If you’re a new mother, you might have worries about your post-pregnancy body shape.

You might not feel as body confident as you did before your pregnancy.

You’re not on your own.

Many women feel this way after giving birth.

During pregnancy, your body undergoes a number of significant changes to support the growth and development of your baby.

As you progress through your trimesters, your body stores increasing amounts of fat to support your pregnancy and provide nourishment to your baby. 

This can cause weight gain and changes in body shape, which often persist post-pregnancy for many women.

Many new mothers put a lot of pressure on themselves to get fit and return to their pre-pregnancy shape after giving birth.

However, it's important to remember that your body goes through a lot during pregnancy, and it takes time for it to recover and return to its pre-pregnancy state.

The rate at which your body returns to its pre-pregnancy shape can vary depending on a number of factors, including

·         your age

·         your pre-pregnancy weight

·         the amount of weight gained during pregnancy

·         the type of delivery

·         your overall health

The good news is that with a healthy diet and regular post-pregnancy exercises, you can gradually restore your body to its pre-pregnancy shape.

The importance of post-pregnancy exercises

For women that are looking for ways to help them get back to their pre-pregnancy body shape, regular exercise is one of the best ways to do this.

But it’s important not to overdo it and we would always recommend consulting with your GP before you start a new fitness routine after pregnancy. 

Women who have recently given birth need to take things slow when it comes to starting post-pregnancy exercise.

It's best to start with gentle exercises and gradually increase intensity and duration as your body becomes stronger.

If you're unsure about how to effectively get back into shape after giving birth, consider working with a personal trainer or physiotherapist.  

By getting professional advice and support you can ensure that you’re exercising safely and benefit from a personalised workout plan that takes into account your individual fitness and body shaping goals.

10 easy post-pregnancy exercises

It’s completely normal to want to get back to your previous body shape as soon as you can. 

But it’s important not to start any fitness activity unless it’s cleared by your GP. 

If your GP has signed off on you taking exercise and you’re looking to get started on your post-pregnancy body shaping journey, there are three great YouTube channels that you should consider taking a look at:

·         Pregnancy and Postpartum TV

·         Bump and Beyond

·         Belly Strong Fitness 

We’ve also put together a list of easy post-pregnancy exercises that can help you get fit and toned after giving birth.

They are all gentle and easy to complete.

But remember to listen to your body (and your GP) and don’t overdo it.

1. Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises, also known as Kegels, are important for women after giving birth because they can help to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor.

These muscles support the bladder, uterus, and bowel, and they can be weakened during pregnancy and childbirth.

Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can help to prevent urinary incontinence and other problems.

It's important to perform these post-pregnancy exercises consistently in order to see results.

Belly Strong Fitness have an easy 4-minute Core and Pelvic floor recovery routine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh_OwZfPs_A&list=PLVG21Gv5uUa386DPifNiOvzPoVKyeF6Am&index=2 

2.    Gentle Cardio

Gentle forms of cardio exercise, such as walking, swimming, and yoga, are important after giving birth because they can help to improve cardiovascular fitness and help you get fit without putting too much strain on the body.

These activities are low-impact and can be easily adapted to different fitness levels, making them ideal post-pregnancy exercises for women who may not be ready for more intense exercise.

An additional benefit to these forms of exercise is that they can help to improve mood and reduce stress, which can be beneficial for women who are adjusting to life with a new baby.

3.    Stretching and mobility exercises

Stretching and mobility exercises can help to relieve stiffness and improve joint movement after giving birth.

By including stretching and mobility exercises in your post-pregnancy workout routine, you can improve your overall flexibility and range of motion.

Belly Strong Fitness has a great introductory 5-minute workout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF7Q9S70BVw&list=PLVG21Gv5uUa386DPifNiOvzPoVKyeF6Am&index=3

4.    Lunges

Lunges are an ideal post-pregnancy exercise to engage your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and calves.

They can help to improve strength, stability, and flexibility in these muscles, which can be beneficial for new mothers who are looking to regain their pre-pregnancy fitnesslevels.

To perform a lunge correctly:

·         Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.

·         Take a step forward with one leg, lowering your body until your thigh is parallel to the floor and your knee is bent at a 90-degree angle.

·         Your other leg should be bent with the knee just above the floor.

·         Push off with your front foot and return to the starting position.

·         Repeat with the other leg.

It's important to keep your core engaged and your back straight while performing lunges.

There’s a great video on how to complete lunges correctly by Bowflex:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOVaHwm-Q6U

5.    Abdominal Exercises

One of the common exercises that you might be used to for defining your stomach muscles and toning your abs is crunches. But these are oftennot advised for women post pregnancy.

Luckily, Bump and Beyond has a quick and easy 10-minute workout that is ideal for post-pregnancy exercise engages your abs and helps you shift your ‘mummy tummy’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBquRbRsRHE&list=PL56TqbNrrX8PO_PzKDyfv1EX_eVcwqals&index=1

6.    Squats

Squats are another powerful post-pregnancy exercise that targets your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, adductor and hip flexors.

To get started:

·         Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

·         Engage your core and lower your body as if you are sitting back in a chair, keeping your back straight and your weight on your heels.

·         Lower yourself as far as you can, but don’t let your knees extend past your toes.

·         Slowly stand up and return to the starting position.

Em Sheldon has a nice 5-minute squat video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l9irPJWkn8

7.    Arm Circles

Arm circles are a post-pregnancy exercise that many women do after giving birth. 

They help to strengthen and promote flexibility in the arms and shoulders, which can be especially important for new mothers who need to lift and carry their baby.

·         Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height.

·         Make small circles with your arms, moving them forward for 10-15 reps and then backward for 10-15 reps.

·         Increase the size of the circles and the speed of the movements as you become more comfortable with the exercise.

Holly Dolke has a good example of exercises to tone your arms, including a section on arm circles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyTR2EjTAXU

8.    Walkout To Push Up

Another great exercise to strengthen the abdominal muscles after pregnancy is the Walkout to push up.

Vicky Warr from Bump and Beyond explains the best way to complete this exercise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ4isiXtgAE&list=PL56TqbNrrX8PMkhw9YibFhsHSCz7rVKbp&index=8

9.    Step Ups

Step Ups are a great post-pregnancy exercise for toning the muscles in your legs, and they can also double as an effective cardiovascular workout.

But there are many common mistakes that people make when completing step ups.

This video from the team at the University of Bristol demonstrates how to complete step ups correctly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCFCdxzFBa4

10.  HIIT Training

We wouldn’t recommend that anyone starts their post-pregnancy exercise routine with High-Intensity Interval Training. 

But once your body has started to recover, it’s one of the best ways to get fit and help you lose any excess weight. 

Pregnancy and Postpartum TV have a great full-body HIIT challenge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YZqiw1jBu4&list=PLRuFBUMIEg8Dgl8v_nfKU4gBClTyFCcnJ&index=6

Be kind to yourself and set realistic expectations.

It’s important to be patient and take your time in your approach to your post-pregnancy exercises.

Don't push yourself too hard and don't expect immediate body shaping results.

By following a healthy exercise and diet plan that is agreed upon by your GP, you can gradually get back to your pre-pregnancy shape.

Trust the process and trust yourself, and you will ultimately achieve your fitness and body-shaping goals.

How can CK Physiotherapy help?

At CK Physiotherapy, we have a team of licenced, chartered physiotherapists operating in the Ealing area.

One of our areas of specialism is helping new mothers who are either experiencing pain post-pregnancy or want to safely regain their flexibility, fitness and body strength after giving birth.

If you’re interested in exercising safely post-pregnancy, and you need support in achieving your fitness and body shaping goals, reach out to our friendly team for an online consultation.

One of our therapists will connect with you to arrange an initial assessment and work with you to create an individualised plan to help you get fit and achieve your post-pregnancy body shaping goals.

Get in touch today.

Further Reading (Sources)

https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/postnatal-exercises#benefits

https://www.kch.nhs.uk/Doc/pl%20-%20872.1%20-%20postnatal%20exercises.pdf

https://www.allinahealth.org/health-conditions-and-treatments/health-library/patient-education/beginnings/your-recovery-at-home/exercise

https://prophysiotherapy.co.uk/blog/postnatal-exercise-important/

https://flo.health/being-a-mom/adjusting-to-motherhood/weight-and-body-image/exercises-after-normal-delivery

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/fitness-wellbeing/a23314731/best-postnatal-exercises/

https://www.emmasdiary.co.uk/pregnancy-and-birth/postnatal-wellbeing/postnatal-exercises

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/what-really-helps-you-bounce-back-after-pregnancy

https://www.kidspot.com.au/pregnancy/get-your-body-back-into-prepregnancy-shape/news-story/af38a324c37f1a89f0bf6f5e50b1a896

https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/841153/10-steps-to-getting-your-pre-baby-body-back/

https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a3566/healthy-weight-loss-after-birth

https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/blog/articles/crunches-sit-ups-post-pregnancy/