The baby is here and you want exercise? Unfortunately, there is little time for sport between changing diapers and breastfeeding. How to get fit again!
The joy of a successful birth and a healthy baby is enormous. But at some point in most mothers a new feeling mixes with joy (no, we don’t mean this paralyzing tiredness), a mixture of longing for movement and the desire to do something just for yourself. If you feel the same way and you just want to do sports again, you’ve come to the right place.
Don’t be surprised: Our tips start with the pregnancy. Because what many do not know: The fitter you are before giving birth and the more optimal the weight gain is during pregnancy, the easier it will be to return to your old form afterwards. So you can work a bit in advance during pregnancy to make it easier for you to get back into work after the birth. But that doesn’t mean that this is a basic requirement: You can always start from scratch.
- Exercise During Pregnancy
- Exercise after childbirth
- Exercise shortly after giving birth
- Exercise after 8 to 12 weeks
- Exercise from 12 weeks after the birth
- You should pay attention to this when exercising
- The best post-pregnancy exercises
Is exercise allowed during pregnancy?
“Pregnancy is not a reason to do nothing. If everything is medically okay, you can do light fitness training, Pilates and yoga exercises almost up to birth,” says personal trainer Ines Vogel . The Düsseldorf native is herself a mother and an experienced coach, she knows what is important. Important: Everything that leads to press breathing is taboo at this time, i.e. explosive moves and heavy weights.
When can you start exercising after giving birth?
Get the green light from your doctor or midwife first before you start training again.
In the first few weeks after the birth, everything is different anyway – this also applies to figure tuning. In no case is this the right time for high performance or dieting. It is better to incorporate a lot of meaningful exercise into everyday life, for example walks with a pushchair.
Wait at least 6 weeks for your first light workout. Two rules apply to this: The postnatal exercise must be completed. And the diastasis rectus, i.e. the gap between the straight abdominal muscles that resulted from the overstretching, must be reduced so much that the midwife or doctor give the green light.
After the pregnancy, the sport will probably be a little more strenuous than you are used to. So that you don’t overexert yourself, the athletic re-entry is divided into these 3 phases:Exercise shortly after giving birth
Everything in the stomach has to come back right first – and that takes time. Therefore: Only when the regression is complete, the doctor or midwife give the green light, can you start focusing on a stable pelvic floor and a strong core. But just don’t put yourself under any pressure to exercise, rather put your feet up if you feel like it.
Exercise after 8 to 12 weeks
Now you can trust yourself a little more: Short, coherent workouts that train the pelvic floor and core of the body are not done at full throttle. It is healthier to continue to exercise on the back burner and only slowly to get used to the old workload. Long units are just as taboo as additional weights
Exercise 12 weeks after giving birth
Cardio and targeted figure tuning can now also be part of your training plan, you can also integrate light weights. You can now also start running again, initially alternating between walking and running. Important: Listen to your body, especially the pelvic floor. You will feel when you have done too much. Then you have to take a rest.
A return to workout shouldn’t weaken the body.
You should pay attention to this when exercising after pregnancy
The stomach can remain sensitive for up to a year, which is why the stressed pelvic floor must always be tightly tensed during all exercises. Also important: Initially only load the straight abdominal muscles statically, the oblique muscles can also be trained dynamically.
“Always listen to your body,” warns the expert. “Stop training immediately in the event of pain, bleeding or discomfort. A return to workout should not weaken the body. Therefore, start with short sessions of no more than 30 minutes, and arrange it so that you don’t start shortly before the next breastfeeding. “Exercise releases adrenaline, and it affects breast milk.” In concrete terms: the baby would be wide awake after breastfeeding.
The best fitness exercises for moms
The after-baby workout that UNDER ARMOR personal trainer Stefania Lou presents in her training plan consists of exercises for the entire body. It works the large muscle groups (which increase calorie consumption), brings strength to the core of the body and thanks to isolated moves also gives the smaller muscles the first fine-tuning.
By the way, the workout is not designed in such a way that you have to completely pull out all the exercises. First build individual ones into your everyday life, do 2 sentences at the beginning, then 3. This way you will get fit again while the baby is hopefully slumbering peacefully.
Arm and leg raises in the quadruped position
1. Go to the quadruped position. The fingers are spread open, the back straight and the eyes fixed on the floor.
2. Extend the left leg backwards and at the same time extend the right arm forwards. Hold briefly, then return to the starting position.
3. Now carry out the process with the other arm and leg. Back to the start and continue from there alternately.
8 to 10 repetitions per side
Quadruped combination: The simultaneous arm and leg raises require stability and balance.
Support special
Get out of the forearm support on your elbows and guide your hands towards your jaw. Look to the ground.
Keep the whole body in a long straight line, the stable body tension remains.
30 to 60 seconds
Squat
1. Stand shoulder-width apart and upright. The toes point slightly outwards, the gaze is directed straight ahead, the arms hang at the sides of the body.
2. Now bend your knees with your torso straight until your knees reach a 90-degree angle. At the same time raise your arms in front of your body. Finally back upstairs.
10 to 15 repetitions
Top exercise for many large muscles: squat.
Leg lifter
1. Stand upright, feet hip width apart, hold the back of the chair or stroller handle with both hands.
2. Shift your body weight to the left, tense your standing leg firmly. Stable trunk, tense buttocks and lift your right leg backwards. Lower, do not put your foot down.
15 to 20 repetitions per leg
Triceps push-ups
1. From a four-footed position, stretch your right leg backwards, raise your toes. Place both hands firmly under your shoulders. Look to the ground, build up your torso tension.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your long upper body. Bring your upper arms close to your ribs. The right leg goes straight up. Keep your core stable and push up again. Repeat with the left and continue alternately.
6 to 8 repetitions per leg
Diagonal crunch
1. Lie on your back, rest your arms relaxed next to your body. Put your feet close to your bottom in a stable position Keep your head straight, look up.
2. Firmly tense your stomach, raise your arms and bring your palms together while your upper body rotates to the left. Put down and to the other side, then alternately.
8 to 10 repetitions per side
Important when lifting the pelvis: the body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.
Hip raises while lying down
1. Lie down on your back. Your feet are hip-width apart, your arms are next to your body.
2. Press both feet firmly into the ground and raise your hips until your body is straight from your shoulders to your knees. Hold briefly, then return to the starting position in a controlled manner.
12 to 15 repetitions
You can find more tips and exercises with UNDER ARMOR personal trainer Stefania Lou in our download special “Fit after the birth”.
Before you start exercising again after your pregnancy, give yourself and your body some rest. Targeted pelvic floor training and postnatal gymnastics then help to slowly bring everything back into pre-baby shape. And with our plan you will be in top shape again.
