For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Fitness Tips Post Pregnancy

By Padmapreetham Mahalingam

Now that you have had the baby the next propriety for most new moms would be to knock off the extra pounds that were accumulated during pregnancy. Celebrities always try making it look easy to get back into shape, however in reality it isn’t a quick process to lose all the stomach fat that you have packed around your belly.

Getting back to your pre-baby body is never easy. Yet it isn’t hard either if you put your heart and soul in it. Even though you have lost 12 pounds of weight while giving birth, your body may still give the impression that you are indeed 6 months pregnant.

Fitness Tips Post Pregnancy

And this may tempt you to revert back to a strict diet and exercise regime straight after giving birth; yet now your body needs adequate time to recover from labour and the general rule of the thumb is to hit the gym only 6 weeks after birth.

ALSO SEE: Tips- Pregnant For Second Time

The recovery period is more essential so as to make sure that your uterus will retreat back into the pelvis and also for the bleeding to come down. Before you begin anything, work closely with your doctor before engaging in any workout plan after pregnancy.

Yet in circumstances, starting post pregnancy exercises during the postpartum months can be beneficial in many ways. Here are some fitness tips for the post pregnancy period that may help you to return to your pre-pregnancy weight or shape.

Walking
The most common fitness tip for post pregnancy weight gain is walking. While this may not sound like a tempting exercise to begin with especially post pregnancy yet it is one of the best, as it is a light activity that can get you back into the workout routine. This is an easy fitness tip that you can religiously follow post pregnancy. You can start off from a leisurely stroll and can gradually increase it to power walk as this can work wonders to help you lose your pregnancy weight.

Kegel
Start off by sitting on the bench with your feet and shoulder wide apart and your hands on your hips. Make sure to contract the pelvic muscle so as to control the urine flow and then stand. Now hold the Kegel and yet again return to the bench. This fitness tip can be hard to do after the delivery or post pregnancy. Kegel is a common post pregnancy exercise that helps strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. Do this contraction at least 1-3 sets of 10 to 20 reps.

Pelvic tilts
You can start off with this simple fitness tip to tone and strengthen your abdominal muscles post pregnancy. Try to lie on your back with your knees bent and feet resting on the floor. Make sure to tauten your stomach and buttock muscles to tilt your pelvis. Next try to flatten the small of your back gently against the floor and hold it for a count of 2 to 3 seconds. After sometime increase it for a count of 10 seconds. This post pregnancy exercise has to be repeated for 3 to 5 times. When doing this workout focus on trying to relax and exhale.

Leg sliding/stretches
Another good fitness tip for post pregnancy weight gain is this leg stretching exercise. Lie on your back with one knee completely bent. Next keep your back flat and try to focus on sliding the heel of the straight leg up and down the surface. Make sure to do this post pregnancy exercise by keeping your back flat. Try to repeat it around 3 to 5 times with each leg.

Diagonal sit-up
For diagonal sit-up, try to lie on your back and bend your knees. Exhale when you raise your head and your shoulder when you follow this post pregnancy fitness tip. Next try to point your right hand towards your left knee, while keeping your heels on the floor. Now hold for a count of 5. And then later make sure to lower your head slowly for a count of 5 when you are breathing through your nose. Try to repeat this exercise for the other side and remember to point your left hand toward the right knee.

These are some of the fitness tips for post pregnancy that can get you back in shape and make you lose all the extra weight that you have gained during pregnancy.

Story first published: Saturday, March 8, 2014, 17:01 [IST]
Read more about: postnatal