Talking about exercise after giving birth, it is good for overall health and can even help reduce the risk of postpartum depression. Let’s look at the explanation below together to find out what exercise movements are suitable for mothers who have just given birth!
Exercise can generally be done around 6 weeks after giving birth. However, there is also the possibility that mothers can start earlier or need to wait longer. Therefore, mothers should consult a doctor to find out when they can start exercising.
Various simple sports that can be done at home
Exercising after giving birth doesn’t take much time. Mothers only need to spend about 10 minutes a day. If done regularly, there are many benefits that can be obtained.
Here are several types of sports that could be an option:
- Walk.
Walking is the easiest sport to do to get back in shape after giving birth. Mothers can start by taking a leisurely walk while carrying the baby in a sling or with a stroller. If this feels insufficient, mothers can also try walking faster and more vigorously. Apart from that, mothers can also leave the baby for a while to try other variations, such as walking zig-zag or backwards to practice balance. - Abdominal breathing exercises.
This exercise is also quite easy to do, without the mother even needing to leave bed. Mothers can start by sitting up straight and taking a deep breath. After that, contract your stomach when you inhale, hold for a few moments, then relax your stomach muscles again when you exhale. When you get used to this movement, try holding your breath longer. Apart from relaxing the muscles after giving birth, this exercise also helps tighten and shape the abdominal muscles, making it effective for shrinking the stomach after giving birth. - Lie down with your head raised.
This exercise is known to strengthen back muscles, tighten abdominal muscles, and burn calories. The way to do this is to lie down and bend both arms and knees, so that the soles of your feet are on the floor. After that, inhale and relax your stomach, then exhale while lifting your head and neck off the floor. As you exhale, focus on tightening your upper abdomen, so that your head and neck can be lifted at the same time. Next, slowly lower your head and neck again while inhaling. Repeat this movement up to 10 times, then try to raise both hands also at a 45 degree angle forward. Repeat up to 10 times with similar breathing techniques.
- Kegel exercises.
After giving birth, the mother may find it more difficult to hold in urinating or often accidentally expel urine when coughing or sneezing. This can be overcome with Kegel exercises. This exercise aims to tighten the bladder muscles. To do this, try to tighten your lower abdomen as if you were holding in urination or defecation. Mothers can do this movement at any time, for example when sitting watching TV or breastfeeding a baby. Try to do it 3 times a day, 10 times each. - Squats while holding the baby.
This is good news, it turns out that mothers can still exercise while holding their babies. First, hold the baby close to the mother’s chest. Watch his head, especially if he still can’t lift his head. After that, open your legs shoulder-width apart and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Point your buttocks back as if you were going to sit and your back forms a 45 degree angle. Repeat this movement several times. Mothers can do this exercise if the baby is at least 10-12 weeks old. Apart from that, make sure the mother is strong enough and has good enough balance.
If you are a housewife or work at home, currently there are many fitness exercise videos that can be accessed online. Apart from that, there are also many home exercise applications that can be accessed for free. However, if you work in an office, maybe you can take a short walk when you go to the office, when you come home, or during your lunch break. Don’t forget to wear sports shoes.
Even though before pregnancy the mother actively exercised, it is a good idea for the mother to consult a doctor first before exercising again. Stop exercising immediately if you experience headaches, bleeding, or other unusual pain. If necessary, immediately consult a doctor.
Several benefits of exercise during the postpartum period
The following are some of the benefits of doing postpartum exercise as explained above:
- Increases energy and stamina. This can help mothers be more enthusiastic about taking care of their newborn babies.
- Restores the condition of the muscles in the abdominal and pelvic areas. This can help reduce soreness and muscle pain after giving birth.
- Helps lose weight.
- Increases endorphin hormone levels which can make mothers feel happy.
- Reduces stress and prevents depression after giving birth.
- Makes mother sleep more soundly.
- Helps overcome urinary incontinence, which is a condition that makes it difficult for mothers to hold in urinating.
- Tighten the vagina.
