Oh Baby, Time to Exercise

Postpartum Fitness Important for New Moms By L.A. McKeown

WebMD Medical News


June 15, 2001 -- Getting back into shape after having a baby can be tough, but resuming physical activity is important to your health and well-being.


For starters, exercise can have an incredibly positive effect on mood and self-esteem. In addition to helping you lose that baby weight, it's also a good way to protect yourself from diabetes, obesity, and a host of other conditions. And there is another benefit as well: Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of incontinence, which can be a problem for many women after giving birth.


At a recent meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, experts said simple walking, stretching, and floor exercises are safe for women to do beginning anywhere from two days to two weeks after delivery.


But exercise physiologist Robert Ruhling, PhD, says he advises women to wait about six weeks before working their way back into a true exercise routine. Even the fittest women can end up with injuries if they aren't careful, he says.


"There are serious physiological changes that occur, and the body needs time to recover, regardless of what kind of shape you're in," says Ruhling, professor of health, fitness, and recreation at George Mason University in Manassas, Va. "Fitness will come back, especially if you're motivated, but it's best to make sure you recover properly."


Age may play a role in determining how quickly a woman snaps back into shape. Women in their 20s may recover from childbirth and labor more easily than women in their late 30s or 40s. But there are always exceptions.


"I see plenty of women in their 30s and early 40s who work out regularly," says Jean Hundley, MD. "Then, you have some 20-year-olds who are overweight and don't do any [exercise], so it really has to do with what that person is accustomed to doing."


Ruhling says the best advice is to listen to your body when deciding how often to exercise and the intensity to which you work out and wait at least two months before getting back into strenuous activities like jogging, cycling, and aerobics or dance classes.


With all the changes a new baby brings, finding time in your busy day to exercise can be a problem. But Hundley, an ob-gyn at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, says walking is an excellent choice, either with your baby in the stroller or when you can grab some alone time.


Resisting the urge to take a nap when your baby does can be tough some days, but using some of that time to exercise will make you feel and look better in the long run.


"There are some great pregnancy and postpartum videos you can get," Hundley says.


An important thing to keep in mind, however, is women who are breastfeeding need extra calories.


"If you're exercising you're burning calories, so you may actually have to increase your calories a little bit to make sure the baby is getting enough," Hundley says.