If you're wondering, “when can I exercise after c-section?,” take heart: You won't have to wait too long. “A c-section is an abdominal surgery, so six weeks is the minimum you should wait,” says Nazneen Vasi, PT, a physical therapist and owner of Body Harmony Physical Therapy in New York City.
If you want to get your body moving before your 4–6 week postnatal check-up, start with gentle, low-impact activity, like walking. Once your health care provider has given you the thumbs up for exercise after delivery, you can slowly ease yourself back into a regular workout routine over a few weeks or months.
It's best to wait until you've had your 6-8 week postnatal check with your GP before returning to your pre-pregnancy levels of exercise. If you weren't very active before your pregnancy, this is a good time to start exercising. Try to build up gradually and stop if you have any pain.
We know that every patient has a different labor and delivery experience, but in general, it takes around six weeks to completely heal from your C-section.
As a cesarean section is an abdominal surgery, your doctor will likely advise you to not lift anything over 8-10 lbs, depending on the doctor as well as the details regarding your cesarean and your personal health. Lifting restrictions typically last anywhere from 6-8 weeks.
Giving birth via C-section is considered a major surgery, so you will definitely need at least six weeks if not longer to recover. 2 "It's recommended to wait the full six weeks after Cesarean delivery to resume any lifting more than 15-20 pounds," says Dr. Koidahl. "This is to let the incision fully heal."
Women should walk for about 20 minutes at a moderate pace to increase circulation and speed up healing. Fit mothers recover quickly and can be back on their feet in a matter of weeks. Walking after a cesarean delivery is regarded as an important part of recovery exercise.
If you're wondering, “when can I exercise after c-section?,” take heart: You won't have to wait too long. “A c-section is an abdominal surgery, so six weeks is the minimum you should wait,” says Nazneen Vasi, PT, a physical therapist and owner of Body Harmony Physical Therapy in New York City.
Increased bleeding after your lochia starts to decrease can be a sign you're overdoing it and need more rest. Seeing ongoing clots could mean your uterus is having trouble getting back to its pre-pregnancy size. In either case, it's always best to call.
C-section scar recovery
Your wound will take about 6 weeks to heal. You will have a scar but this will fade over time. Your scar will be 10–20cm long and is usually just below your bikini line. It will be red at first but will fade over time.
Rushing into things too quickly and even sex four weeks after a C-section can lead to complications such as infection. Six weeks is the average amount of time it takes the uterus to return to its normal size, cervix to close, and C-section incision to heal.
Avoid any high-impact exercises, such as aerobics, running and resistance or weight training. Once you have recovered from your c-section and no longer have any pain, it is usually safe to start low-impact exercises, such as swimming, postpartum Pilates, yoga, light jogging and low resistance gym work.
3 weeks post-cesarean delivery
After you've been home from the hospital for 3 weeks or so, you might be walking for up to 15 minutes, gradually building up the time if it feels good. Keep up your daily pelvic floor exercises too.
"Whether you delivered vaginally or by C-section, it takes six weeks for the uterus to contract to its normal size," says Dr. Daneshmand. Resting a heating pad or hot-water bottle on your belly can help—and so can over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen.
You need to give your body at least 6 weeks for the incision to heal, and for the abdomen to recover from the trauma.
A C-section pouch is actually caused by scar tissue left behind by your C-section scar. In some cases, the way your body recovers after surgery can cause excess fat to find itself in your lower belly area.
Doctors, traditionally, have advised women to avoid stairs after a C-section. But Kathryn Houston, a clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco, shrugs off that recommendation. “Stairs are fine as long as you take them slowly,” she says.
It is important to start with light exercises like walking, as soon as your doctor gives you the go-ahead after your c-section. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that moderate physical activity can lead to a reduction in body fat, including belly fat.
You should start walking regularly for 30-40 minutes, 5-6 months after the delivery. Walking is a low impact workout which helps to boost metabolism and also burn the extra fat in the body. It also helps in increasing the energy, thus, preventing the body fat to get stored in the body.
This pressure and weakened pelvic floor can lead to the drop and protrusion of organs, a serious medical condition.” What is this? With a cesarean birth, lifting too heavy too soon can cause your incision (either external or internal) to open, rupture, or cause other serious medical issues.
You can resume exercise once your doctor or midwife gives you permission. Typically, women who have vaginal deliveries are cleared around 4 weeks postpartum, while c-section mamas are typically cleared around 6 – 8 weeks postpartum.