Pilates after Cesarean Section | C-Section Post Op Pilates
A C-section is major surgery and should be treated as such. In the beginning, getting up, walking and climbing the stairs are all challenging. Driving a car is not a particularly physical task, yet it is recommended not to drive for 6 weeks after a c section. With this in mind, the exercise level will be low. Additionally, breast feeding every 2 hours or bottle feeding every 3 hours is going to be fatiguing.
Pilates after Cesarean Section
When the surgeon made those incisions and openings, they cut through some nerve endings meaning the new mother quite possibly cannot feel or activate her core voluntarily at all. This is your starting point. Making that mind-body connection can take time as the nerve endings have to heal. If this is a non-Pilates person, they will have to learn how to activate their core and pelvic floor muscles. This is no easy feat, especially with a newborn and no sleep.
Static core and pelvic floor contractions are a great beginning and will help strengthen the core ready for further activity is possible. New mothers will spend time sitting in various positions feeding their baby/babies. If they are aware of their posture and are able to use this time for core and pelvic floor contractions, this can only help. Core and pelvic floor muscles can be activated by tightening quickly and held for a period of time. Do ten repetitions, rest two minutes, and do ten more repetitions. Do this four times a day, before eating and before bed. Once the mind-body connection is there, these contractions can be done anywhere.
After 6 weeks
Providing the new mother has passed her 6-week physician check-up, she can begin to use additional Pilates exercises to help her regain her core strength and to aid her recovery. It is important that she may still have discomfort and pains around her scar. This was major surgery. Exercise is a choice. Often surgery wasn’t. Always listen to what they are telling you, and if anything becomes painful, then seek advice from your physician. You will only be introducing low impact exercises at this stage.
Exercises:
Prep for One Leg Stretch (lying supine, in neutral, TVA and pelvic floor engaged, monitoring hip stability with hands, and slide alternate heels along the floor)
Prep for Shoulder Bridge (pelvic tilts)
Prep for One Hundred (lying supine, in neutral, TVA and pelvic floor engaged, monitoring hip stability with hands, lower body only, single-leg tabletop)
Posture education
These may not sound like much, but to the new mother recovering from a C-section, these are a challenge. If they can do it a little bit more often, this will make a massive difference.
How to get your car seat in and out of the car without risking injury.
How to lower baby into their Moses basket/cot without putting strain on your vertebral disks. How to stand to promote your health and posture.
How to carry a baby without risking your posture.
After 12 weeks
Providing there are no additional complications, and mother is feeling well in herself, she can begin to phase herself back into Pilates. She must be acutely aware that more is not better. The technique, neutral spine, core, and pelvic floor are fundamental in her achieving her fitness goals. Although at 12 weeks, her goal may just be to leave the house for an hour. We teach with layers for a reason. She will need to use these layers and work her way up gradually to her previous level.
Abdominal exercises:
These exercises will help to strengthen the muscles in your abdomen (tummy area). This will help you to protect your spine and have good posture.
Lie on your side and slightly bend your knees.
Relax your abdominal muscles and breathe in gently.
As you breathe out, gently pull in your abdominal muscles.
At the same time, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles.
Hold in your abdominal muscles and squeeze your pelvic floor for 10 seconds, then gently release.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Pilates after Cesarean Section
Well done to all the new mothers out there who have the energy to consider exercise at this point. Take it steady, and the benefits will come to you. Once you have recovered from your c-section and no longer have any pain, it’s usually safe to start low-impact exercises, such as swimming, Pilates, gentle jogging and low resistance gym work. Your physician may recommend you wait for at least 12 weeks before starting any high-impact exercises, such as aerobics, running and resistance or weight training. Hormones can affect your joints for about 6 months after birth so start off gently.
Come Check Out ChaiseFitness in Upper East Side Today!
At ChaiseFitness, we believe that anyone can be fit—no matter what skill level or body type. This belief inspired the creation of our patented Reinvention Method, which is for everyone—the athlete, the dancer, the beginner, the advanced, the rebuilder. We blend Pilates, ballet, and strength training and equip you with a chair and overhead bungees so that you work out all your muscles every time. We are located in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. For more information, you can contact us at (973)996-2063, or visit our website.
