4 Types of Exercises to Help You Transition into a Postpartum Workout Routine
Every mama knows our bodies don’t always bounce back right after pregnancy - if yours does, consider yourself lucky! As your body grew gradually over 9 months of pregnancy, the journey to lose the weight after giving birth will be gradual, too.
It’s important for you mentally to not get discouraged. With hard-work over time, you can get the the fitness level you may have had before.
4 Types of Exercises to Help You Transition into a Postpartum Workout Routine
Getting back into the workout routine after giving birth is going to be tough, but it’s important to listen to your doctor and your body. Don’t start working out again until you have medical clearance to do so. When you start working out, listen to your body. Your body will tell you if you’re pushing too hard and doing too high intensity workouts. It’s okay to scale back if needed!
Working out will also look a bit differently because you may have to breastfeed or pump in-between. Before you workout, put on a nursing sports bra like our Athena 2.0 Nursing Sports Bra, our Strappy Back 2.0, or our All-in-One Hands Free Nursing & Pumping Sports Bra for support during your workout and access to breastfeed whenever you need!
With your nursing sports bra and Ultra High Postpartum Leggings on, you’re ready to tackle these workouts!
1. Kegels and Pelvic Floor Tilts
Both of these exercises are not only good for blood flow, but they’ll strengthen up your abdominal muscles. The hips and abs working together while exhaling and drawing your belly in can help speed up the recovery process by increasing blood flow to the perineum (the area between your vagina and your anus).
2. Walking
We cannot stress the benefits of walking enough! This low-impact exercise will have you burning calories and help build up your strength for higher intensity cardio. Be sure to track your steps and increase your distance to keep improving.
3. Core Work
Let’s face it mamas, our abs took a hit during pregnancy. For some who suffer from diastasis recti, the separation of the abdominal muscles, it’ll take longer to repair them. If you have this condition, consult your doctor before doing any strenuous abdominal work. Basic core work will help you rebuild your core strength, creating a strong foundation for more intense workouts in the future.
4. Strength Training
In order to increase your cardio and calorie burning, you’ll need to increase your muscle. The best thing about strength training is these exercises can be done with body weight at first and you can add weights later as you get stronger! Squats, lunges, planks, and chair dips are great exercises to get started with!
Once you’ve built up some of your muscle, you can add in short bursts of cardio. The combination of strength training and intense cardio will increase your metabolism and help burn fat.