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Home › Articles › Postpartum Fitness › Get Your Body Back!

Get Your Body Back!

Postpartum Exercises for Mom

By Catherine Cram, MS

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

  • Lie on the floor with knees bent and arms at your side.
  • Hold your tummy in by doing your basic breath contraction. Keep breathing as you hold the muscles in and keeping one leg bent, slowly slide the other leg out until it is straight with the floor, and then slide back up to bent knee position. Relax your tummy.
  • Repeat the process for the other leg. Remember, don't flatten your back and keep the curve relaxed.
When you can comfortably do 20 leg slides on each side you can move to the next step.

Step 2
  • Lie on floor with knees bent and arms at your sides. Pull in on your tummy and hold, then raise one knee towards your chest and slowly straighten it out parallel to (about 2-3 inches above the floor) but not touching the floor. Return extended leg to starting position, knees bent, feet resting on floor, and relax your tummy.
  • Repeat on opposite side, keeping one knee always bent as you extend the other leg.
When you can do this exercise 20 times on each side, without your back arching up off the floor, you can move on to step 3.

Step 3
  • Lying in the same position as step 2, breathe in using your basic breath and raise both legs up to a bent knee, 90-degree angle. While holding your tummy in, lower one leg down with the knee still bent to the floor, then raise it back to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite leg. Slowly work up to 20 repetitions each leg.
With each repetition remember to keep breathing, contract your tummy as you move your leg, anddon't let you back pop up. If the arch in your back keeps popping up during the exercise it means you're not strong enough to progress to this level, and need to go back to the previous exercise until you build greater strength.

Remember with all exercises to progress slowly and gently, and don't continue to do any exercises that cause pain or discomfort. Be patient with your body; it will take time to return to normal. Rest, good nutrition and exercise are equally important during your postpartum recovery and they work together to help your meet the challenges motherhood provides!

Expert Q&A by Mary Ann McCann, author of "Days in Waiting: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy Bedrest

Pages:  1  2  3  4  


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