Exercise post pregnancy

Your body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy and after birth you will no doubt find yourself asking where your pre-pregnancy body went and whether or not it will ever come back. 


Although exercise won't do much for any stretch marks you might have gained it will help get you back into shape and feeling healthy.


When can you start exercising?
There is no fixed time period. Technically if you were in form pre-pregnancy, had a problem free, healthy pregnancy and natural birth you could start the day following birth with some simple stretching. In the case of a c-section you'll need to be patient and at least wait a few weeks. Either way it's a good idea to talk to your doctor before you start to get the all clear.


Listen to what your body tells you too. You'll probably be able to tell by your natural instinct when your body is ready.


Advice for breastfeeding mums
Try to breastfeed your baby before your exercise. You'll feel more comfortable is your breast don't fill full. Also make sure you wear a good bra to give you support.


The benefits of exercise post pregnancy
It's not just about losing weight gained during pregnancy. I personally had a difficult pregnancy and actually weighed less after birth than I had pre-pregnancy. Even without huge weight gain you'll likely be left with a mushy tummy. In my case I had spent the most part of my pregnancy on bed rest and so had no muscle tone left. Exercise will add tone to your muscles and help you get your shape back.


Exercise increases your circulation and so will help ease a whole host of discomforts. It's also great for beating postnatal depression.


What exercise to do?
It depends on what you prefer and the amount of time you have available for working out. Although it would be nice to have a personal trainer and nanny on hand 24/7 like the rich and famous do chances are you will be trying to juggle a busy life of families, new baby, job, responsibilities of being a stay at home mum etc...


I personally like working out using my wii. I have the Active 2 pack and find it both fun to do and effective. 

One of the things I like best about using this method is that I can do it from the comfort of my own home. While it would be nice to go to a gym, popping in the disc is a much cheaper and easier to fit exercise into my busy day.


It has different programs and a wide range of exercises to work all parts of the body. A typical session lasts about 30 minutes including warm-up and cool-down stretching exercises.


Another thing I like about it is that my youngest can sit in his chair watching and my 4 year old can join in and work out with me. It becomes a family activity which makes it more fun.


When did you start your post pregnancy exercise? What type of exercise do you do?