Exercising after the birth of your baby can you give a much needed energy-boost and mood-lift and can also help you shed pregnancy weight. Here’s how to get started.
If you were active before pregnancy, you might be eager to get back to your pre-pregnancy fitness level. Or perhaps, the new baby has given you motivation [...]
As soon as your pregnancy weight starts to increase, you probably are already scheming on how to shed those pounds after the delivery. Then, you will come to discover that the svelte body you had pre-pregnancy will not miraculously re-appear post-delivery.
Typically, a woman gains between two to five pounds during the first trimester, and a [...]
This is another good exercise for strengthening your abdominal muscles.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
Inhale and allow your abdomen to expand.
Exhale and lift your tailbone toward your navel, keeping your hips on the floor.
At the top of the tilt, tighten your buttocks, then release. Repeat 8 [...]
If you had an episiotomy or if your perineum feels bruised or swollen, then doing Kegel exercises to tighten your pelvic floor muscles will improve circulation to the area and help avoid problems such as incontinence. These muscles tire easily, so it’s best to do several contractions repeatedly throughout the day rather than in one [...]
This exercise will help you start toning your abdominal muscles, but don’t be discouraged if you can’t feel the muscles working. It can take weeks to start recovering your strength and your progress depends on how fit you were before getting pregnant.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your head.
Take [...]
Push-ups are a good way to strengthen the upper-body muscles needed for carrying your new baby. If you have time to do only a few exercises, make sure this is one of them.
Start on all fours with your knees directly below your hips, and hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart.
Keeping your back flat and your [...]
After having your baby you might want to get started again right away. Many obstetricians and midwives suggest waiting until your six-week postpartum checkup before beginning to exercise. Although it’s really okay to start exercising right away if you feel up to it. Do wait at least six weeks before you actively try to slim [...]
