Post-Pregnancy Fitness: Don’t Go Backwards in Life
During pregnancy, it’s normal and natural for weight-gain to occur. Once the delivery date arrives, many women are extremely eager to get rid of the extra baby weight and often partake in fads and bad habits in order to see faster results. However, when working towards your fitness goals after pregnancy, it’s important to make sure you are doing it in a way that’s healthy for both your body and mind.
Gradually Increase Your Fitness Routine
While we are all anxious to get into the gym and instantly start losing weight (which is not the way weight-loss works), pushing yourself too far will only harm you. Instead, start with light exercises that have been approved by your doctor and gradually add to your routine every couple of weeks. This gradual increase will allow your body time to acclimate and avoid overexertion.
Eat Healthy Foods & Avoid Fad Diets
No matter how tempted you are, do not diet. Participating in fad diets is not a good idea if you are trying to lose weight and keep it off in a healthy way. Dieting is hard and will often result in you giving up and feeling discouraged to reach your fitness goals. Instead of dieting, form a healthy eating habit for you and your entire household. Throw out bad foods and stock your pantry with healthy:
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Lean meats
The less access you have to unhealthy foods, the less likely you are to indulge in them.
Use Exercise as Your Stress Reliever
Motherhood is a wonderful gift, but it also adds a lot of stress and frustration to your life that will take some time to adjust to. Instead of developing unhealthy ways of handling your stress and frustration such as overeating, use exercise as your outlet.
Allow yourself time every day to unwind, even if you’re just doing some quick floor exercises while the little one is down for a nap. Try your best to get out and go for a walk or run at least 3 days a week if possible. For these types of exercises, think about investing in a running stroller to make finding time for fitness easier.