How to Exercise After You’ve Had a Baby…

If you’ve recently had a baby, you don’t need anyone to tell you just how much of a shock to your body the whole experience was. It’s not just the act of giving birth that’s a shock either.

Afterwards, you’re physically exhausted and mentally drained. Your sleep is always being disturbed. Giving birth can cause all sorts of internal injuries, which take a little while to recover from.

For many new mums, getting back into shape as quickly as possible is a priority. However there are dangers you do need to be aware of. This is when you need a personal trainer the most.

Post natal health & fitness tips…

Don’t do any exercise for the first eight weeks. This is crucial. Your body is still fragile, and your muscles are slowly starting to return to their normal size and location. Even though your baby has been born, it will take a few weeks for your stomach to start flattening out naturally. Exercising too hard and too early puts you at real risk of ruptures, strains, internal bleeding, haemorrhages and other problems.

In the days and weeks after birth, keep yourself well hydrated. Make sure you eat plenty of food containing protein and fibre, and try to avoid processed food as much as possible.

If you can, breastfeed. Your health visitor will probably be urging you on every visit to breastfeed your baby. Breastfeeding burns through an incredible 500 calories a day. That’s the equivalent of playing rugby for 45 minutes!

After eight weeks, go to see your GP. If they are comfortable with you exercising, get in touch with a personal trainer. Your trainer will put together a plan specifically for you. That plan should reflect both where you are now and where you’d like to be in the future.

Your initial exercise routine is going to be moderate. It will be based mainly on cardiovascular exercise. The intensity of the cardio will increase gradually week by week.

You might want to try some weight training to improve your muscle position and tone. Again, the focus will be on a gentle start, getting gradually more challenging as time goes by.

At all times, you’ll need to communicate with your personal trainer and your GP. There may be complications that occur weeks or months after giving birth. They will often mean that your exercise routines will need to be modified.

Getting back to how you were before you became pregnant doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll face challenges. Sometimes it will seem too hard. Remember one thing, though – it will never be as hard as giving birth, and you did that brilliantly!

Nick