You’ve enjoyed the nine months of carrying your baby with happiness and challenges. Now that you’ve given birth to your newborn, you’ll be faced with a new wave of challenges. Your tiredness, and emotional upheavals won’t leave you behind. While you’re battling the postpartum challenges, staying active should be your aim. Getting back in shape immediately after the delivery of your baby won’t be that easy.
This guide will surely help you to start moving again and stay physically and mentally fit.
The 10 Best Exercises for New Moms and Their Benefits
The main goal behind including exercises in your postpartum regime is to strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles, enjoy a peaceful slumber, and lose those extra kilos earned during pregnancy. With the baby in your arms, you have a lot to look at your body and mind. So, here are the 10 exercises that you can do:
Pelvic Floor Exercises or Kegels
You can start doing the Kegels immediately after your child’s birth. You can start doing this exercise to gain the following benefits:
- To prevent incontinence
- To strengthen vaginal muscles
- To strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
- To prevent yourself from accidentally passing stool
- To improve orgasm
Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold for at least 10 seconds, and repeat it as and when you can throughout the day.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
This is a deep breathing exercise in the initial days of postpartum. How does it help?
- Correct breathing creates a foundation for healing
- Restrengthens the inner core
- Slows down your rate of breathing
- Breathing deeply increases blood circulation
- Reduces stress
- Builds endurance.
So, while you’re practising deep breathing lie down flat on the floor, keep your body relaxed, and put your hand on your chest and stomach. Breathe for 2 to 3 seconds and continue repeating.
Brisk Walking
Till the 12 weeks of the delivery of your baby, you’d need to heal inside-out. If you had an uncomplicated pregnancy, it’s safe for you to start exercising a few days after the delivery of your baby. You start walking the moment you feel you’re ready. Walking is one of the best exercises. Wear your sneakers and get ready for walking. Start by walking slowly every day, and increase the duration, and distance daily. Consider stopping after every 10 or 15 minutes. Try not to exert yourself. This will boost your backside, strengthen your glute muscles, and help in toning your stomach.
Swiss Ball Bird Dog Holds
To do this exercise, you need to lie down on the top of an exercise ball. Your entire body will be in a straight line. Your palms and toes will be touching the ground. Try to hold yourself in this position for 1 to 2 seconds. This activity will help you reduce lower back pain, and make you feel stable.
Swiss Ball Glute Bridge
You again need an exercise ball to perform this activity. You may start this activity with your back, by keeping it flat on the ground. Keep the knees bent and try to keep the ball stable with your feet. Keep your feet flat on the ball. Put pressure through the heels. Raise the hips in the air. Do 3 to 4 sets at 10 to 20 times. This is a very good exercise for your pelvic floor and the core. This works perfectly on the abdominal muscles, quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.
Postpartum Planks
You need to lie down on your stomach with your forearms and feet on the floor. Keep your elbows beneath the shoulders. You contract your deep abdominal muscles. Try to bring your belly to your spine and keep your bottom and upper body tight. Hold yourself in this position for 30 seconds. Repeat this activity once or twice in the first week after the delivery of the baby. With this activity, you’ll be able to retain the core. The muscles in the upper part of the body are strengthened. Your glutes get a nice lift.
Side Planks
A slide plank is a perfectly safe postpartum exercise. Start with a modified side plank and gradually work your way up. Do a regular side plank and do a side plank with leg lifting. This activity will work on your obliques, glutes as well as shoulder muscles.
Straight Curl–up (A) and (B)
You can do this exercise with your baby. Lie down on your back with legs and feet flat on the floor, when you’re doing a straight curl–up (A). Lift your baby and look up. Do this at least 10 to 15 times. Lift your head, neck, and shoulder as you are in the straight curl–up (B) position, as you lie on your back and bend your knees with your baby on your abs. It increases abdominal strength and core strength.
Stretching (Butterfly) Pose
The butterfly yoga pose or Baddha Konasana is a hip-opening stretching pose. Lie on your back, while you perform this activity and place your baby on your stomach. It reduces tension and discomfort in the inner thighs and legs. It increases the energy levels. It improves the flexibility and quality of your sleep.
After all, the postpartum period is not just about looking after your baby but taking care of yourself.
Take care and stay healthy! You have a long way to go as a mother.