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Exercise
Getting Back to
Exercise After Having a Baby
By:
Emma Honey
There's so much pressure on women at the moment to
bounce back to their pre-baby shape, or something even more fabulous a
couple of weeks after giving birth, you'd be forgiven for feeling frumpy if
you're carrying an extra couple of kilos. Every trashy magazine in the
supermarket is filled with details of celebrities and their post-baby
bodies, their diets or workout regimes, and sadly, most of them are unsafe,
and unsustainable.
When you feel like you have enough energy to start exercising again, it's
important to recognize your body has changed. Those abdominal muscles have
stretched, or have possibly been through a Caesarian section, and need some
tender loving care to rebuild their strength. Any break from exercising is
hard to come back from, especially one due to a small bundle who may not be
letting you sleep as regularly as you used to.
The big focus with all these exercises is on core muscles. For lifting,
supporting your lower back, helping your posture - as Joseph Pilates said,
"everything comes from the core".
Here are some suggestions for easy ways to get shed some baby weight, and
get a little feel-good exercise back into your life:
If the weather is nice and it's practical, grab your pram and take your baby
for a walk. It could be a trip to the supermarket, instead of using the car,
or a walk in a park purely for pleasure. If you have a regular catch up time
with friends who also have children like a mother's group or play group, see
if you can alternate an indoors session with an outdoor walk. While you're
walking, concentrate on keeping your abdominals strong and your posture
tall. The more you can focus on these elements, the more your body will be
automatically able to put them into practice during your daily life.
Eating plays a huge part in getting back to a pre-baby weight. If you can
try and stick to a sensible eating plan for even eighty per cent of the
time, you'll feel better, and probably find you lose some weight. One of the
big problems is being at home all the time, it's easy to eat more than you
realize. So see if you can make life easier for yourself by:
* trying to eat only when you're hungry. If boredom or habit are a factor in
your eating, have a glass of water before you eat - especially if you're
reaching for something highly sugary to give you energy. Try and split
snacks into slightly more sustaining mini-meals - a sandwich packed with
salad and some chicken, ham or tuna will keep you feeling full for longer
than a couple of biscuits. If you have very little will power (and I'm
speaking from personal experience here!), minimize the temptations you keep
in the house: if it's not there, you won't be able to eat it.
*If you're more inclined towards sweet things, have some low fat yoghurt,
and add nuts or extra fruit (or both) to it. It's important to remember you
need extra energy when dealing with a small baby, especially if you're
breastfeeding, so make sure you're not limiting the foods you eat, just
choosing more healthy foods where possible.
For something a little more physical, see if you can find time for a quick
exercise break. Hopefully, you'll have ten minutes somewhere in your day,
either when your baby is sleeping, or when someone else can take over for a
few minutes. If you have the inclination, you can use the time to strengthen
your body with a few simple exercises.
Resistance exercise is especially important for women with small children,
since we seem to spend so much time lifting from awkward heights - getting a
baby into or out of a car seat, or cot. Often bad lifting technique stems
from the wrong muscles working, or not having enough strength to keep your
core strong and protect your lower back. Here are five exercises which will
help to strengthen your body in the right places. If you don't have time to
do all of them at once, aim for one exercise per day. It should take less
than five minutes to do two sets, and you'll notice a difference within a
month.
If you do the whole routine at once, make sure you rest for at least one day
afterwards. Recovery time is just as important as the exercise itself, and
overusing your muscles isn't a good plan. If you want to keep up your
momentum, spend five minutes stretching, or go for a walk instead.
Squats - for your legs. Stand in front of a chair, with your feet hip width
apart. Keeping your weight through your heels, bend your knees and bring
your bottom towards the chair, as though you were going to sit down. Try not
to touch the chair! Straighten your legs and come back to standing,
squeezing through your bottom muscles and abdominals. Try to do eight to
fifteen, two to three times.
Pushups - for your chest, shoulders and triceps. Resting on your knees, put
your hands just outside shoulder width apart. If you have a towel, put your
hands on the outside edges of the towel. The easiest version is to leave
your lower legs on the ground, and lower your chest to the ground by bending
your arms, pushing through the heels of your hands to straighten your arms
and lift yourself back up. To make the exercise harder, bring your knees
back slightly and lift your lower legs off the ground.
Make sure you keep your abdominals strong to protect your lower back, and
try not to drop your head as you get tired.
Pushups are a difficult exercise to do properly, so make sure you keep
breathing, and keep your neck relaxed - if you pick a point to look at
before you start, it can help you keep your neck in the right position. Try
to do six to fifteen, two to three times.
Reverse pushup - for back and arms. Sitting on the floor with your legs
straight in front of you, put your hands behind your bottom, just underneath
your shoulders. Make sure your arms are straight, and turn your fingers so
they're facing out from your body. Lifting up your bottom, try and bring
your body into a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Make sure
you keep your back strong, and your neck relaxed. Breathe! This is a tough
exercise, but it's great for building strength through your back and arms
for lifting growing babies. Try five to twelve, one to three times. Please
note, if you have weak wrists, start off with two or three and build up
slowly.
Pelvic tilts - for core muscles. These are perfect for any level of
abdominal strength, and will also help strengthen your pelvic floor. Lie on
the ground with your knees bent and your neck relaxed. You can choose to
either have your hands underneath your lower back, or beside you. Push your
lower back into the floor so it flattens, being conscious of using your
abdominal muscles, not just your hips. If you find it difficult to feel the
muscles working, put your fingers beside your navel, and push gently. You
should be able to feel resistance when your muscles activate. As you find
these easier, try to hold for several beats each time you tilt. Moving your
hands further away from your body also makes it tougher.
Work to keep your shoulders down and your neck relaxed, and make sure you're
breathing throughout the whole exercise. Try for ten to fifteen, one to
three times.
Extra tip: If you find it hard to switch your core muscles on, imagine
tightening your stomach as if something was going to hit you there. That
feeling of strength is the same brace you should be aiming for with the
pelvic tilts.
Bridging - for lower back. Lying on the ground, bend your knees and have
your feet flat on the floor. Lift your bottom until your weight is on your
shoulders and feet. Make sure you don't over extend your back - it doesn't
matter if you start off quite low, then lift a little more when the exercise
gets easier. Try to hold for a couple of breaths, then lower yourself down,
one vertebrae at a time. When you've finished, bring your knees into your
chest and flatten your back down onto the floor. Try to do five to eight,
one to three times.
Please note, pelvic tilts and bridging are both are safe to do even a couple
of days after you've had a baby, but anything else needs the okay from your
doctor before you start.
If you'd like any other information about exercising after having a baby, or
are interested in pre-or post natal training, please contact Emma Honey at
emma@emmahoney.com
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Exercise Videos - 10
Reasons They Work for You by
Kathy Ferneau
Author's Home Page
Exercise videos are an easy and inexpensive
way to establish a structured exercise program.
Ever since the days of Jack LaLanne's black and white calisthenics, people
have been working out in front of their TV sets. It worked in the 1950s, and
it still works today.
Jane Fonda sparked a resurgence of exercise videos in the 1980s with her
workout programs. Following her lead, vast numbers of fitness experts,
former Olympic medalists, and all manner of athletes have produced exercise
videos for private home use.
Outside of taking a walk down the block, nothing could be simpler than
popping a video or DVD into the player and following the leader on the
screen.
Take a look at the benefits:
1) Videos are very inexpensive. From zero dollars to 40 dollars at most. Try
these sources:
-- Your local library
-- Rent from a video store
-- Check out the half priced book store
-- Buy on eBay
-- Buy used from Amazon.com
2) You can tailor the level or style of the program. You can find all levels
and styles of exercise programs from mild stretching and yoga, to
high-energy kick boxing and martial arts style.
3) No pricy gym or club memberships needed. While you may like a club's
offerings or maybe the socializing, for many people they just don't work
out.
4) Fancy designer outfits are not required. You can wear your old sweats or
whatever feels comfortable. At a gym you may feel pressured into expanding
your workout wardrobe.
5) You can follow videos in the privacy of your home. Practice as much as
you need to--no one is watching! This is important for people who have a lot
of weight to lose. Clubs are full of people who are already in shape.
6) Exercise videos fit into your schedule--you don't have to conform to the
club's schedule. Want to work out at 5:00 a.m.? No problem.
7) No travel time. If you spend 20 minutes getting there and 20 minutes
coming home, you are wasting a lot of time in the car.
8) Equipment is not needed, unless you want some. Some video programs use
simple stretching ropes or dumb bell weights, but you certainly won't have
to invest in any hydraulic equipment.
9) It's easy to vary your routine if you get bored. Start simple, then
advance to a tougher program. Switch from dance style exercise to kick
boxing to yoga, just for the low cost of a video.
10) You have the option to form a group if you want to. Is your church
basement empty? Or maybe you have a large patio where friends could work out
together. Then enjoy a low-calorie lunch afterward.
Exercise videos bring the studio and trainer to your home. Get started
today! |
