Have you been doing postnatal  exercises in the first six weeks after your delivery? If you were, hopefully it’s been done with a medical clearance to do so. Now that you’ve gone past the six weeks, and assuming you didn’t experience any untoward effects from the exercises that you did (e.g., extreme breathlessness, palpitations, migraines), then it’s time to level up on your post pregnancy workouts, in order to lose weight.

Building Muscles

While undertaking a weight loss program with your personal trainer, however, you need to keep in mind that sometimes, you may start becoming slimmer even if your weighing scales don’t show your weight going down anymore. That’s because any good fitness program will involve muscle building at one point or the other. So, even if you may be losing your post pregnancy accumulated fat, your weight may not show any sign of decreasing.

Remember that this is true for new moms with a personal training weight loss program, as well as everyone else who’s into exercising regularly. With that matter having been cleared up, here are some important information related to doing postnatal exercises after six weeks of giving birth.

Prepare for Conflicting Emotions

If you worked with a qualified personal trainer during the first six weeks of your having given birth, it will be easy for you to move on to more vigorous workouts. If you weren’t able to do so for any reason, don’t fret, because you still have a lot of time to catch up. Keep in mind that no matter how hard or intense you exercise, becoming fit will not happen overnight.

Related to that, you may be raring to go to one of the numerous gyms in Singapore, but surprisingly, you may find yourself losing interest when you realise just how out of shape you may be. You should be prepared for such conflicting emotions, which are normal, particularly when your body’s hormones may not be fully balanced yet. To minimise any insecurities or negative emotions that might sabotage your planned workouts, always discuss matters with your fitness trainer.

Treadmills, Anyone?

Building up cardiovascular endurance and strength is a matter that will always be recommended as part of your personal training. However, new moms should not suddenly jump on the treadmill and run as if the hounds of hell were after her.  Keep in mind that it is moderate aerobic exercise that will raise the core temperature of your body, that, in turn, facilitates fat burning. Moderate aerobics also keep your energy levels at their optimum.

This is precisely why, if the use of machines are part of your personalized fitness program to lose weight, your fitness trainer will make sure that you do not overexert. You must not give in to the temptation to rush everything. There is no good reason to exhaust yourself while doing your fitness routines. It will not be to your advantage anyway, as there is no way to manipulate the rate that you will lose weight, unless you plan to do it in a very unhealthy manner, which could compromise your health, and even your life.

Stretching Exercises

Some other exercises that will be recommended to you by your trainer will consist of stretching. Stretches are good for restoring proper posture. Your centre of gravity was negatively affected when you were pregnant and there was a lot of pressure on your lower back, hips, thighs, calves, shins, and ankles. Your muscles and ligaments were most likely stretched. Due to the loss of calcium, your bones could be brittle.

Stretches, partnered with a balanced diet, will help you regain flexibility and a sense of proper balance. They also unlimber any tight muscles that you might have, that could be causing you to feel fatigued most of the time.

Make the Best Use of Available Opportunities

You can also complement the workout program that your trainer will draw up for you, by making the best use of other available opportunities to get some physical exercise. For example, when doing small errands, you can walk or ride a bicycle instead of riding a car. If you commute, you can also get off one stop before your own, and walk the rest of the way. Just make sure that you inform your trainer about such complementary exercises.

You must also be on the lookout for any change in your vaginal discharge. If you see a bright pink or reddish discharge, consult your ob-gyne about it. Whatever findings your doctor may tell you about should be relayed to your trainer. By doing so, your trainer will make adjustments in your workouts as required, so that you can still benefit from exercising without exposing yourself to undue health risks.

Just because you have recently given birth does not mean you cannot do any physical exercise to help your body become fit again. With a personal trainer to assist you, you can burn the excess pounds and feel great about your body once more.

Yours in health,

Sharm, MSc
sharm@gurufitness.com