How to lose the postpartum baby weight

Check out baby Bronwyn’s TV debut on my Breakfast TV segment with Tara Jean Stevens on postpartum fitness!

Check out baby Bronwyn’s TV debut on my Breakfast TV segment with Tara Jean Stevens on postpartum fitness!

How to lose the baby weight? Don’t worry about the weight!

What’s good for your brain (and therefore your mood) is good for your body!

 

SLEEP & MOVEMENT benefit:

  1. Mood 
  2. Muscle 
  3. Metabolism


 

SLEEP >>> In the early days, sleep is the most important thing.

Obviously it won’t be consecutive, but try to get 7 cumulative hours - ask for help so you can squeeze in as many naps as it takes.

Did you see my previous post where I talked about sleep deprivation? It's not good for your mood. It's torture. Literally.

Plus, sleep deprivation messes with your appetite, metabolism, pain tolerance and more. 



MOVEMENT >>> Any kind of movement is great! Here are a few tips:

******* Your unique birth story and body dictates your unique postpartum journey. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing, do the best you can and give yourself a break. You just created life, you are absolutely amazing and totally incredible! P.S. go see a pelvic floor physio 6 weeks postpartum before you begin any exercises!!*******



MOVEMENT Weeks 1-6+ postpartum:

  1. Core: practice engaging your pelvic floor and transverse abdominis (see resources below)
  2. Stretching: stretch the front of your body to counteract the hunched posture of breastfeeding and cuddling
  3. Walking: start slow and short, and build up to as much as you'd like - I walked for more than 4 hours the other day!



MOVEMENT Weeks 6+ postpartum (keep up weeks 1-6 exercises):

  1. Squat (with or without baby)
  2. Reverse fly (shoulder blade squeeze)
  3. Back extension (tummy time)


Try the above 3 exercises for 1 minute each, 1-3 rounds, for 3, 6 or 9 minutes (depending how much time you have). 

These 6 exercises (core, stretching, walking, squats, reverse flys, back extensions) not only boost your mood (SO IMPORTANT for those stressful early days), they help your muscles by counteracting the poor posture that breastfeeding and cuddles require, and rev up your metabolism to help you lose the baby weight!


RESOURCES >>> check out these incredible women:

  1. My Amazing pelvic floor physiotherapist Anniken Chanwick (www.annikenchadwick.com)
  2. The awesome ladies at Bellies Inc. for pre & postnatal fitness and the #AbSystem (www.belliesinc.com)
  3. Fabulous info from The Bloom Method (thebloommethod.com)
  4. Beautiful pre & postnatal yoga with Teresa Campbell (www.lalupavia.com) at Semperviva Yoga (www.semperviva.com)
  5. Excellent pre & postnatal Pilates at Form Body Lab (www.formbodylab.com)