Losing The Baby Fat And Getting Fit: Six Weeks And Onwards

After the first six weeks you should be able to complete more intense exercise, but make sure that you feel comfortable and are not in any pain. If you have any concerns, seek medical advice prior to starting a more difficult exercise program — particularly if you had any complications during childbirth or pregnancy.

1. Yoga or Pilates — These types of exercise are excellent for postpartum women because they build on muscle tone, strength, and flexibility and will also help you make friends! There are so many different classes available and there are even new mom specialist groups which are tailored to improve the pelvic floor region.

2. Swimming — This is a great way to tone up your muscles and lose weight without putting too much stress on the body. The benefit of swimming is that it is non-weight bearing, so if you're still feeling uncomfortable then there is no load or weight bearing feeling such as running would give. Try to swim twice a week for at least 30 minutes as this will give your heart and lungs a good workout too. Although you should make sure you have no leakage or discharge prior to starting a swimming program.

3. Walking — You should have already started walking about quite a bit as how many new mums have time to sit down? But try to include a continuous walk in your daily routine, new babies need plenty of fresh air so try and build up to a 30-40 brisk walk with the push chair to burn calories. The added weight of the pram/pushchair really adds to the workout and the exercise will make you feel great.

What Shouldn't You Do?

The most common question I get asked is what can't I do? Generally speaking after 12 weeks post childbirth you can start to get back to regular exercise. But in the first 6-12 weeks you should avoid running or heavy weight bearing exercise such as aerobics or zumba because you need to give the body a chance to recover from the stress of childbirth. You will start to feel better at about six weeks and want to push yourself but listen to your body because it will be telling you what it needs. Everyone is different so go at your own pace, if you attend classes that are not designed for new mums make sure to make the teacher aware you have recently given birth.

See Also: The Best Way To A Speedy Postpartum Recovery

There is also evidence to suggest that exercise will help lower the risk of postnatal depression because it realizes chemicals that improve mood. But again doing too much can leave you feeling tired and run down so take it easy at the start and work your way back to full exercise gradually.