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Get Your Body Back

A Guide to Exercising After Baby

By Teri Brown

Many women concentrate on their stomachs after pregnancy, and Matthews says that while strengthening your abdominal region is important, spot shaping is a myth. It is better for Mom and Baby to concentrate on overall health and physical fitness.

"Focus on getting a little here and a little there," says Matthews. "It's rare to find large blocks of time to exercise after a new baby comes."

Dawn-Marie Ickes, a licensed physical therapist and owner of Core Conditioning, a Pilates studio based in Los Angeles, Calif., believes that isometric abdominal exercises are perfect for the new mother to begin with, as they can be done anytime, anywhere.

"By definition, isometric exercises are those in which a force is applied to a resistant object," says Ickes. "There may not be actual movement, but tenion builds up in the muscles. One example is the Isometric Crunch. Pretend you're having your picture taken and hold in your stomach muscles. This also helps improve posture."

Ickes believes it helps to do gentle and safe exercises as part of daily baby care so that they are functional and easy to remember. For example, new moms can use diaper change time as a mental cue to do isometric exercises.

Though most experts agree that light exercising, such as walking, abdominal hollowing and isometric crunches are safe fairly soon after delivery, caution is the name of the game.

"There are a couple of things women should be on the lookout for," says Ickes. "Pelvic instability is one of them. A key indicator is increased pain and stiffness in the back and pelvis after walking 15 minutes or so. Neck strain, caused by new postural demands, like nursing, is another problem to be aware of. Continence issues which do not resolve within the first four to six weeks is another common problem."

One of the most important things to remember while getting back in shape, especially during the early days after delivery, is patience.

"It took 40 weeks to have the baby, so give yourself 40 weeks to get back into shape," says Matthews.

Want to see more?

• Battle of the Baby Bulge: Returning to Your Pre-pregnancy Weight
• Exercising With Your Baby Indoors
• Belly, Back and Bottom: Your Postpartum Restoration Plan
• Talk about it!