Post Pregnancy Exercise – The 4 Essential Components To Success

The key to post pregnancy exercise is not to rush in too quickly. If you are too impatient to see changes you run the risk of causing major joint damage and possible long term weight gain problems.

Tiredness and lethargy are factors which will dictate whether you can commit to a programme of gentle exercise. If you don’t get enough sleep you will constantly feel tired and drained. You need to prioritise, so instead of doing housework when your baby is sleeping use that time to take a nap yourself.

As the days go by, you will naturally recover and get stronger. You will find you have more energy which will help you to stay on top of things much easier, but for now don’t worry about getting everything right.

Getting more active should be your priority because this will boost energy levels and confidence, helping you to be more patient with your baby and making you feel more positive.

The following 4 elements should be included in any post pregnancy exercise plan: -

Pelvic floor exercises - these should be done straight away and can be practised each day to improve the strength and endurance of the pelvic floor muscles.

Pelvic tilting exercises need to be done in order to tighten the stomach muscles - don’t do sit ups in the early stages because doing so could well leave you with a rounded stomach for the rest of your life.

Gentle aerobic or fat burning exercises such as walking with a pushchair is ideal, it is low intensity, provides support and ensures both you and your baby get plenty of fresh air. This needs to be progressed slowly but you should regularly be increasing what you are doing.

A healthy diet is vital during pregnancy but just as important now, for both you and your baby if you are breastfeeding. Get this right and you have the potential to work with your body’s hormones to get in to the best shape of your life, get it wrong and you could have a weight problem for as long as you live.

The type of post pregnancy exercises you choose shouldn’t be too demanding, they also need to fit in to your new lifestyle and be something that you enjoy doing.