Physical Activity After Pregnancy

What activities are safe for me as a new mother?

Activities that are comfortable are generally safe for new mothers. Start slowly and listen to your body and rest often. If it hurts, don’t do it! If you’re too tired, stop! If you had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, it is safe to participate in exercise. If you’ve had a caesarean section, wait at least six weeks before doing any heavy lifting. Check with your health care provider or a physical activity specialist for more information or to have your questions answered.

Walking and stretching are safe to perform in the immediate postpartum period. Take care of yourself by eating well and drinking lots of fluids. This is important for breastfeeding and your general overall health.

Some women will experience urinary leakage during pregnancy or after birth. This can occur due to weakened pelvic floor muscles (the muscles between your anus and vagina). Kegel exercises help to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Ask your health care provider how to do Kegel exercises effectively.

What’s happening to my body?

Your body is experiencing many changes—hormonal changes, changes in your breasts, tightening of muscles stretched in pregnancy, and tightening of your joints. Your body needs time to recover from childbirth, so give yourself that time by gradually resuming physical activity. Try not to be too concerned about weight loss postpartum. Eating healthy and being active in ways you enjoy and make you feel good after giving birth is more important than changes to your weight.  

Even though your baby has just been born, it’s never too early to think about the importance of physical activity for your whole family. Physically active parents have physically active children, which in turn promotes healthy growth and development of your child.

Physical activity guidelines for Canadians

Physical activity guidelines provide Canadians with information on how much physical activity is needed to improve health.

• To achieve health benefits, adults aged 18 to 64 years should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more.
• It is also beneficial to add muscle and bone strengthening activities using major muscle groups, at least 2 days per week.
• More physical activity provides greater health benefits.

Regular physical activity:

• strengthens and tones muscles,
• helps prevent back pain and speeds healing,
• gives you more energy and stamina for a busy lifestyle,
• can help you cope with the stresses in your life,
• reduce the chance of postpartum depression,
• gives you time for yourself, and
• can improve muscle strength needed to carry and feed your baby.

Does physical activity affect breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is the best method of providing optimal nutrition for the growth and development of infants. Regular exercise is healthy at any time during life, including when breastfeeding. It will not interfere with your milk supply or your baby’s feeding patterns.

Here are a few tips:

• Nurse your baby before exercising to avoid the discomfort of engorged breasts. An added bonus is that you can enjoy your exercise more knowing your baby’s belly is full!
• Wear a support bra rather than a sports bra.
• Make sure you drink lots of fluids and eat enough to support your exercise routine and breastfeeding. Listen to and follow your feelings of hunger and fullness to decide how much to eat.
• Mild to moderate exercise is safe when you are breastfeeding and does not affect the quantity or quality of breastmilk.