This is the fourth of a five-part blog series titled, “Get Your Body Back After Baby” which is based on a past School of Mom Facebook chat session, where I discussed “Five Tips to Get Your Body Back After Baby”. The following is taken from chat transcript, where I discussed Tip 4: Exercise.
Exercise
This is the one you’ve been waiting for, right? Exercise is challenging enough without raising a family and running a household so for moms, this is very touchy territory.
As a mom and fitness pro, my main exercise recommendations are: consistency, joy, and safety.
Consistency:
If you currently do NOT HAVE a regular exercise regime, then I can tell you that it DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU DO, JUST DO SOMETHING. And do it regularly! You won’t see the results right away, but you will likely FEEL the benefits right away. Will you stick with your program long enough to benefit from your hard work?
Joy:
Please, just enjoy what you’re doing. For example: running, Zumba, and Crossfit are 3 very popular fitness activities that have come under fire, as popular things tend to do. Yes, they are effective at blasting fat and improving fitness, but they come with their risks! There are a world of options out there, find one you LOVE.
Safety:
Piggybacking off the previous point, whatever you choose to do, do it SAFELY. If you are a beginner, DO THE MODIFIED OPTIONS. If you have diastasis recti or have had a c-section, BE CAREFUL, BE SMART. There’s no use trading in a sedentary lifestyle for a chronic debilitating injury which will only make you even more sedentary.
Take a mom and baby class. Find a gym that has child minding, and pre-book and pre-pay for babysitting so you HAVE to show up. If you’re at home, throw in bursts of exercise during downtimes. Forget about changing into your Lulus – just drop and give me 20 of anything! It makes a difference.
Stay tuned for Tip #5: Relaxation and Stress Release.