“DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN’T GET FIT AFTER PREGNANCY. WITH DETERMINATION, CONSISTENCY, AND THE RIGHT SUPPORT, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.’’
Childbirth itself is a process of weight-loss, contrary to popular belief it helps you lose a lot of weight. Even though this is a natural process, a lot of women fall into depression regarding their post-partum weight-loss. Returning to the previous weight threshold that you had before pregnancy can be a daunting process, but a consistent exercise regime and a balanced diet can just be the solution you may be looking for.
During the first 6 weeks postpartum, don’t fall into the trap of watching yourself in the mirror every single day, this can be very redundant and will only make you feel deluded. You need to understand that this is the recovery period and you will be losing around 2.3 kg of leftover fluids before the bloating disappears. Even after this happens, the rest of the problem is stretched-out abdominal muscles and lose skin that requires you to practice a proper exercise routine before it goes away.
Immediately post-delivery; you can start your Kegel exercises and the best thing about doing these is that you can perform them at any moment. To do Kegels, firmly tense the muscles surrounding your vagina and anus. Hold for as long as you can (work up 8 to 10 seconds), then slowly release the muscles and relax. Work up 3 sets of 10 to 20 during the day.
Deep diaphragmatic breathing is another exercise that you can do during this time, place your hands on your abdomen so you can feel it rise and as you inhale slowly through your nose keep your core engaged, exhale slowly tightening the abdominal muscles. Start with just two or three breaths at a single time to prevent hyperventilating. (If you feel dizziness, faintness, tingling or blurred vision at any time, stop? You’re overdoing it!
3 days after delivery, you can step up on your workout game and move to aiming at 30 minutes of activity per day. Gentle walking, pelvic floor exercises and abdominal strengthening exercises such as pelvic tilts and pelvic rocks strengthen your abdominal muscles. Make sure you are hydrated by drinking plenty of water and incorporate good amounts of rest in between exercises.
This typically occurs 6 to 8 weeks after childbirth and is an opportunity for you doctor to assess your recovery, address any medical or emotional concerns and provide further guidance on how to care for yourself and your baby. It may be a good idea to ask your doctor what kind of exercise routine you may want to follow from this point onwards.
Postpartum 6 to 8 weeks, you can increase the intensity of workouts and aim at getting a 40 to 50 minutes workout session daily. Start with walking and warming up, practice Kegels, practice pelvic tits and do squats, lunges, planks. Its also important to listen to your body mid sessions and practice good breathing, make sure you’re hydrating and at no point are you over burdening yourself with the exercise routine.