How Soon After a Miscarriage Should I Start Back Exercising?
Having a miscarriage is a life-changing event. Your body has suffered a trauma and your emotions are working overtime to grieve and heal. According to the American Pregnancy Association, it takes a few weeks to a month or more to completely recover physically from a miscarriage. Knowing when and how to return to regular exercise can help you begin the process safely.
A woman is stretching in an exercise room. (Image: Siri Stafford/Digital Vision/Getty Images)Life After Miscarriage
After your miscarriage, your body goes to work to heal itself. You may experience vaginal bleeding, much like a menstrual period for up to one week after your miscarriage, notes the American Pregnancy Association. You may also have light bleeding or spotting, abdominal pain, and breast pain or engorgement that goes away in about one week. The amount and type of symptoms you have depends on how far along you were in your pregnancy. During the early days it is best to only engage in light activity until you begin to feel better and your symptoms start to subside. Talk to your doctor about when it is safe to begin a regular exercise program.
Easing Back In
As with any health issue where easing back into regular activity and exercise is suggested, listening to your body after miscarriage is a good idea. One day you may feel up to a short walk, and the next day all you want to do is stay in bed. Adjusting your exercise to how you are feeling lets your body have the time it needs to feel better. The University of Maryland Medical Center advises women to wait two weeks after a miscarriage and then gradually begin adding exercise back in to your daily routine.
Types of Exercise
For the most part, the types of exercise you choose after miscarriage can be the same as those you did prior to experiencing the loss. Walking, swimming and other low-impact activities help improve blood flow, strengthen the heart and muscles and boost mood. But adding too much activity too soon after miscarriage might make you feel worse and increase some of your symptoms. The American Pregnancy Association recommends listening to your body and watching for signals that you need to reduce your activity for a few days until you feel better. And as always, talk to your doctor about when it is safe for you to return to your exercise program after miscarriage.
The Exercise Factor
Many women fear that exercise can bring on a miscarriage. Struggling with guilt over doing too much in the early days of pregnancy can delay a return to normal activity after miscarriage. In most cases, nothing can be done to prevent a miscarriage, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Most early miscarriages are the result of a developing fetus that is unhealthy and would not survive to the end of a pregnancy. This can be caused by chromosomal abnormalities, uterine abnormalities, infections, the age of the mother, autoimmune diseases and other non-preventable causes. Getting proper prenatal care, following a healthy diet and taking prenatal vitamins can all help ensure a healthy pregnancy. The right types of exercise before, during and after pregnancy and miscarriage improves your overall health.
