You’ve probably heard of the term ‘snapback body’. It simply refers to women getting back to their pre-pregnancy bodies. With all the pressure on social media of people posting their ‘snapback’ postnatal pics, you may feel intimidated into hitting the gym soon after giving birth. But how soon can you do so safely?
Pregnancy causes major changes to a woman’s body. After months of carrying another human being inside you, your body needs time to adjust from these changes. You may have been extremely fit before giving birth, but struggle to get back to postnatal exercise. Don’t beat yourself up about it. If you had a caesarean delivery, your body needs at least six weeks or so to heal.
Return to your fitness routine slowly. Allow your body to fully heal, preferably until the bleeding has stopped. If you go hard from the beginning, your body will be strained. You could set back recovery by weeks or even months. Gentle exercises like walking are great for getting the body used to exercise again.
The pelvic floor experiences the most strain during pregnancy. Postnatal exercising of this part of the body needs care. Ab exercises like sit-ups and pilates can put extreme intra-abdominal pressure on this region. Your care provider should assess how much the abdominal muscles have separated. Depending on the results, you may need to work with a physical therapist to bring the muscles together.
As you wait for your body to recover, try simple activities that can act as gentle exercise. Postnatal fitness can be achieved even away from the gym. Taking walks around the neighbourhood are a good place to start. As you gain strength, you can increase the number and duration of walks. Swimming is another way to gently work out your body and build muscle strength.
