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Belly, Back and Bottom

Your Postpartum Restoration Plan

By Sandra Greiner

It is important that your back, pelvis and the connecting muscles return to their proper alignment before resuming regular exercise.

The Plan
Here is the four-part plan. To make the plan easy to follow, try to incorporate the exercises into your daily routine.

1. Do Kegels 10 to 12 times every time you feed your baby. Do reverse shoulder rolls when you are finished feeding to loosen and relax the neck, shoulder and chest muscles.

2. When you shower, your muscles are warm and relaxed. This is a good time to stretch your chest muscles, hip flexors and lower back. With your back against the wall and feet hip width apart, press your lower back to the wall and pull your navel to your spine. Take five minutes to stretch all the leg muscles.

3. Each day, spend five to 10 minutes on your back practicing pelvic tilts by pressing your lower back to the floor while pulling abdominal muscles in. Progress to sit-ups. Splint your abdominal muscles with a towel if you feel a separation in between your recti (abdominal) muscles right above your navel.

4. Exercise with your baby by walking for 10 minutes, and add five minutes each week. If it's raining, play music and dance together instead.

These gentle exercises should get you on the road to recovery and help you feel like your old self in no time!

Want to see more?

• Battle of the Baby Bulge: Returning to Your Pre-pregnancy Weight
• Exercising With Your Baby Indoors
• Fitness and Breastfeeding: A Winning Combination
• Talk about it!