After baby is born, it's tough to think about anything else but that sweet little face and big gummy grin. But when you try to slip into your prepregnancy pants and find that they're more than a little snug, it's time to think about exercising again. Once your recovery period is over and your doctor says it's fine to resume your workouts, make a new plan to fit exercise into your life as a mommy.
Include Baby
The best post-baby exercise routines can include your little one. It's hard to be away from your baby, so create an exercise routine that doesn't require that. Take her for a walk outside in a stroller. Walk at a brisk pace to burn extra calories, and make it part of your daily routine. Once your baby is big enough and the neck strong enough -- your pediatrician will give you the OK -- get a jogging stroller and take her out for a run. You can also set up your baby's swing or bouncy seat in front of you as you work out on exercise equipment or with a DVD.
Convenience and Time
Post-baby, time is a precious commodity. You just don't have the same amount of time that you did before he showed up with all of his little demands. Exercise routines that pack vigorous movement into a short time span are the best bets when you're a new mom. Another factor to consider is convenience -- workouts done at home may be much easier for you than heading to a gym. When baby is sleeping, you can do some workout DVDs or use home exercise equipment to create your own workout routine at home.
Calorie-Burning Workouts
Many women gain fat during their pregnancies to help nourish their babies as they grow and develop. But once that baby is out in the real world, you probably want to get rid of that fat. The best post-baby exercise routines should include workouts that burn a lot of calories. Whether you want to run, bike, kickbox or try Bikram/hot yoga, you need to include cardiovascular exercises that burn off calories in the time you have to exercise.
Muscle-Building Workouts
Your post-baby belly likely looks a lot different from your pre-baby belly. Crunches and other abdominal exercises will help strengthen those abdominal muscles and tone up your belly. Also include other muscle-building exercises to tone muscles all over your body -- lift light weights, or try yoga to beef up your muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more lean, trim and strong your body will be -- and the more calories you'll burn when your body is at rest.
Escaping With Exercise
Your time is just as precious as your new baby, so you really don't want to spend any moment of your day doing something that you hate. Choose an exercise routine that you enjoy and look forward to doing. Make your workouts time to recharge yourself, remember who you are outside of being a new mom, and finish refreshed to resume mommy duties -- including dirty diapers.
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