What Workout is Safe 4 Weeks After Birth?
After feeling the effects of pregnancy on your body, I’m sure you are ready to start being active and feeling confident again. But it’s confusing to know what workouts are safe to do in the early postpartum period.
Preventing injury and maximizing workouts to get you feeling stronger is the main priority and that’s exactly what I’m here to help you with. With these ten exercises, you can build a personalized postpartum workout plan tailored to your specific needs.
Find out how to know when you can start exercising postpartum, what happens if you exercise too soon, and ten safe exercises that you can begin right away to help you feel stronger after having a baby.
Can I Workout One Month Postpartum?
Yes, you can work out one month postpartum. However, it will not be the workouts you were doing during pregnancy or pre-pregnancy. It is safe to do pelvic floor exercises and practice diaphragmatic breathing as soon as you feel comfortable post-delivery. These workouts are very gentle, low-impact, and crucial to healing your body after pregnancy.
It’s always best to consult your healthcare provider to confirm you can start these exercises postpartum; however, you are the best judge of whether or not your body is ready to begin exercise. Take into consideration the type of birth you had, if there were any complications, what your energy levels are, and overall how your body feels after birth.
Personally, I started these movements two weeks postpartum. Both of my births were vaginal with no complications, and I felt comfortable starting 10-15 minutes of these exercises four times per week. Other types of exercise you can begin at four weeks postpartum include short walks, swimming, or yoga.
It’s also important to remember that every woman’s postpartum journey is different. You may find that your fitness goals and needs change after pregnancy, and that’s okay. The most important thing is to listen to your body, take care of yourself and your baby, and to make sure that your workouts are safe, effective, and enjoyable for you.
Do I Need to Wait 6 Weeks After Birth to Exercise?
You do not need to wait six weeks after birth to start exercising. Generally, at your six-week postpartum appointment, your healthcare provider will usually clear you for exercise however, it’s best to see how your body feels in determining when you can begin working out again.
The six week wait is an outdated guideline that is no longer used to determine when moms can start exercising again. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends, “If you had a healthy pregnancy and a normal vaginal delivery, you should be able to start exercising again soon after the baby is born. Usually, it is safe to begin exercising a few days after giving birth—or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a cesarean birth or complications, ask your ob-gyn when it is safe to begin exercising again.”
What Happens If I Workout Too Soon After Pregnancy?
Most women are eager to start exercising immediately after birth, which I love. It shows women are passionate about their health and feeling their best. However, if new moms start to jump into high-intensity workouts within the first month of giving birth, it may be before their body is ready and lead to injury.
One of the main concerns is that working out too soon could interfere with your body’s healing and recovery process. Your body has just undergone a major physical event, and it needs time to rest and repair itself. If you push yourself too hard too quickly, you could suffer from exhaustion, excess postpartum bleeding, worsen diastasis recti, or damage to your pelvic floor, which will delay your recovery.
In addition to physical harm, working out too soon after pregnancy can also take a toll on your mental health. Becoming a new mother or adding children to your family is a big adjustment. Between learning about a new baby, living off less sleep, and having other kids adapt to your new family member, starting an exercise routine may be more harmful than beneficial.
As a personal trainer, I will always advocate for moms exercising after pregnancy but make sure you and your body are ready for the type of exercise you begin postpartum. Let the first few weeks be focused on your new baby, and when you feel ready, slowly ease back into exercise.
Can I Start Ab Workouts 4 Weeks Postpartum?
Yes, abdominal workouts are encouraged at four weeks postpartum! Gentle, low-impact core exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles are extremely beneficial right after having a baby and should be a major focus of your postnatal workout routine. Exercises like elevated planks, birddogs, clamshells, and toe taps are all great exercises to help strengthen your core after delivery.
The Best Exercises Before 6 Weeks Postpartum
Each of these movements are great to begin before six weeks postpartum because they strengthen your core and pelvic floor without being too intense for your body during recovery. You can do each of these exercises as a circuit for 1-2 rounds or choose your 4 favorite moves and do each of them 3-4 times.
Make your own personalized workout from these pelvic floor exercises based on what you need the most. Practicing these movements 3-4 times per week for a month will transform the strength in your abdominals and set you up for success.
Breathing
- Begin lying on your mat with your knees bent, and your pelvis tucked, ensuring your back is flat on the floor.
- Put your index and middle fingers just inside your hip bones to feel for the activation of your transverse abdominals.
- Inhale through your nose, expanding your stomach and chest while relaxing your pelvic floor.
- Exhale through your mouth, bringing your stomach towards your spine and lifting your pelvic floor up and in. Audibly make a shh or hiss sound to help expel all the air and activate your pelvic floor.
- Repeat for 10 breaths or 2 minutes.
Clamshell
- Begin lying on your right side with your right arm stretched out and your head resting on it. Your knees are bent 45° and stacked.
- Place your index and middle fingers on the inside of your left hip bone to check for engagement.
- Engage your core by pulling your stomach towards your spine and breathing normally.
- While keeping your feet together, raise your left knee as high as possible without shifting your hips and keeping your right leg on the floor.
- Once you’ve reached your max height, bring your leg back to the starting position.
- Repeat for 10 repetitions and then perform the same on the left side.
Pelvic Tilts
- Start lying on your back in a neutral position with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Inhale in this position relaxing your pelvic floor and pushing your pelvis down. Your pelvis will point downwards at 6 o’clock.
- Exhale, bringing your pelvic floor up and in while pushing your pelvis toward the ceiling. Your pelvis will point upwards toward 12 o’clock.
- Continue to repeat this motion with each breath for 2 minutes.
Heel Slide
- Begin lying on your back with your knees bent 90°.
- Inhale through your nose, expanding your stomach and chest while relaxing your pelvic floor.
- Exhale through your mouth, bringing your stomach towards your spine and lifting your pelvic floor up and in. Audibly make a shh or hiss sound to help expel all the air and activate your pelvic floor.
- While exhaling, bring one foot away from your torso as far as possible and then bring it back to the starting position. You can use a paper plate or wear a sock, so your foot will slide easily.
- Repeat for 20 repetitions, 10 on each leg.
Rolling Glute Bridge
- Begin on your back with your knees hip-width apart and bent 90°.
- Inhale through your nose, expanding your stomach and chest while relaxing your pelvic floor.
- Exhale through your mouth, bringing your stomach towards your spine and lifting your pelvic floor up and in. Audibly make a shh or hiss sound to help expel all the air and activate your pelvic floor. While exhaling, slowly bring your back off the floor one vertebrae at a time until your back is in a straight line
- Slowly roll your back down to the floor, one vertebra at a time.
- Repeat for 10 breaths or 2 minutes
Bent Knee Fall Out
- Begin lying on your back with your knees bent and your back completely flat on a mat.
- Brace your core by bringing the pelvic floor up and in, and breathe normally.
- Bring your right knee out about 45° or as far as it is comfortable for you while holding that brace, and then bring it back to the center.
- You can place your hands on your hips, pointing upwards to ensure they are not rotating during the movement. You want to focus the movement only on your legs.
- Alternate bringing your left and right legs out while keeping your core braced. If you don’t feel your core engaged anymore, reset and begin again.
- Perform this movement for 20 repetitions, 10 on each leg.
Marches
- Begin lying on your back with your knees bent 90°.
- Pull your belly button toward your spine to brace your core and breathe normally.
- You can place your hands on your hips, pointing upwards to ensure they are not rotating during the movement.
- Slowly lift one leg in the air, keeping the knees bent, stopping when your lower leg is parallel to the floor.
- Lower your leg back down and repeat on the other side.
- Repeat this for 20 alternating repetitions, 10 on each leg.
Deadbug Arms
- Lie on your back with your arms straight above you and your lower back pressed to the mat. Bend your knees to form a 90-degree angle.
- Inhale through your nose, expanding your stomach and chest, and simultaneously relaxing your pelvic floor.
- Exhale through your mouth, bringing your stomach towards your spine and lifting your pelvic floor. To aid in expelling all the air, make a “shh” or “hiss” sound.
- Reach your right arm towards the floor above your head, and return it back to the starting position. Be aware of your lower back, do not let it come off the mat during the reach.
- Reach your left arm towards the floor above your head, and return it back to the starting position.
- Keep your legs at 90 degrees angle to maintain engagement in your abdomen.
- Repeat this process 10 times on each arm, 20 total.
Elevated Plank
- Begin facing a chair with your feet a few inches away, hip-width apart.
- Put your hands on the chair shoulder-width apart, keeping your arms perpendicular to your shoulders.
- Keep a neutral spine, engage your core by pulling your stomach towards your spine, and breathe normally.
- If this seems too easy, you can walk your feet further from the wall with your arms in the same position.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds, or however long you can hold it.
Ball Squeeze Breathing
- Begin on your back with your knees bent and a pilates ball, yoga block, or pillow in between your legs.
- Inhale through your nose, expanding your stomach and chest while relaxing your pelvic floor.
- Exhale through your mouth, bringing your stomach towards your spine and lifting your pelvic floor up and in. Audibly make a shh or hiss sound to help expel all the air and activate your pelvic floor.
- While exhaling, squeeze the ball between your legs for 5 seconds.
- Relax and repeat for 10 breaths.
Begin Your Postpartum Exercise Journey Today!
Now that you know which exercises to focus on after delivery, you can feel confident about exercising safely postpartum and helping your body get back to your favorite workouts faster.
I know it can feel slow starting your exercise program this way, but doing the slow and intentional movements now will lead to much more strength in the long run. If you are feeling ready to start moving your body in a safe and intentional way after having a baby, try these movements and tell me how you liked them in the comments!