Postnatal Exercise and Fitness

Postnatal exercise will help you return to fitness and lift and firm that unwanted belly droop that comes with the sacrifice we moms make for mankind. (wink!)

Practice these exercises to tone your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles:

1. Pelvic floor exercises: This Kegel exercise is done by contracting your vagina in the same way as you would to stop yourself from passing urine. Count till four then relax. Repeat 10 times. Gradually work up to a count of 10.

2. Pelvic Tilt: Lie on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Inhale and allow your abdomen to expand, exhale and lift your tailbone toward your navel, keeping you hips on the floor at the top of the tilt, squeeze and tighten your butt then relax. Repeat 8 to 10 times.

3. Modified Crunch: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your hands out flat beside you. Pull in your abdominals and lift only your head off the floor. Hold this for a count of 5, relax and repeat 10 times.

Getting It Back

Getting started with your fitness program is always the most difficult thing. Getting out of the house and moving about is good for your physical and mental health, so take your baby out for regular walks in the stroller as soon as you feel up to it. Exercise can also help with any postpartum depression you might be experiencing. Stretching exercises will lengthen your muscles to release tension.

You can do brisk walking, swimming (if recommended), bicycling or other exercises that will give you more energy and help in getting your figure back. There are sculpting workouts you can do that will increase your metabolism, helping you to burn fat faster and give you a more toned physique.

Breastfeeding mothers, be careful in trying to speed up your weight loss; with rapid weight loss the body goes into ketosis and produces an acidic chemical substance called ketones. This process may cause a build up ketones in your baby’s milk which is potentially unhealthy for your infant. Also note that rapid weight loss has been associated with a decrease in milk production which is another good reason to use some restraint in your effort to get down to size.

Pay Close Attention

Monitor what you are doing in your postnatal exercise program and be aware of the warning signs of trouble. Avoid excessive fatigue and dehydration. Show yourself some love, girlfriend, and refrain from doing too much too soon. Get medical attention if you experience any symptoms of excessive vaginal bleeding, pelvic or abdominal pain, extreme shortness of breath, or over exhaustion after mild exercise.

Benefits

Benefits of improving your postnatal fitness include: Having more energy to look after the baby; adding something new and fun to your routine; meeting other new moms; and getting your figure back.

Remember to pull that sexy black dress out from the back of the closet. (Easy does it, you may wind up starting all over again, wink, wink!)

Getting back into that pre-baby shape may also give you more flexibility for opportunities which could open the door for activities for you rather than just the baby. After the initial weight loss in the month or two after giving birth, dropping the last five to 10 pounds can be a bit challenging however, you’ll enjoy more success by adding a consistent exercise program to your overall healthy lifestyle.

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Use our contact form to share your postnatal exercise success story. I’d love to hear how you used your postnatal exercise program to get back in shape. You can do so by completing the form on our contact page.

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