Exercising AFTER You Have the Baby

During pregnancy, it’s good to gain a certain amount of weight. This is used to support your growing child and to provide the extra calories if and when you start breastfeeding. New mothers naturally lose weight after the birth; however, if you don’t lose the weight because of gaining too much weight, or other reasons, it can be hard to take the rest off.

Here are some tips to help you get on track with your exercise plan:

• Get Baby Involved! - Don’t wait till your child is asleep to try to get a decent workout. Strap on a baby sling or get baby in a good walking/jogging stroller so you can take the baby with you for a walk.
• Don’t Begin Too Soon - Whether you’re had a vaginal delivery or a C-section, your body has gone through quite a bit. If you start a workout routine too soon, it can be damaging to your health. It’s usually recommended to wait 6 weeks before you start trying to workout; however, if you had a vaginal delivery, you can use those first 6 weeks to strengthen your vaginal muscles and start stretching exercises. Just be sure to check with your doctor before you start any exercise program.
• Don’t Work Too Hard - It’s pretty likely that you haven’t been able to do a normal workout for at least a few months, maybe more. Just like starting any exercise program, you should not start full force right away. Trying to do too much is likely to do more harm than help. Before you start working out, ask your doctor for recommended exercises and how often you should do them. Remember, if you hurt yourself, you’re not going to be able to take as good care of your baby.
• Make Room for Exercise in Your Schedule - While having a regular routine is helpful, it’s almost impossible to get a baby to conform to your schedule. This means you have to change your schedule to fit your baby’s. You’ll probably have to squeeze in workouts where you can. Choose exercises that you can do in different places at different times. Get an exercise tape or something else you can do at home. You should also remember that two 15 minute workouts or three 10 minute workouts can be just as helpful as a half hour work out. If you can set a rigid work out schedule, that’s great. If you can’t, set a looser schedule and be sure to stick with it.

Getting back in shape after a baby can be difficult, but with time, patience, and planning, you too can get back to your healthy self.