Celebrities like Heidi Klum and Jennifer Garner rock their post-baby bodies just weeks after giving birth. But if you are like most American women, the methods to achieve baby weight loss can be difficult to attain and follow. Through choosing exercises that maximize your time and weight loss, you can regain your pre-baby figure.
Walking with a Stroller
In the first few weeks after you give birth, your physician will advise you to perform only very easy exercises -- and you will need to wait at least six weeks to exercise if you delivered via C-section. During this time, one of the best exercises you can do is to walk -- around the block, in the mall or on an athletic track, according to Dr. Renee Jeffreys, a postpartum fitness expert interviewed in "Fit Pregnancy." You can incorporate your baby by bringing her along in her stroller. If you walk with the stroller for 30 minutes, you can burn about 150 calories.
Squat with Single-Leg Arabesque
New mom and "Fitness" magazine expert Tracy Mallett recommends resistance-training exercises to help you firm your body and drop pounds after baby. She suggests the best movements are those that involve working several major muscle groups at once for the fastest results. One exercise she recommends is the squat with single-leg arabesque, an arm, shoulder, buttocks and thigh toner. Start with a 5- to 8-lb. handweight in each hand and your weight resting on your right leg in a squat position. Slowly lift the left leg behind you keeping a bend in the right knee. At the same time, extend your arms in front of you, stopping at shoulder height. Hold this position for 15 seconds, then drop your arms and leg. Alternate to the other leg and continue to switch legs for 16 repetitions.
Kickboxing
Actress and mom Tori Spelling relied on three times per week kickboxing sessions to get fit after giving birth, according to Today.com. Kickboxing is one of the best post-pregnancy exercise because the kicks and twists tone the abdominal muscles. Also, kickboxing is a highly aerobic workout that burns lots of calories as you exercise. Find a local gym that offers kickboxing classes, or purchase a kickboxing DVD to complete the workout at home. Because the exercise can be high-intensity, it's important to perform this only after receiving clearance from your physician to begin exercising.
Supported Bent-Knee Curl-Up
The abdomen is a post-pregnancy trouble spot that you work hard to tone. The best exercise to target this trouble spot isn't hardcore situps. Instead, it's exercises like the supported bent knee curl-up, according to "Fit Pregnancy." To perform this exercise, lie on the floor with your legs extended and knees slightly bent. Put your hands behind your thighs and contract your abdominal muscles to bring your shoulders and head off the floor. You can pull on your thighs to make the exercise easier if needed. Lower your upper body to the ground and repeat the exercise five times. As you increase in strength, increase your number of repetitions.
References
- "Fit Pregnancy"; Lose the Baby Fat; Suz Redfearn
- "Fitness"; Lose the Baby Weight Fast: Toning Circuit Workout; Michele Bender
- Mail Online; The Baby-Weight Obsession; Sarah Hughes; November 2009
- Forbes.com; Star Mom's Weight-Loss Secrets; Allison Van Dusen; May 2008
- Today.com: Learn from the Stars! Drop That Baby Weight; Joy Bauer and Jill Martin; April 2008
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