able to determine whether the recovery process is proceeding normally and will tell you which exercises can be practiced now, and which loads are best avoided for now.

The main task facing a woman who intends to gradually introduce postpartum gymnastics into her daily routine is to restore posture, gait, and return the normal tone of all muscles that have lost elasticity during the period (in particular, we're talking about about the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles).

Also, gymnastics after childbirth helps to return the pelvic and abdominal organs to their normal position, activates blood circulation, breathing, and helps normalize the state of the nervous system.

To bring postpartum gymnastics maximum benefit for a young mother and contributed to both physical and emotional recovery, there are several important points to consider.

When starting to do exercises every day, you need to go from simple to complex, gradually increasing the load. It is advisable to perform a set of exercises every day that is at least slightly different from the previous one. Boring gymnastics, monotonously repeated day after day, can negatively affect general condition body and will not bring any effect in terms of weight loss. In addition, there is a high risk that such activities may simply bore the young mother.

In the first weeks of classes, gymnastics should be performed every day. When the intensity of physical activity and the total duration of the session increases significantly, the number of such workouts can be reduced to 3 times a week.

A woman who has recently given birth to a child should perform all movements smoothly and slowly; if necessary, immediately make a short stop and restore breathing.

For training, you need to choose suitable clothes - comfortable, not restrictive to the body. Recumbent exercises should be performed while lying on a flat floor surface. Before training, it is important to thoroughly ventilate the room so that during the exercises the woman deeply inhales clean and fresh air.

Before starting gymnastics, a young mother must empty her bladder and bowels. It is advisable to take a thoughtful approach to the time of training: it is optimal to do a set of exercises about one hour before meals and after the baby has finished feeding. The fact is that in the process of intense loads, production occurs lactic acid , which can change taste qualities milk. If you exercise too much, milk production may decrease slightly. Therefore, it is recommended both during physical training and after performing exercises to drink as much fluid as possible - preferably plain clean water.

During the postpartum period, the preferred types motor activity are walking with a stroller, swimming. In winter you can go skiing and ice skating. But with strength exercises, cycling, running, as well as extreme exercises and sports, it is advisable to wait at least a few months.

Exercises from the postpartum gymnastics complex in the first days after childbirth

Whatever set of exercises a young mother chooses, before starting the main part, you should do a short five-minute warm-up. If a woman exercises for at least an hour, then warming up can take up to ten minutes.

The beginning of the warm-up can be deep breathing - several very deep inhalations and exhalations. Next comes the stretching: you need to stretch up, then bend down and touch the floor with your fingers. The warm-up can include wide arm swings in different directions, up and down, and steps in place.

Almost the next day after the birth of the baby, provided there are no complications and good health, the new mother can perform simple exercises.

While lying down, you can twirl your hands at face level for several minutes, imitating washing in a unique way. In the same position, you need to tuck your legs one by one, sliding them along the surface of the floor.

While lying down, you should lift your pelvis up. In this case, the legs are bent at the knees, and the hands are behind the head. You can sit down several times from a lying position, while waving your arms, trying to reach your toes. It is also recommended to perform light movements, making a “bicycle”. Then you can roll over onto your stomach and, clasping your hands under your chin, lift your legs one by one, holding them a little in a suspended position. You can also lift your legs up one at a time while standing on all fours. All exercises are performed ten times. After this, clench and unclench your toes ten to fifteen times. These simple exercises are useful both for preventing the development and for training weakened abdominal muscles.

There are other postpartum gymnastics complexes that can be practiced the very next day after a grandiose event in the mother’s life. Exercises that involve deep breathing are very useful. It is important that the lower abdomen is involved in the process of inhalation and exhalation.

For the first exercise, you need to lie on your back and bend both legs at the knees. Hands are on the stomach. Inhale through the nose, slowly, exhale through the mouth. When exhaling deeply, the stomach should be stroked from below to the navel. It is important that no pressure is applied to the abdomen: movements should be light. This exercise is repeated 15-20 times. After this, the woman should roll over onto her stomach. To make lying more comfortable, place a small pillow under your stomach. Breathing is done from the lower abdomen, it should be as deep as possible. When you exhale, the pelvis moves upward. Such exercises help improve the functioning of a woman’s cardiovascular system, activate blood flow, stimulate metabolism . Moreover, when performing breathing exercises Over the course of several weeks, you can perfectly prepare your muscles for further more intense exercise. The total duration of gymnastics in the first days after childbirth should not exceed 10-15 minutes. But you can perform such simple workouts several times a day. But it is extremely important that a woman under no circumstances exercise too intensely in the first days after giving birth: she absolutely must not overexert herself.

Women who have suffered , should wait a while physical activity until your doctor allows you to do light exercises.

Already in maternity hospital a young mother should also remember the so-called Kegel exercises . To perform this exercise correctly, the pelvic floor muscles need to be pulled in as you inhale and relaxed as you exhale. Gymnastics afterward must necessarily include such an exercise, since it is extremely important for restoring the elasticity of the vaginal muscles. In order for muscle tone to be restored as quickly as possible, this exercise should be repeated every day at least a hundred times, performing it in several approaches throughout the day.

All the described exercises can be varied at your own discretion. There is no need to perform those that cause a persistent feeling of discomfort. The main thing is that the activity brings pleasure, and after it there is a feeling of vivacity, and not fatigue.

Exercises from the postpartum gymnastics complex during the recovery period

Around the third week, more complex exercises can be introduced into the postpartum gymnastics complex, which help strengthen the tone of the body muscles. It is advisable to diversify the set of exercises in a lying position. So, you can perform alternate leg lifts: straightening your leg at the top, a woman can hold her leg in this position and work with her toe, alternately pulling it towards her and pulling it back. On the following leg lifts, you should make rotational movements. Repeat lifting each leg 15-20 times.

In a lying position, the arms are extended along the body. As you exhale, your legs should be pulled toward your chest one at a time. The exercise on each leg is repeated 6 times. After completing the approach, you should straighten up, stretching out in a string: your toes are pulled in one direction, your fingers in the other.

Lying on your stomach, your hands should be folded under your forehead with the backs of your hands. Exhaling air, lift your upper body up. Hands remain pressed to the floor surface. You cannot throw your head back: it is in line with the spine. The lift is repeated 6-7 times.

It is useful to introduce the well-known “cat” exercise into the general complex of postpartum gymnastics: to perform it, you need to get on all fours and bend your back as much as possible, rounding it. While performing this exercise, you should also retract the muscles of the perineum.

An exercise is also performed on all fours, which helps strengthen the tone of the muscles of the perineum and abdomen at the same time. To do this, you need to lower yourself onto your elbows, exhale air and bring your shoulder blades together. As you inhale, the shoulder blades spread, and the back rounds as much as possible, as in the case of performing the “cat”. Remaining in this position, you should retract the perineum and abdomen as much as possible. As you exhale, maximum relaxation follows.

Another exercise should be performed while sitting on a chair. In this case, you need to straighten your back as much as possible and pull in your stomach. The legs are located approximately shoulder width apart. In this position, bends to the sides are performed. In this case, you need to reach the floor with your palm. You need to bend over 6-7 times in each direction. However, for women who had sutures placed on the perineum during childbirth, it is better not to perform sitting exercises for several more weeks. You can also bend to the sides alternately from a standing position: this exercise helps shape the waistline.

In a standing position, you can do any simple exercises aimed at training the abdominal muscles, arms, and legs. Exercises that include movements of the pelvis are useful: for example, standing on your knees slightly bent (with your legs together), you should swing your pelvis back and forth, draw a circle in one direction and the other. When performing rotational movements, you should try to strongly retract your stomach. As you inhale, you need to stop, as you exhale, continue moving forward.

After completing a set of exercises, you should rest a little, lying on the floor on your stomach or back. In this case, breathing should be very deep.

At home, it is useful to include several exercises with dumbbells in the general complex of postpartum gymnastics. So-called resistance exercises to strengthen muscles are performed with light dumbbells (their weight should not exceed 1 kg).

In addition, after the postpartum 6-8 weeks, you can perform full abdominal exercises (sit down from a lying position), do push-ups from the floor.

Another option for quite fun postpartum gymnastics is doing exercises together with the baby and dad. While the child is small, he can act as a kind of “projectile”: the baby can be lifted on bent legs, squatted with a kangaroo backpack in which the baby is sitting. And later, the baby will gradually get used to the fact that daily gymnastics is the norm. In addition, activities with the mother always bring joy to a rapidly growing child.

The question of when, after discharge from the maternity ward, you can start playing sports to get in shape faster is relevant for many. Usually, even in the maternity hospital, the doctor warns about what physical activity should be postponed for a certain period of time, directly related to the health status of the mother in labor. This is due to the need to restore the body, reduce the uterus to its usual size, and end lochia. Because even if you really want to go to Gym, sports after childbirth, when to start practicing, which largely depends on the chosen type, is possible no earlier than a month later.

What can you do immediately after discharge?

Gentle loads for young mothers are not only allowed, but also directly indicated. They help normalize blood circulation, recover faster after surgery, and get rid of swelling. Such activities may include:

dancing;
fast walking;
yoga with calm asanas.

If a woman has not stopped exercising during pregnancy, then there is no need to take a break and continue exercising immediately, naturally, if the doctor approves of them and the birth was without complications. Running, cycling, and working with weights are not included in the loads allowed during this period, even if the strength and desire to do them are present.

Sports after childbirth accompanied by ruptures or episiotomy with suturing

Quite often, childbirth occurs with complications. In this case, you should start thinking about what exercises you can do after childbirth much later than if the birth of the baby did not cause additional health problems for the mother. If there are stitches in the perineum, regardless of whether they are the result of an episiotomy or repair of tears, you can exercise after they have resolved or been removed, in fact no earlier than 5-6 weeks later. But even after this point, the load should be chosen that will not further injure the damaged area. Therefore, cycling or exercises related to weight lifting should be postponed until later. late dates. But you can do aerobics, fitness, gymnastics, and running without any problems.

Physical activity after childbirth through surgery

A cesarean section operation imposes even greater restrictions on your lifestyle: you cannot strain your abs and go to the gym until you have fully recovered, otherwise the stitches may come apart. At first, movements should be smooth and careful, although few people here would even think of going to the gym, since pain can be caused even simple steps. The ban on caesarean section also applies to whether you can spin a hula hoop after childbirth. Usually, doctors impose restrictions on the types of activities of the mother during a cesarean section for at least two months. This is due not only to the condition of the outer seam. The uterus recovers more slowly after surgery than during natural childbirth, so scar formation also takes time. Doctors recommend calm walking, home exercises, then swimming and Pilates as the first exercises after surgery. All exercises should not cause discomfort, although pain in the suture area can persist for up to six months and this is considered normal. Active fitness involving bending over, working on the abdominal muscles, and lifting weights can be started after six months and preferably after consultation with your doctor.

How much to exercise and how to combine sports with breastfeeding

The load should be increased gradually, regardless of the type chosen. It is advisable to start with simple exercises, allowing the body to remember the sensations during and after exercise. The number of exercises themselves, be it squats or abdominal presses, should be such that the last of them is done with effort, but not with all your might. A lot depends on your level of physical fitness, but general principle remains the same: you need to increase the number of exercises step by step, as well as the number of cycles. In order to get a visible result, there should be at least three workouts per week lasting 30 minutes or more.

There is a lot of discussion about compatibility physical activity and breastfeeding. When wondering what exercises can be done after childbirth, young mothers sometimes hear that it is better not to overdo the exercises, as this may “burn out” breast milk or change the taste due to lactic acid released into the blood. Regular fitness, swimming or other exercises cannot lead to such a result; for such changes to occur, you need to train almost to the point of exhaustion. If you feel that lactation is getting smaller after training, you just need to reconsider your drinking regimen. It is possible that during training the body loses large quantity liquids, therefore you should drink not only after classes, but also during their course.

How to exercise with a new lifestyle

It is good if it is possible to leave the baby with grandmothers or a nanny, although if you are breastfeeding, even with such helpers it is difficult to leave home for a long period of time. If caring for the child lies entirely with the mother, there is no time for a gym or swimming pool. Therefore, to get your figure in shape, you will have to select activities that do not require special equipment and allow you to perform exercises without leaving your child. These can be the same yoga or Pilates, various aerobic exercises according to video programs, or banal exercises. It wouldn’t hurt to find out whether you can spin a hula hoop after childbirth, if your health allows it. But the most effective “simulator” for a mother during the postpartum period can be a stroller with a child. If you introduce the rule of walking for at least two hours twice a day, then even with simple walking at a measured pace during this period you can burn at least 1000 calories. If the movements are intense, then calorie consumption will increase. Some mothers practice climbing uphill with a stroller acting as a weight. This requires more effort compared to walking on a flat road. By combining such activities with proper nutrition get rid of excess weight won't be difficult. Not only do the extra pounds gained during pregnancy go away, but the leg muscles also tighten and the silhouette becomes more toned. Particularly active mothers manage to combine walks with their children with roller skating, although this requires a fairly flat road and an open or spacious park, since rolling a stroller on skates along a narrow sidewalk is not very convenient or safe.

What other exercises can you do with your child?

In general, sports after childbirth, when to start doing what, is up to each mother to decide for herself, and can be accessible even with a baby in her arms. To do this, just put it next to you on the mat and perform body lifts, squats, lunges, and leg swings. Lying on your back, you can use the baby himself as a “weight.” The mother will have the opportunity to train her arm muscles, and the child will have the opportunity to develop the vestibular apparatus, train coordination of movements and just have fun. In the first months of life, when the baby spends most of the day sleeping, classes can be combined with these periods. It’s quite possible to carve out half an hour a day for yourself, and even such a short period of time allotted for exercise will definitely give results with regular exercise.

Any girl always strives to look stunning, following various diets and performing many exercises to keep her body in good shape. After all, everyone wants to have a beautiful and fit body, they want to please men, and even themselves, looking at the reflection in the mirror. But all worries about being slim disappear in the postpartum period, when it would seem that the body needs adjustments more than ever. But at this time the young mother devotes all her strength and care to her newly born baby, because there is nothing more important in a girl’s life than her long-awaited child, who requires a certain amount of care, protection and responsibility.

After a short adaptation period, mothers realize that their figure is far from ideal and needs to get rid of excess weight. But during the lactation stage, any diets are strictly prohibited, so you need to build your figure with the help of exercises that will quickly bring you back to your former shape.

All classes and exercises after the birth of the child can be started no earlier than a month and a half later. This period may increase if the birth took place by caesarean section, otherwise the sutures that were placed after childbirth are at risk of coming apart.

How to make your body perfect again after childbirth

On this moment There are a large variety of exercises, special programs, and workouts designed specifically for the postpartum period. Exercises can be performed with or without any equipment, using a regular jump rope, etc.

What can be used for training:

Inventory	Description
Jump rope	It allows you to get rid of excess weight in a fairly short period of time, and at the same time get rid of cellulite.
Gymnastic ball	There are a lot of exercises with a gymnastic ball, it is quite effective when used correctly, it is also important to choose it correctly for your size
Dumbbells	Dumbbells will help restore strength to your arms; it is best to buy ones that come apart so that their weight can be adjusted
Elastic tape	You can also use it for many exercises, and their effectiveness will be high, if you choose it correctly, it should not be longer than 2 meters

Training program

Conducting warm-up exercises is usually standard procedure for all workouts: you need to stand on the floor with your feet wide apart, then raise your arms high while taking a deep breath. You need to close your raised arms and stretch your entire body, then exhale and lower your arms down, while completely relaxing. This exercise must be repeated 5 times, and walk in place for at least 2 minutes. After the warm-up has been completed, you can begin the main training process.

Exercises for losing weight after childbirth:

Regular walking is very effective and the simplest among existing exercises. At the same time, you can walk with your child, making circles over long distances. It is advisable to start with ten minutes a day, gradually increasing the time. You don't have to speed up your step for the full effect, because any walking can tone the muscles of your buttocks, while also improving blood circulation, which promotes weight loss.
An effective exercise is walking with a stroller
A fairly good exercise for losing weight during the postpartum period is the bridge with the help of a gymnastic ball. To perform it, you need to lie on the floor, put your feet and knees on the ball, while spreading your arms along the length of your body. Then you need to rest your heels on the ball and slowly raise your hips, in this position you should stay for 3 seconds and get to the starting position. This exercise should be repeated at least 5 times in one approach, you can start with 2 approaches.
One more no less effective exercise is to repeat squats using an exercise ball. To do this, you need to stand up straight and pick up the ball, raising it to chest height. Then you should squat down, bending your legs so that they create a right angle. You need to stay in this position for 3 seconds, then lower the ball to your waist and rise. The exercise must be repeated at least 5 times, the number of repetitions must be at least 3.
Next effective exercise is a lunge using an exercise ball. To perform it, you need to place the ball on the floor next to you, your fingers should support it. Then you need to lunge forward and stay in this position for 3 seconds, then stand up. The exercise involves 3 sets of 5 times, the number of times can be increased according to your desire.
The next exercise requires the presence of both a gymnastic ball and a gymnastic ribbon; it is aimed at strengthening the pectoral muscles. To perform it, you need to lie on a gymnastic ball with your back, bending your legs to a right angle. Your shoulders should rest on the band, then your arms should be raised up, crossing your arms and the ends of the band. You need to stay in this position for 3 seconds and return to the starting point. The exercise is performed 5 times in 3 approaches.
The next exercise is aimed at strengthening the muscles of the back and shoulder. To do this, you need to sit on a gymnastic ball, while keeping your back straight, and stretch your whole body upward. The legs should be at shoulder level, and the tape should be under them. Then you need to take the tape and start pulling it towards the knees, and then towards the shoulders. In the final position you need to hold on for 3 seconds. The exercise should be repeated 3 sets of 5 times.
Exercise with dumbbells is also quite effective for losing weight during the postpartum period. To perform the next exercise, you need to lie on an exercise ball with your feet a short distance apart. You should have dumbbells in your hands. Then you need to raise your arms up, while straining your abdominal muscles. You need to stay in this position for 3 seconds and return to the starting point. The exercise should be repeated 3 sets of 5 times.
The following exercise will help you strengthen your arms. To do this, you need to sit on a gymnastic ball with your feet the width of your pelvis. You need to take dumbbells in your hands, lift them up, placing them behind your head, and press your elbows to your head. In this position, you need to raise and lower your arms, repeat it 5 times, performing 3 approaches.
A fairly effective and simple exercise is jumping rope, it has been familiar to everyone since childhood, but many do not even suspect that jumping rope is faithful assistant on the way to slim figure. You need to start jumping rope with small amount jumps, gradually increasing them. You can start with 100 repetitions, adding a few more each day. This exercise helps to get rid of a large number of calories and eliminate problems such as cellulite.
The last exercise in this workout will be the press, which again involves the use of an exercise ball. To perform this exercise, you need to lie on the floor with your knees bent. Place your bent legs on the ball, place your palms behind your head and spread your elbows in different directions. Next, the exercise is performed like a regular abdominal swing. It costs 3 sets of 5 times to perform it.

Video - How to quickly lose weight after childbirth

During the postpartum period, when performing exercises to lose weight, you must adhere to some fairly important rules:

Pay great attention to your breathing.
If the proposed load seems small to you, you should increase it gradually without overloading your body.
After performing each exercise, you need to drink clean water.
The whole set of exercises should be present during the postpartum period on a regular basis; perform the exercises at least 3 times a week, and then they will really be effective.

Thus, you should not give up on your figure after pregnancy, which many, unfortunately, do quite often. After all, in the world there is a large number of exercises that short time will return your figure former slimness and tighten the skin. This will in no way prevent you from caring for your child; on the contrary, you will spend more time together, because even walking with your child is a good exercise for losing weight.