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 to start a new fitness plan.

Exercising after baby’s birth can help:

• Increase energy and combat postpartum fatigue
• Boost your mood
• Help start lifelong healthy habits
• Shed the weight gained during pregnancy

Getting started with exercise
Most women can safely start or resume a fitness program after giving birth. Follow these tips to get started:

1. Get your doctor’s approval. Do not start an exercise program without first getting your doctor’s OK. It takes your body weeks to months to recover from  labor and delivery, so it may not be safe to exercise for a while. If you delivered by cesarean section (c-section), it may take even longer to recover. It’s best to wait until all soreness is gone before you attempt exercise. Your doctor can tell you when it’s safe for you to start exercise and if there are any activities you should avoid.

2. Be realistic. Unless your doctor says otherwise, there is no general rule about how long you should wait to exercise after having your baby. Some women can begin gentle exercise within days while others may need to wait four to six weeks. Every woman is different, so don’t pressure yourself to start exercising by a set date. Being ready for exercise after pregnancy depends on:

• Your activity level before and during pregnancy
• How long labor lasted
• If you delivered vaginally or had a c-section
• How well you have recovered from childbirth

3. Ease into it. Doing too much, too soon can cause burnout and injury. Doctors suggest easing gradually into exercise after having a baby. Once your body fully recovers from pregnancy and childbirth and gets stronger, you can increase the length and intensity of your workout sessions. Start with exercises that are easy for you. Try walking. You can do it anywhere and bring baby along.

4. Listen to your body. If you don’t feel up to a workout today, take a rest. Your energy levels will vary day to day. Maybe the baby didn’t sleep well last night or perhaps you didn’t eat enough the day before. It’s normal to feel fatigued for a time after the baby’s birth. Listen to your body and exercise only when you have enough energy.

Also listen to your body during exercise. Know when to stop. If you have any of the following during exercise, stop and call your doctor:

• Nausea
• Pain in back
• Pain in pubic area
• Trouble walking
• Vaginal bleeding

Call 999 at once if you have:

• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Feeling faint or passing out
• Heart palpitations
• Chest pain, pressure or tightness
• Difficulty breathing

5. Stay hydrated. Take in plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise. Watch your caffeine intake, too, because it can contribute to dehydration. Limit caffeine to one small cup of coffee each day. This limit is generally safe for breast-feeding women, but check with your baby’s doctor to be sure.

6. Be comfortable. Wear lightweight, relaxed clothing and a bra that fits well and supports your breasts.

If weight loss is your goal …
Your body took nine long months to put the baby weight on, so don’t expect to get your pre-baby body back overnight. Weight loss is best if it’s done over a few months. Experts advise losing no more than 4.5 pounds each month after the first month postpartum. It may be OK to lose more if you had a high weight before pregnancy, but check with your doctor first.

The best approach to weight loss is to combine regular exercise with healthy eating:

Aim for 1,800 to 2,000 calories each day if you are moderately active and were at a healthy weight before pregnancy. Eating too little contributes to postpartum fatigue and a negative mood.

• Breast-feeding women need about 500 extra calories per day, or 2,300 to 2,500 total calories. Eating fewer won’t give you enough calories to meet the energy needs of you and your baby.

Ask your doctor what your activity level and goal weight should be and how many calories a day is best for both you and your baby. You may need more calories if you were underweight, nursing more than one baby or are very physically active.

There are many benefits to breast-feeding. A healthy diet and regular exercise is important whether you breast-feed or not.

(MyOptumHealth, June 2010)

Typically, a woman gains between two to five pounds during the first trimester, and a pound a week for the rest of your pregnancy for optimal growth of your baby; in total a weight gain of between 25 and 35 pounds throughout the entire duration of your pregnancy.

Life after the birth of your child typically throws a new set of problems and challenges your way, which can hinder your immediate plans to shed off the weight you gained during the pregnancy. So if you are a new mom and cannot wait to get back in shape, remember to go easy!

Having said that, there is no reason to despair. You are not going to be heavy forever.

Here are some tips which will help you in your postpartum weight loss:

Forget celebrity moms
Celebrities who give birth are surrounded by a personal team of nurses, dieticians and fitness experts, resulting in a much faster weight loss compared to an average woman. Plus, they often have endorsement, commercial or production commitments to safeguard. They are not good examples to base your own weight loss goals.

Eat healthily
It is important that you watch what you eat and cultivate healthy eating habits. However, it is very crucial that you do not go on a crash diet in the post partum period. Even though you are no longer pregnant, your body still requires adequate nourishment, particularly if you are breastfeeding. Your daily intake should amount to 2500 calories, and you can spread this over a few meals. The general rule of thumb is to have your diet consist of carbohydrates (half), proteins (a third) and the remaining with fats and fibre. Do increase your consumption of water as this goes directly to milk production. Do consult your doctor on nutrition for breastfeeding mothers.

Get moving
Exercising too vigorously, too soon, can be damaging to health. However, this does not mean that you should be immobile upon your return from the hospital. You should be able to start with gentle exercises immediately, for example a walk around the neighbourhood, or put on some music while you clean and dance, but don’t overdo things. Save those strenuous workouts at least till after your first post-natal check-up and seek your doctor’s advice.

Weight loss after pregnancy is typically slow, and some mothers may find this a bit frustrating. The truth is, it took you a whole 9 months to get to your full-term weight, and it is probably going to take that long (if not, longer!) to get back to your original weight. Visiting the gym or a slimming centre once or twice is not going to give you the results, but consistency and dedication will.

Good luck!

• 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 to 10 times.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Tighten the muscles of the vagina as if trying to interrupt the flow of urine when going to the bathroom.
• Hold for a count of 4, then release. Repeat 10 times. Try to work up to 3 or 4 sets about 3 times a day.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your head.
• Take a breath and, as you exhale, tighten your abdominal muscles, flatten the small of your back against the floor, and raise your head and shoulders off the floor. Slowly lower and repeat the entire sequence eight to ten times.

• 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 stomach in, gently bend your elbows and then straighten again. Keep breathing normally, and don’t lock your elbows when you straighten them. (You don’t need to lower yourself all the way to the floor to benefit from this exercise.)
• Repeat 10 to 12 times. Work up to three sets.

Remember to take it easy at first and keep your doctor informed of your activities. It is always smart to continue the exercise you’ve been doing during your pregnancy. Start out with 5 minutes, two or three days per week, and work up to 20 minutes or more. Don’t overdo it: if you notice your postnatal discharge becoming heavier or turning bright red or pink stop exercising and call your doctor; it could be a sign of a bleeding.

Some of the exercises below will help you feel better after your pregnancy and will help your body to get back in shape.