When can I start exercising again?
It’s advisable to give yourself some time to recover and rest after giving birth; you have been through a physically and emotionally draining experience and your body needs time to get over this, so allow yourself a least a few weeks before you start to think about slimming down. You will find that caring for a newborn baby is exhausting, as the baby will wake up during the night and your usual sleep pattern will be disturbed; try to nap while your baby sleeps during the day; this will ensure that you get enough rest to look after yourself and your baby as effectively as possible.
After around six weeks, your body should have recovered and you can start to think about exercising and losing weight if you want to; you should ask your doctor, midwife or health visitor for advice as your individual situation may affect the intensity and type of exercise you should do. It is advisable to introduce exercise gradually and build up the intensity slowly.
It is important to realise that your body may not return to the exact shape it was before you got pregnant; it is perfectly normal for your body to change shape and you shouldn’t go to extreme lengths to return to your pre-baby shape.
What if I’ve had a caesarean section?
It takes longer to recover from a caesarean section and you should wait at least six weeks before you even start to think about exercising; wait until you have had your six week check-up and ask your doctor or midwife for advice about exercising. If you are still experiencing discomfort when you do activities such as walking up or down stairs or bending down, do not try to exercise, as this may be counter-productive. Try to introduce exercise gradually and focus on gentle exercise to begin with.
Losing Baby Weight:
- Losing Baby Weight
- When can I start exercising again?
- What kind of exercise should I do to lose baby weight?
- Problems which may affect exercising
- How should I adapt my diet?
- How long will it take to lose my baby weight?
- Other tips for losing baby weight
Mother, Baby and Beyond
- Pregnancy & Birth Guide
- Mother, Baby and Beyond
- Baby calendar
- Newborn Baby’s Check-ups and Tests
- Newborn Babies’ Appearance
- Bonding with Your Baby
- A Guide to Sleeping for Mother and Baby
- Coping with a Crying Baby
- Sibling Bonding
- The Father’s Role
- Postnatal Health
- Baby Predicaments
- Sex after Childbirth
- Weaning and Moving onto Solid Foods
- Travelling with a Newborn Baby
- Losing Baby Weight
- Baby Health Concerns
- Breastfeeding
- Caring for your child
- Looking after Twins
- Baby vaccinations
- Caring for your newborn
- Mother and Baby Myths
- Mother and baby development FAQ
Related Guides
- Pregnancy & Birth Guide
- Guide to Getting Pregnant
- Guide to Pregnancy
- Guide to Giving Birth
- Guide to Pregnancy Tests
- Mother, Baby & Beyond Guide
- Guide to Pain Relief in Labour
- Guide to pregnancy scans
- Pregnancy calendar guide
- Baby calendar guide
- Child development calendar guide
- Guide to miscarriage
- Guide to breastfeeding
- Guide to sleeping for mother & baby
- Guide to birth defects
- Guide to Post Natal depression