Tips To Get Back In Shape After Pregnancy

Women feel the need to bounce back to their old bodies after pregnancy and this is normal because everyone likes their body in proper shape. Getting back in shape after pregnancy is not impossible and you can do it by following a few tips. So, read below to see how to get back into shape after having a baby.

Tips To Get Back In Shape After Pregnancy

Exercise and a proper diet can help you get you back into shape but keep in mind that this will take some time. You need to put in some effort. Some tips that help you get back in shape after pregnancy are:

1- Allow Your Body To Recover

Delivering a baby is not an easy job. Your body undergoes many changes and needs time to recover from them. You should focus on having some rest time. The body repairs itself after giving birth and should not be rushed back to diet and fitness. Allow yourself to heal and give time to the body to restore normal processes. 

2- Start Walking

It is good to start with light walking. You can start after 2-3 days of delivering your baby. It is the easiest way to ease into your fitness routine and also keeps you active. You should walk for 20-30 minutes every day to start getting back in shape. It is best if you go for a walk after doing a light workout every day. You can also bring your baby with you in a stroller or in the front pack which will also put a little more weight helping you more with the results. 

3- Breastfeed Your Baby

It is really important to breastfeed the baby as breastfeeding has many benefits. It burns about 400-500 calories. Breastfeeding produces oxytocin in your body that helps your uterus shrink and get back to its normal size and shape. In addition to breastfeeding, you should also look at your calorie intake and maintain a properly balanced diet if you want to get back into shape. 

4- Eat A Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy diet is the goal to get back into shape and to improve your metabolism. You should focus on eating smaller and more balanced meals. Make sure to add good protein sources to your meals to control hunger and reduce cravings. Consume fruits and vegetables. Eating fiber makes you fill without adding excess calories. A breastfeeding woman needs additional 200-300 calories to produce nutritious milk. You should try to eat around 1800-2000 calories.

5- Do A Light Workout

After giving birth to a baby you should not rush towards getting back into shape and doing hard exercise too soon. It is best to take it slow and start with light exercise. You can do light exercises like:

• Walking
• Yoga
• Pilates
• Low impact aerobics
• Light weight training
• Postpartum planks
• Diaphragmic Breathing

6- Perform Pelvic Floor Exercises

The pelvic floor gets weakened when you give birth to a large baby. It is important to engage in pelvic floor exercises like Kegel and pelvic tilts to strengthen back the pelvic muscles and get them back in shape. After a vaginal delivery, you can initiate light pelvic floor exercises after 2-3 days. After a C-section, you can start light exercise after a week or two, but major surgery takes 6 weeks to heal properly. 

7- Do Core Strengthening Exercises 

In addition to light workouts, adding core strengthening exercises after pregnancy is also beneficial in getting back into shape. The exercises that focus on strengthening the muscles of your abdomen and core areas are important to get back your strength and body shape after pregnancy. You can also add strength training exercises after some time that targets your full body. 

8- Set Realistic Goals

Keep in mind that you have given birth and you had that baby in your tummy. It is important to set realistic goals. You can not achieve your exact same old body in a little time. it is good to set your goal of losing 1 or 1.5 pounds per week. 

Conclusion

You need some time, effort, and consistency to get back in shape after pregnancy. The best tips to get back in shape after pregnancy is to allow your body to recover from the whole process, start by walking for 30 minutes, breastfeeding your baby, eating a healthy diet, starting with a light workout, doing some pelvic floor and core strengthening exercise and the most important one to set realistic goals. Giving birth makes a lot of changes to your body and you should not rush to get back into shape very quickly.