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Postpartum Exercise

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Postpartum Exercise, Exercise Following Pregnancy

  • See Also
  1. Exercise in Pregnancy
  2. Pelvic Floor Exercise
  • Indications
  1. Exercise is recommended for all women in first 12 weeks after delivery (unless contraindicated)
  • Contraindications
  1. See Get Active Questionnaire for Postpartum (below)
  2. Significant Abdominal Pain or Vaginal Bleeding
  3. Post-cesarean delivery with symptoms worsening with Exercise
  4. Non-healed surgical incisions or perineal tears
  5. Postpartum Cardiomyopathy
  6. Unstable Hypertension
  7. Unstable Eating Disorder
  8. Relative Energy Deficiency or Malnutrition
    1. See Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
  1. Mental health symptoms
  2. Insomnia
  3. Abdominal wall and pelvic floor symptoms
  4. Wound Healing
  5. Musculoskeletal pain
  6. Anemia
  7. Eating Disorders
  8. Lack of social and emotional support
  9. Lactation status
    1. Requires an additional 450 to 500 kcal/day of intake
  • Associated Conditions
  • Postpartum Medical Conditions Mitigated by Exercise
  1. Mood Disorders
    1. See Postpartum Blues
    2. See Postpartum Major Depression
    3. See Anxiety Non-pharmacologic Management
  2. Weight Retention
    1. See Obesity Management
  3. Sleep Disorders
    1. Insomnia
    2. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  4. Diabetes Mellitus
    1. See Gestational Diabetes
  5. Cardiovascular Disease
    1. See Postpartum Hypertension
  6. Stress Incontinence
    1. See Pelvic Floor Exercise
  7. Low Back Pain
    1. See Low Back Pain in Pregnancy
    2. See Sacroiliac Dysfunction
  • Management
  1. Start
    1. Begin with early mobilization and light activity
    2. Initially prioritize nutrition, hydration and sleep
    3. Plan for progression of activity individualized to the patient (and with contraindications in mind)
      1. After surgical wounds have healed
      2. After lochia has decreased to manageable leve;
  2. Goal Activity
    1. Exercise for 120 minutes per week
    2. Moderate to vigorous Exercise for at least 4 days per week
    3. Exercise should be a combination or aerobic (e.g. brisk walk, Bicycling) and Resistance Training
  3. Additional Recommendations
    1. Ensure adequate nutritional intake per day (esp. in Lactation)
    2. Pelvic Floor Exercise (e.g. Kegel Exercise) daily
    3. Sleep Hygiene
    4. Limit recreational Screen Time to 3 hours per day
    5. Limit sedentary activities to 8 hours per day
  • Resources
  1. Get Active Questionnaire for Postpartum (CSEP)
    1. https://csep.ca/2025/03/21/csep-get-active-questionnaire-for-postpartum/
  • References
  1. Coomes (2026) Am Fam Physician 114(3): 314-5 [PubMed]
  2. Davenport (2025) Br J Sports Med +PMID: 40139673 [PubMed]