Simple moves to tone your post-natal body
Your post pregnancy weight loss plan may be scuppered by a lack of hours in the day. When you have a baby, or several babies, your day is filled with feeding, changing nappies, washing, playing games and cuddling. Exercise sometimes takes a back seat. Well, have you ever considered that you could use your pram or buggy to get a great work out? Your daily stroll round the park could become more than a pleasant stroll. You could turn it in to a sweat inducing, muscle toning marathon, which burns those all important calories while you spend quality time with your child.
We've compiled some great toning exercises that will help you to shift the post pregnancy pounds. You can start to tone your thighs, a common area of complaint, begin to lift your bottom, an area that often enlarges during pregnancy and even gain shapely calves.
Outer thigh toner
Stand holding your pram handle with your feet facing forwards. Stand up straight with your pelvis in a neutral position (when the pelvis is neutral, the pubic bone and the hip bone are in the same plane. This means that the pelvis is not rotated forward in a hyper extension of the spine, or tilted back in a tuck.) and look straight ahead.
Slowly lift your leg to the side as you exhale, keeping your supporting leg straight. Start off by lifting your leg a few inches to ensure that you don't feel any discomfort. Lower your leg as you breathe in. Do 2 sets of 10 on each leg. You can lift your leg higher as you build your fitness and flexibility. Stop the exercise if you feel any pain. If you suffered from SPD in pregnancy consult with your doctor before doing this exercise.
Calf toning raises
As before, stand holding the handle of your pram or buggy, position your feet hip width apart. Keep your back straight while you look ahead. Slowly lift your heels until your heels are off the ground, keep the weight on the balls of your feet. Do this for a minute and repeat five times. This is a low intensity exercise but will strengthen and tone your calves.
Bottom lifts
If you're pushed for time then you can easily tone your bottom at the same time as working on your pelvis floor. If you have a trigger to remind you to squeeze your pelvic muscles then use the same reminder to spark a bottom toning session. Simply clench your bottom for 10 seconds 5 times or until it starts to become difficult. Do this two or three times a day and soon you'll see your buttocks lifting!
Buggy interval training
Interval exercises are those which combine a period of high intensity exercises and low intensity exercises. The benefit of including this type of exercise in your post pregnancy weight loss plan is that it will boost your aerobic capacity to work out for longer periods. When you're post natal you can benefit from a simple combination of walking briskly for five minutes followed by walking slowly for two minutes. You should build this up to 30 minutes of walking. The periods of brisk walking will boost your metabolism, helping you to burn up those calories, even when you're sedentary.
N.B. Please consult with your doctor before undertaking a new exercise regime. Listen to your body. If anything feels painful then you should stop.
We've compiled some great toning exercises that will help you to shift the post pregnancy pounds. You can start to tone your thighs, a common area of complaint, begin to lift your bottom, an area that often enlarges during pregnancy and even gain shapely calves.
Outer thigh toner
Stand holding your pram handle with your feet facing forwards. Stand up straight with your pelvis in a neutral position (when the pelvis is neutral, the pubic bone and the hip bone are in the same plane. This means that the pelvis is not rotated forward in a hyper extension of the spine, or tilted back in a tuck.) and look straight ahead.
Slowly lift your leg to the side as you exhale, keeping your supporting leg straight. Start off by lifting your leg a few inches to ensure that you don't feel any discomfort. Lower your leg as you breathe in. Do 2 sets of 10 on each leg. You can lift your leg higher as you build your fitness and flexibility. Stop the exercise if you feel any pain. If you suffered from SPD in pregnancy consult with your doctor before doing this exercise.
Calf toning raises
As before, stand holding the handle of your pram or buggy, position your feet hip width apart. Keep your back straight while you look ahead. Slowly lift your heels until your heels are off the ground, keep the weight on the balls of your feet. Do this for a minute and repeat five times. This is a low intensity exercise but will strengthen and tone your calves.
Bottom lifts
If you're pushed for time then you can easily tone your bottom at the same time as working on your pelvis floor. If you have a trigger to remind you to squeeze your pelvic muscles then use the same reminder to spark a bottom toning session. Simply clench your bottom for 10 seconds 5 times or until it starts to become difficult. Do this two or three times a day and soon you'll see your buttocks lifting!
Buggy interval training
Interval exercises are those which combine a period of high intensity exercises and low intensity exercises. The benefit of including this type of exercise in your post pregnancy weight loss plan is that it will boost your aerobic capacity to work out for longer periods. When you're post natal you can benefit from a simple combination of walking briskly for five minutes followed by walking slowly for two minutes. You should build this up to 30 minutes of walking. The periods of brisk walking will boost your metabolism, helping you to burn up those calories, even when you're sedentary.
N.B. Please consult with your doctor before undertaking a new exercise regime. Listen to your body. If anything feels painful then you should stop.