Doing cardiovascular exercise after giving birth to a child is beneficial to your body and emotions. Swimming is a beneficial form of cardio workout for women in this condition, as it is gentle on the body. By becoming active again, you will relieve constipation that is common after childbirth as well as help give a boost to your metabolism. It also helps reduce anxiety and stress and can assist you in getting over feelings of sadness that happen sometimes after childbirth, referred to as postpartum depression. Always consult your gynecologist before you engage in any type of exercise after giving birth to a child.
Step 1
If you had a cesarean section, check your wound to see if there is any heavy bleeding. For vaginal births, it can take up to six weeks to fully recover from bleeding as your uterus returns to its normal size and your cervix closes up. You don't want to swim or do any other type of exercise during your healing process or you may delay your recovery period.
Step 2
Enter the water on the shallow end of the pool once you are sure you are ready to swim and do exercise. Spend the first few days swimming gently in the shallow end of the pool where you can float and move your arms around in the water, but you don't need to move your legs to stay afloat. After those few days you can enter the deep end of the pool, as long as you don't experience heavy bleeding after your swimming exercise.
Step 3
Enter the deep end of the pool slowly and swim freestyle for a few minutes to allow your body to get used to the movement of your legs in the water. Then float on your back to begin some laps of back crawl stroke, where your kicking will be kept at a minimum and you will propel your body forward using mainly your arms.
Step 4
Start doing the front crawl and breaststroke after a couple of days of freestyle and back crawl. You want to ease your body into your swimming routine to improve your fitness level while still allowing your body to heal properly.
Tips and Warnings
- Swimming in the ocean is beneficial to the healing of your body, as long as the waters are warm and calm.
- Terminate your swimming routine if you begin to bleed excessively or if you experience sharp shooting pain and contact your gynecologist to receive proper medical attention.
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