How soon after having a baby can I exercise?
Of course it depends on how the client feels after delivery and what the doctor recommends. For myself I took it pretty easy the first couple of weeks and then slowly started going for walks, doing light workouts with the stretch or resistance band and some stretches and ROM work on the ball. I felt pretty much up for anything by 6 weeks.
That depends on whether she had a natural birth or a Caesarean section.
As it already mentioned speak with your doctor first. Too, the published guidelines through the ACSM are as follows:
“Exercise in the postpartum period may begin 4-6 weeks after delivery. Deconditioning typically occurs during the initial postpartum period, so women should gradually increase physical activity levels until prepregnancy fitness levels are achieved.”
ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription – Eighth Edition.
Hi Shelly. The answer to your question and to your clients is “it depends.” Like everything else in the fitness and health world everyone is different, and this difference determines when someone should start working out, and the results that they may see. In my opinion, a lot of “recovery” (from whatever, an injury, a pregnancy, a surgery) depends on the person’s condition BEFORE that event! If someone was in excellent condition prior to their event, generally they have less distance to cover to return to ‘shape,’ and the contrary is also usually true (someone who was de-conditioned prior their event will have slower progress, and the time frame for them to start BACK may be longer. Anyway, I think that you get what I’m saying it “it’s all relative…”
I hope that this helps.
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
[email protected]
