10 Tips for the Best Post Pregnancy Workout
With the right post pregnancy workout, you will have more energy and move closer to regaining your figure. Check out this article for 10 helpful tips to maximize your goals.
Are you the mom of a newborn baby? Congratulations!
Pregnancy can be a wonderful, yet tiring endeavor. With a new baby in the house, you’re probably more tired than ever.
While you may want to lose your baby weight as soon as possible, starting a workout routine can be a challenge. You probably haven’t exercised in several months, and the thought of getting back into a workout routine may seem scary. But it doesn’t have to be!
You can create a great post-pregnancy workout that challenges you without overexerting you.
And you can do it right in your very own home without spending tons of money on a gym membership.
Do you want to know more? Keep reading to discover 10 tips for the best post pregnancy workout.
1. Practice Your Breathing
Are you looking for ways to start your new exercise routine right away? Well, the good news is you can start it before you even leave the hospital.
Practicing your breathing can help relax your muscles and reduce stress. If you breathe a certain way you can also start tightening your abs. All you have to do is inhale deeply from the diaphragm. Flex your abs tight while you breathe in and hold it for as long as you can. Then, relax your muscles and exhale.
Pair this breathing exercise with a commitment to cut out processed foods and sugars. This may not seem like a lot, but it’s the first step to a new workout and a healthy lifestyle.
2. Take Your Baby for a Walk
The most important thing to remember when you begin exercising is to take it slow. Your body just went through a lot.
If you’re like many pregnant women, you may have suffered from swollen ankles, back and foot pain, and fatigue during your pregnancy. This may have caused you to spend more time than normal in bed or on the couch.
That’s why one of the first steps to your routine is to get up and walking again. It helps ease you into a fitness routine, plus sunshine and seeing your baby enjoy their first outings can boost your mood.
3. Turn That Walk into a Run
Running is a great postpartum exercise to reduce tummy size. But, don’t feel like you have to start by running several miles right off the bat.
Once you’ve gotten used to walking, start mixing in some light jogging. Once you can jog for a while, start to run. Running will help you lose weight and improve your endurance which will help you with your other exercises as well.
But the best way to lose weight isn’t to run at full speed the entire time. Instead, you should mix high-intensity and moderate exercises together in one workout, such as alternating between running and jogging.
4. Try Some Kegels
You may have opted to do some Kegels during your pregnancy. They’re a great way to practice control over your bladder muscles.
For many women, the incontinence doesn’t stop once the baby is delivered. Up to 50% of women still experience some bladder control issues 5 years after giving birth. A great post-pregnancy workout is all-encompassing, including exercising those bladder muscles with Kegels.
5. Do Lunges
Once you have fully recovered from your birth and you have your doctor’s okay, you can start some more strenuous exercises.
Lunges are an amazing exercise after pregnancy to reduce stomach size. But they do so much more than that. They also strengthen your legs and back and they can improve your balance.
If you’re looking for an extra challenge, consider holding your baby at your chest while you do lunges. This will help strengthen your muscles and add a little upper body workout into the mix.
6. Dance it Out
Some women have trouble sticking to post pregnancy workout routines because they’re not fun.
But who says you can’t enjoy working out?
Dancing is a great way to get a full body workout. Zumba is an amazing option if you’re looking for a structured full-body workout. You can find lessons online or you can take a class at Kinetix Inspired Fitness (or your local gym).
7. Take Yoga Classes
While yoga may seem easy, it does offer an encompassing workout. You’ll strengthen your core muscles, improve your balance, increase your flexibility, and learn how to control your breathing.
The best part about yoga is you get these amazing benefits but still fell relaxed at the end of class. This makes it a great add-on to any exercise routine. You may end your workout with 30 minutes of yoga or begin your day with a yoga class. Again, you can find these online or at your local gym.
8. Squat with Your Baby
But the stomach isn’t the only area you’ll want to work on when you create a post-pregnancy workout. You may also want to tone your booty and legs. That’s where squats come into play.
They can help tone your butt, legs, and hip flexors.
If you want to make them more challenging, you can hold your baby against your chest. When you squat down, lower the baby until their feet touch the floor. Then, lift them up against your chest before rising again. It’ll give your legs and butt a better workout while also adding in some upper body exercises.
9. Try Crunches
Crunches are one of the most quintessential workouts when it comes to flattening your tummy.
They also tend to get a bad reputation for being boring and difficult.
Try to make it fun by adding music into the mix. You could pick your favorite song or anything upbeat to motivate you. Once you’re able to do a lot of crunches, challenge yourself to do crunches for the entirety of the song. Alternatively, you could opt to do crunches for the entirety of your child’s favorite TV show intro.
10. Try a Crunch Alternative
If you can’t face crunches just yet, you can try an alternative exercise after pregnancy to reduce stomach size: leg lifts.
There are several variations, but the best is to just lay on the floor and lift your legs as high as you can without bending the knee. You may also choose to hold your legs in the air for a few seconds to get a better ab workout.
The Best Post Pregnancy Workout Tips
Getting back in shape after a pregnancy can be hard. And it can be even harder when you have a newborn baby to care for!
But there are some amazing exercises that you can do right from your very own home. The best post pregnancy workout tips include dancing it out, doing leg lifts, trying yoga, and taking your baby for a walk.
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