Posted by
happychick
20 yrs ago
Having been a very active person before my pregnancy, I can't wait to get exercising again. It's only been a month since having had a
c-section and although I can now do all the normal stuff eg. housework, driving, shopping etc, when can I actually start doing more rigorous exercises?
I know internally my wound hasn't healed 100% yet but I'm dying to get rid of this big belly that pregnancy has left me with (and not to mention my big arms!)
I know most people are different but how long was it before you started doing rigorous exercises after your c-section?
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Hi happychick -
i'm 104 days out from my C-section. (koreans count by days - 100 is a milestone - you're supposed to be back to normal then)
They say to wait at least 8 weeks before doing anything too intense, but like you, I felt really good at around a month afterwards. I started slowly with some toe reaches, and some other "post partum" exercise - and started walking gently on an incline on my treadmill.
About 2 months post op i started running and weights....
From about 3 weeks ago, I could run 5 km, do about 40 pushups and a circuit series of weights and squats. I feel fine - my surgery site is still a bit numb and tingly but my ob says i'm good to go.
Start slowly -your body will let you know what you can or cannot do. You do a google search for some good postpartum exercises (specifically for your belly...) and get started.
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Hi hkchoichoi
Wow it sounds like you are doing really well getting back to fitness in only a few months. I can't wait but it looks like I will have to wait a few more weeks before attempting to anything to ambitious but will do more of the post partum exercises as you suggested.
Are you back to your pre pregnancy weight?
I have about 15lbs to lose:( and it didn't help that I wasn't allowed to do any exercises during my pregnancy due to health issues, so you can imagine how unfit I feel and I still can't get into most of my trousers!
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Hi
I had my C-section in Nov 05 - according to the info I have it takes about 3 months for the stomach muscles to knit together tightly. I did gentle pelvic exercises but avoided doing any serious stomach crunches until that three month mark - didn't want to end up back in hospital, even though I felt fine.
I just built up steadily, and I think your body tells you if you are pushing it too much.
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Hi happy chick -
luckily I was able to work out most of my pregnancy - except towards the end when I had some minor complications. But i have this weird thing (this is my second) I tend to be lighter after pregnancy than I was. So from my two pregnancies i'm down a total of 10 kg from my original weight at marriage. Something about breastfeeding I think.
If you look online there are lots of mild exercises like the pelvic lifts that harbinkiwi mentions. I JUST started stomach crunches two weeks ago (using "quick Fix workouts" - which I love) and so far so good.
Start slowly like I said - short walks with your baby are probably fine...
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Hi,
It is very important, whatever type of birth you had, to check that your rectus abdomini muscles (the 6-packs you see in (some) men) have re-joined before you start doing crunches and other similar type of exercise or activity engaging these muscles. You should not work out these muscles if there is still a significant divide between them (say more than a pinky finger).
You can easily check it while lying down on your back with knees bent, finger in your belly button and roll up trying to touch your knees). There are 3 layers of abdominal muscles in your body, and your need to work on your deepest layer (called transverse abd, the ones you use to cough, go to the toilets, etc...) before you start doing crunches.
Any pilates book (mat exercise) will show you what kind of exercise you can do). You may walk or use the cross-trainer, etc... in the mean time, if you focus on your posture and try to "zip up" your belly button towrds your spine ("in and up").
Hope it helps. Good luck.
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Hi hkchoichoi, I seem to be the opposite to you after my second pregnancy. I am a lot heavier now than I was after my first even though I am breastfeeding so I think I must have accumulated too much fat this time round :)
Hi Linece
Thank you for the advice about abdominal muscles. I have been checking to see if my muscles have re joined but following the instructions, I can't seem to "feel" whether the mouscles have rejoined or not, though it could be that I'm not quite sure what it feels like..ha ha.
Thank you for all your advice, it looks like I will have to wait a bit longer before doing my full workouts.
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Hi happy chick -
I'm in seoul so I had this special pumpkin "juice/tea" thing made for me. (it's part of the Korean confinement diet.) But it's actually not that hard to make - and it's supposed to help reduce bloating and make the "puffiness" in your body go away. i'm normally a skeptic of these crazy Korean confinement things (my grandmother is adamant that I do them) but the pumpkin juice thing seemed to work. It's not hard to make - and it doesn't taste that bad either. If you want some details, PM me and I'll give them to you.
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Hi Hk choichoi and Happy chick, although I am not that heavy i still wish to lose a few pounds and I would love this miracle recipe when you get a chance?
Cheers!!
Regarding the muscles, if you stick your fingers in your belly button and towards the sides, you should feel something hard, these are the walls of the recti. Good news is, the trasverse is very easy to tone up if you do the exercise properly. I would advise you take a few pilates classes or hire a pilates instructor once so that she can show you the proper form. One good start is: lying on your back, knees bent, inhale (big breath) expanding your thoracic cage for 5 seconds and then exhale as slowly as you can pushing the air out while using your belly muscles through pulling your navel towards your spine (zip in and up). Good luck
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hkchooichoi,pm me too,i like to know the tea recipe.thanks.
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Clara and Linece -
i Pm'd you with pumpkin juice recipe - did you get it? i'm not sure about the "miracle" bit - but it's also supposed to be good for you.
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