Postnatal fitness
The first exercises
When you leave hospital you'll be given a sheet of exercises to do, including ankle circling, pelvic floor exercises, pelvic tilt and modified abdominal exercises. Make sure you start these as soon as you can.
Get active
The sooner you get moving the better. Not only will you get back in shape quicker, but exercise can help banish the baby blues and beat postnatal depression.
Start with ten minutes' activity a day - try a short walk around the block, a dance with your baby or a snippet from a specially designed exercise video (most of which are broken into ten-minute chunks).
After six weeks
After you've been given the all-clear at your six-week check, you can start regular structured exercise - even if you've never exercised before. If you're still bleeding, though, take it easy and don't start swimming until it has stopped completely.