Beginner for Postpartum Workout

I was chatting with my co-worker about how to be slim after giving birth. I have that idea of doing what I used to do, go to gym and do intermittent diet, after giving birth with my daughter. I am a gym person. I spend my boring hours to gym and it's my routine. I feel like heaven for every sweat that drops from my body. I thought it was easy but it's NOT! Everyday I wake up, I think I'm gaining weight specially when I look at the mirror and see the extra fats in my arms, back,legs and almost all parts of my body. I went turbo and feel the urgency of going to gym after a month of giving birth but it's not that easy, I tell you.

I asked and did crowd sourcing on what is the best way to do. I was told to do Intermittent Diet (which is I normally do before I got pregnant) but I stopped it because I feel dizzy and pail due to the stress and sleep deprivation when watching over my baby. A close friend suggested and offered herself to watch over my baby so I can go to the gym for couple of hours (my husband is working and it's too hard to find reliable nanny) so I took the chance!! On the first day, it went well. I still have the enthusiasm of playing around some gym equipment and I spent 2 or 3 hrs that day. When I got home, my baby is good and everything is good until the next morning. I'm in a high fever and chilling. My head is aching like someone is smashing it and I couldn't touch my hair. Then my mom called and said my body went shocked and relapse. Elders said, a woman after giving birth should rest, eat more, be calm and have much patience specially when you are breast feeding. I got a lot of suggestions and advised but none of it works until I realized to be patient and do it slowly. I was able to find some articles and stories on how to do postpartum exercise.

Starting slowly

I recommend to know your body first if you can do it or not, no need to rush or push hard. For postnatal moms, do not start until your bleeding stopped specially for those who undergone Cesarean Section. Start by eating enough amount of foods that are high in DHA like Salmon,Mackerel and 2-3 Eggs in a week, low fat dietary products like Yogurt Milk, Lean Beef for protein and energy, Brown Rice, Oranges for Vitamin C, Wheat Bread and leafy greens. If you feel you are always hungry, breastfeeding is one of the reason, then eat small amount of the foods listed above. It is fine to eat more than 3 times a day as long a you eat small amount just to fill in your stomach and be ready for your next feeding session with baby.

Exercise with go signal!

One last thing a woman thinks after giving birth is to get back her slim sexy figure. Most Obstetricians and Midwifes advise to start postpartum activities after 4-6 weeks of giving birth (And you may need even more time to recover if you've had a c-section, a bad Perineal tear, or other complications) much better to get your Doctor's okay if you're planning to start your postpartum exercise. Start with stretching from head to toe in count of 8. Walking can be considered a good start to your road back!

Check if your bleeding has stopped

A woman who gave birth usually stops bleeding after 2-6 weeks but you still have to pay attention and always check your body. Some women find that their bleeding that had tapered down starts to get heavier again, which is a sign that the body needs more time to heal. If so, you have to check you OB before doing some gentle exercise.

Gentle tummy exercise

Pregnancy splits your abdominal muscles down the middle. It is important to make sure your muscles have healed before you do any vigorous abdominal exercises, such as abdominal crunches.

In the meantime, you can tone your tummy by performing an exercise that strengthens the deepest muscle layer (transversus abdominus). You can perform this exercise lying down, sitting, standing, or on your hands and knees.

Be guided with your doctor or midwife or if you are doing this at home, you can ask for your husband or people in your household. General guidelines include:

*Keep your lower back flat.
*Breathe out and draw your belly button back towards your spine. Your lower back shouldn’t flex or move.
*Hold this position and breathe lightly. Count to 10.
*Relax and repeat up to 10 times per set.
*Do 10 sets, as many times per day as you can.

Types of postnatal exercise

Keep in mind that your ligaments and joints will be loose for at least three months following the birth, so avoid any high-impact exercises or sports that require rapid direction changes. Vigorous stretching should be avoided too.

Recommended postnatal exercise includes:
Brisk walking
Swimming
Aqua-aerobics
Yoga
Pilates
Low-impact aerobic workouts
Light weight training
Cycling.

See your doctor for further recommendations and cautions.

Hydrating

Lack of water means less milk produced. It is very important that a postpartum woman take a lot amount of water. It's also beneficial for your diet because it helps burn fats and detoxify your body. Add 2-3 slices of lemon and cucumber in your container, it's a natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory.

Rest

At the end of every postnatal mom, rest is the best idea. You we're carrying your baby inside your womb for 9 months and went into life and death situation so you deserve a rest. Many new moms hear the old saying, sleep when your baby sleeps, very few (I believe) adhere to these wise words. So, including a few moments to simply relax post-workout can really help replenish you. If you are feeling rested and restored, you will have so much more to offer to those that need you.