When it comes to pregnancy, the question of if exercise is safe, and what type of exercise you should be doing to best support your health and your baby’s health, becomes very important. Here are some benefits of a postpartum exercise program.
1.) Preventing the development of pelvic floor weakness
When pregnant women start performing physical activity, it is very important that they begin doing low-intensity exercises, and have no more than 1-2 sets of high intensity exercises a week. This way, even if the woman doesn’t notice any signs of weakness at first, she will be able to recognize weakness in later months. If you are new to the postpartum exercise program, and you feel that your pelvic floor is weak for some reason, then you should be addressing this problem as soon as possible.
2.) Enhancing the pelvic floor muscles
The postpartum exercise program should be performed 5 to 10 minutes per day, after the baby is fed. For example, you can do 20 seconds of contraction, followed by 60 seconds of rest. Or you can contract and release your pelvic floor on each side for 30 seconds each time. You may also not feel “good enough” to do these exercises yet, but this is a good indicator that your muscle has strengthened.
3. Promoting heart health
There is a relationship between heart health and the ability to have a healthy baby. If you are practicing good postpartum exercise, it will allow your heart to better adjust to the baby’s needs, allowing for better blood flow. By being active again after the baby has come out of your body, you will be able to maintain proper blood pressure during pregnancy (which is essential for good blood flow), as well as after many months of not being active.
Postpartum exercise is very important and is not something that should be neglected. If you are pregnant, are thinking about becoming pregnant, or have recently had a baby, it is extremely important that you start practicing this.
