After your baby is born, you will naturally want to spend a lot of time with this newest and most adorable member of your family. In the back of your mind, you’ll probably also be wishing for your pre-baby body! Happily, new mothers can have the best of both worlds. You can spend lots of time with your new baby and get back in shape. Here’s how:
1. Before your baby is born, discuss a post baby fitness plan with your doctor or obstetrician. Of course, you’re sure to know that you should have been doing some light exercise before and throughout your pregnancy. Usually, you can simply continue with the exercises you have been doing as soon as you feel able and add new forms of exercise gradually. Ask your doctor how long you should wait before resuming exercise. Follow your doctor’s advice on the safest and most effective exercises to add.
2. One form of exercise that many new mothers find very helpful is yoga. There are many excellent yoga workouts available on DVD that are designed for participation by both mother and baby. By using these types of ” baby and me” style yoga workouts, new mothers can gain strength and flexibility while spending quality time with the new baby!
3. Of course your post-pregnancy tummy will probably be an area of great concern. Don’t hurt yourself trying to do vigorous abdominal exercises. Gentle abdominal exercises such as slight leg lifts, gentle knee bends, or simply lifting your chin toward the ceiling while lying flat on your back (even in bed!) can do a great deal to strengthen and tone your abdomen. Any exercise that you do for your back will automatically strengthen and tone your tummy, so doing a light weight workout with dumbbells that focuses on back muscles will help to tone your abdomen. You can do this while watching television or bouncing your baby in a bouncy seat!
4. Of course, you will surely want to show off your new baby, and nothing can be better for that than a good stroller. It’s a good idea to invest in a running stroller so that as you become more and more fit, you can gradually take up jogging with baby and running with baby. Modern jogging and running strollers have all kinds of fancy conveniences such as a special receptacle for your water bottle, compatibility with whatever sort of music software you carry and exciting and interesting toys for baby. You and your baby can spend many happy hours enjoying a well designed and high quality running stroller.
5. As your baby grows older, you’ll have more and more opportunities to exercise together. You can be proud of yourself for having set an example that places your baby securely on the path to lifelong fitness . In addition to “baby and me” style yoga, there are many other types of exercise that mothers and babies can do together. You can add mother and baby workout DVDs to your collection and/or check your local community center listings for mother and baby exercise classes that will provide both of you the opportunity to stay fit together while socializing with other moms and babies.
By beginning a habit of exercise before and during pregnancy, it will be much easier for you to retain and regain your pre-baby figure. When you seek out forms of exercise that include your baby, you’ll be able to make the most of the time you have to spend with your baby and the time you have to spend on your body. Additionally, by exercising with your baby, you will teach your baby how to be fit, strong and active for life.
