If you exercised during your pregnancy, then you know that using care and caution when choosing and performing exercises was important. The same is true of post-pregnancy exercising. Your body has been through a great deal, and it's important to know that it will take time and effort on your part to get back to where you were before your pregnancy. That said, it may never be exactly the same. But that doesn't mean you can't get yourself into the shape you want to be in. You should consult with your doctor, though, before beginning any sort of exercise program.
When to Start
According to Baby Center, it's OK to start exercising again when you feel like you are ready. If you exercised during pregnancy and had a normal delivery, you can begin with light exercise like walking, stretching and push-ups within the first days after you deliver. The site also recommends increasing to a slow to moderate 30-minute walk after following the first week after labor. After a c-section, the website recommends waiting six to eight weeks. Overexertion in the days and weeks following labor can lead to increased vaginal flow, or lochia, which becomes pink or red in color. Baby Center says that this is a sign to slow things down.
Pelvic Exercises
Pelvic exercises will help improve circulation in this area of your body. Recommended exercises are the pelvic floor strengthener and the pelvic tilt. The floor strengthener is similar to the Kegel exercise. For this exercise, lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat to the floor. Tighten the muscles of the vagina as though you are trying to stop urine flow. For the pelvic tilt: position yourself the same as you did for the floor strengthener exercise. Inhale so that your abdomen is expanded. Exhale, and lift your tailbone but keep your hips against the floor. When in full tilt, tighten your buttocks muscles. Relax, and repeat 10 times.
Abdominal Exercises
If you have some lingering belly fat from your pregnancy, abdominal exercises are a good way to start eliminating the extra "baggage." Crunches can help firm up the belly area, and oblique exercises can help eliminate the love handles. For crunches: place your hands either behind your head or crossed on your chest. Keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Use your stomach muscles to raise yourself up so your back is just off the floor. Don't relax your muscles, but continue to do two to three sets of 20 to 25 reps. Oblique exercises are almost exactly the same as crunches, except when you raise up, you will alternate moving your body to one side and then the other. Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Aerobic Exercises
Baby Center says that this is the best way to start losing the post-pregnancy weight if that is your goal. Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate and burns calories, and also helps boost your mood and energy level as well as your milk supply if you are nursing. Good aerobic exercises include walking, jogging, biking and swimming. Wait at least six weeks, and preferably up to a few months, before trying to lose weight. If you are nursing, you should not be losing more than a pound per week.
