Pregnancy is the most beautiful experience one could ever live, for mothers and fathers alike. Yes, it can be brutal for many, but still the bonding and love exchanged make for extraordinary moments. Suddenly, everything else becomes less important, and a little baby grasps our full attention. It is also a time when we should take care of ourselves more than ever. If there are no contraindications, you can do sports, pilates, or yoga. There is no need to give up on physical activity during pregnancy because after giving birth, it will be even harder to get back in shape. On the other hand, when it comes to food and diet, it is advisable to not over-indulge in sweets.. I know from experience that it is difficult to get back to pre-pregnancy weight. It’s been a year since birth and I am still struggling to shed those extra pounds I gained during pregnancy. It is hard, but with small steps, I am making progress towards regaining full fitness.
How do you get back in shape after giving birth? Check out these 6 tips to help you feel better and see results quickly!
Rectus Abdominis Exercises
The most important part of getting back into shape after pregnancy is to work on the rectus abdominis muscle! For about the first 6 weeks (or depending on how you feel generally), you should perform exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor, mobilize the pelvic girdle as well as isometric tension of the abdominal muscles (e.g. you have to lie on your back, knees at an angle of 90 degrees, hands on your knees, and you should push with straight hands on your knees and with your knees on your hands). Such exercises take 15 minutes at most and should be done every day. Check out what rectus abdominis is here.
Take Your Toddler for a Walk
If the weather is good and you have no significant contraindications, take your baby for a walk. Even a short 30-minute walk can do you wonders! Exercise is key to regaining your pre-pregnancy body. It is well-known that upon returning from the hospital, we can’t undertake heavy training (the puerperium- the time from the delivery of the placenta through the first few weeks after the delivery- lasts about 6 weeks). So getting some fresh air is the first step towards establishing a new healthy routine.
A Big NO to hunger tactics!
Many believe that starving your body is a good way to achieve quick weight loss. By simply reducing caloric intake, you may lose some weight quickly, but at what cost? Such a “diet” is outright wrong, if not dangerous. Side effects abound, from fatigue, dizziness, to headaches and mood imbalance. The body is communicating that something is wrong. You lose weight quickly, but soon the yo-yo effect appears. Starving your body is especially prohibited when it comes to breastfeeding women! While breastfeeding, we burn approximately 600 kcal a day! Thus, our body is working over-time to provide wholesome milk to our little child.
Diet
In order to get back in shape quickly, we don’t have to starve our bodies. All we need to do is adhere to the following rules:
- If we are breastfeeding, we should drink 3 liters of water a day
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Avoid sweets (instead of milk chocolate, we can go for the lesser evil- dark chocolate)
- Eat 5 meals a day at regular times (it can be a bit difficult with a small child)
If you integrate the above-mentioned principles into your life, you will quickly see results. All you need is goodwill and a little patience. Here is our article about sugar substitutes.
Workouts
If your postpartum period is over, you feel up for it, and you have your doctor’s approval, you may start a more intense workout. There’s no need to wait! The sooner we start, the sooner we feel better about our bodies. And the sluggishness will go away, eventually. Remember that 30% is exercise, while 70% is diet. So you don’t have to hit the gym right away. We can do the training at home. Your little one can even help you a little. If we are doing exercises for buttocks, the baby can join you, and thus no need for weights. I did so myself, reaping good results while bonding with my child. In turn, when it comes to exercises for the arms, we can also lift the baby, but of course strictly with caution. No experiments here. By exercising together, you will not only get rid of those extra pounds, but also you’ll learn that raising a child does not come at the expense of your health nor happiness.
The Use of Firming Creams
It is known that after childbirth, our skin may not look as good as we would like it to. To make matters worse, spending time on social media exposes us to new moms who are boasting their beautiful, toned bellies a few days after giving birth.. Sometimes I wonder if it’s even possible to look like so good one week after giving birth, can it be? But don’t worry too much, because everybody is different and reacts differently to pregnancies. Therefore, to accelerate the return to a beautiful and firm body, I suggest getting some firming creams or oils that will help our skin return to the state it was prior to pregnancy.
Conclusions
As you can see, getting back into shape after pregnancy is not that easy. It can take a huge toll on one’s body. Still, some believe otherwise. How many times did you hear the phrase, “breastfeeding will make you lose weight”? I too believed it when I was pregnant. It’s been a year now since I’ve been breastfeeding and I have not lost any weight since I’ve begun. I try to drink a lot of fluids, eat healthy and exercise as well, and I think that’s a legit, healthy means to regaining my pre-pregnancy shape. Nonetheless, I must admit that sometimes I don’t even have the strength to do a few squats. But I try to spend at least 30 minutes a day on training. As I’ve said before, some women find it easy to lose weight. I can be a bit jealous, since it’s not the case with me.
What remains is the fact that hard work can take me to my intended outcome. In conclusion, if we follow the above rules, especially in the case of a proper diet and exercise regimen, the effects will show quickly. I wish you good luck on this shared journey, to enjoy and bring out the best attitude within you as you launch a new chapter in your life.
