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Physical Activity Guide

Mothers of New Babies and Toddlers

Physical Activity

Build Strength

Muscular strength activities
These activities are great for weight loss, toning your muscles that were stretched during pregnancy and delivery, and improving the strength needed to tend to all the physical tasks you do caring for you and your baby.

Do Kegel exercises DAILY
Urinary incontinence such as peeing when you laugh or sneeze, can last for several months after delivery. Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles that circle the urethra and the outside walls of the vagina. Strong muscles mean fewer problems like peeing unexpectedly!
Photo by Eric Zeitoun

How to do Kegel exercises
Tighten the muscles around your vagina and anus for several seconds (try for 10 seconds if you can!) and then relax. These are the same muscles that you use to stop peeing! You can even practice by stopping yourself peeing just to make sure that you're doing it right. Once you've got the feeling of which muscles to tighten repeat the exercise when you're NOT peeing. Do this several times throughout the day, working up to about 25 times per day. You can do this during most activities such as when you're reading a book, watching the television, or breastfeeding your baby.

Protect your joints
It takes about 12 weeks for joint and ligament laxity to return to normal after pregnancy. Breastfeeding mothers may notice that their joints seem as loose or even looser than during pregnancy. Ligaments may also be relaxed because of some of the hormonal effects associated with breastfeeding. In order to protect your joints as you work on increasing your strength begin with muscular strengthening exercises that you can do at home with your baby. Progress to muscular strength activities that make use of free weights or weight machines. These are an efficient way to focus in on specific muscle groups.

  • Strengthen your legs but keep your knees bent to work as "shock absorbers".
  • Maintain your back in neutral alignment.
  • Strengthen your tummy muscles but make sure that your stitches and abdominal wall are healed FIRST.
  • Strengthen your chest, shoulders and back to help support your bigger breasts!
  • Avoid heavy weight lifting and weight resistance machines for the first 6 weeks and up to three months or longer if joint laxity due to breastfeeding persists.
  • Begin with muscular strengthening exercises that you can do at home with your baby.

The following diagrams are from the manual "Active Living During Your Pregnancy" produced and distributed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, 1999. To order your own copy call toll free 1-877-651-3755.

Strong tummy muscles mean fewer back problems!
If you have had a caesarian section you will have to wait until your stitches are healed and your caregiver or physician has given you the go ahead to begin abdominal exercises.

Muscular strength guidelines.

Click here for more information on endurance.
Click here for more information on flexibility.