Let's face it: You may feel like you have been hit by a train after childbirth. You did the equivalent of a triathalon. Exercise may be the last thing on your mind after birth. Yet this may be the best time to soothe your postpartum aches and pains with very gentle healing exercises that you can easily incorporate into your new daily routine.

The exercises in this plan can help you begin to feel better physically and mentally. Keep in mind that the immense transformation your body undergoes during pregnancy reverses gradually. Although you may be anxious to regain your pre-pregnancy figure, it generally takes six weeks for the hips, pelvis and connecting muscles to realign. It may take longer to shed extra pounds.

Gentle exercises can hasten the restorative process and help you to stand taller, flatten your abdominal muscles, prevent long-term posture problems and prepare you to return to your favorite sports. It is important that your back, pelvis and the connecting muscles return to their proper alignment before resuming regular exercise. Chronic pain can result from premature sessions of running, stepping or weight lifting with misaligned posture and loose joints and ligaments.

Check with your health care provider before starting this plan. After an uncomplicated delivery, you may begin the day after delivery. The goals of the restoration plan include:

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