Losing the weight you gained during pregnancy is quite a tough task. The postpartum fat accumulated is stubborn and requires a lot of effort and perseverance on your part to get rid of. This is why you find that many women give up after attempting to work out for a month or so since they don’t see much of an improvement. But the trick is to keep exercising and not look for immediate results. You don’t have to live with the pregnancy fat; it is not a way of life. You just need to know all the postpartum exercises to do to burn the baby fat as regular exercises won’t be as effective.
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Pull in Your Tummy
While this sounds like good advice for posing for photos, it actually helps make your abs firmer. Try to pull in your tummy and do this all the time, whether you’re standing up or sitting down. When you do this, your tummy muscles firm up and your tummy gets pulled in over time. Of course you have to combine this with other exercises for best results, but this is one easy exercise that you start doing immediately after childbirth. Keep reminding yourself to pull in your tummy; while this might be a little difficult to do in the beginning, you’ll find that it gets much easier once you get the hang of it.
Weight Lifting
Weight lifting is a sure fire way to burn baby fat. But make sure you consult with a trainer to know how much and how often you should lift weights as you do not want to over tax your body. You can even use objects found around the house, like doing lunges holding a bag of flour or rice for weights. The point is to strain those muscles and burn calories.
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Power walking or Jogging
Do some power walking, pushing the stroller or go jogging. You can also do some cardio dancing. The point is to keep up the pace and do a vigorous cardio workout for half an hour. Repeat it thrice a week at least.
Do Some Push Ups
Place your hands on a stable surface such as a step or a sturdy chair. Make sure they are your shoulder-width apart. Extend your legs full out behind you and do some push ups. Inhale and exhale deeply as you do them. Do not rush, do the push ups slowly. To make this more intensive, when you push yourself up, lift one of your legs waist-high and hold the position for five seconds; repeat with the other leg. This exercise helps strengthen your arms as well as your legs.
Run Up and Down the Stairs
Make it a point to run up and down the stairs as often as possible. This is a very good exercise to tone the muscles on your backside, making them firmer. Don’t overdo this though as going up and down the stairs can make you giddy. So be cautious and do only as much as your body can handle comfortably, without shortness of breath and such.
Crunches
Lie flat on your back, with your arms outstretched over your head. Raise your leg as much as you can. Now raise your arms as well and hold the position for a few seconds. Return to original positions and then lift both your arms and legs as high as you can. This exercise does not just burn the fat in your tummy, but also stretches your arms, legs, and shoulders, thereby almost providing a full-body workout.
It always helps to have a support group. If you know other women who are also trying to shed the baby fat, then it is a good idea to team up with them and have joint workout sessions. This also helps battle the post-partum depressions. A healthy diet will do wonders at not only helping you lose weight, but it will also ensure that the weight does not sneak back up on you. Breastfeeding is also said to aid with weight loss.
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Whatever exercises you want to start, check with your doctor to see if your body is ready for it and go back for the doctor’s opinion every time you want to intensify your workout sessions. The one thing that can hamper your exercise regime is lack of sleep. So try to abide by the age old practice of sleeping whenever your baby sleeps. Just cherish the time with your baby and enjoy the whole experience of motherhood to the fullest.