Having just had baby #4 I’m faced with the sometimes daunting feat of getting my pre-pregnancy body back. I know everyone says that it takes 9 months to grow a baby and it’ll take at least that much time to get the weight off. While that may be comforting to some women, to others 9 months is an eternity! The best thing moms can do for themselves is start with functional fitness. By functional fitness, I mean regaining the ability to perform everyday tasks without pain. Here are some exercises that should help.
-
Raise both arms overhead and place hands on a wall. “Walk” down the wall with your hands until your torso reaches a 90 degree angle to the floor. Inhale, pushing your belly outward then exhale, pulling your navel to spine and your pelvic floor in. This works the deep core abdominal muscles and stretches your back and hamstrings.
-
Perform ankle circles clockwise and counterclockwise. This movement will improve blood flow and remove any discomfort and stiffness in your joints. This is very helpful for reducing ankle swelling if fluids were given by IV during labor and delivery.
I recommend doing these exercises everyday for the first 2-3 weeks after delivery. Perform 1 set of exercise #1 for 10 reps. Perform 3 sets of exercise #2 for 10 reps.
