Exercise After Pregnancy For Natural Weight Loss After Pregnancy

Exercise After Pregnancy For Natural Weight Loss After Pregnancy

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As a new mum, you will want to get fit as soon as possible after delivery. Once your physician has stated it is safe, there are specific exercises that will help to shape and tone your body. Exercise is beneficial for any new mum. As you start to exercise your energy levels will increase and you will immediately start looking and feeling good. In addition to helping you get in shape, exercise helps to reduce the risk of postpartum depression. It also helps you feel good about yourself as you adapt to your new role as a mother. As you start exercising and losing your excess pregnancy weight, remember there is no quick fix solution.

If you had a Caesarean section, your recovery time will be longer since this is considered major surgery. As soon as you are ready, walking and pelvic exercises will help muscles recover from the operation. Remember to listen to your body. You may become fatigued easier, so take things slowly.

Even after an uncomplicated birth, it is essential to start out exercising slowly. Most physicians recommend waiting until after your 6-week check-up before starting an exercise regimen. Your abdominal muscles underwent dramatic changes during your pregnancy as the muscles were split down the middle. It is important to ensure your stomach muscles are properly healed before starting an exercise program. Weak stomach muscles can also affect other aspects of your health. Poor posture is the result of weak stomach muscles and can cause strain to the lower back, joint pain, and inflammation. Heres how to check if you are ready for exercise.

ARE YOU READY FOR EXERCISE?

While lying on your back, place your hands behind your neck and slowly lift your head towards the ceiling. Try and hold the position and place a finger just above your belly button pressing down gently. You will feel a gap, (the distance between the muscles) and you need to assess how wide it is. If the gap is one finger wide or none at all, then you should be okay to start exercising. If the gap is two or more fingers wide, then you need to be careful.

Most mums will be able to start walking and performing gentle exercises soon after delivery. For the first six weeks, do what you can. Start with 10 to 15 minutes per day, slowly increasing this time as your strength and endurance builds. On a beautiful day, put your baby in the stroller and walk around the neighborhood or a park. Even carrying your baby in a sling while you run errands will burn calories and increase bonding time. Exercises to consider during the first 6 weeks include pelvic floor (see above), lower tummy muscle, and pelvic tilt exercises:

LOWER TUMMY MUSCLE EXERCISE

Lie on your back on the floor or bed and bend your knees by taking your feet up and comfortably close to your buttocks.
Close and draw up the sphincter muscle. However, dont contract your buttocks. Next, close and draw up the muscles around your vaginal area and urethra as if you are trying to hold back urine.
Pull your belly button in and up to feel your lower tummy muscles tighten. Hold for a count of 10 while trying to breathe normally.
Slowly relax and let go. Wait a few seconds then repeat. For maximum results, perform this exercise 5 times.

PELVIC TILT EXERCISE

Lie on your back on the floor or bed and bend your knees by taking your feet up comfortably close to your buttocks.
Close and draw up the sphincter muscle. However, dont contract your buttocks. Next, close and draw up the muscles around your vaginal area and urethra as if you are trying to hold back your urine.
Tilt your pelvis backward pushing your lower back into the floor or bed while arching your back away from the floor. The goal is to bring your belly button to your backbone.
Slowly relax and let go. Wait a few seconds then repeat. For optimal results, perform this exercise 5 times.
Try to breathe normally throughout.

After birth, swimming is ideal as it is a gentle, low impact exercise. However, you should wait until you have had a minimum of 7 days without bleeding or discharge. If you had a Caesarean or stitches, it is advisable to wait until after your 6-week check-up.

Once you begin exercising after pregnancy, it is important to practice proper breathing techniques called diaphragmatic breathing exercises. The skin and muscles over your abdominal area became taut during your pregnancy. Now that your baby has arrived, this skin and muscle is loose and requires training to return to its pre-pregnancy state. Breathing correctly during exercise helps to shorten the abdominal wall to its previous length. While you inhale, you should feel and/or see your chest and abdomen expanding. While you exhale, your chest and abdomen should compress. This breathing technique will help retrain your core by teaching the stomach muscle to shorten before lengthening. The exhalation shortens while the inhalation lengthens.

After your 6-week check-up, your body should be recovering well enough to begin more strenuous activities to regain your pre-pregnancy figure. Yoga, Pilates, and swimming are excellent exercises after pregnancy and if possible, sign up for a class in your area.

However, it isnt necessary to take a class since there are a number of exercises you can do in your own home. Some of these exercises include:

LEG SLIDE
The Leg Slide is an exercise that tones both your abdominal and leg muscles.

Lie on your back on the floor or bed and bend your knees by taking your feet up and comfortably close to your buttocks.
As you breathe in, slide one leg to a straight position.
Then breathe out and return the leg to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
Repeat 10 times for each leg.

BRIDGE
After doing the pelvic tilt exercise above for a number of weeks, you will have built some abdominal muscle strength and you can progress to the next level.

Lie on your back on the floor or bed and bend your knees by taking your feet up and comfortably close to your buttocks.
While breathing in, contract your abdominal, buttock, and pelvic floor muscles as you raise your hips off of the floor.
Hold this position for 5 seconds before breathing out as you slowly relax and let go.
Wait a few seconds and then repeat 5 times.

More difficult variations on this exercise include:

Move your feet farther from your buttocks.
While in the bridge position, lift one leg up and keep your hips level.

SHOULDER LIFTS AND HEAD LIFTS
This exercise strengthens the back muscles as well as tones the abdomen.

Lie on your back on the floor or bed and bend your knees by taking your feet up and comfortably close to your buttocks with your arms by your side.
Keep your lower back flush with the floor.
As you breathe out, slowly lift your head and neck off the floor.
As you lower your head back down, breathe in. Repeat up to 10 times.

Once you have carried out the head lift for a number of weeks, you can progress to the shoulder lift. The exercise is repeated as above but this time your head and shoulders are lifted off the floor.

As you progress, you can increase the effort required by crossing your arms across your chest or folding both arms behind your head.

ADVANCED LOWER TUMMY MUSCLE EXERCISE

Begin with getting down on your hands and knees, keeping your back as flat as possible throughout the exercise.
Close and draw up the sphincter muscle. However, dont contract your buttock muscles. Next, close and draw up the muscles around your vaginal area and urethra as if you are trying to hold back urine.
Pull and draw up the area around your belly button and hold this position for 10 seconds.
Slowly relax and after a few seconds repeat. Perform this exercise 5 times.

More difficult variations on this exercise include:

Once in the hold position, lift one of your arms straight out in front of you and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat for the other arm.
Once in the hold position, hold your left arm out in front of you and your right leg out behind you. Hold the position for 10 seconds. Repeat with the other arm and leg.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
If your exercises are restricted to those you do around the home, it should be noted that abdominal exercises will strengthen muscle, but only aerobic exercise will help you lose those additional baby pounds by burning fat. In addition, muscular fitness and flexibility are also important for overall good health. You should consider the following:

AEROBIC FITNESS
Also known as endurance activity or cardio, you should incorporate these exercises into your fitness regimen to boost weight loss. Aerobic exercise makes you breathe faster and deeper. This increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, which improves the efficiency of your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Performing cardio exercises will also make it easier for you to perform physical tasks such as climbing stairs, mowing the lawn, or chasing after an active two year old. It is recommended that you perform 2 hours of moderate aerobic exercise spread throughout the week for maximum results.
MUSCULAR FITNESS
Most women fall into the trap of doing the cardio, but skipping strength training. Dont. Your goal is to lose your unwanted baby weight. Muscular fitness performed twice a week increases bone strength and helps maintain lean muscle mass. Also, you dont need to go to the gym since you can use hand-held weights. Once you are physically able, include push-ups, leg squats, and abdominal crunches into your workout session. Think of it as functional training. You will have to lift your baby every day so your arms will need to be strong. Strength training also boosts metabolism, which will help you lose your additional baby weight.
STRETCHING
It is important to stretch your muscles because it helps improve range of motion while promoting better posture. Additionally, stretching is a great way to relieve stress. The best time to stretch is after you exercise since your muscles are warm. After exercising, stretch the muscles that you worked. If you are not exercising regularly, it is still beneficial to stretch three times a week to maintain flexibility.

About the Author:
As a Mum of three and a freelance writer Julie Jameson is determined to help other mums lose weight easily, naturally and safely without the use of pills, potions, diets or counting of any kind. Read more at http://www.mumscanloseweight.com



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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