Post Pregnancy Workout Plan

No matter what shape you were in before you had your baby, or how often you worked out while pregnant, getting back into a fitness routine is not so simple. Getting used to your new life and your new baby takes top priority. Once you’ve settled in and you’re medically cleared by your healthcare provider, you may decide the time has come to begin working out again.

Best Post Pregnancy Workout Plan

The best plan is one that will slowly get you back into the shape you were before you became pregnant. Once you feel back to your old self as much as possible, feel free to start picking up the pace with a new fitness goal.

The important thing to keep in mind when starting a post-pregnancy workout plan is protecting your abdominal wall. Because we’re so focused on getting our tummy back down to size, many of us perform exercises that are actually bad for our tummies.

Diastasis Recti

Many women experience diastasis recti during pregnancy. This is a pretty normal condition where the rectus abdominis (imagine a “six-pack” part of the abdomen) partially or completely splits to allow more room for your growing belly.

Once a woman gives birth, she may jump back into a workout program that makes the problem worse instead of helping to rejoin the split muscle.

Five Abdomen Friendly Post-Pregnancy Exercises

Do these five exercises for one minute each every day to ease your way back into abdominal fitness.

• Pelvic Tilts - Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles to flatten your back. Tilt your pelvis up slightly. Hold for ten seconds and release.
• Kneeling Leg and Arm Extension - Support yourself on your hands and knees. Extend the left leg and the right arm, then bring them back into position on the floor. Now, do the same for your right leg and left arm.
• Double Leg Extension - Sit on the floor with your feet on the floor in front of you, leaning back with your hands on the floor behind you for support. Slowly extend your legs forward, then bend them again bringing them back down to the floor.
• Side Plank - raise your body off of the floor in a side position so that your elbow or palm and feet are the only parts of your body touching the floor. Lower your body and repeat on the other side.
• Banded Arm Pull - Sit on the floor with your legs crossed. Extend a band over your head and pull apart with each hand at the end of the band.