Exercising After C Section

All of these should be done only once you have medical clearance to workout.

Exercising after c section. If you re wondering when can i exercise after c section take heart. Lie on your back or sit up tall in a chair. Usually this is as simple as walking and light stretching.

For at least the first 6 weeks stick to only walking. Trying to stay mobile and routinely performing pelvic tilting and pelvic floor exercises will help speed up your c section recovery time and allow you to be more active much sooner. If you had an uncomplicated pregnancy and vaginal delivery it s generally safe to begin exercising a few days after giving birth or as soon as you feel ready.

You won t have to wait too long. Depending on how fast you walk and your weight you can burn between 240 and 500 calories an hour according to harvard health publishing. Once you have recovered from your c section and no longer have any pain it is usually safe to start low impact exercises such as swimming pilates yoga gentle jogging and low resistance gym work.

Start out with low impact cardio workouts for the first four to six months after c section delivery. Try some stretches like bridges kegels and planks which you can do at home. While it s not the best fat burning exercise it does still burn calories.

If you had a c section extensive vaginal repair or a complicated birth talk to your health care provider about when to start an exercise program. Week 1 3 after a c section. This will help speed up your healing and get you feeling better quicker.

If you do have any concerns about exercising after a c section please do contact your primary medical provider. A c section is an abdominal surgery so six weeks is the minimum you should wait says nazneen vasi pt a physical therapist and owner of body harmony physical therapy in new york city. They have been shown to decrease stress incontinence following childbirth.