A brief briefing for moms before going cycling, swimming and going to the gym

How to exercise after childbirth?

Australian Tammy Hembrow is a proud mother of two. And she is proud not only of her son and daughter, but also of the figure that she restored with the help of nutrition and fitness in three months. Her example breaks the myth that you should not play sports after giving birth. It is possible, but only carefully.

After a month and a half, see your supervising doctor to make sure everything is in order. Until this time, it is better to just walk a lot, developing the muscles of the pelvis and driving away postpartum depression. Walking with a stroller is an additional load on the arms and shoulders.

If you are determined, make an appointment with a physiologist so that he examines the abdominal cavity and pelvic diaphragm with passion and explains what you can or cannot do for you, depending on how your body is recovering. If you didn’t skip the gym before the birth, then you can come to the physiotherapist’s classes a couple of weeks after the birth – this will help you to enter the working mode again without much stress.

You can start swimming after six weeks. A steady load increases your heart rate, burns a lot of calories, and doesn't require weight work. You can think about Pilates, but only after consulting a physiotherapist.

You can leave the child with dad and really “return to sports” no earlier than three months. You need to do the exercises slowly and carefully – respect your body, which gave you such a miracle. Listen to it, and if in the process you feel the slightest pain or discomfort, stop immediately – then it's not time yet.

If there are no problems, then you can start with cycling or classes in a cycle studio. In the latter case, do not hesitate to put a rolled-up towel on the seat or purchase special cycling shorts for comfort – bike saddles are hard, athletic. Here's a 10 rep workout.

1 minute drive on a flat road with low resistance.

1 minute uphill with high resistance.

1 minute sprint on a flat road at a fast pace but with moderate resistance.