Tuesday, June 26, 2012

4 Steps To Getting Rid Of Your Postpartum Belly


4 Steps To Getting Rid Of Your Postpartum Belly
By Katie Moore


After giving birth, many women would love their stomachs to go right back to their pre-pregnancy look. The reality is that it will take some time and some work to get your body back to what it was, but it is possible. With a healthy diet, proper exercise and patience, a mother can regain her energy and her desired body back before she knows it.



Before starting a workout program, the best place to begin is with your doctor. Just as your doctor was a key person to bring your questions about labor options like pain management, banking your baby’s cord blood and immunizations, your doctor is the best person to speak to about questions concerning your post-delivery health. After clearance from your doctor, jump into your favorite workout program or start a new one. Here are some examples:

Quick Pilates

Pilates can be done a few times per week with 20-minute sessions. Nearly all moves for
Pilates engage the core, which strengthens all of the muscles in your midsection. During pregnancy, the core muscles weaken and are under a lot of strain. Pilates will help those muscles get strong again, and it can be done quickly. Supermans, butterfly kicks and planks are a few Pilates moves that will flatten your postpartum belly fast.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

If you work harder, you can afford a shorter workout. There are numerous DVDs on the market that can help you train intensely for about 15 minutes per day and shed pregnancy weight fast. HIIT is customizable to your specific level of fitness. You don't have to spend hours on cardio. You can burn the same amount of calories in a fraction of the time as long as you do HIIT. This technique will help reveal the muscles you are developing through Pilates.

Water Exercises

Water aerobics will help immensely. In the hot summer, it's even better to use water exercises as a way to lose weight. You can spend just an hour per week at a pool, and you will see some benefit from that.
Water zumba is a booming trend, and doesn't require an expensive gym membership or tons of time away from your new baby.

Post-Natal Classes

If you can't do anything else, at least look for post-natal fitness classes in your area. There are dozens of modified classes that will help you get your pre-pregnancy body back. Many of these centers also have daycares. You can get in a 30 or 45-minute workout three times per week without leaving your newborn alone. These types of classes will teach you how to properly treat your body after pregnancy for safety. Doing moves improperly increases your risk of injury, but a specialized class will show you how to do everything.

As always,
listen to the signals that your body gives you during exercise. If any exercise causes pain, you should stop immediately. Your body needs plenty of recovery time after a big change like delivery so don’t worry if you have a hard time getting back into the workout routine. Most of all, remember the most important thing in your life should be enjoying your new baby.




“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”


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