After giving birth, a woman’s life becomes busier than it was before. She might have had some free time during her pregnancy, but after the baby comes, her time is filled with tasks like feeding the baby, soothing the baby’s cries and changing diapers. Women who have recently had babies also tend to feel an immense personal desire as well as pressure to lose weight quickly. Exercise, when done correctly, can help a woman to get her pre-pregnancy body back after having her baby.
Wait Until It's Safe
One of the most important tips regarding postpartum exercise is to wait until you are medically ready to exercise. You might be mentally ready and eager to exercise the day after giving birth, but your body needs more time to recover. The website BabyCenter.com says most doctors and midwives recommend waiting until six weeks after having the baby to resume exercising. This gives your body time to heal and reduces your risk of injuries. If you had a Cesarean birth, you need to wait at least six to eight weeks for your surgical wounds to heal, states BabyCenter.com. Once your doctor says it is safe to exercise, you can start with low-intensity exercises such as walking. Remember that your joints and ligaments are still loose for up to five months after giving birth, so you are at a greater risk of injury until then, BabyCenter.com says.
Use Your Baby
Finding time to exercise can be a major challenge for new moms. Incorporating your baby into an exercise routine gives you more time to exercise because you are still watching the baby. The magazine "Pregnancy Today" recommends walking with your baby in a stroller or while wearing your baby in a sling. You can also do crunches on your back while holding your baby in your arms, or squat while holding your baby for added weight resistance. There are fitness classes and DVDs that involve new mothers and their babies. Any way you can incorporate your baby into your workout routine will help you stay motivated.
Do Cardio
Because weight loss is a mathematical equation, you lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume in foods. Walking is a good, low- to moderate-intensity exercise, but doing higher-intensity cardiovascular exercise will help you lose weight faster. Once your doctor tells you it’s safe to do intense exercise, typically three months after giving birth, you can start jogging or using an elliptical trainer. Cycling or swimming can also burn a lot of calories as long as you get your heart rate up and keep it up for at least 30 minutes at a time.
Break it Up
Breaking exercise into short bouts throughout the day rather than one long segment will help you stay on track. If you aim for an hour of exercise every day, you might find yourself disappointed, having to cut the workout short to care for the baby. "Pregnancy Today" recommends trying for 10- to 20-minute bouts of exercise through the day. You could jog for 20 minutes in the morning and walk for 20 minutes with your partner and the baby in the evening.
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