What are the Best Tips for Working out After a C-Section?

Perhaps the best tip for working out after a Caesarian section (C-section) is to get a doctor’s permission before starting a workout routine. Generally, a woman should wait until her incision is healed before resuming certain exercises, like crunches, but she can start standing and walking as early as a day after delivery. In fact, the patient should start exercising as soon as she can, and should strive to achieve a good posture while walking to promote healing and strengthen her abdominal muscles. Patients should not go overboard when working out after a C-section, however, as the stomach muscles are still healing.

After a delivery by C-section, a new mother will be in a lot of pain, and may be tempted to stay in the same position in order to help relieve that pain. Remaining stationary is not usually the best choice, however. A woman should start working out after a C-section as soon as possible. The motion can help to prevent blood clots and encourage the healing process.

When walking, it is important to keep a good posture. Though it is natural to want to hunch over because of the C-section’s incision, it is important to stand up and walk as straight as possible. Try to keep the muscles tight. It is also important not to overdo it when undergoing any type of exercise after a C-section. Take it slow and easy, and, if there is pain, it may be best to discontinue the exercise.

In addition to walking, a woman can also start gently working out after a C-section in other ways. For example, a woman may be able to undergo pelvic floor exercises and breathing exercises as soon as a day after delivery. The pelvic floor muscles are those muscles that help regulate urine flow, and control the vaginal sphincter and the anal sphincter. They are the ones that help keep accidents from happening when a person laughs or sneezes, for instance. These muscles can weaken during pregnancy, and strengthening them after delivery can help keep complications like a prolapsed uterus from occurring.

Another good tip to working out after a C-section is to wait until her incision is healed before doing most abdominal exercises. Of course, all these tips should be governed by possibly the most important tip of all: making sure to get a doctor’s permission before resuming any exercise. For some women, there may be some complications or another issue that could requires further bed rest and delays resuming working out after a C-section. Following a doctor’s orders could prevent a more serious problem from occurring.