When I got pregnant with my daughter and knew that gaining weight was healthy for the baby. However, I didn’t realize that it would be very difficult to lose the weight afterwards. I ended up gaining close to 45 to 50 lbs with her. Don’t get me wrong, it is important to gain weight when your pregnant but I would have tried harder to lose the baby weight after I had her. I was so focused on being a new mother and didn’t take the time to take care of my own body. I did a great job of losing the baby weight after I had my boys.
Disclosure: Always check with your OB/GYN before you start a postpartum exercise program especially if you had a c-section or episiotomy. Also, if you are breastfeeding it is important for new moms to make sure that their breast milk supply is established and that you are eating enough calories. This post contains affiliate links.
Here are a 14 exercises for new moms to lose the baby weight. If you are breastfeeding, it is important to make sure that you are eating enough to sustain your breast milk supply. Breastfeeding mothers also need to wait at 6 to 8 weeks for your milk supply to be fully established and you shouldn’t intentionally try to lose weight during this time.
Walking
Walking is a great way to burn the extra calories and it is something that you can do with your baby or young entire family. It is low impact and it is an easy way to ease back into an exercise program. If you don’t like walking outdoors, you can buy a treadmill for your home.
Jogging/Running
Once you have eased back into a workout program, you can try jogging or running. Start slowly and don’t discouraged if you can’t run very far in the beginning. Over time you will build up you stamina and you will be able to run for longer periods of time.
Group Exercise Classes
If you have trouble with motivation, a group exercise class might be a great solution for you. There are a wide variety of group exercise classes available at most gyms or in your local area. Find a class that you find interesting and give it a try. Don’t get discouraged if you can do all of the moves correctly at first. The more you keep trying the easier it will get.
Home Workout DVD’s
Don’t have time to make it to the gym or your gym doesn’t have a childcare center to watch your kids so that you can workout? There are a wide variety of home workout DVD’s on the market that are popular and many moms use them when their child is napping or before the kid’s wake up in the mornings. Some of the popular home workout DVD’s include Insanity, PiYo, Turbofire, and Julian Micheal’s Shred.
Swimming
Swimming is great for exercise. Not only does it help you burn calories but when you are swimming you have to learn how to breath differently when you are swimming laps. You have to figure out how to take breathes when you are face down in the water. As you take a deep breath, you are training your lungs and heart to use the oxygen that your breathing in more efficiently. You can also learn how to swim using several different strokes. The different swimming strokes can challenging and keep you focused on learning something new. If it has been a while since you have gone swimming, start slowly and ease your way into it.
Running in the Swimming Pool
This is a fairly new concept that I learned a few years ago when I took a water aerobics class. If you can’t run or walk very well due to limited mobility issues or if you are injured, water exercises are a great way to exercise and strengthen your muscles. This is a deep water exercise (the water needs to be deep enough so that your feet can’t touch the bottom of the pool) and you will need a pool running belt. The pool running belt provides buoyancy. Then you will have to take quick, short strides similar to running on land. The water provides resistance so it may feel as if you are running slower than you would if you were on land.
Water Aerobics
Water aerobics is a variation of regular aerobics; however, it is performed in waist deep water or in the deep end. You can usually find classes at swimming pools in your local area. The classes generally last about an hour. This is another great exercise if you are elderly, have mobility issues, or have problems with your joints. There are a variety of classes but they are all focused on building endurance and use the water as resistant to build muscles while having fun listening to music.
Yoga
Yoga is a great way to relax, learn to breathe. and get in touch with yourself and what you really need. It is another low impact exercise that you can do in the comfort of your home or at a studio. You can even incorporate your baby into your yoga session.
Jump Rope
I remember my mom used to jump rope in the evenings after she got home from work. Jumping rope is a great way to burn calories and it doesn’t cost very much to get started. You will need to buy a jump rope and a good pair of cross trainer shoes. Also, it is best to jump rope on a wooden floor or piece of plywood. Jumping rope on carpet, asphalt or grass can cause you to possible twist your ankle if you shoe gets caught or if you hit an uneven spot.
Burpees
Burpees are a full body workout that you can do in the comfort of your home. It is great aerobic exercise plus it is great for strengthening your muscles. A burpee is performed in a 4 step motion. You start in a full standing position. Then you drop to a squatting position with your hands on the ground. Next you kick your feet backwards while keeping your arms straight. Then jump back to the squatting position. Lastly, you will jump up from the squatting position.
Interval Training
Interval training is a great way to vary up your exercise routine. You start off with a series of low to high intensity workouts followed by a period of rest. For example, you can run for 1 minute, walk for 30 seconds, ect. This is a great way to build up endurance, improve your running speed, and increase your cardiovascular fitness levels. Even if you aren’t a runner, you can still do interval training while walking or using an elliptical.
Elliptical
The elliptical used to be my favorite way to work out before I hurt my back. It is fairly easy on the joints and it is easy to use. In 2007, I bought an elliptical so that I could work out in the convenience of my own home. I was able to improve my endurance and lose weight. I used to vary my workout by using different interval training programs. I would work out for 15 to 20 minutes a day.
Weight Training
When I went to the gym a few years ago, I often only focused on doing cardio and usually skipped over the weights. However, adding strength training helps build muscle and strength. Weight training will help make picking up your young child easier too.
Bicycling
Riding a bicycle is not only great exercise but it is something that you can do with your baby too. There are a wide variety of products on the market that make it easy to take your baby along with you. I remember that my mom always had a baby seat on the back of her bicycle so that she could take us with her when we were little. If you plan on adding a bicycle seat to your bike, you need to make sure that you get a helmet that fits your baby. If possible, find a bicycle trail in your area so that you don’t have to contend with automobile traffic as well.
Don’t like the idea of putting your baby in a seat on the back of your bicycle, you can get one of those cool bicycle trailers that you can hook up to your bicycle and put your kids inside of it. They even have some that have netting so that your child is protected from flying debris and insect bites. The only downfall to adding a trailer to your bicycle, you don’t have any interaction with your children while out on a bike ride and dirt can fly into their eyes which could add frequent stops. However, if you use a trailer you do have to take precautions to ensure that your children aren’t hurt. If you plan on riding around the neighborhood, add a flag to the trailer so that it is easily visible.
Exercise is a great way to burn extra calories, improve your health, and reduce stress. If you didn’t exercise during your pregnancy, you will need to start slowly and work your way up to complete a full workout. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results, it takes time to lose weight.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Did you lose all of the baby weight after your pregnancy? If so, what did you do to lose the baby weight?
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