Post
pregnancy recovery and Postnatal Weight loss
After a pregnancy, most of us want to get
back to our pre-pregnancy shape and weight as soon as possible,
but many women experience difficulties in losing their post
pregnancy weight.
In this article, Sonja Falvo, of the What
Women Want Personal Training studio in Brisbane and regular
feature writer for www.weightloss.com.au
explains the best ways to get back into shape after a pregnancy
and provides some very helpful tips that can help you get
fit for motherhood and help you look and feel your very best.
Post pregnancy recovery
Over the past 9 months your body has been
through many changes and you have most likely been through
a roller-coaster of emotions along your journey.
With the new joys and challenges of motherhood
ahead of you, one of the most common concerns for a new mother
is ‘how do I get back my pre-pregnancy body’?
The body actually recovers from most aspects
of pregnancy naturally; the uterus contracts to close to its
former size in about six weeks and the body’s ligaments
return slowly but surely to their former length and elasticity
(in around 3 to 6 months).
Unfortunately though, muscle tissue doesn’t
respond in the same way, so it is necessary to introduce exercise
into your new routine in order to return your muscles to their
former length, strength and functional capability –
some of us may even want to improve on what we had before,
but let’s work on this one step at a time shall we!
The most important thing to remember is,
as that good old saying goes ‘move it or lose it’…you
need to introduce a common sense strengthening program and
exercise routine to prevent your muscles from atrophying (shrinking)
and weakening – and with all the lifting you will be
doing, this will become important in order to prevent injury
and a weakened lower back (not to mention speeding up your
metabolism to assist you in reshaping your body).
The key considerations of a healthy, strong
and supple spine are to ensure that your program is focused
on the reestablishment of good alignment, functional stability,
core strength, balance of opposing muscle groups and flexibility.
It is quite often a good idea to enlist
the help of a personal trainer or physiotherapist specialising
in women’s health and fitness to help you with your
program.
How soon after giving birth should
you start exercising?
If you are a first-time mother, you may
be a little shocked at how your body looks immediately after
giving birth; what was previously a full, round hard belly
now resembles something more like a deflated bundle of skin
with no muscle or tone in sight.
What you need to remember is that this is
totally normal and over the first six weeks as your uterus
is contracting, so will some of your ‘belly’.
The rest will be up to your postnatal exercise routine.
So how soon after giving birth should you
start to exercise? It is important to remember that you should
consult with your doctor or midwife before you start any exercise
program as you may need more time than you think to heal from
the tremendous strain that childbirth places on your body;
especially if you have had a caesarean birth. However you
can start to exercise your pelvic floor and abdominals (with
gentle exercises) as soon as you feel ready.
Generally speaking, you may be asked by
your Doctor to wait until your six week examination before
beginning any exercise program; however this will depend on
individual factors as well as how you feel and if you were
exercising before and during your pregnancy.
It is not uncommon for women who exercise
during their pregnancy and have an uncomplicated birth to
return to exercise within the first week or two.
Making time to exercise
It is important that you listen to your
body and don’t feel pressured to exercise before you
are ready, and even more importantly, try not to place any
extra pressure on yourself by setting yourself unrealistic
goals – you will find there are enough pressures as
the mother of a newborn without adding this to your load.
And don’t expect too much too soon;
many women experience difficulties in losing their post pregnancy
weight – so allow yourself between 6 to 12 months with
a constant and consistent program to achieve your goals.
The first weeks are an important time for
resting and bonding with your baby and finding a routine that
you can both settle into.
Once you are feeling settled into a routine
you are more likely to find an exercise routine that fits
in with both of you which allows you to enjoy the journey
to your new body.
Here are some tips that may help
you to plan and stick to your exercise routine:
• First and foremost, you will need
to be flexible and don’t be hard on yourself if your
plans go out the window
• Try to make 'back up' plans - if
you have planned to go for a 30 minute stroller walk and the
weather turns bad, have an exercise video/DVD that you could
do instead – have a range of video’s/DVD’s
with differing programs and lengths so that you can do a quick
10 minute workout if you are pressed for time or a 45 minute
to an hour workout if your baby is sleeping
• Take your baby in the stroller wherever
and whenever possible, the more ‘incidental’ exercise
you can do, the faster you will see results
• Don’t rely on the 'breastfeeding
for weightloss' theory – unfortunately this does not
work for all women and many women actually put weight on during
breastfeeding
• Try to find someone who would be
happy to baby-sit for you for an hour or so once a week so
that you can to go to the gym, meet with a personal trainer,
power walk, etc. It is important to be at home and bond with
your baby, but it is also important to allocate some YOU time
where you can
• Try to find a gym, personal training
studio or fitness facility that is ‘child friendly’
where you can bring your stroller or baby capsule while you
exercise
• Exercise your tummy and pelvic floor throughout the
day – you can do these sitting or standing
General exercise guidelines and safety suggestions
Generally speaking, you should be able to
return to the types of exercise you were doing prior to and
during your pregnancy, but you will need to ease back into
these.
Remember to always listen to the advice
given to you by your Doctor, tune in to your body and don’t
push yourself too far too soon.
Some recommended postnatal exercises
include:
• Yoga and Pilates (also Mums and
Bubs Yoga)
• Swimming and Aqua aerobics
• Brisk walking - if you were running
previously, you will need to work up to that again
• Cycling
• Stroller Circuits
• Strength training – with a
personal trainer or specialist physiotherapist is recommended
• Low impact aerobic workouts –
nothing that changes direction too quickly
Some important factors to remember
when exercising:
• Don’t do any exercises that
hurt your breasts and always wear an appropriate sports bra
that offers good support - it is a good idea to get yourself
properly fitted with your sports bra; think of it as an important
investment in your health and wellbeing. Also try to exercise
after you breastfeed rather than before when your breasts
are full and heavy.
• Remember to eat regular, healthy
meals; your body needs to be well nourished to produce milk
as well as give you energy to exercise. What you eat will
play a big part in regaining your pre-pregnancy body –
you have to go back to ‘eating for one’ but avoid
going on fad diets. Healthy food equals a healthy body and
healthy mind.
• Aim to exercise between 3 to 5 times
per week, and remember to be flexible.
• If at any time you feel short of
breath or dizzy during exercise, slow down or stop.
• In the early stages, avoid high
impact exercise or any exercise which requires sudden changes
in direction.
The benefits of postnatal exercise
There are many benefits to exercise, and
even more so for you as a new mother.
The major benefits of postnatal
exercise include:
• A faster recovery and healing process
after giving birth.
• An increase in your metabolism and
a faster return to your pre-pregnancy shape and fitness levels.
• Reducing your stress levels and
the likelihood of developing postnatal depression.
• More energy to deal with your new
role as a mother.
So good luck with planning your exercise
program; remember to speak with your Doctor, don’t be
too hard on yourself and enlist the help of experts if you
are unsure about any aspect of your body or exercise program
and most importantly, remember to have FUN!
Conclusion
After a pregnancy, most of us want to get
back to our pre-pregnancy shape and weight as soon as possible.
In this article, Sonja Falvo, of the What
Women Want Personal Training studio in Brisbane and regular
feature writer for www.weightloss.com.au explained the best
ways to get back into shape after a pregnancy and provided
some very helpful tips that can help you get fit for motherhood
and look and feel great.
For more articles on weight loss and leading
a healthier life, visit www.weightloss.com.au.
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