By: Natasha Archary
No one understands the insane pressure new moms find themselves under, other than a mom. Bombarded with unwanted and often unneeded advice on how to care for the new bundle, many new moms find themselves stressed and overwhelmed.
You may be one of a large number of moms who find it difficult to snap back into shape after baby. Regardless of the type of delivery, the recovery period is often rushed because you are expected to fill the role of primary nurturer immediately.
Workout when the baby sleeps
As a new mom, the saying “sleep when the baby sleeps”, does not bring about magical harp-induced sleep on command. In fact, most moms spend this time cooking, cleaning or taking some time to themselves.
If sleep evades you during these precious few minutes, use the time to build your strength with guided post-baby workouts. Your pelvic floor changes after birth and many women report a degree of incontinence (involuntarily peeing), discomfort during sex and general muscle weakness, so start with something as small as a kegel routine.
Yoga and pilates are other great workouts for new moms. Where yoga aims to improve flexibility and muscle tone, pilates works to relax tense muscles, providing strength to the body.
Remember to take it easy
Before commencing with a workout routine, get the go-ahead from your gynae. You don’t want to risk tears to any stitches you may have or cause an infection from the sweating. Once you have the green light, you can start making gradual changes to your daily routine with your new-born.
Light strolls around the neighbourhood with baby in the stroller. A quiet day at the park so you can make use of the communal gym equipment. Being outdoors can do wonders for a new mom as cabin fever can set in after a few weeks.
Take a cue from celebs
If you feel up to the challenge you can add in some light weights to build upper body resistance. Emily Skye has some incredible post-baby workouts in her program. She stuck to her modified training plan after her both her pregnancies and a few months in, saw results.
South African fitness experts, Letshego Zulu and Lisa Raleigh also swear by a healthy eating plan to help boost energy after baby. The key is to work at it consistently and at your own pace. It’s not a race to get back into shape after baby. You should use the time to bond and find a rhythm with this whole mommy thing.
How did you get back into shape after your baby? And how long did it take? Tweet us @KayaFM95dot using the hashtag #KayaOnline
