Will I Ever Get Back into a Bikini after the Baby? by Lindsay Brin
This original article can be found here: http://www.workitmom.com/article-2876
Believe it or not, there are moms who are more fit after having a baby than they were before! Yes, it’s true. Your body works so hard during pregnancy that it benefits postpartum. I always tell moms you were pregnant for nine months so you must give yourself nine months to get your pre-baby body back. Set a goal for yourself: 9 months if you gained the recommended amount of weight and 9-15 months if you gained more than the recommended amount.
After birth your uterus (which is a muscle) returns to normal size within a few months. Slowly, everything will fall back into place and what you are left with is loose muscles. So kick up your core routine a notch! You must use your transverse abdominus (the deep abdominal wall) to pull in your abs tight. You do this by “sucking in” but not holding your breath. (You can find a YouTube video about using your transverse abs here.)
And, of course, you also may be left with loose skin, stretch marks, or cellulite. No creams can penetrate the skin deep enough to get rid of cellulite and stretch marks. Only exercise can improve cellulite! And weight loss will help those stretch marks. But I should mention good genetics play a large part here as well. As for the loose skin, your genetics, age, and skin elasticity will determine how quickly (or not so quickly) it will tighten up again.
Bring tired is a problem, but one you can overcome. Even if you're so tired some mornings that you feel like you're not getting 100 percent out of the workout. Even when you feel too tired to cook dinner.
First and foremost: Being a mom is not easy. Every mom has their good days, bad days, more-tired days and more-energetic days. Each mom needs to find a balance that works for herself and her family.
It is recommended that everybody does 30 or more minutes of exercise every day of the week. I find that this is somewhat difficult for most moms. You can easily lose those 10 pounds without committing to seven days a week.
By exercising at least four times a week and watching your nutrition, you can lose 10 pounds in one to two months. Start a food journal, plan your meals (and cook them) for the week on Sundays, and schedule your workout like you would schedule a meeting. Make sure your workout includes interval training -- both cardio and toning! This is the quickest, most effective fat-burning workout. And if you can give 100 percent in a 20-minute interval workout you will probably burn the same amount of calories as giving 50 percent in an hourlong workout. For example you could spend 45 minutes on the treadmill going the same speed and burn 250 calories , or spend 25 minutes on the treadmill doing intervals and burn 300 calories.
Try a 10-minute interval workout. You can fit it in your schedule a few times a day! Make sure to warm-up and cool-down by walking. Try one minute each of the following exercises: Reverse crunches, squats, push-ups, supermans, front lunges, triceps dips, reverse lunges, Pilates push-ups, squat jumps, plank.
About the Author: Lindsay Brin formed Moms Into Fitness in 2005 and produces fitness DVDs for moms. She is a nationally recognized pre/post natal specialist who is known for her core training technique using the transverse abdominus and pelvic floor. Email her at lindsaybrin@momsintofitness.com.
Comments
I was 236 pounds when I went in with Jeremiah 6 years ago. Today I am 160..lighter than my senior year of High School! This post is all too true!
I have saved this to follow up on later!
I am 40yo and have two children, 9yo and 5yo.
I was the thinnest I had been in about a decade within 12-18 months of my first child's birth. Unfortunately this was almost 100% attributable to breast feeding and every time I dropped a feed, I would gain a few kilos back. What I found particularly hard was combining exercise with work and being a mother to two young children.
About 9 years (!) on, I have finally managed to strike a good balance by leaving the car at home most days and walking to the train station from where I catch my train into work (this is a very steep 15 min walk each way). I also do one 90min yoga class early on Sat morning and one 60min pilates class on Wednesdays at lunchtime. This is less than the recommended amount of aerobic exercise but, along with a good diet, it really does seem to be delivering results. The other good thing about it is that it is actually ACHIEVABLE so I have been able to make it a habit rather than something I have to force myself to do. Will also look at adding in some of those suggestions in this post, eg, maybe this would be good to do after the kids are in bed in the evening.