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 Exercise After Baby
August 13th, 2009
Finding time to shower can be a major accomplishment when you have a newborn. But exercise speeds your recovery and helps you shed pregnancy pounds. Here’s how to fit it into your baby’s schedule.
by: Tracey Mallett
In This Article
Planning Post-Natal Workouts
    

  • Post-natal exercise speeds up the recovery process after childbirth and helps give you the energy you need to keep up with the hectic pace of caring for a newborn.
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  • Be patient–once you start exercising it may take a few months, or possibly longer, for you to see the results you want.
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  • To fit in exercise at home, create a library of workout videos that are different lengths so you're equipped when some unexpected time arises.
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  • Use a day planner to loosely plan your workouts around your baby's schedule.
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  • If you start to feel light headed and nauseous, or notice a change in the color of your vaginal discharge, you may be exercising too strenuously.
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A
fter childbirth, I was amazed by how much my stomach looked like a deflated balloon. If this is happening to you too, don't panic–your uterus will naturally contract back to its pre-pregnancy shape a few weeks after you give birth. But this alone is not enough to get your pre-pregnancy body back.


Post-natal exercise is the key–it also speeds up the recovery process and offers a whole range of health benefits for new moms. Just be patient because it may take a few months, or possibly longer, depending on how much time you can dedicate to working out. So here's how to find more time to fit exercise into your life with baby.


 Benefits of postnatal exercise


    

  •  Helps reduce post-natal depression.
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  • Is essential for your overall physical health and will help you recover from childbirth and regain your pre-pregnancy body more quickly.
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  • Increases your energy level.
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  • Provides stress release and some time for you to focus on your own needs. 
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