Therapeutic Exercise for Postpartum Recovery

Pelvic floor dysfunctions (PFDs) are common conditions that affect women, especially after vaginal childbirth. These disorders can cause urinary or fecal incontinence, pain during sexual activity, and prolapse of pelvic organs, leading to a significant decrease in quality of life. Current scientific evidence shows that early and specific physiotherapy-based interventions after childbirth may help reduce the risk of developing long-term PFDs.

Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is currently the first-line conservative treatment for women with PFD, but in recent years other exercise methods, such as hypopressive exercises, have become increasingly popular, despite limited supporting evidence. At the same time, some women need to return early to physically demanding jobs or impact sports, but there are no clear guidelines on how to safely prepare the abdominopelvic region for progressive exposure to increased intra-abdominal pressure.

This study aims to compare two postpartum recovery exercise programs:

A program based on lumbopelvic stabilization exercises that progressively expose women to increases in intra-abdominal pressure and impact activities.

A program based on hypopressive exercises, which focus on avoiding intra-abdominal pressure.

The goal is to determine which approach is safer and more effective in improving pelvic floor recovery after childbirth and in supporting women in their gradual return to daily, work, and sports activities.