We still feel heavy and large after childbirth. So, what are we going to do about that? Oh well, not to worry. Fitness Expo help you out.
At this point, we’re sure you’ve been to a gym before. It’s full of equipment that you might not know what their names are or how they’re used.
And you might feel that they are not the workout equipment for first-time moms. Or are they?
First Time At The Gym: Postpartum Workout Plan
First things, first. Six weeks after childbirth, and then we can do some easy postpartum exercises. It’s about eight weeks for C-section childbirth.
One of those exercises is walking. It’s a non-strenuous exercise, and normally, it’s good enough on its own.
On the other hand, we can’t do jumping jacks because our uterus is still healing, and if we push too hard, it will do more harm than good.
Starting a postpartum workout plan will be one of the best things we can do to take care of ourselves.
After all, carrying life in our belly for nine months is no joke.
If we are trying to lose the unwanted belly fat, we must choose exercises designed to melt those fats away.
If we are trying to tone our arms or abs, we should be doing push-ups and sit-ups.
Easy Postpartum Exercises to Get Your Started
Starting with a light workout program and progress to an intense exercise routine is the ideal way to do it.
Many trainers recommend doing a pelvic floor program to restore strength, elasticity, and responsiveness in the pelvic floor.
We can also do some head lifts, shoulder lifts, and curl-ups, as these will help strengthen our back muscles.
Aside from that, we get to tone our abs and burn calories.
5 Basic Exercises For New Moms
Let’s try these best workouts for moms designed to help tone some of the postpartum areas that need toning.
- Bridge: exercise for the legs, pelvic floor, and buttocks to help reduce lower back pain and boost lower body strength, including the pelvic floor.
- Modified side plank: exercise for the side abdominal, deep abdominal muscles, and lower back to help build up our strength and pull the muscles back together.
- Plié squat with raised calf: exercise to tone calves, inner and outer thighs, and buttocks.
- Tricep dip: exercise for shoulders and back of arms to keep them to lift and hold our baby.
- Bird dog: exercise for deep abdominal muscles, buttocks, and lower back to improve our balance, strength, and coordination.
The Best Workout Equipment for Moms
Many postpartum fitness experts recommend the following home gym equipment for first-time moms.
- Quality stability ball: according to fitness trainer and pelvic floor expert Courtney Virden, quality stability ball circles on the ball and pelvic tilts help relax the lower back and tone the abs.
- Free weights: free weights like dumbbells are good for strengthening our upper body. Start with sets of 5- and 10-pound weights. Free weights lower the risk of muscle imbalance and injury because it activates and trains more muscles.
- Stationary bike: this exercise equipment offers a workout that has the least impact on the joints. Biking is an excellent option for low impact cardio and still burns calories.
Other fitness gear workout essentials include exercise mat, resistance bands, core sliders, among others.
The Worst Workout Equipment for First-Time Moms
Not all the equipment we see in the gym will be right for us, new moms.
- Seated leg extension: this piece of equipment requires that we move the way it moves, putting our knees at high risk.
- Seated shoulder press: the range of motion of this equipment is quite limited and restricted. It may not be suitable for our shoulders, which we frequently use to breastfeed and carry our baby.
- Abdominal machine: even if we want to tone our abs, this piece of equipment will only work the outer abs and not do so much for the deeper muscles. We don’t get muscle tone or flat abs. And we don’t want that, do we?
- Jump rope set: our postpartum body will not approve of jumping jacks. Imagine how uncomfortable it will be for our nursing breasts.
The Best Gym Machine to Lose Belly Fat
Because our belly had grown big during pregnancy, we naturally want to lose the unwanted belly fat right after childbirth, if possible.
Fortunately, with the help of the following gym equipment, those belly fats will disappear in no time.
- Treadmill: we can lose belly fat by walking or running. A slow walking routine on the treadmill can progress later on to hill walking, which is also suitable for the core and pelvic floor healing process.
- Elliptical trainer: burning calories can have an impact on our belly fat. Use an elliptical trainer with moving handlebars – they will allow us to burn calories as we put our upper body to work.
Being a first-time mom has a lot of challenges.
A postpartum workout plan will keep you healthy and strong, both physically and mentally, to face and overcome those challenges.
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