You just brought your baby at home and you are actually ready to get back to your pre-pregnancy form. We have talked with the experts to get the best exercises to help you get back into shape so you’ll be rockin’ your body along with the baby.
Your Post-Pregnancy Workout
Congratulations that you had the baby… but now what? After you were being pregnant for nine months, many mothers are anxious to get back to their normal workout routine. But how soon is actually too soon? The usual rule is to head back to the gym six weeks after birth, thinks Jade Alexis, who is a personal trainer from Reebok Sports Club. Before you start doing anything, work with your doctor to make sure everything is safe and determine a proper exercise plan for you.
Are you ready to get started? Find out these exercises to get you moving again and back to your normal routine in no time!
Beginner: Kegels
Target: The pelvic muscles
- First, sit on a bench with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips and contract your pelvic muscles, as if you’re trying to stop from urinating, and stand.
- Hold the Kegel and return to the bench, then release it.
- Do at least 1-3 sets of 10-20 reps.
- If you want to make it harder: With back to the bench, stand on a foot in front of bench seat and bend your elbows to clasp hands in front of your chest. Then, lift your leg straight in front of you a few inches off ground and bend right knee to sit down briefly on bench as you Kegel. While keeping the left leg raised throughout, stand up immediately, releasing the Kegel and pressing through right heel to straighten right leg. Make 12 reps. Switch your legs, and then repeat.
Beginner: Floor Bridges
Targets: The hamstrings and the butt
- Lie on the back with the knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, arms by your sides.
- Srtart core and squeeze butt to lift off the floor, pressing heels into the ground.
- Kegel at the top of the bridge and hold for three seconds, and slowly return to floor. Release the Kegel at the bottom of thebridge.
- Do at least 1-3 sets of 10-20 reps.
Beginner: Crunch Beat
Target: Abs and legs
- Lay down faceup on a mat with your knees bent 90 degrees, the legs lifted, calves parallel to floor.
- Place your hands behind your head, while elbows out, and crunch up while lifting the shoulders off mat.
- Extend the legs up diagonally, cross the ankles, and extend arms over head. While holding this position, switch the feet over and under each other for 8 times. Return back to start and do 8 reps.
Intermediate: The Forearm Plank
Targets: Abs, thighs, oblique, and butt
So start with getting your core back into prime form is going to help your body bounce back the fastest, said Ashley Borden, a fitness advisory board member and lifestyle consultant at the Nike Elite Athlete. After a few months, your body is actually ready for a new challenge in order to get back to great shape, but you are so likely not yet ready for a full-blown workout yet, noted Alexis. The planks and side planks are great ways if you want to work your entire core without putting strain on your neck and back.
- Firstly, get into plank position (the abs engaged, while back straight, forearms down on the floor, legs extended).
- Hold like that for 30-60 seconds, keeping hips up and abs tight.
- Lower your knees down to floor, and then resting for 30 seconds before resuming.
- Complete 4-5 planks.
In order to make it harder: After that you held a plank for 30-60 seconds, move yourself into side plank, while shifting your body weight to left hand and rotating body to extend right arm directly up, while your palm forward. Stack your right foot on top of the left one. Hold like that for 30-60 seconds, and then switch sides.
Intermediate: Hamstring Curl
Target: Hamstrings and your butt
- Lie down face up on the ground with your arms slightly out to sides, when knees bent and the calves resting on center of stability ball, while feet being flexed.
- Lift your hips up, then squeeze abs tight and bend knees to curl ball in toward you.
- In a slow way push legs back out, keeping the hips up at all times.
- Make 1-3 sets of 10-20 reps.
Intermediate: Modified Squat Thrust
Target: Abs, legs, and butt
- Lower yourself into squat position, wjile hands touching floor just in front of feet.
- In a quick way step legs back so that you are in a push-up Without making a pause , step your feet forward just in front of your hands and return to standing position.
- Make 1-3 sets of 5-10 reps.
- In order to make it harder: Instead of stepping your feet back, in a quick way jump feet back and forth.
Advanced: Wide-Stance Deadlifts
Target: Lower back, legs, butt
Even though it hugely depends on what you were eating and of how much you were exercising throughout your pregnancy, many females can return to a normal workout routine about six months after birth, explained Alexis. The deadlifts are a very good , practical exercise for new moms to use due to the fact that they mimic mommy duties, as for example putting your baby into the crib, said Annette Lang, who is a personal trainer and owner of Annette Lang Education Systems.
- Stand up with your feet hip-width apart, while knees slightly bent down , also holding a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand with palms facing body.
- Slowly bend yourself forwards, while also pushing your butt back while lowering dumbbells to shin level.
- Tighten the glutes and then return to start.
- Do at least 1-3 sets of 8-10 reps.
Advanced: Push-Ups
Targets: Shoulders, arms, chest, and abs
- Start off with the hands and the toe down on the floor, while hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bent at your elbows and the lower chest about an inch from the ground.
- Then strengthen your arms and then push away from the floor, while returning to initial position.
- Do at least 1-3 sets of 10-20 reps.
Advanced: Walking Lunges
Targets: Legs and the butt
- Stand up with your feet being together, and hands on hips.
- Make a large step forward while bending so both knees are at 90 degrees.
- Push yourself through the heel of the front leg, and after that return to standing position.
- After that, repeat on the opposite side. Do minimum 1-3 sets of 10-20 reps.
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