What is the best exercise routine for postpartum?

postpartum Fitness Exercise for Women

(I) Objectives of Postpartum Fitness Exercise

After giving birth, women can engage in fitness exercise to promote blood circulation and wound healing in the perineal muscles, reduce pain and swelling, strengthen the chest muscles to prevent breast sagging and drooping, facilitate the contraction of abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, and aid in uterine recovery. It also helps stretch and strengthen the lower back muscles, alleviating lower back pain.

(II) Key Considerations for Postpartum Fitness Exercise

If a woman's body temperature exceeds 38°C after childbirth or if she experiences postpartum infections, severe complications in the cardiovascular, respiratory, or urinary systems, or has undergone certain procedures during delivery (such as cesarean section or perineal suturing), the exercise should be postponed.

In the early stages of postpartum exercise, the intensity should not be excessive. The duration of exercise should be gradually increased, and the range of motion should not be too large. If the separation between the rectus abdominis muscles exceeds two finger-widths, exercises involving trunk flexion, rotation, and weight-bearing should be avoided to prevent exacerbation of diastasis recti and pelvic girdle separation.

It is advisable for postpartum women to breastfeed their babies before exercising. After exercising, the body sweats a lot, so bathing and cleaning are necessary to ensure breast hygiene. Therefore, it is important to plan the timing of breastfeeding and exercise appropriately.

(III) Selection of Postpartum Fitness Exercises

Postpartum fitness exercises primarily consist of gentle gymnastics, which can be combined with localized and gentle massage techniques for the abdomen. These exercises can generally be started from the day after childbirth and include the following practices:

Day 1 Exercises

(1) Chest Breathing Exercise: Lie on your back with knees bent and soles of the feet flat on the bed. Place your hands lightly on your chest. Take slow deep breaths and then exhale completely. Allow your hands to naturally move away from your chest while inhaling. Perform 5-6 repetitions every 2-3 hours.

(2) Foot Exercise: Maintain the chest breathing posture, with hands placed on the sides, legs extended, heels on the ground, and toes extended. Bend the toes inward, bringing the soles of the feet together. Maintain this position and point the toes outward. Perform once in the morning, afternoon, and evening, with 10 repetitions each time.

(3) Finger Exercise: Extend the arms and make a fist. Then, open the hands as wide as possible. Perform 10 repetitions daily.

Day 2 Exercises

(1) Abdominal Breathing Exercise: Same posture as chest breathing exercise, but place hands on the abdomen. Take deep breaths to make the abdomen expand, hold the breath for a moment, and then slowly exhale to deflate the abdomen. Perform 5-6 repetitions every 2-3 hours, similar to the chest breathing exercise.

(2) Head Lift Exercise: Remove the pillow, keep the legs extended and close together, place one hand on the abdomen, and the other hand beside you. Lift the head so that the eyes can see the hand on the abdomen (without stopping breathing). Take one breath and then lie back down. Perform several times a day, with each hand doing 5 repetitions, totaling 10 repetitions. This exercise should be done after the abdominal breathing exercise.

(3) Foot Exercise: Keep the feet together, toes extended, and ankles bent forcefully. Tighten the foot muscles without raising the knees. Take approximately two breaths and then return to the starting position. Perform three times in the morning, afternoon, and evening, with 10 repetitions each time.

Exercises for Day 3 and Day 4

(1) Abdominal Muscle Exercise (contracting the abdominal muscles): Same posture as breathing exercises, with hands placed behind the body, leaving a gap between the body and the mattress. Breathe continuously and gradually contract the abdominal muscles (making the gap between the body and the mattress smaller). Repeat several times a day, with 5 repetitions each time.

(2) Pelvic Tilt Exercise (adjusting the postpartum waist): Lie flat on your back, hands on the waist. Keep the knees straight and tilt the waist to the right side, pulling the left side. Hold for one or two seconds and then return to the starting position. Perform twice a day in the morning and evening, with each leg doing 5 repetitions.

(3) Foot Muscle Contraction Exercise: Cross the toes and gently tap the top foot on the bottom foot 2-3 times. Then, tighten the thigh muscles as if tensing the waist, pull both legs inward, and suddenly straighten them until the toes are pointed. Hold this position for one breath, then slowly relax and return to the starting position. Perform 5 repetitions for each foot, totaling 10 repetitions.

(4) Hand Exercise: Gently shake the wrists up and down. Perform several times a day, with 10 repetitions each time.

Exercises for Day 5 and Day 6

(1) Lower Body Exercise (leg lifting exercise): Lie on your back with knees bent and soles of the feet flat on the bed. Bend the thighs at a right angle to the bed while taking one breath, bringing the thighs closer to the abdomen. Restore the angle between the thighs and the bed, extend the legs, and exhale once before lowering the legs. Perform twice a day in the morning and evening, with 5 repetitions for each leg.

(2) Arm Massage Exercise: Use the palms and fingers to rub the outer side of the arms from top to bottom. Then, rub the inner side of the arms using the same technique. Perform this exercise as needed, alternating between arms for 10 repetitions each time.

(3) Pelvic Rotation Exercise: Lie on your back with knees bent and soles of the feet flat on the bed, palms flat on the sides. Keep the legs together and tilt to the right side, take one breath, and then tilt to the left side. Perform five repetitions each in the morning and evening.

(4) Arm Raise and Lower Exercise: Lie on your back with arms extended, take a deep breath. While exhaling, raise the hands to the front of the chest, palms together. Then inhale and return the arms to the starting position. Perform twice a day, with 5 repetitions each time.