The Art and Science of Fitness | Reclaiming your fitness goals after pregnancy

Nothing makes you admire the human body quite like the amazing feat of pregnancy and childbirth. The ability to create life (with a bit of celestial help), while old as time, is also among the most magical things in life. Obviously, in all of this, men play a supportive role. Women carry the weight, quite literally. And once the baby is there, your life has changed quite significantly and nothing is like it was before. Including your body.

Exercise can help. Of course, only once it is safe to do so, light stretching and yoga can start pretty soon postpartum, gradually building it up over weeks, but for more vigorous exercises you should wait at least six weeks.

Postpartum exercise can serve two functions: It is good for getting back to fitness. But it also means that you, as a new mother, need to set aside time to prioritise yourself. Which is hard to do with a newborn. It is all too easy to lose the sense of self and instead feel a sense of servitude to the newborn.

Even though becoming physically active soon after the delivery of the child is important, it is worthwhile mentioning that any woman planning a pregnancy should prepare for it. This should include both physical and mental health. Becoming a parent is one of the most fundamental shifts of our lives and nothing can prepare us for it, but ourselves. We literally need to get moving.

Physical journey during and after the pregnancy

Here we’ll focus on the physical aspect. Most get worried and don’t get started on the fitness journey worrying that they can’t, without realising that they definitely won’t be able to stay fit if they don’t get started.

Expectant mothers, who are on their physical fitness journey, tend to have a smoother pregnancy. It also prepares them for the delivery and the post-pregnancy phase. The only caveat is that there should be no rush. They need to gradually build up physical activity, and not try to do everything suddenly because that is when injuries happen. Cardiovascular exercises like walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming and rowing have an important role. The same is the case for strength training exercises, whether floor, free weights or machine-based. Both of these help in improving bone strength. Weak bones are a big concern in women post-pregnancy. The overall objective of post-partum fitness should simply be to become better than the day before.

Like the whole body, the pregnant woman’s heart is also working overtime. During pregnancy, the heart rate (number of times the heart beats) and the stroke volume (volume of blood pumped per heartbeat) increase to nourish the growing baby. Fascinatingly, this change is similar to what happens after training in an endurance exercise. So, mothers who had already been running during pregnancy, and/or start with their training after delivery, have an edge over their non-pregnant counterparts.

There will be some women who, post pregnancy, will experience pelvic floor muscle dysfunction during exercises, symptoms of which will be heaviness and pain in the pelvic area and incontinence. They should undergo supervised rehabilitation to address the same.

The best way to get rid of the excess weight post-pregnancy is to make good food choices, i.e. cutting down on sugars, carbohydrates and deep-fried food. For six months after delivery, breastfeeding increases energy expenditure, protein requirements and fluid needs, hence, there is a need to increase energy intake, rather than cutting down on it. Also, there is a need to adequately hydrate, particularly before exercising. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should have a sufficient amount of vitamins B, C, E, D and A, iron, folic acid, selenium, copper, zinc, manganese, iodine and choline. However, always take these supplements after your doctor’s advice.

Addressing postpartum mental health is crucial

We would be remiss not to mention that postpartum physical bodily changes, returning to training and/or going back to work will all influence mental health. When we talk about postpartum fitness and parenting, it is crucial not to overlook this. After all, whether it is about putting on your shoes for a run or to the gym, first you need to be motivated enough to do that, and that’s all psychological. The same applies when your newborn baby cries and you lose your cool because that’s what babies tend to do.

You need to dig in and stay calmer. This is often easier said than done, and roughly 15% of women experience some degree of postpartum depression (PPD). Coupled with anxiety, psychosis and eating disorders, this can be debilitating and they should be encouraged to ask for help.

The body-mind connection is real in more ways than we can imagine. Postpartum depression is associated with urge urinary incontinence, and it further increases the risk of depression. Eating disorders, whether it be because of the impression of body image or because of hormonal changes, in turn, increase the risk of postpartum depression and also lead to an energy deficit, which further physically makes you feel fatigued all the time. The vicious cycle carries on unless help is sought.

And one way to regain that sense of control is through exercise. It doesn’t have to be much. Once a week is great. Twice is fantastic. Or incorporate 3 minutes of strength training exercises into your day. A little goes a long way.

A positive thing that came out of the Covid pandemic was the increased acceptance of the importance of mental health and the removal of the stigma surrounding seeking help for it. Following delivery, early mental health screenings by a mental health professional are highly recommended, followed – if needed – by treatment, whether it be therapy, lifestyle changes including exercises, reducing screen time, better sleeping times, improved eating habits or in a few cases, medication.

Being aware of all of this and taking action by getting moving will help you to get back to your pre-pregnancy fitness levels, or even better. And if you need an excuse to prioritise your exercise and health, keep in mind that you are helping your children as well. When they observe their parents leading an active healthy life, especially their mother, children tend to pick up a better lifestyle for good. Which — besides life — is the biggest gift you could have given them.

Dr Rajat Chauhan (drrajatchauhan.com) Sports Medicine & Musculoskeletal Medicine Physician, Author and Student of Running & Pain

Eva Bacon (evabacon.com) Runner, Roller Blader, Rock Climber, Urban Hiker, Translator and IT Program Manager

Eva and Rajat write a weekly column, exclusively for HT Premium readers, that breaks down the science of movement and exercise.

The views expressed are personal.