Reduced anxiety, improved sleep, reappropriation of the body… Practiced after childbirth, physical activity has many benefits. Here’s how to get back to it.
- As recently recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), 30-40 minutes of physical activity a day is needed to offset the adverse health effects of sitting.
- The WHO recommends, in addition, to do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate sport or at least 75 to 100 minutes of intense physical activity per week.
- To help post-pregnancy women achieve these goals, the Minister of Sport has released a new guide to postpartum physical activity.
After childbirth, fatigue is most of the time important. A few weeks after the event, however, it is advisable to resume gentle physical activity, without putting pressure on yourself.
When to resume physical activity or sports after childbirth?
After delivery by natural means, the recovery generally takes place after 6 weeks. It can be prepared from the 4th week by brisk walking, climbing stairs, etc. “Certain exercises, to be determined with the professional following you, promote a faster recovery”, precise a new government guidepromoted by the Minister of Sports.
After cesarean delivery, the recovery varies according to the degree of discomfort and according to possible surgical complications. “These different recoveries should not be done to the detriment of perineal rehabilitation”underline the experts.
Is it possible to breastfeed and play sports?
Breastfeeding should not prevent the resumption of physical activity. “Yes, you can breastfeed and play sports, because moderate physical activity of the mother does not change the quantity of breast milk or its nutritional quality”, explain the experts.
Some examples of postpartum movements
Initially, for a period of 5-6 weeks, movements and activities including jumps and vertical impacts should be avoided. But gradually, all muscle strengthening exercises can be resumed, by regularly increasing their intensity and duration. It is also important to resume walking, gentle pedaling or swimming, alternating with muscle strengthening exercises.
In the period following childbirth, it is the abdominal tone and that of the perineum (floor of the pelvis) that must be regained as a priority. These few exercises particularly target the muscles concerned.
Lateral sheathing
Lying on your side, lean on your elbow (vertical to your shoulder). Lower legs bent, back straight, stomach tight. Take off the pelvis to make “the plank”, keeping the alignment shoulders-hips-knees; Hold the position for 10 seconds then rest gently. Repeat 10 times.
Abdominals
On your knees on the ground, hands and knees apart, back very straight, contract your abdominals very gradually, as if to “suck in the navel”, taking advantage of each inspiration to tighten the belly a little. It is the transverse abdominal muscle (lower abdomen) that is the most stressed. While maintaining the abdominal contraction, take the knees off the floor and support yourself on the feet, doing “the board”, back straight, head well out of the shoulders, taking care to breathe normally. Hold the position for 10 seconds and rest gently. Repeat 5 times.
Glutes and abs
Lying on your back, bring your feet closer to your buttocks, then raise your pelvis and hold this position for 10 seconds, continuing to breathe regularly. The abdominals should be contracted,
support on the ground must be done with the shoulders and not the neck. To solicit the adductors, one can also bring the knees together with small impulses. Rest gently. Repeat 5 times.
Perineum and adductors
Lying on your back, bring your feet closer to your buttocks, and place a ball between your knees. While squeezing the lower abdomen, gradually compress the ball with the legs. Remember to breathe deeply. Maintain pressure for 10 seconds then release. Repeat 10 times.
Resumption of physical activity after childbirth: what are the benefits?
Practiced after childbirth, physical activity has many benefits:
– It helps to reclaim the body, modified by nine months of pregnancy.
– It strengthens the abdominal muscle belt.
– It reduces the risk of urinary incontinence in an initially continent woman.
– It contributes (a little) to weight loss.
– It improves the quality of sleep.
– It limits lower back pain.
– It reduces anxiety and depressive symptoms of postpartum.
– It improves the quality of the mother-child relationship.
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