Looking for a few great exercises to aid in c-section recovery? When you are getting back into exercising after a c-section, it can be a very stressful and scary time. Even if your doctor has given you the green light, you may still be a little bit apprehensive. However, many experts agree that exercise is not only okay to do, but can often actually soothe your body and aid in recovery. Let’s take a look at a few different exercises you can do to help you recover faster and feel better than ever after a c-section.
Exercises to Aid in C-Section Recovery
Bridge
The bridge is a great little exercise that strengthens your core, hips, legs and butt, and is great for injury recovery. To do this exercise you have to lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. From there, you will slowly and methodically lift your butt and back off of the floor, hold for a few seconds, and then lay back down.
Forward Bends
There are a number of different forwards bends you can do, but we recommend with starting with something simple, a standing forward bend. All you have to do for this exercise is to stand straight, extend your arms up above your head and bend forward as far as you can comfortably go. This helps to strengthen your abdominal muscles, which are the ones that need the most recovery and work after a c-section.
Leg Slides
Like the first two exercises, this movement is all about making your abdominal muscles stronger, with the added bonus of toning your legs. To do this exercise your simply lay down on the floor with your knees bent. Then, slowly extend your leg to a straight position, hold for a few seconds, and then return to the bent position. This can be done with one leg at a time, or both legs, if you want something more advanced.
Cardio
While most of the exercises recommended for strengthening and recovery after a c-section are abdominal exercises, cardio is also fairly important. Maintaining (or starting) a healthy lifestyle that features going for walks, water aerobic and more. Going for walks is low-impact, very easy to do and can help usher back in a lifestyle featuring more advanced exercises.
Remember, it is still good to wait until you have a doctor’s approval to return to exercising, even if these are low impact movements and stretches. If you employ these exercises (and others like them), you will enjoy a speedy and healthy recovery from your c-section.
What a great informative post!! Some of my friends and family had C-sections, and I remember everything they went through.
My mother had one of these and they are definitely a better operation than they were back then. However, they still wreak havoc. Great exercises!
This is a great resource! Sharing this with my mom friends!
These couldn’t be more true! I have three c-sections and exercising was key afterwards.
These look like very effective exercises to me.
My husband said some of these are done in his kickboxing classes for core strength.
I had no idea that there were exercises to aid in C section recovery! I guess that’s because I do not have kids. Thanks for sharing!
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly
These are great options and they can definitely be done at home. Core workouts must be super important to stabilize those muscles again.
This is a great list for new moms! I will share this with a friend who will be having a c section soon.
It’s so important to do everything you can to help with c-section recovery. These are great exercises.
These are great exercises and I would have loved to utilize them after my c-sections.
I’m so happy that I never had to deal with a C-section but for those that do it’s great that there are exercises to help with the recovery.
Where was this 9 years ago?? LOL. My incision actually reopened after I got home and it was a mess for MONTHS afterwards.