How to Speed Up Postpartum Recovery
Post Partum Mini Series
Part One: How to Speed Up Postpartum Recovery
Part Two: Hypopressive Exercises for Early Postpartum Healing
Part Three: When Can I Start Running Postpartum?
Part Four: How to Relieve Neck Pain From Breastfeeding
What you do (and don't do) the first 12-24 months after giving birth will determine how your core feels, functions and looks postpartum. The first 2 years postpartum is the prime time for healing your core and pelvic floor. Don't get me wrong- you can heal you core and pelvic floor no matter how far postpartum you are, but the sooner you give your body the right inputs for healing, the better. Starting with proper postpartum exercises now prevents years of dealing with a weak core, bladder issues, or that persistent belly pooch that won't go away no matter how many crunches you do.
Your postpartum body needs specific, whole body exercises that incorporate posture and breathing - not random traditional core work that could make things worse. As doctor of physical therapy with over a decade of experience, and a mom myself who's helped hundreds of women rebuild their strength after pregnancy, I know that the right exercises postpartum make all the difference between a having a core thats actually stronger than pre-pregnancy, and suffering from ongoing issues like diastasis, leaking, and back pain.
So, for all my postpartum mommas out there wondering what exercises are both safe and effective during those early months after giving birth—this 4-part series is for you!
Why Early Postpartum Healing Matters
There’s a lot of talk about “bouncing back” after pregnancy, but it’s important to focus on rest first. Your body has gone through immense changes and there’s high risk of injury if not rehabbed correctly.
Healing takes time and it’s important to listen to your body’s needs throughout the process. So, let’s let go of the pressure or timeline to “bounce back” fast, and let's start your postpartum journey with patience, respect for all your body been through to create and birth a human, and self love. When you’re ready, choose exercises that are gentle, intentional, and effective. Continue reading and I'll explain exactly what exercises those are ๐
If you’re wondering when it’s safe to progress to high-impact exercise, or how to test your core readiness to return to your pre-pregnancy sports and fitness routine, check out this post to learn how to test your core muscle function and determine whether or not it's safe to resume those high impact activities again.
Exercises to Avoid in Early Postpartum
Many women are eager to start working out again, but rushing back to running or intense exercise can seriously set back your postpartum recovery. Certain exercises can actually do more harm than good if you start them before your core is fully ready:
- Crunches or bicycle sit-ups: Increases intra-abdominal pressure, negatively loading the connective tissue between the abdominal muscles that has been stretched to the max and needs to be unloaded in order to tighten.
- Burpees and HITT training: Compress your spine and strains your abs and pelvic floor by again increasing the pressure in your abdomen. Doing big movements as fast as possible without considering your posture and breathing can injure a healing postpartum core.
- Running or jumping: Over loads your pelvic floor and lower abs and can lead to diastasis, prolapse, back pain and leaking if done too soon after delivery before your core is fully healed.
These traditional "core workouts" can cause injuries like disc herniation, incontinence, prolapse or diastasis recti if your core isn’t yet able to manage the pressure.
If you’re dealing with a diastasis postpartum, feel like everything is still “loose” and not in the right place or have a pelvic floor that “just doesn't feel right”, the issue is the way your core muscles are supporting your organs.
Here’s the truth: dysfunctional core muscles can’t close after delivery. They need to be properly trained to automatically support your organs with every breath you take. So instead of doing MORE - more crunches, more exercise, or more diets - you can actually do LESS and see better results with your postpartum recovery.
Healing isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing less but doing it better. It’s about giving your body the right inputs and avoiding the wrong inputs.
Top 3 Postpartum Exercises
There are three exercises that I recommend to every postpartum mom because they build the foundation needed to meet all the demands of motherhood and return to higher impact workouts. The key is keeping your core and pelvic floor safe, so it can be strong and functional.
1. Hypopressive Training
This technique is the number one key for postpartum recovery. It combines rhythmic breath work with specific whole body postures to trigger reflexive activation of the core muscles so they are trained to do what they are supposed to do - lift and center your organs, pump blood to your pelvic floor, and decompress your spine! The rhythmic breathing also regulates your nervous system, creating lasting change fast. When your core muscles are trained in this way, they don’t just look better - they function and feel better too!
Here are a few benefits of practicing hypopressive training after giving birth:
- Closes your abs and heals diastasis recti
- Heals your pelvic floor
- Lifts your pelvic organs and prevents prolapse
- Shrinks your waistline and gets rid of low belly pooch
- Calms your bladder and stops leaking
- Improves digestion and reduces bloating
2. Glute-Strengthening Workouts
Your glutes are powerhouse muscles that provide crucial support to your entire core. They also provide significant blood flow to your pelvic floor, which is crucial postpartum to heal the pelvic floor after delivery. Strengthening your glutes in the right way postpartum will increase pelvic and SIJ stability, improve spinal alignment and optimize pelvic floor function, and create a strong foundation for your core.
My favorite glute exercises to practice in the early postpartum phase are:
- Squats
- Bridges
- All-fours glute activation
3. Hill Walking
Walking at an incline is the perfect low-impact exercise to get your heart rate up without over-stressing your core or pelvic floor. It avoids the abdominal and pelvic pressure caused by high-impact activities like running, while still building strength and endurance. Add breath work drills (like decompression breathing) to hill walking and you have yourself a full body cardio workout that will shrink your waist, close your abs and heal your pelvic floor fast.
Here's the deal:
Doing more “traditional core workouts” postpartum is the fastest way to a diastasis and pelvic floor dysfunction.
When you do the wrong exercises postpartum, exercise too much too soon, or simply have core muscle dysfunction after delivery and don’t rehab properly, you can end up frustrated by abs that stay open, and a pelvic floor that “doesn’t feel right”.
Most moms in this situation think they need to do more - more crunches, more exercise…
But the truth? You need to do less, but do it better.
Heres how: Stop the traditional core exercises and instead incorporate specific breath work practices into your day that train your core muscles to automatically lift your organs and close your abs with every breath you take.
That’s how you close a diastasis and heal your pelvic floor as fast as possible.
Real Results:
"I’m three months postpartum with my second baby, and I am SPEECHLESS by my progress. In one month, I went from a 3 finger ab separation to 1 finger. This program is like no other, especially becuase of the way Dr. Angie teaches the hypopressive breathing techniques. I tried many other programs after my first baby... but after a year with the other programs I was still not able to close my diastasis. So I was concerned that I went into my second pregnancy with a diastasis. This program not only healed my diastasis, it also healed my sciatica, lower back pain and pelvic pain. My urinary urgency is gone, and so are my hip stabilization problems. Dr. Angie is very responsive and takes her clients progress and questions very seriously. At the same time she makes you feel listened to and important."
– R.S.
Your postpartum recovery doesn’t have to be overwhelming or painful. Let’s get you back to feeling strong, confident, and in control of your body.
The Core Recovery Method® teaches you the safest, most effective way to heal your core after giving birth, so you can get back to having a body that functions, feels and looks the way you want.
