Lose That Baby Weight

Have you ever wondered about those celebrity moms who are as huge as a house one day and then a few weeks after giving birth, is like they were never even pregnant at all? Have you ever wondered how they do it so easily? (And why you can't seem to?!)

Well, momma, here's a newsflash: it's possible! Yup, even for mere mortals like us!

In a recent article written in Just the Facts Baby, pre- and post-natal fitness expert Andrea Grace shared ways to gain that pre-baby body back:



Getting started
Depending on your fitness level before and during pregnancy, you may find that walking is all the exercise you need until your six-week post-partum checkup. "Start by walking as fast as you comfortably can for a minimum of 20 minutes," says certified trainer Andrea Grace.

Once your doctor gives you the all-clear, you can begin more strenuous exercise. "Just remember to go at your own pace and modify the intensity of the exercise, working up to three times a week of active movement for at least 20 minutes at a time," says Grace.

Try checking out your local gym or community centre for post-natal fitness classes. "Specialized post-natal classes take into account the changes your body went through during pregnancy," says Grace. "They're not necessarily less intense, they're just paced more slowly. They're also lower impact and incorporate a fuller range of motion, which is safer for your joints."

Working out comfortably
The most important thing is to get back into fitness gradually. Start by investing in a good sports bra. While it's safe to exercise when nursing, you should avoid exercises that make your breasts feel sore–it also helps to work out after feeding your baby when your breasts are less full.

You also need to adapt your fitness regimen to the changes your body went through during pregnancy, says Grace. If you're experiencing incontinence or pain following an episiotomy, pelvic floor exercises will help and you can begin doing them right away. But you should ease back into abdominal exercises, especially if your doctor has told you that you have diastasis recti (a separation between the left and right side of the rectus abdominis muscle, which covers the front surface of the belly area). Head lifts are a gentle ab exercise to start with:

1. Lie on you back, knees bent and feet flat on the ground.

2. Cross your arms across your belly button, using your hands to pull your side ribs in toward the centre of your body.

3. Press your lower back into the floor and inhale.

4. As you exhale, lift your chin slowly toward your chest while pulling your abs in toward your spine, keeping your shoulders on the ground.

5. Inhale and release slowly.

To read the rest of the article, click here!

Image from sxc.hu.

PONDER, PONDER, PONDER... How did you lose the baby weight? Did you follow any fitness regimen?

Cheerios!
Rach