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Get Fit Families Get Fit Moms Exercise After Childbirth
Get Fit Families Get Fit Moms Exercise After Childbirth
Of course, it doesn't help that on top of having the kid or kids, you're also getting older and as we get older our bodies change even more.
But, it's not the end of the world. There is a body waiting to be found after childbirth and as you get older. It's in there; you just need to find it. It won't be easy. It will take hard work, dedication and at sometimes a level of insanity and even a bit of an addiction to get back to where you once were. For some of you, this will be easy. For some woman, their bodies just remember how it used to be and it bounces back quickly and within a few months you can't even tell they had a baby. For the rest of us, it won't be that easy.
Before you get started, you need to think of a few things. First, were you able to exercise during your pregnancy? What type of pregnancy did you have? Vaginal or C-section? Did you have multiple births? Were their complications during your pregnancy? All of these play a part in how soon you can start to exercise and at what intensity.
First of all, what type of pregnancy did you have? If you were one of those women who loved being pregnant, who were able to exercise throughout your pregnancy and who had an easy childbirth, then you're in luck. Getting back into shape will most likely be easy for you. Your body was active up until the birth and starting back afterwards won't be as tough. You will still have to work hard, it won't just happen that you'll wake up one day and everything will be back into place, but it will happen.
If you had a tough pregnancy, like I did, then getting back into shape won't be as easy. I was unable to exercise during my pregnancy and I had a terrible child-birth experience that ended with a c-section and complete exhaustion. In my case and in the case of thousands of other women who fall into this category, bouncing back and getting back into exercising will not be easy and it will probably be very painful.
The first thing to remember, no matter what type of pregnancy you went through, is to not start an exercise program after giving birth until your doctor says it's ok. This is very important. Once the doctor releases you to exercise, it's important to start out slow. Walking is usually the best exercise for new Mom's. Walking is also great because you can usually include your new bundle of joy.
Once you get comfortable walking, you can start to jog and you can start to add core exercises, Yoga, Pilates and even jogging or running. Please remember, if something doesn't feel right, please contact your doctor.
Now, as a new Mom or a Mom with two or more children, your biggest challenge will be getting enough rest and finding the time to exercise. Both of these are legitimate concerns. As a Mom, you're always tired. The important thing is to start and once you start to stick with it. There are plenty of programs out there to help New Mom's. At Get Fit Families you can join our new mom's training program if you're local. You can also join class in your community or at your local YMCA. You can get video's to do in your home, or you can start your own little group with women in your neighborhood. However you decide to get fit, stick with it and don't give up.
A lot of people ask how I got fit after my pregnancy. I did it through running. I got a baby jogger and took the kid and the dog out almost every day. We all got out of the house and everyday I added some more miles. I also signed up for 5K races. I knew if I didn't sign-up for races I wouldn't work hard to get fit again. The 5K's were my encouragement to start running and to keep running. Then, I decided to sign up for the Boston Marathon. This was my ultimate goal to train for and to finish the Boston Marathon.