Guest Post : Exercise for a Better Body After Giving Birth

“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.”

Ample time and plenty of energy are exactly the things I did not have as a new mom. A new baby in the house takes a lot of energy, a lot of time, and a lot of effort, which often left me feeling exhausted. I wanted to lose my baby weight and get back to the way I looked pre-baby, but without any energy or time I found myself struggling and wondering how I was supposed to work out. Hitting the gym for hours at a time wasn’t feasible for me with a new baby. Fortunately, I discovered there were exercises I could do at home!

Talk to the Doctor First 

Medical professionals have two warnings about post-partum exercise for new moms. The first is that every new mom should check with her doctor to inquire about a safe exercise plan. Just like they told you about pain management medicine, circumcision, and cord blood banking for a delivery plan, they know all about post-partum exercise as well. Some moms have difficult deliveries and their doctors worry they will hurt themselves if they take on too much too soon. A specialized program can be created with your doctor if you were someone who had a difficult or C-section delivery. The second warning is that women need at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day to maintain the best body and optimal health. These 30 minutes can be broken up into smaller time segments if needed to achieve that goal.

Exercises
Walk. Not only is this a great way for women to ease themselves back in, it’s also a great form of exercise. Load the baby into the stroller and get to walking. New moms can take an easy walk around the neighborhood or park, or they can look for a street with a lot of hills to push the stroller up. Furthermore, women who have a baby Bjorn or other carrier can walk with their baby on their back or front so their arms are free to swing as they should when walking.

You can also get to work on that pre-baby body by investing in a few fitness DVDs and pop one in when the baby is sleeping. I had a pile of workout DVDs after I had my daughter and learned so many new, fun exercises from them. Yoga, my favorite, is a great way to work out, strengthen a woman’s core and build muscle as well as relax and rejuvenate her mind and body. Zumba exercises are another great form of DVD workout for moms. The upbeat dancing always improved my mood as well as my body.

Nutrition
Working out does a great job of getting the heart rate and muscles going, but it isn’t nearly as effective on its own as it is combined with a healthy diet. New moms should make sure to eat plenty of fiber and vitamins. Foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and dairy products are good for the body and make it easier to lose weight and get healthy.

As a new mom, I did not have a lot of free time to work out on my own, which is why at home exercises and exercises that allowed my baby to tag along became my preferred way of working out. Combined with a healthy diet, I started to see results in no time!  

Interested in writing a guest post for my Daily Blog? Email me at wendi@wendikitsteiner.com. You don't have to have a blog or be a writer. I'd love to share smoething you are passionate about. The topics are limitless. (The thoughts and ideas presented in the post above are not necessarily that of Wendi Kitsteiner.)