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Get Your Body Back!

Postpartum Exercises for Mom

By Catherine Cram, MS

You spent nine months sharing your body with your baby, and now that he or she is born, you may still be sharing it to some degree. You may feel like your body will never be the same again! But there are steps you can take to reclaim your body and take some positive steps toward full recovery.

The postpartum period encompasses tremendous changes as your body slowly returns to its pre-pregnancy condition. This period is also a time of physical and emotional stresses: a new baby to nurse and care for, lack of sleep, joint and muscle soreness from the repetitive motions of baby care, among others.

During the postpartum period you are at increased risk for the development of such conditions as urinary incontinence, abdominal muscle weakness and low back pain. You can help reduce the risk of these conditions by taking a few moments each day to focus on the following exercises.

Lack of bladder control is common in new mothers for up to eight weeks postpartum. For some women, the pregnancy and the birthing process causes trauma to the pelvic floor, resulting in short term urinary incontinence. If you haven't already been performing pelvic floor (also called Kegel) exercises during your pregnancy, now is a great time to start.

Your pelvic floor muscles play an important role during pregnancy and throughout your life in maintaining proper alignment of the spine and support of the pelvic organs. Normally, your pelvic floor should be supportive and span in an upright curve from the pubic bone to tailbone. Weakness in this area results in sagging and loss of support.

A way of locating the pelvic floor muscles is to feel the muscles that contract when you stop the flow of urine. The muscles responsible for stopping the flow are the pelvic floor muscles. Use the urine stop and start test only initially when learning how to locate and isolate the muscle group.

Want to see more?

• Fitting Exercise Into Your Busy Schedule
• Exercising With Your Baby Indoors
• The Art of a Kegel
• Fitness and Breastfeeding: A Winning Combination
• Talk About It

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