A lot of new mommies are in a hurry to get back to their former shape. They want to look fit, squeeze into their skinny jeans and dresses, and feel confident about themselves. However, most women don’t know where to begin after dedicating their body to create another life for so long and dedicating their life to welcome a newborn into the world, it can feel like a daunting prospect to start prioritising themselves for a change.
Immediately After Birth
The first few months after birth should be dedicated to rest and recovery, particularly after a caesarean section. In fact, medical professionals advise at least a 12 week rest period after an assisted delivery such as a section. For vaginal deliveries, it’s important to also remember that your body went through considerable trauma to give birth and a substantial period of recovery is advised. It’s always best to consult a doctor before beginning any new exercise regime and between you and your health advisor; you will know when your body is ready.
1. Pelvic Floor Strengthening – Kegel
Pelvic floor exercises are a great place to start and can be done throughout pregnancy and immediately after birth. During pregnancy, this group of muscles and ligaments gets stretched and strained because of the support it provides to the weight of the baby. After birth, exercise will help it return to its former strength.
The best way to perform this exercise is to focus on squeezing your pelvic muscles, which is the same technique you would incorporate if you wanted to stop yourself from urinating. Aiming to do about 20 such contractions and holding each time for around 3 seconds and relaxing for the same amount of time is a great goal to aim for.
2. Add Difficulty to Day-to-Day Tasks
This is a slow and gentle way to start pushing your body towards more activity and exercise. Simple things like sucking your stomach in while breathing normally, squeezing your glutes at the kitchen sink while washing bottles for 5 seconds, then releasing and repeating can work wonders even if you don’t realise it. You can also start taking a walk with your baby as soon as you feel up to it and doing mild stretches. YouTube have some great yoga workouts online that allow you the freedom to work-out to whenever you get any free time.
3. Dancing
Believe it or not, this is one of the most effective and gentle ways to become fit that you can do with your baby in your arms. All you need to do is start the music, hold your baby close and move slowly to the rhythm together. This is a lovely bonding time for you both that will burn calories while you’re at it!
4. Curl-Ups
This exercise can be fun because if your baby can hold their head up on their own, you can do it with them. Lie down flat on your back with your feet planted on the ground. Settle them on your pubic bone carefully before lifting your back off the ground and curling towards them.
5. Baby Press
There are two ways to do this. One is to sit cross-legged and gently lift your baby upwards. You can do 10 of these in a set, before relaxing and repeating. You can lie down with your knees bent and feet planted on the ground before lifting your baby.
You can also perform planks and walking lunges. When the exercises start becoming easy, it’s time to increase their intensity. Be sure to drink plenty of water and have a healthy, balanced diet with less bread and more greens.
Creating a life takes 9 months and it is only fair to expect a return to fitness in the same time frame.
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