Walking around the block with the stroller helps burn calories.
Pregnancy takes toll on a woman's body. After giving birth, that once cute, taut, round belly looks like a deflated balloon. You may even look as if you are still pregnant. Getting your body back to the way it was before pregnancy takes time and effort. Your genes, pregnancy weight gain and activity level all influence how long it will take to lose the excess weight.
Instructions
1. Breastfeed your baby. Breastfeeding promotes the shrinking of the uterus back to its pre-pregnancy size and helps you burn extra calories because your body has to work harder to make milk.
2. Start exercising regularly. Go to your post-pregnancy checkup and get your doctor's permission to start exercising. Build up your exercise routine gradually. Perform cardiovascular exercise to increase your metabolism and burn calories. Start by walking around the block with the baby in his stroller and work your way up to a jogging pace. Ride a bike, go swimming or work out on the elliptical machine to get that heart rate up.
3. Take a yoga or Pilates class which focuses on flexibility and strengthening your core. Both exercise classes will teach you breathing techniques. During yoga, you learn meditation and relaxation techniques that may help soothe you during times of stress that a new mom may experience.
4. Incorporate abdominal strengthening exercises. Perform the stomach vacuum, which works your corset muscles also known as the transverse abdominals. Stand up or sit down and exhale all the air from your lungs. Suck your tummy in as much as you can. Hold your belly scooped in as you breathe normally. Hold the tension as long as you can before releasing it. Repeat the stomach vacuum as often as you can and aim to extend the length of the exercise each time.
5. Work your lower abdominals. Lie on your back on the floor with your legs pointing straight up to the ceiling. Push your lower back toward the floor to eliminate the arch. Lower your legs toward the floor as far as you can without arching your back. Raise your legs back up to the starting position and repeat the exercise 20 times.
6. Reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories per day. One pound of fat has 3,500 calories, so over seven days you will lose one pound. The Baby Center website recommends that post-pregnancy women don't eat less than 1,200 calories per day. If you are breastfeeding, they recommend a minimum caloric intake of 1,800 calories per day.
7. Make healthy food choices. Eat lean protein such as chicken, fish and turkey. Consume fiber-rich carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, brown rice, oatmeal and whole-grain bread. Limit saturated fats such as butter and choose olive oil and canola oil instead. Avoid processed, sugary and fatty foods. Read food labels to find out nutritional values.
8. Drink at least eight glasses of water. Water promotes healthy digestion and metabolism.
9. Get eight hours of sleep at night. Lack of sleep may lead to the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which is associated with increased cravings and weight gain.
Tags: your legs, around block, around block with, block with, burn calories, helps burn, intake calories