Y ou have just given birth and you want to get back your pre-pregnancy figure but you are wondering when you can start exercising again and what precautions to take? We will try to answer you in this article!
First of all, know that it takes nine months for the body to recover after pregnancy.
Indeed, under the impregnation of hormones, your body is still "in shock" from pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding if you have chosen to breastfeed. These nine months of pregnancy and breastfeeding have been trying for the body which needs to rest.
When can I start playing sports again?
It is important not to start exercising again too early. You could risk incontinence and potential organ prolapse.
The ideal starting point for getting back into physical activity after pregnancy is once the postpartum medical examination has been carried out six weeks after the birth of your child. And more specifically, sport is possible once the perineum and abdominal rehabilitation has been carried out.
In the case of a cesarean section or an episiotomy, you will have to wait for complete healing, which is two to three months. This period remains advice, but the most important thing is to listen to your body to know whether or not it is able to return to sport. Also take into account the medical advice of your midwife or doctor to avoid complications that could arise in the medium and long term.
How to perform good perineal rehabilitation?
As we have mentioned, it is essential before considering any sporting activity to do your perineal rehabilitation regardless of how your delivery went, in order to avoid organ prolapse. Make an appointment with a physiotherapist specializing in pelvic floor rehabilitation. Indeed, the perineum is extremely stressed in a pregnant woman. The arch of the back and the uterus which has multiplied its weight by 30 press on the perineum and widen it. Ten rehabilitation sessions with a midwife are covered by social security.
There are different methods to perform your perineal rehabilitation. The first method is manual. This method allows you to feel your perineum and better understand how it works. Your practitioner will perform a vaginal examination in order to examine the quality of your muscle contractions. You can then stimulate the muscles with different movements. The advantage of this method is that once you have acquired the technique, you can practice at home.
There is also the vaginal probe technique which is also reimbursed on medical prescription. This is a technique that uses electrical currents that stimulate the perineal muscles. This rehabilitation is very suitable for women with a tired perineum. On the other hand, some women find this method rather invasive and it must be supplemented by a more natural approach to be completely effective. You can start your perineal rehabilitation at least one month after giving birth. Your uterus returns to its original size in about two to three weeks. For a few days, you may feel pain or even bleeding and this is not worrying.
Once the perineal rehabilitation is done, you can consider starting abdominal strengthening exercises. This abdominal rehabilitation can be done between six and eight weeks after the end of your pregnancy. Health insurance also covers ten rehabilitation sessions to strengthen your abdominal muscles.
What sports can I practice?
Postnatal yoga is a type of yoga specially designed for the postpartum period. Yoga consists of a series of different positions and exercises that strengthen the pelvis, back or perineum. You can start this type of yoga as soon as possible after your delivery if it went well. The little extra of postnatal yoga classes: you can sometimes come with your baby to a mother-child yoga session. The class is also an opportunity to chat with other young mothers. From the sixth week postpartum, you can also consider starting postnatal pilates.
Then, there are several sports to favor after pregnancy. This is the case for example of aquatic sports such as swimming which allows to work all parts of the body while avoiding too much effort or shocks. Walking and cycling also have a good impact on muscle mass and allow to oxygenate. It will be necessary to wait even longer to practice sports with impact such as running or aerobics. In some cities, you can find mother/baby sports classes to be able to resume the sport slowly while encouraging each other.
In short, in a word, we say "yes" to sport after pregnancy but above all without rushing and taking precautions in order to let your body recover gently after this period that is pregnancy and childbirth. You have to be patient, it is useless to want to recover your body from before in a very short time or even counterproductive. You created life for nine months, you will have to let your body get used to the many upheavals induced by pregnancy and childbirth. In any case, in the early days, rest as much as possible to regain the energy and endurance you had before pregnancy.