Should you or should you not work out during the 6 week postpartum wait? My recommendation as a physical therapist is to wait! Continue reading to learn my 3 reasons why.
Are you currently in the middle of the 6 week postpartum wait and you are not sure if you should begin working out or not? There is a gray area for sure and it can be confusing to know what is right and what is wrong. Some moms on the internet say it’s ok, while doctors say to wait. So which is it?
By the time you leave here today you will know whether or not you should or should not work out during the 6 week postpartum wait.
You will see all over the internet that a lot of moms are not following that recommendation to wait to workout. So what should you do? Should you start early, and get a jump start on losing that baby weight and do whatever workout you want to do after having a baby, or should you wait?
Should you follow the doctor’s recommendations? Why is there even a waiting period?
I’m going to talk about 3 reasons why I think you should wait to work out during the first 6 weeks postpartum.
Reason #1 – It’s Your Time To Heal
The 6 week wait is a time for healing. I’m a physical therapist, and I strongly believe in rest for healing. You should be resting and let your body come back and naturally heal on its own.
If you are exercising too intensely or you are doing too much activity, your body is going to use all that energy for your workout instead of using that energy for healing. If you get more sleep, if you are resting and staying off your feet, and avoiding heavy lifting, your body is going to heal faster.
Reason #2 – It’s A Time To Bond With Your Baby
Focus on the joy and the sweetness of having your baby in your arms. You have been given permission to take it easy for 6 weeks, and this is a time to rest with your baby. You will find that those 6 weeks will go by so quickly and your baby will change dramatically before your eyes.
Soak in every moment you have with your baby. Study every detail of your baby’s fingers and toes. Take pictures and bond. The exercise you want to do in the first 6 weeks will not matter, but the bonding memories you will make will last forever.
Reasons #3 – It’s A Time To Establish Good Feeding Habits For Your Baby
The first 6 weeks is the perfect time to teach your baby good eating habits. Establish a good milk supply and teach your baby to breastfeed successfully. My first baby was born almost prematurely, and I knew I needed to do everything possible to feed her well and nourish her body so she could sustain life.
I know that the healthy feeding habits she learned early on in her life would have a positive effect on her and myself as we continued on the postpartum journey together. I knew it was a priority to focus on feeding rather than exercise during the first 6 weeks. Some areas of motherhood are more important at certain stages, and breastfeeding and bottle feeding is one of them.
The 6 Week Postpartum Wait Is Over – Your First Workout
When the time is right and you are ready to finally do your first postpartum workout, start with this one exercise: Abdominal Bracing. I teach you exactly how to do it in my free class, Postpartum Abs 101. This 45 min class is everything you should have learned from your doctor at the 6 week postpartum check-up.
They aren’t teaching it, so I am and I want you to have success with your first postpartum workout. You can get access to Postpartum Abs 101 and start the journey to restoring your core strength first, the foundation to your postpartum healing journey.
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*It is important to always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program and get medical clearance. Always warm up thoroughly and stretch after all workouts. LiveCoreStrong.com and Jena Bradley will be not be responsible or liable for any injury sustained while exercising at home, gym or elsewhere. Perform exercises at your own risk.
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