Welcome to motherhood! You have a lot a lot on your plate right now, and one of the many seemingly daunting tasks before you is getting back your pre-baby body. Here are some quick tips to help fit exercise into your new mommy routine.
Before making any changes to your routine, speak to your doctor about your plans for exercise and dieting. During pregnancy, you consulted with your doctor about choices concerning pain management, umbilical cord blood banking, and immunizations but your doctor’s involvement doesn’t have to stop after delivery. Your doctor knows your health well and can make informed recommendations about the best time and way to go about losing the extra baby pounds.
Getting back into tip-top shape does not have to require several hours a week at the gym. Some new moms form exercise and support groups. You can meet at a local park or school track and walk and talk with other new moms or sign up for mom and baby yoga classes together. This not only provides valuable exercise and bonding time with your baby, but also connects you with other moms who are going through the same things you are.
Dance with your baby. Turn up the tunes and let loose! Babies love motion and music so it is a great bonding experience. They are used to the motion of your walking and moving during pregnancy. Hold your child close while you dance. This has the added benefit of providing mother-baby bonding.
Another tip is to use your baby while you exercise for resistance training. Lift her up to strengthen your arms. Hold her and squat or lunge a little bit. Get creative and try new things. Make eye contact with your child during your exercise.
Some moms enjoy wearing their baby in a front carrier. It is like a reverse backpack that holds baby close. This enables mothers to carry on their normal, everyday activities. You can go shopping with your baby this way. Park the car farther away than you usually do. Make a few extra loops around the grocery store or shopping mall to burn extra calories.
Check your local library or video store for exercise videos. There are many popular exercise videos for new moms. Many of them even include baby into the workout routines. Baby yoga is a growing trend. Workouts for new moms are nice because they take your special needs into account. For example: modifications for a woman recovering from a c-section or episiotomy.
Not all exercise has to include the baby. If you have a video you already like that does not include carrying extra weight, let the child have their tummy time or play on a mat while you sneak in a few minutes of cardio. Lay him on a blanket while you work in some sit-ups.
The most important thing is to be sure to support your baby whenever you incorporate her into your exercises. By staying flexible and exercising a little at a time when your body feels ready and when you have a few moments, you’ll notice the pounds will fall off in no time.
“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”