Exercise After a C Section

Although caesarean sections are an increasingly common part of the birthing process, the procedure is still considered a major surgery. This means that, as with any surgery, you will need time to heal after undergoing your own. Overexerting yourself too soon after a c-section can lead to complications and prolong the healing process, so stay safe by patiently easing back into your previous routine gradually.

Steps

Staying Safe

1. Talk to your doctor before you start working out again. Any post-pregnancy exercise should be okayed by a physician — this is especially true after a major procedure like a c-section, as the sutures on the incision can be compromised if the mother overexerts herself. Most new mothers need to be seen by their doctor at least once after their c-section anyway to ensure that their body is healing properly, so at this post-delivery checkup, let your OB/GYN know that you would like to start working out again and ask when it would be okay.
   • Note: the content of this article is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor.
2. Wait at least six weeks after your surgery to start exercising. Carrying a baby and giving birth can be traumatic for your body, even if everything goes right. For instance, a normal pregnancy can sometimes cause a condition called diastasis recti where the abdominal muscles move apart as the belly expands. On top of this, a c-section will leave you with an incision that takes time to heal. This makes relaxation during the recovery period especially crucial, even if you were in great shape before your pregnancy.
   • Traditionally, new mothers are advised to wait about six to eight weeks after any kind of pregnancy to resume most exercise. During this time, they are usually limited to very gentle activity like walking. Recently, doctors have begun allowing women to start exercising sooner than this. However, this does not necessarily apply to women who have had a c-section, as these women still have an incision that needs to heal.
   • Since different women heal at different speeds, be prepared to wait longer than this minimum time limit if your doctor advises you to do so.
3. Start with gentle, low-impact exercises. The first exercising you do after your c-section should be very gentle, even if you routinely lifted weights or ran marathons before your pregnancy. Your muscles (especially the ones in your hips and core) have been taxed by your pregnancy and the resulting lack of exercise that accompanied it, so they'll need to gradually work back up to their previous level of strength. Don't push yourself — doing too much too soon is a good way to injure yourself.
   • See the sections below for a selection of low-intensity strength and cardio exercises that you may want to consider trying. Your doctor or physical therapist will also be able to provide you with plenty of ideas.
4. Transition back to your normal routine over several weeks. With a gentle exercise routine that gradually ramps up in intensity, you should quickly be back to your old self just a few months after your procedure. Be patient — you've just undergone a pregnancy and a major surgery, so the minor inconvenience of having to stick to a gentle exercise routine is nothing compared to your health and safety.
5. Be gentle on your body. As you work your way back towards your ordinary exercise routine, it's important to minimize the unnecessary stress you put on your body. Take the basic precautions below to stay safe:
   • Take about five minutes to Warm up Your Body for Exercise and Do Cooldown Stretches every time you exercise.
   • Restrict your first few exercise sessions to about 10 minutes apiece, three times per week.
   • Drink plenty of fluids.
   • Wear a supportive bra (don't forget nursing pads if you're breastfeeding.)
   • Stop exercising immediately if you feel pain or get fatigued.
6. Consider wearing compression garments as you heal. One popular way to protect a c-section wound during exercise is to wear a type of clothing designed for postpartum women called a "compression garment." These sorts of clothes (which can have varying names like "recovery shorts" and so on) use gentle pressure to support c-section wounds as they heal, making them a useful aid for new mothers looking to get back into shape. While compression garments can tend to be on the expensive side (with some costing as much as almost $200 per pair), many mothers swear by them.
   • Note that compression garments aren't intended as shapewear, so if this is something that would bother you, you should feel no embarrassment about wearing them (which isn't to say you should be embarrassed if you do wear shapewear.)
7. Be prepared for physical and emotional barriers. Exercising after a c-section can be tricky even if you're healing perfectly. You'll likely be quite busy. You'll probably get fatigued more easily than you're used to. You may even feel emotional or demotivated due to hormonal processes beyond your control. Do your best to surpass these hurdles and exercise when you can — exercising will help you feel better and give you plenty of energy to care for your new child.
   • If you frequently feel too tired, sad, demotivated, or "blah" after your pregnancy to start exercising, you may be suffering from Treat Postpartum Depression. Talk to your doctor to find a treatment plan that works for you.

Toning Your Muscles

1. Try bridges to strengthen your hips. These gentle, easy exercises help tone crucial muscles in your hips and core. Follow these steps to do a bridge:
   • Lay on your back with your legs apart and your knees bent at about 45 degree angles.
   • Squeeze your lower ab muscles as you raise your hips off of the floor.
   • Raise your hips to a point that they're aligned with your upper body. Hold this position for a few seconds.
   • Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
   • Repeat for three sets of 10 reps (or as many as feel comfortable.)
2. Try Kegels to strengthen your pelvic floor. These exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which are important for balance and stability. In addition, Kegels improve your ability to stop urine flow (which can sometimes be a problem for postpartum women) and can be performed anywhere. Use the steps below to do a Kegel:
   • Find your pelvic floor muscles by squeezing the muscle you use to stop your urine mid-flow (you can wait until you have to go to the bathroom to test this if you're having a hard time.) These are the muscles you'll use during a Kegel exercise.
   • Concentrate on gently squeezing your pelvic floor muscles. You can do this in virtually any position, though some find it easiest while sitting.
   • Hold the squeeze for five seconds.
   • Gently release your squeeze. Repeat as often as you want, whenever you want.
   • Note that some women find it uncomfortable to do Kegels with a full bladder, as this can cause pain and may lead to some leakage.
3. Try forward bends to strengthen your lower back. Back strength is important for anyone, as it's crucial for maintaining proper posture and avoiding lumbar pain. Follow the steps below to do a forward bend:
   • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips.
   • Raise your arms over your head. Start to slowly bend forward at the waist.
   • Keep bending forward until your upper body is level with the floor, keeping your back flat.
   • Slowly rise back to a standing position.
   • Repeat for three sets of four to eight reps (or as many as feel comfortable.)
4. Try planks to strengthen your abs. While ab strength is important, crunches and situps can be a little too intense for someone who's just had a c-section. Try starting instead with an exercise called a plank, which won't put stress on your wound. Follow the steps below to do a plank:
   • Get into a pushup position (knees and palms on the ground.)
   • Lower yourself onto your elbows. Simultaneously lift your knees off the ground.
   • Straighten your body. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should make a straight line.
   • Hold this position for 30-60 seconds, keeping your ab and hip muscles tight and your form straight.
   • Repeat two to four times.
5. Try arm rotations to strengthen your arms and thighs. While postpartum exercise routines usually put a great emphasis on core strength, your arms and legs shouldn't be ignored. Try following the steps below to hit both at once:
   • Stand, legs a shoulder-width apart, with your arms fully extended to your sides.
   • Trace the smallest circles you can in the air with your fingertips, keeping your arm rigid as you do so.
   • Increase the circle width slowly over a period of five minutes. Use your leg muscles to stabilize yourself as the larger circles start to affect your balance.
   • When you get to the fullest circle you can manage, start decreasing the circle size and rotate in the opposite direction.
   • Rest for several minutes before repeating the exercise once again.

Performing Cardio Exercises

1. Walk around your neighborhood. Walking is an extremely safe, effective form of exercise. Not only is this a light enough activity to get you gradually back into exercising after surgery, but it also allows you to bring your baby in a stroller. Use a walking routine as an excuse to get outside for fresh air, which can be a challenge during the first few weeks after birth.
2. Try swimming or water aerobics. In general, activities that take place in the water tend to be low-impact. Try making a trip to your local pool and doing five to ten gentle laps or enrolling in a water aerobics class for a gentle, balanced, and (most importantly) low-risk cardio workout.
   • If you swim, use a gentle stroke like the crawl, back, or breast strokes. Don't use a difficult or high-intensity one like the butterfly stroke.
3. Try gentle cycling. As long as you don't go over any major bumps, cycling can be a great form of low-intensity exercise. Best of all, it's something you can do at the gym and at home, provided you own a bicycle. You can even add a baby carrier to your bike to bring your new baby along for a ride.
   • Try restricting your cycling to flat areas and gentle hills. Straining to pedal uphill or going over bumps can be problematic if your incision hasn't completely healed yet.
4. Try elliptical machines. While running is usually off-limits for women for a while after a c-section, elliptical exercise machines offer a low-impact alternative. If you use an elliptical machine, proceed at a moderate pace and use a level of resistance that you're comfortable with. Don't overtax yourself — it's harder, but it's still possible to hurt yourself on an elliptical.
5. Work up to more strenuous activities. Once you have been working out for several weeks with no issues, you can start ramping up your cardio routine. Gradually reintroduce more difficult, higher-impact exercises like running, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, aerobics, and so on. Only increase the intensity of your exercise routine as quickly as is comfortable — if at any point your exercise starts to hurt you or causes you to become over-fatigued, decrease its intensity.

Tips

• In addition to recovery shorts, another compression garment you may want to consider wearing during exercise is the girdle.
• Consider incorporating your new baby into your exercise (very carefully, of course.) For instance, the simple act of rocking your baby becomes an exercise if you do it by marching in place. The average baby weighs about seven and a half pounds and only gets heavier with time, so they can eventually give you quite a workout!

Warnings

• If you notice that your postnatal bleeding is suddenly back or your incision appears to be opening, stop exercising and see a doctor immediately.
• Make sure that you do not have diastasis of the rectus abdominis before you perform any abdominal workouts. This occurs when your abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy, and do not meet in the middle again afterward. Your doctor will probably recommend modified workouts until this issue is fixed.

Related Articles

• Exercise After Childbirth
• Heal After Having Baby

Sources and Citations

See also

• Improve Your Fitness With Proper Sports Nutrition
• Exercise Safely During Pregnancy
• Do Water Aerobics
• Cross Train
• Choose a Personal Trainer
• Get Exercise Outdoors
• Do Core Exercises
• Tell Your Grandparents You're Pregnant
• Tell the Position of a Baby in the Uterus
• Manage Pregnancy Food Aversions

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