Any girl dreams of quickly regaining her former shape after childbirth. When childbirth occurs naturally, everything is much simpler and easier, but if surgical intervention is required for some reason, much more effort and time will be required.
After surgery, girls often have questions about when to play sports? What exercises can be done after a caesarean section, which ones can’t, and after what period of time?
The right time to start classes
An exciting question asked by women who have had a cesarean section is when to start exercising to get back into shape and recover properly after major abdominal surgery. If the gynecologist has not found any contraindications, then you can give yourself feasible exercise within a week after the operation.
You should start with regular morning exercises, without including sudden movements, squats, and other exercises that require effort from the abdominal muscles and perineal area. Cycling, swimming, fitness (Pilates) will have to be postponed until a later date. With normal recovery, they can be resorted to no earlier than 2 months after surgery. And even then the loads should be carried out in a gentle manner. You are allowed to fully return to your usual physical activities only after 6 months, and always under the supervision of an experienced fitness trainer and doctor.
Useful tips
The most common question that concerns most women is when can they play sports after a cesarean section without harming the stitches and their health in general. There are plenty of similar problems during the rehabilitation period. Since at this point in time the young mother is already within the walls of her home and is forced to make decisions on her own, very often she makes a series of mistakes. To prevent this from happening, take on board some useful tips from doctors and fitness trainers about post-operative sports.
When to start
The most pressing question is how long after a caesarean section you can play sports if there are no medical contraindications for this. It depends on what kind of physical activity we are talking about.
Whether it is simple morning exercises or therapeutic exercises to restore the uterus, already a week after the operation you can gradually include them in the rhythm of your life.
If a woman wants to take up any full-fledged sport (swimming, fitness, Pilates, cycling, running, etc.), she will have to wait much longer: after 2 months - according to a gentle program and only after six months (if all is well, and then and more) - already to a full extent. And then only with the permission of doctors and a fitness trainer.
Training intensity
Any physical exercises after a cesarean section, even if they are therapeutic in nature (to strengthen the muscles of the uterus, for example), should be performed very carefully, gradually increasing the intensity.
A minimum number of times, no more than 10 minutes per lesson - this is the initial program. Every day these indicators need to be gradually increased: only in this case will sport be useful and not harmful for the rehabilitation period.
As soon as during or after exercise you feel unwell, muscle pain, discomfort, it is better to cancel everything and wait until the body gains more strength.
Types of exercises
Depending on what postpartum and postoperative problems you want to eliminate with the help of sports, choose what exercises you can do after cesarean section. Some strengthen the uterine muscles, others restore a slim waist, others simply remove a sagging tummy, and some will need a complex to maintain breast shape during lactation.
All of them should be as light as possible and not cause feelings of tension or pain. Remember: sport, even in the postoperative period, should be enjoyable and evoke only positive emotions. Dumbbells are excluded in this case.
Where is the best place to study?
Light, familiar and familiar physical exercises after a caesarean section can be performed at home. But as soon as they become insufficient and a decision is made to take up serious sports, you will need not only special conditions (gym, swimming pool, treadmill, etc.), but also a personal trainer-advisor.
Believe me: this is for your own good, because it is he who will tell you at what intensity you are allowed to play sports for a given period of time and will help you choose a program. This will allow you to achieve the desired results in a short time.
These tips will help women after a cesarean section understand how and when exactly to start playing sports. If there are no postpartum complications, the doctor has nothing against it; you definitely need to get your figure and body in order. The purpose of the exercises can be very different - restoration of the abs and chest, getting rid of sagging, strengthening the muscles of the uterus, eliminating back pain and many other rehabilitation processes after surgery. If there are medical contraindications, you will have to postpone this necessary task until complete recovery.
Contraindications to classes
No matter how much a woman would like to quickly gain harmony, tighten her sides and strengthen her abs, she should approach gymnastics after a cesarean section with caution. Moreover, if, as a result of the examination, the doctor revealed contraindications to physical activity, they should be abandoned for the near future. Under what factors is it prohibited to conduct physical exercises:
- Receiving a birth injury;
- If the seams come apart;
- Exacerbation of chronic ailments;
- In the presence of endometritis;
- If the temperature is high.
Only after solving all the problems listed above through proper conservative treatment can you slowly play sports after a cesarean section. Determine which exercises and in what quantity are permissible together with your doctor.
Activity levels after surgery
Make sure you follow the restrictions from day one. After all, a caesarean section is an abdominal operation, after which the body recovers gradually. Consider the fact that at this time the body is coping with the effects of anesthesia and is clearing itself of medications.
To avoid additional problems, remember some rules that will help you recover faster:
- In the first months after childbirth, do not make sudden movements or vigorous exercise. You can only make smooth movements, take your time.
- Do not lift weights (maximum 4 kg); when performing gymnastics, do not use weights (dumbbells, water bottles). When lifting weights, the seam may come apart and scar poorly - this threatens the formation of an adhesive process.
- Forget even about light exercise if the operation leads to complications. Start doing gymnastics only after your doctor’s permission.
Avoid weight loss diets. After all, you are a young nursing mother, so stick to only a diet that provides your baby with adequate nutrition. And remove extra pounds with regular exercises.
Recommended Exercises
For women who were actively involved in sports or fitness before pregnancy and during pregnancy, rehabilitation exercises after cesarean section can be accelerated after the stitches are removed and discharged from the hospital. However, there are pitfalls here too. Exercising with excessive physical stress after a caesarean section is not yet available to you. Rush things gradually, giving your body time to fully recover.
Exercise allowed after a cesarean section consists of two stages: restorative and traditional. The recovery period begins 6 hours after surgery. It includes breathing training and delicate movements performed without tension, with voluntary breathing, and at a slow pace. Classes are held under the supervision of a doctor. Traditional therapeutic exercises are started 6 weeks after birth. It includes exercises that do not require special tension on the abdomen and perineum. 1.5 months after the caesarean section, the intensity of exercise increases, but without undue stress.
Gymnastics for the respiratory system
Breathing training tones muscles and helps a woman achieve peace of mind after a complex surgical procedure. The first week after giving birth is great for breathing exercises. They are performed in the following order:
- Alternating shallow and deep breathing.
- Take a long breath, then exhale at the same pace.
- Inhale short and exhale long.
- Breathe a little with your chest, then with your stomach.
Repeat all exercises 8-10 times.
During breathing exercises, you need to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. To control the breathing movements of the stomach, the hands should be placed on the suture to monitor its tension and reduce the breathing amplitude in time. Such exercises in the first days after surgery help normalize blood flow, saturate the blood with oxygen, and have a calming effect.
For the press
Caesarean section negatively affects the abdominal muscles, which are already greatly stretched and weakened after pregnancy and childbirth. Having lost muscle tone, the stomach sags, and the woman wants to get rid of it as soon as possible. The task is extremely difficult, because if you immediately start pumping up your abs, there is a high risk of the seams coming apart. Here it is important to be patient and wait until the doctor gives the go-ahead for the necessary physical activity allowed after a cesarean section. Rushing can result in serious complications that will delay recovery for a long time.
When can you get serious about your abs? For patients who were not lazy to train their body even before pregnancy, abdominal exercises can be started after 4-5 months, but for those who are not familiar with physical education and sports, they should start exercising only after 6-7 months. Some, even the simplest exercises, should be done under the supervision of a specialist:
- Lying on your back, inhale, bend your knees without tension, pull them to your chest, exhale.
- Roll over onto your stomach. Inhaling, inflate it, exhaling, draw it into yourself.
- Lie down on your back again. Raise your legs slightly so that they are parallel to the floor. If possible, move them apart and bring them back. Repeat several times, but so that you do not feel tension or fatigue.
- Sit on the edge of a chair. Lift your legs off the floor and stretch them forward. Now spread it out a little. In the future, the amplitude of movement can be increased.
Do everything 5-10 times.
Lightweight and easy-to-perform movements properly target the abdominal muscles and help a woman breastfeeding after a cesarean section prevent stagnation of milk.
For the belly
The skin on the abdomen, stretched during pregnancy, forms unsightly folds after childbirth. A set of exercises aimed at working out the entire muscular corset of the entire abdominal and thigh area will help to remove them after surgery. If you want to quickly get a thin waist and a toned stomach, do the following exercises:
- Lie on one side, lift your straight leg up. We change position, work with the other leg.
- Standing on all fours, we work with our stomachs. Inhaling, we draw it in, exhaling, we relax it.
- We stand straight, our hands are on our belts, we lean either to the left side or to the right side.
- Lie on your back, arms lie along your body, legs bent at the knees, begin to raise them to the height that is comfortable for you.
- “Scissors” In this exercise you need to be careful not to spread your legs too far and not to make sudden movements.
Repeat 6-10 times.
If you feel pain during abdominal exercises after childbirth, stop exercising until you have fully recovered. When starting again, control your condition, do not overload, and be sure to tell your doctor about your discomfort.
Kinds of sports
Regular sets of exercises can be performed at home within 1-1.5 months (approximately) after cesarean section. As for serious sports, here you will need to focus on the problem they solve and the doctor’s permission.
- Swimming (water aerobics)
After cesarean section, this sport is allowed to be practiced 2 months later. This is exactly the period required for the complete restoration of the mucous membrane inside the uterus. Swimming relieves tension, strengthens different muscle groups throughout the body, tones, and prevents obesity.
- Yoga
Many yoga centers offer sets of exercises for women who have recently given birth. This sport perfectly tightens muscles, teaches you to control emotions and relax.
- Pilates
One of the areas of fitness, Pilates allows you to return to active sports 4-5 months after cesarean section, provided that the young mother feels well. It solves most postpartum problems: it tightens the stomach, strengthens the chest and back muscles, and helps the body recover faster.
- Run
Despite the fact that running is an effective way to get your figure back in order, it has too powerful an effect on the body and the organism as a whole. Experts will allow you to use this sport after a caesarean section in 8-9 months at best. But the most optimal period recommended by doctors is no earlier than a year.
- Gym
No less effective technique than running, but just as aggressive. Although a lot here will depend on the coach. If he selects an individual training program for you, designed for the postoperative period, you will be able to start your first light classes after six months.
Since you can return to serious sports after a cesarean section only after a long period of time, many women are content with light physical exercises that can be performed at home to restore their figure. If there are special complexes that are developed for young mothers who have undergone this operation.
Useful video - How to easily remove belly fat after cesarean section
For the back
The back muscles work a lot during pregnancy, and they are no less tense after childbirth. The recovery period for them after a cesarean section is 3-4 weeks after the operation. The following movements will bring noticeable relief:
- Lie on your back, now pull one leg bent at the knee towards your shoulder. Relax and practice the movement with the other leg.
- Bend from a standing position in different directions.
- Half squats and squats can be performed using additional support.
- Roll your head in a circle, tilt it in different directions.
While performing the movements described, achieve a feeling of tension in the muscles involved. If pain occurs, tell your doctor about it, he will develop an individual program for you or suggest stopping physical activity for a while.
For the perineum and pelvis
Pregnancy and childbirth ending in caesarean section lead to weakening of the pelvic muscles. To strengthen them, special exercises have been developed that can be performed after surgery. They enter the recovery period and help restore normal functioning of 80% of a woman’s muscular corset.
The “Plank” exercise is considered effective for the muscles of the perineum, which even a physically unprepared patient can perform. They start with a lying position, in which the arms can be bent or straightened, as is more convenient for you. The main thing is that the body (head, pelvis and heels) occupies a straight line. Having taken the starting position, we linger in it for 10-15 seconds and relax. During regular classes, the delay time should be increased.
A set of special physical exercises known as Kegel training is also useful after a cesarean section. The purpose of the training is to increase the tone of the muscles adjacent to the anus and vagina. A woman just needs to squeeze and unclench the corresponding muscles 10-15 times, gradually increasing the time for performing each exercise. You can monitor the recovery process using a simple test: try to stop urination, and after a short delay continue the process. If you have strong muscles, it will not be difficult for you to do this manipulation.
To train the gluteal muscles, doctors advise performing “Lunges” while standing on all fours. Place your hands on the floor, your legs should be bent at the knees. Straighten your legs one by one, lifting them up. Do 15-20 repetitions. Then, for a comprehensive workout of the hip muscles, do lunges, alternately moving your legs to the sides.
In three months
When 3 months have passed after surgery, add the “bicycle” exercise to your exercises. You know it from childhood: lie on your back and spin the wheels of an imaginary bicycle with your feet. Do some jogging or walking.
- We recommend reading: gymnastics for weight loss after childbirth
Always monitor your body when performing weight loss exercises: if pain occurs, stop gymnastics or change the type and degree of stress.
12 weeks after surgery, doctors already allow more active, but not too intense training:
- Dance. The music is not very fast, so you can dance smoothly. If you like sports dancing, then put it off for 5-6 months after the operation, and now just move to light romantic music.
- Yoga classes will help you lose excess weight and have a beneficial effect on your spine. After all, when they performed a caesarean section, he also suffered greatly. Before starting classes, choose a competent and experienced trainer, since yoga after surgery is in the nature of therapeutic exercises.
- Pilates is a kind of slow fitness. This is a set of stretching exercises that strengthen muscles and are performed smoothly and slowly. It helps the body recover and, of course, lose weight.
- Swimming and water aerobics (gymnastics in water) have virtually no contraindications. Water relieves muscle tension and tones, movements in water do not tire you and bring a lot of positive emotions.
This is how 6 months will pass unnoticed after your baby was born via Caesarean section. Consult your doctor, and if he approves further active sports, continue doing gymnastics - after all, this is the best way to lose weight!
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Possible complications
Complications in women's health after a cesarean section occur much more often than after a normal birth. An organism in which significant changes occurred during the period of fetal growth is a priori weakened. A new negative factor in the form of an operation causes additional damage to him, leading to certain disorders. Complications can be caused by:
- Antibacterial therapy;
- Low quality material used for seams;
- Professionalism of the obstetrician;
- Technique and timing of the operation.
Based on them, complications can be expressed in the divergence of sutures, diseases of internal organs, and the consequences of prolonged exposure to anesthesia. The body's reaction is difficult to predict, and if it is negative, doctors have to prescribe additional treatment to the patient. There is no talk about physical activity in these cases.
It is obvious that the implementation of therapeutic complexes after a caesarean section provides the necessary support to the female body, allows you to quickly return the body to good shape and maintain health. Physical exercises, swimming in the pool, training various muscles also contribute to mental health. Returning to a comfortable size, feeling the elasticity of the muscles and enjoying a toned stomach, a woman feels doubly happy after becoming a mother.
Health and beauty standards
It is in this form that most women usually ask the question about the possibility of engaging in physical exercise of varying degrees of intensity. This is explained by the fact that beauty standards now require that a modern woman look a certain way. Often, captivated by photographs of slender beauties on the pages of magazines and images of participants in popular television programs telling everyone about their successes, young mothers rush to sign up for a gym, take up lifting, running or other sports that involve considerable stress. In this case, appearance becomes the main value, and health fades into the background.
Doctors are unanimous in this regard, and claim that even active fitness after a caesarean section cannot be allowed earlier than six months later. You can start with light exercises - gymnastics, exercises - after about 2 months, and before that do soft and gentle training, such as Kegel exercises. Under no circumstances should you strain your abdominal muscles after a cesarean section in the first months.
Photo: sports after cesarean
