If you’ve recently had a baby, you’ll probably be coming to
terms with your post-pregnancy body. Many women are shocked by how long it
takes them to bounce back after giving birth. A bigger stomach and bigger
breasts are just two of the leftovers from 9 months of pregnancy. Although
celebrities are always posting pictures of themselves in the media showing how
they’ve got themselves back in shape within just a few weeks of having their
little one, this isn’t realistic, or even desirable, for most women. Those
early postpartum weeks should be all about bonding with your baby and enjoying
your new family life, not about losing weight. Remember that it took 9 months
for your body to change, it could easily take another 9 months for it to get
back to its old self.
Once you’re ready to get back in shape, there are lots of
things you can do to improve your physique and regain your old figure in a
healthy way.
How To Get Started
The first exercises you should be doing when you’re ready
after the birth are pelvic floor exercises. Then you can progress to taking a
few gentle walks. You shouldn’t do anything strenuous until you’ve seen your
doctor for your postnatal check-up. Never start a new workout program until
you’ve consulted your physician, particularly if you’ve had any pelvic or back
problems during pregnancy. Although swimming is a gentle form of exercise, it’s
important to avoid going swimming until you’ve had your postnatal check-up
since the water could cause an infection. While you’re still experiencing
discharge following the birth, you need to take care to avoid excessive
physical activity. Exercising too hard at this stage could increase the flow.
Women who have had a Caesarean birth will also need to be more careful with
exercise until their incisions have healed.
Taking An Exercise Class
There are a lot of exercises classes which are designed
specifically for postnatal women. They are often run by highly trained
specialist teachers and they are created to help women to shape up in a safe
and healthy way after giving birth. You can also attend a regular exercise
class, but you should always tell the instructor that you’ve recently given
birth so that they can recommend which exercises you should avoid or give you
special adaptations for your circumstances.
Exercising Independently
You don’t need to join an exercise class to get fit after
birth. Why not take your baby out into the fresh air for a walk or a jog? It’s
a brilliant way to bond with your little one while you shape up and you can
both benefit from getting outdoors. Find out more on wifeknows.com about how to
choose the best stroller for jogging.
Losing Weight
Don’t be surprised if it takes you longer than it used to
when it comes to losing your weight post-birth. However, the good news is that
many women get back to their pre-pregnancy weight within the first year of
giving birth. You shouldn’t immediately start dieting after giving birth, and
this is especially the case if you’ve chosen to breastfeed. Breastfeeding
requires an additional 500 calories per day, and lots of new moms find they
actually lose weight just by breastfeeding their newborn. The best option for
getting in shape and staying that way involves combining eating healthily with
taking regular exercise. Don’t be too drastic in your goals – aiming for weight
loss of around 1 pound per week is the best way to keep the weight off in the
long-term. Try exercising for half an hour 3-5 times per week and take some
aerobic exercise like jogging or Zumba. You should also consider working on
your muscles which have been affected most by pregnancy – sit ups are very good
for this, but only if your doctor says that they are safe for you.
Follow this advice and you should find that you lose weight
and get back in shape in as healthy a way as possible after giving birth to
your newborn. However, don’t feel under pressure to lose weight too quickly –
remember, this time in your life is all about enjoying your new little one.
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