Postnatal exercise is for mothers to do after delivery.

Types of exercises

It is recommended to start the exercises on the 1 st day of normal delivery.

You can start exercising even when you are still lying on the bed.

Try these :

• Move feet up and down, 10 times
• Move feet in circle movement, clockwise and anticlockwise, 10 times
• Deep breathing exercises, 3 times

Repeat these exercises 3 times / day.

As you progress, you may vary the position (lying, sitting, and standing) while exercising :

• Pull in your pelvic floor muscles, feel the contraction and relax, 5 times.
• Pull in tummy and relax, 5 times
• Tighten buttocks and relax, 5 times

Depends on your capability and ability, you can proceed to the following:

• Lie on tummy with one or two pillows under hips; pull in tummy and relax – 5 times
• Lie on tummy; pull in pelvic floor muscle and relax – 5 times
• Lie on tummy; tighten buttock and relax – 5 times
• Back strengthening exercises

Back strengthening exercises

• Lying with head and shoulder supported, hip and knee slightly bend; flatten your back against bed and relax – 5 times.

• Lying with head and shoulder supported, hip and knee slightly bend; tighten your tummy and lift up your buttocks off bed – 5 times.

• Lying on the tummy, lift head and shoulder off bed – 5 times.

Exercises that can be done after Caesarian section

Start exercise on the day after your operation.

The following are some of the exercises recommended :

• Breathing exercise
• Coughing
• Leg and foot exercise

Second day after operation, exercise should be done slowly and gently in any comfortable position on the bed.

• Static abdominal exercise :
  • Tighten your tummy and relax. 5 times each session; 3 times /day.

• Pelvic floor contraction (Kegel’s exercise) :
  • Squeeze your pelvic floor muscle as though you are preventing the flow of urine, feel the lift up of the pelvic floor muscle and hold for 5 seconds, than relax – 10 times each session; 3 times / day.

Breathing exercise

• Take 5 slow, deep breath and relax.
• Repeat every hour when you are awake for the first two days.

This is to help keep your lungs clear and prevent chest complication.

Coughing

• Bend your knees up, sit forward and support your wound firmly with a pillow.

• Breath in, hold and cough deeply
• Repeat 3 times

This is to bring up secretion from airway.

Leg and foot exercise

• Move your ankles up and down. Repeat 10 times

• Draw circles with both feet. Repeat 10 times.

• Bend and straighten knees alternately. Repeat 10 times.

This is to improve blood circulation.

Exercises to be avoided immediately following operation

• Double legs lifting

• Sitting up from lying position
• Jumping and hopping

Further reading

1. Welford H (1998). The complete guide from planning to birth. Reader’s Digest.
2. David Araujo (April 1997). Expecting questions about exercise and pregnancy. The Physical and sport medicine (vol 25 no 4).