One problem most new mothers will report is that they don't feel that they have enough time to exercise after birth. This is a complaint among just about anyone who has ever attempted to set up a routine exercise program, not just women who have given birth!
While it is true that taking care of your newborn should be first and foremost in your mind, it is also important that you set aside time for your own health and well being. This includes setting aside enough time to engage in routine exercise. Finding time may be as simple as blocking off a certain number of hours during the day to work out.
If you are having trouble finding time to exercise, there are a number of things you can do to ensure that you stick with some type of exercise routine:
* Set aside a specific time every day to exercise. Even if you just set aside 10 minutes of time in the morning, your body will benefit from regular exercise. Remember that stretching, yoga and other forms of activity are also considered exercise, and will help your body return to its pre-pregnancy shape much more quickly. * Ask your partner to help. Ask your partner or another friend or family member if they would be willing to watch your newborn for a set time during the week. This could be two or three times per week , or as often as every other day. * Consider a sitter. You might need to have someone come in for an hour per day to watch your baby while you work out. Not sure who to ask? Consider parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors. You can even put an ad out in your local paper. If you have friends with older children, you might ask one of them if they have any children with experience watching young children. Many gyms also offer daycare for parents who need an hour to work out, as do many local recreation centers. * Take just ten minutes. If you are truly time deprived, you can still get a great work out in for the day in 10 minute intervals. There are no hard and fast rules that state that you have to work out 30 minutes in a row for exercise to be effective. If you have just 10 free minutes in your day, consider climbing some stairs or going for a brisk walk. Do that two to three times per day and you have worked in a full blown work out. * Consider home work out videos. You can pop these easily into your VHS or DVD player and work out from the convenience of you home, saving travel time and much more. There are even many videos that are targeted toward moms, where you can work out with your newborn!
You were able to maintain your fitness, your health and (most of all) your figure without piling on unnecessary pounds and losing your motivation to peel yourself off of the sofa? During pregnancy your body experiences dramatic physiological changes that require a carefully designed exercise program. But why should you exercise during pregnancy?
Reason 1: Women who exercise have shorter and easier births at the ?pushing stage?
There is some research that shows that women who exercise have a shorter second stage of labour (pushing stage). However labour is very individual and can last for 1hour up to 2 days. Fitter women cope better with the labour they are given.
Reason 2: Women who exercise reportedly feel more positive and have more energy after the birth. Are you ready to have the healthiest pregnancy possible?
Women who have exercised with us tell us constantly that their labours were so manageable thanks to our Pregnancy Exercise Plan. We love to hear this but also know that it their ability to cope that is improved by exercise so that even a hard labour feels easier when you are fit and strong. Women who exercise do have healthier pregnancies- they gain less weight, suffer less back and pelvic pain, sleep better and eat better. They are happier, less likely to suffer depression and all round healthier.
Reason 3: A strong pelvic floor can assist your birth
If the muscle tone is strong and like a piece of new elastic they will have the ability to stretch to allow a baby to pass through during childbirth and return to normal afterwards. If they are not exercised they may become over stretched and weak; and their ability to contract strongly and quickly reduced or lost. During pregnancy the relaxin hormone will affect the pelvic floor to enable it to stretch adequately during childbirth. After childbirth the pelvic floor muscles are stretched, weakened and bruised, so pelvic floor exercise are important to help tone the muscles to prevent greater damage.
Reason 4: You can benefit from exercising even if you are new to starting a exercise program or if you have exercised very little prior to becoming pregnant.
Provided there are no medical reasons non exercisers may begin our program during pregnancy. The majority of women who exercise in pregnancy are doing so for the first time because they make the decision to begin a healthier life habit now that they are pregnant. Always exercise with a program that is run by correctly qualified trainers who know how to ease you into a new program.
Reason 5: After birth, the babies of women who exercised were slightly leaner than those who did not
A lot of hype in the media has made claims that women who exercise have smaller babies. Is a bigger baby better if it only has more fat? In addition babies born of women who exercise do not differ in their organ size or bone lengths. Studies of the babies (born to women who exercised during their pregnancies) at 1 and five years of age showed at one year of age exercisers babies scored higher on standardised intelligence tests than children of mothers who did not exercise. Their mental and physical performance scored higher as well. At age five children of exercises were less fat and scored much higher on tests of general intelligence and oral language skills than the children born to non-exercisers. Further studies have shown that children born to exercising mothers are less likely to be obese.
What better reason to start exercising than for a better start to life for your child and yourself.
Both Alien & Daniel Thompson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Alien has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pregnancy Problems, Fitness and Get Rid of Bed Bugs. Alien writes for . He also writes for. Alien's top article generates over 673000 views. to your Favourites.
Daniel Thompson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Pregnancy Problems and Health. Dan Thompson is author of the Pregnancy Exercise Plan and a leading personal trainer in the UK. For a FREE Report about the importance of pelvic floor exercises & Why you shouldn't do abdominal exercises go to. Daniel Thompson's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.