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Postpartum exercise is a whole new world for newly minted moms. Your body has changed, as have your priorities. While working out might be a far-off thought as you venture into parenthood, it’s also the best thing for you. Exercise after pregnancy is proven to support the health and well-being of new moms.
Let’s explore why.
If you Google “postpartum exercise,” you’ll be confronted with hundreds of articles about “Exercises to lose baby weight” and “The best pregnancy weight loss exercises.” But the goal of postpartum exercise should [be more than/go beyond] shedding pounds.
Postpartum exercise is proven to:
First things first, consult the big bosses: your doctor and your body.
Most doctors recommend 6 to 12 weeks of recovery before resuming anything beyond gentle walking or stretching. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that if you had an uncomplicated pregnancy and vaginal delivery, it's generally safe to start exercising a few days after giving birth or as soon as you feel ready.
(“Ready” means no pain, no bleeding, no leakage, and no pelvic heaviness.)
Your health care provider will give specific recommendations to anyone who experienced a C-section, extensive vaginal repair, a complicated birth, diastasis recti, or develops mastitis.
Once you’ve been given the go-ahead to workout, postpartum exercise should be all about recovery. Start slow, be intentional, and listen to your body. In other words, take baby steps.
With recovery in mind, the ideal postpartum workout consists of:
Rowing is one of the best workouts when pregnant and can support you through all three trimesters.
Rowing opens the chest, strengthens the upper back, and stabilizes the core, which promotes good posture as your breasts and bump grow. Because it's a no-impact resistance workout, rowing provides the strength-based joint stability you need during the second and third trimester.
As a bonus, rowing gives you all the benefits of an aerobic workout, but it's seated, so it provides your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back with sweet, sweet relief you’ll be grateful for closer to your due date. If you’re using Aviron’s rowing machine, you can dial back resistance as needed and modify the intensity of your workout without sacrificing effectiveness. Heck, you can even leisure-row to Rome if you feel so moved.
The Center for Disease Control recommends that postpartum women do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobics per week. That could mean doing 10 minutes, three times a day, five days a week — or any combination that works for you. Brisk walking, gentle pilates, and aqua-aerobics are safe places to start.
Postpartum aerobics tips:
Check-in on your fatigue level. While postpartum exercise has been shown to increase energy levels following activity, be mindful of your output. Still try to work out if you're tired but lower the intensity.
Babies are heavy! Strength training can help you regain any muscle mass lost while waiting for your doctor’s all-clear. Strength work also improves endurance — and if there’s anything we mothers do, it’s endure!
Postpartum strength tips:
A little strength, a little core, a little aerobics — of all the workouts you could possibly do at home, these three check all the boxes for postpartum exercise.
An at-home rowing system, like Aviron, checks all the boxes for new moms who have received the double thumbs up from their body and doctor. Rowing is core stabilizing, aerobic, strengthening, and a good time — without taking a long time.
Because rowing activates rhomboids, lats, and rear delts, it can help posture and alleviate upper-back pain. While rowing strengthens your legs, core, and back, it’s no-impact and can scale in intensity. You can also use your rowing machine for non-rowing exercises, like bicep curls and lunge variations. For those just starting out, our coached programs provide you with supportive cues so you can feel safe during your recovery.
A huge plus for new moms: An at-home rower delivers an effective workout in short bursts at a moment’s notice. Aviron has effective ten-minute workouts that you can access at any time.
Simply roll out your mat, flip on Youtube, and start healing that core. Pilates is a dream for postpartum recovery. Often, classes prompt you to engage the pelvic floor muscles, stabilize the entire core, and awaken postural muscles — a necessity for counteracting any kyphotic (slouched) posturing that occurs when breastfeeding and carrying your baby. Plus, many pilates exercises use your body weight as resistance and can be easily dialed up and down in intensity.
Barre is a form of isometric strength training where you hold positions while contracting an isolated group of muscles in short repetitive bursts — all while maintaining prima ballerina posture. For the postpartum body, barre provides the perfect combination of low-impact aerobic cardio, muscle-stabilizing strength training, and pelvic floor engagement. Whether you’re using a real barre or your kitchen counter, barre can be done at home and on a whim.
The best postpartum workout is the one you actually do. The most reported barriers to postpartum physical activity are lack of time, childcare, and energy. And that’s why it’s all about setting yourself up for success. No matter what workout you choose, make sure it’s accessible, makes the most of the time you have, and above all, make sure you love the workout you’re doing.
