By Sneha Sadhwani, Clinical Nutritionist
Once you are done with the joyful phase of carrying and delivering the baby, getting back to shape is the next goal for every woman. During this phase, a balanced diet and regular exercise are important for weight loss.
Besides this, exercise also reduces postpartum depression and induces a feeling of happiness. Shedding the extra kilos, which you had gained during the pregnancy period can be a struggle for some women. Here are 8 moves that will help you lose weight:
1. Walking
This is the easiest and most basic form of exercise.
How It Is Done:
- Start with a gentle walk or stroll and then gradually increase the speed of your walk.
- Slowly move to brisk walk and walk for minimum 20 minutes. Try walking for at least 5 days a week.
- Bringing the baby along in the front pack or baby sling bag will add extra weight, which can further enhance the benefits.
2. Deep Breathing Exercises
Deep breathing involves the abdominal muscles and strengthens and tones them.
How Is It Done:
- Sit upright with your back straight and fold your legs. Take a deep breath, draw in the air from the diaphragm upwards.
- Hold your abdominal muscles tight while inhaling and relax your muscles when you exhale.
- Gradually increase the time you can hold your muscles.
3. Pelvic Tilts
This exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles and tones them.
How To Do:
- Lie with your back on the floor, place your feet flat on the floor and toes facing forward.
- Draw in your abdominal muscles, tighten your abs and press your back to the floor and tilt your pelvis forward.
- Hold for 5 seconds and repeat this exercise 10 times.
4. Bridging Exercises
Bridging exercises are a great way to tone your abdomen and thighs.
How To Do:
- Lie on your back,bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Next, take a deep breath and as you exhale, tighten your stomach area around the belly button and your pelvic floor.
- Now lift your bottom, that is your back and the pelvic floor as much as you can. Hold on to this position for at least 5 seconds. During this time, you can breathe normally.
- Gradually lower your back and pelvic floor towards the floor. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
5. Abdominal Crunches
This is an effective exercise to reduce post-pregnancy belly fat. Start this exercise gently and do not put any extra pressure on your body.
How To Do:
- First, lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Second, place your hands behind your head without interlocking your fingers.
- Inhale and with a smooth and controlled motion, lift your shoulder blades and hold on for a second or two. Repeat this exercise 5 times.
- After a few days you can also lift your entire torso off, if you feel comfortable.
6. Standing Forward Bend
This move activates the abdominal muscles and strengthens the spine, thighs, and knees.
How To Do:
- To start this exercise, stand straight on your exercise mat with feet parallel and separated hip distance apart. Place your hands on your hips.
- Next, breath in and stretch your arms towards the ceiling, alongside your ears.
- Keeping your legs straight, breath out and bend forward at the waist. Loop your fingers around your big toes or hold the back of your legs. Hold the pose and breath smoothly.
- To come out of this pose, bring your hands to your hips, lift your torso straight to waist-level, inhale and raise it up straight.
- You can repeat this exercise 3-5 times.
7. Step-Ups
It improves leg strength and may also help you lose butt fat.
How To Do:
- Find a suitable step, bench or chair where you can place your foot on it and bend your knee to a 90-degree angle.
- To begin this exercise, place your right foot onto the chair or bench. Step onto the bench by pressing through your right heel.
- Now bring your left foot to meet your right foot on the bench so that you are standing on the bench.
- Then, first step down your right foot on the ground and return to your starting position, followed by your left foot.
- Repeat 10 steps leading with the right foot and 10 steps leading with the left foot. Do three sets.
8. Flutter Kicks
This exercise tones your lower body and helps you shed fat from your belly, thighs, and hips.
How To Do:
- Lie down on your back, keep your legs together and extend them forward in front of you.
- Place your arms on the side and your palms flat on the floor or exercise mat.
- Look up at the ceiling, tighten your abs and lift your feet off the floor. Begin moving your legs up and down as if you are swimming on your back.
- Continue to do this for 20 seconds and then lowers your legs and rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise 5 times.
Note: If you experience any type of abnormal pain or discomfort while performing any of the above-mentioned exercises, stop immediately. Your body needs 6 weeks to heal after the delivery baby. After that, you can start with light exercises and then increase the intensity as well as the duration of your workout.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2712877/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2867629/
- https://www.researchgate.net/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2002.114