Who goes piano, goes sano!
Even if you can't wait to put on your running shoes again or put on your basketball jersey, take things in order: before toning your entire figure, you must first tone your perineum.
This large muscle which carried the weight of your baby throughout the pregnancy and was heavily used during childbirth, must be re-educated as a priority to prevent you from later being confronted with urinary leakage problems.
However, no sport can work this internal muscle. The only way to get him back into shape is to scrupulously follow the perineal rehabilitation sessions prescribed to you 6 to 8 weeks after the birth of your little one.
It is only once this rehabilitation is completed (allow one month) that you will be able to resume sporting activity without affecting this muscle which supports the vagina, bladder and rectum.
However, as soon as the postpartum bleeding ends, do not hesitate to regularly take a short walk of 20 to 30 minutes!
REBOOT WITH GENTLE ACTIVITIES Once your perineum is toned, advocate gentleness, not performance!
Two sessions per week of a gentle activity of 20 to 40 minutes will be more than sufficient for the first two months.
- Preferably opt for dynamic walking, cycling or swimming which will allow you to gradually reconnect with sport without again straining this famous muscle supporting the abdominopelvic sphere.
- Do not schedule classic abdominal sessions right after your perineal rehabilitation because the pressure generated could damage the muscles of your perineum again. If your stomach is very loose, your doctor will probably prescribe abdominal physiotherapy. Otherwise, prefer to perform expiratory exercises for a few weeks (drawing your stomach in during a deep exhalation) before (re)discovering the virtues of Pilates, a gentle gym ideal for regaining a flat and toned stomach.
- In agreement with your doctor, you will wait 3 to 6 months to resume an activity that would cause too much pressure on your perineum. This is the case for all sports that involve impact on the ground: zumba, tennis, jogging, volleyball, skipping rope, etc.
ADAPT YOUR ACTIVITY TO YOUR OWN STORY
Like any young mother, your story is special. It is therefore above all up to you to feel the right time to return to sport. And it is also based on your state of health, the progress of your delivery but also your choice to breastfeed your baby, that you will adapt this recovery.
If you gained a lot of weight during pregnancy: Even if you can't wait to get back in shape, be gentle and respectful towards yourself.
Give priority to activities that do not risk putting the weight of the body on the joints.
Swimming, aquagym, aquabiking: water sports will be your best allies!
Thus carried by the water and your weight divided by four, you will carry out your movements without hurting yourself and without difficulty. Once the first kilos have been lost, you can then increase the intensity of your muscular work on dry land.
If you are breastfeeding: sport is not incompatible with breastfeeding.
Just be sure to choose relaxing (yoga) or active (swimming) activities that do not require excessive muscular effort.
Remember that nighttime feedings eat into your restorative sleep quota, so you're not yet ready to run a marathon!
Also remember to equip yourself with a good bra and to protect your nipples with a specific cream which could become irritated from repeated friction on the textile. If you have had an episiotomy: before embarking on any activity, you must wait until you have healed well and your cervix is properly closed.
Always seek the advice of your doctor. And if you are thinking of getting back on the bike, pay close attention to the comfort of the saddle.
Under no circumstances should it hurt you. If you gave birth by cesarean section: even more than during a vaginal birth, after a cesarean section, you will always have to avoid abdominal sessions or activities that require them too heavily. Your muscles must first naturally find their place. Generally, walking and swimming can be considered 4 months after birth and sometimes even before perineal rehabilitation. But it will be up to your doctor or midwife to tell you, after examination, the activities best suited to your case.
DON'T HESITATE TO DO YOUR GYM AT HOME If you are not a fan of swimming, jogging or cycling, you can perfectly enjoy the benefits of physical activity without even leaving your home.
Here are 5 exercises to practice daily to both tone your figure and relieve minor pain.
To relieve your back (to practice from the first month)
- Lying on your back, legs bent, heels close to the buttocks, hands glued to the stomach, head on the ground, chin tucked in, tilt the pelvis slightly forward, so that the back is glued to the ground.
- When you exhale, raise the pelvis and place it on the ground while you inhale.
- Hold this position for 10 minutes while exhaling through your mouth To tone your stomach (to practice after perineum rehabilitation) - Lying on the floor, chin tucked in, knees bent, feet in the air, place your hands on your knees.
- Without moving, push the hands towards the knees and the knees towards the hands for 20 seconds.
- Repeat the exercise 6 times with 30 seconds of recovery between each. To firm the thighs and strengthen the shoulders
- Sitting on a chair, feet hip-width apart, place your hands on your knees.
- Your hands push your knees to close them and your knees resist.
- Hold the position for 30 seconds.
- Repeat the exercise 4 times with 20 to 30 seconds of recovery between each. To firm your chest - Raise your arms horizontally in front of your chest, elbows wide open. - Make a fist and cover it with the palm of the other hand.
- Then apply pressure with your hands together.
- Hold the position for 10 seconds then release as you exhale and repeat the exercise 10 times before reversing the position of the hands and working the other side. To strengthen the glutes
- Lying on your back, legs bent, feet on the floor, place a closed elastic band around your calves, just under your knees.
- With your back and arms on the ground, raise your pelvis as high as possible then push your knees outwards while exhaling. You are thus working against the force of the elastic.
- Return to the ground, knees together, then repeat 5 times in a row.
Take a short break and repeat 3 to 4 sets.