When To Start Exercise After Pregnancy - Part 1

Getting back into shape after the birth of your new baby is one goal that many new mothers look forward to. After nine long months of a woman’s body changing in ways that many don’t appreciate, your wonderful new bundle was born but your body doesn’t return to its pre-pregnancy state automatically. Women often face a soft stomach, a few extra pounds and a lot of new stretch marks.

Although exercise won’t do much for the stretch marks it will help regain your shape and shed some of those unwanted pounds. Women who have been exercising prior to their pregnancy find they have an easier time regaining their shape after the baby is born. But anyone can start an exercise program at any time and reap the benefits. The question is more about the types of exercise that are best for women in the postpartum stage as well as how much exercise should a woman who recently gave birth legitimately do.

For those of us who have to deal with small children, families, jobs or most other responsibilities, finding time to include exercise and develop a postpartum weight loss program may not be easy. Women who drag themselves to the gym during their pregnancy, or worked out at home, will find that once they are in their postpartum period the hours during the pregnancy will have paid off.

Remember that it took nine months for your body to get in the postpartum condition it is today so returning to pre-pregnancy state will take at least nine months, if not longer. While Hollywood actresses seem to be able to regain their pre-pregnancy bodies within a matter of months most normal people don’t have nannies who can watch their children for four and five hours while they work out at the gym.