There’s no denying the toll that pregnancy and delivery take on a woman’s body. After all, you’ve had a person growing inside you for nine months.
Then your baby had to come out. That’s quite an ordeal!
With this in mind, women who’ve recently given birth shouldn’t be surprised at how much their bodies have changed.
Even if you were careful not to go overboard on your cravings during those nine months and managed to do as much exercise as possible, it’s not unusual to find yourself a little heavier than you were pre-pregnancy.
Guess what? It’s normal!
With that said, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on staying in shape. While the responsibilities of motherhood make it more difficult to stick to a workout routine, it’s not impossible.
The benefits of exercise after pregnancy go beyond looking good. While making sure you look great in a postpartum bathing suit is important, you also want to take care of your mind.
Exercise after giving birth can help prevent postpartum depression. It also helps with sleep and boosts energy, which can mean the world as a new mother.
Let’s take a look at some helpful tips and suggestions for achieving fitness after pregnancy:
When to start
After the arduous and existential experience of childbirth, many new moms feel as if exercise would put too much strain on their bodies. However, so long as you had a healthy pregnancy and normal delivery, exercise is immediately feasible.
Most new mothers are able to exercise a few days after they give birth. Just make sure to take necessary precautions to avoid postpartum back pain and other injuries.
Those who underwent a c-section need to consult with their doctor prior to returning to exercise, but generally speaking, it’s safe to resume exercise after giving birth.
Finding the time
Many new moms think it’s virtually impossible to find time to exercise while raising a newborn. It’s recommended that new moms get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week.
It sounds like a tall order but it’s not when you think about it; divided up, 150 minutes is 30-minute workouts five days a week. If this sounds like too much time per day, consider 10 minutes of exercise every day of the week.
While it might seem difficult to fit in fitness in the unpredictable schedule that comes with taking care of a baby, consider the vast amount of sleeping a newborn does.
When your baby is asleep, take 10 minutes to exercise. You’ll be surprised by how often you’re able to get away with a quick workout while caring for your baby.
Making it work
We already discussed the issue of fitting exercise into your day while simultaneously taking care of your newborn. But time isn’t the only factor that could potentially interfere with a new mother’s ability to workout after giving birth.
For instance, breastfeeding creates complications, in that engorged breasts could interfere with the ability to comfortably exercise. With this in mind, new mothers should try to feed their babies prior to their workouts to avoid irritation and discomfort.
Moms should also make sure they’re wearing a properly fitting bra to provide as much support and protection as possible. That way they aren’t discouraged by pain and discomfort.
Sticking to routine exercise is difficult for most people. Giving birth and raising a newborn certainly doesn’t make it any easier. With that said, returning to fitness after pregnancy is not impossible.
While not easy, new mothers can take steps to get themselves back into shape while simultaneously taking great care of their newborn child.
Where there is a will, there is always away.
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