One of the most common questions new mums have for me is “when can I return to exercise?”
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this. Everyone’s body is different. Just like every pregnancy and birth is individual, so is the recovery time.
Factors that may affect your ability to safely return to exercise include:
- Pregnancy – pelvic girdle pain or back pain, multiple births, long labour.
- Birth – caesarean, the use of forceps, perineal tearing.
- Weakness of pelvic floor before and after childbirth – prolapse and/or incontinence.
- Fatigue from looking after a new baby plus older children.
- Fitness and activity levels before, during and after pregnancy.
All these factors can contribute to how quickly you may be able to return to exercise.
Participating in sport, running or other high-impact activities early after childbirth may actually reduce pelvic floor muscle strength and cause long-term bladder and bowel problems or pelvic organ prolapse. You can minimise the risk of these developing with some careful precautions.
0-3 weeks post-natal 
- Gentle walking.
- Pelvic floor activation exercises.
3-8 weeks post-natal
It is recommended in this time that you see your Doctor and Women’s Health Physiotherapist before increasing your exercise intensity or returning to the gym. Your Physiotherapist will be able to assess your abdominal separation (rectus diastasis) and pelvic floor, and be able to provide you with a more specific management plan depending on your condition.
- Walking – increased intensity (eg. hills with a pram).
- Low impact aerobic exercise – cycling or swimming (once bleeding has stopped).
- Gym exercise – light weights with higher repetitions. Care with posture and technique. No jumping or high impact.
- Core and pelvic floor exercises as per physiotherapist’s instructions.
8-12 weeks post-natal
- Follow weeks 3-8 but gradually build the intensity of walking and lift heavier weights with lower repetitions.
- Continue core and pelvic floor exercises.
- More abdominal work can be added at this time if your separation is small and you have good core control. It’s best to start with static holds eg. plank variations. Sit ups at this stage may make your separation worse.
12-16 weeks post-natal 
- This is a great time to return to your Women’s Health Physiotherapist for an assessment of your abdominal separation and pelvic floor muscle control prior to engaging in high intensity exercises that involve running, jumping or sit ups.
Week 16 and after
- You can return to previous activity levels provided your core and pelvic floor muscles have returned to normal and you are not experiencing any back pain, vaginal heaviness or incontinence.
- Seek further advice from your Women’s Health Physiotherapist if your symptoms persist.
There’s a lot to be said for commonsense. No one knows your body better than you. If it doesn’t feel right, or you don’t feel ready, don’t do it. Just because your friend can do something or your traainer says “you’ll be fine” does not mean you can.
Listen to your body: it’s the only one you have!
For further information on this topic, please contact our Women’s Health Physiotherapist, Miss Shannon Trotter on 9527 4099.
*Please note: the above information is a general outline for post-natal return to exercise. It is always best to see your physiotherapist for a specific program.