Stephanie Mansour is our TODAY Fitness contributor, a certified personal trainer and a yoga and Pilates instructor. She also leads workout routines and challenges in our new Start TODAY app.
During pregnancy, eating a healthy diet and staying active is a top priority. But once baby is here, many women put their own health on the back burner. Even for those who want to prioritize movement, postpartum exercise can feel a bit overwhelming.
Where should you start? How can you rebuild strength safely? The most important thing is to start slow and go at your own pace. Walking is a great low-impact activity you can do with your baby to ease into movement, boost your metabolism and improve cardiovascular health. An added bonus: On days that you are unable to squeeze in a full workout, going for a walk while pushing your baby is a great way to sneak in some exercise and allow for extra bonding time, too. When you're cleared for exercise by a doctor and ready to commit to a consistent workout plan, here are the four types of movements to add into your weekly workout routine. Benefits of postpartum exercise Exercising after having a baby is important for reasons far beyond fitting into your pre-pregnancy clothes. It’s about reclaiming your energy, strength and overall well-being. Think of it as refueling your tank so you can be the best version of yourself for your baby. In terms of your physical health, getting back into a workout routine can help with strengthening your core to support your back, which is much-needed when you are constantly lifting and carrying your baby. Postpartum exercise can also boost your mood and reduce the risk of postpartum depression while improving sleep quality so you can better handle those sleepless nights. Postpartum workout plan A well-rounded workout plan includes core work, cardio, strength training and stretching. Here are some great exercises in each category that you can start incorporating into your routine. Always consult your doctor and wait until you are cleared for exercise before jumping into a fitness routine. Core These exercises can be done everyday to start rebuilding core strength and toning the midsection. Pelvic tilts Lying on your back with your feet on the floor, open your feet as wide as your hips. Reach your arms toward your heels. Take a deep breath in through your nose and fill your stomach up with air. Then, exhale through your mouth and pull your naval in toward your spine. To exaggerate this, as you breathe in slowly arch your low back up off of the ground, keeping your tailbone planted. Then, as you exhale press your low back into the ground as you tilt your pelvis towards your ribs. Repeat these pelvic tilts forward and back 10 times. Glute Bridge Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Your knees should be hip-distance apart. Perform a pelvic tilt and then raise your hips off the ground by squeezing your glutes to create a straight line from your neck to your knees, being careful not to hyperextend your hips. Pause for a breath before lowering back down, starting with the upper back and lowering each vertebrae until your butt is resting on the ground. Repeat 10 times. Dead Bug Begin by lying down flat on your back. Ensure your shoulders and low back remain flat on the floor. Next, lift your hands above your shoulders. Then, lift your legs and bend your knees, with your knees over your hips at a 90-degree angle. Exhale, engaging the core, as you slowly lower your opposite arm and leg , hovering them above the floor. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side . Repeat for 5 repetitions on each side. Half roll down Seated on the ground, bend your knees. Then, reach your arms out in front of you with the shoulders relaxed. Pull the naval in toward the spine and slowly roll down half way to the floor. Hold for a breath and then slowly roll back up to the starting position. Repeat this ab exercise 10 times. Strength These exercises can be done every other day, but I recommend aiming for 3 times per week to start building full-body strength, boost metabolism and toning your muscles. I recommend performing three sets of 10 repetitions. Squats Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed forward. Pull your navel in toward your spine to engage your core. Bend at the hips and knees while keeping your heels and toes on the floor. Slowly sit back into a squat position with your chest up, your shoulders back and abs in. Make sure that your knees are not crossing over your toes, and that you are as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Straighten your legs by pressing into your heels to stand back up. Squeeze your glutes at the top, tilting your pelvis forward. Repeat. Backward lunge Stand with your feet as wide as your hips. Step the right foot back into a lunge position. Engage your abs and lower your right leg down until your knee almost touches the floor. Both knees should be at about a 90-degree angle. Push down through the front heel to come back up to standing. Repeat 10 times before switching sides. Bicep curls Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Engage your abs by tucking your pelvis and softly bend your knees. Hold one dumbbell in each hand , and relax your arms so that they hang at the sides of your body. Make sure your palms are facing forward. Keep your shoulders back and down. Bend at your elbow and curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders. Make sure to keep your elbows hugging the sides of your body. Lower both weights back down slowly. Exhale while lifting the weights, and inhale when you lower them down. Repeat 10 times. Tricep kickbacks Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, knees slightly bent. Hold on to one weight in each hand, and let your arms hang down toward your knees. Hinge at the hips so that your chest is tilted down toward the ground. Hug your elbows into your sides and pull your elbows up into a row. From here, keep the elbows stationary and extend the forearms back into the tricep kickback. Come back to the row position and then repeat the kickbacks. Repeat. Cardio No matter where you are in your fitness journey, a daily walking is something I encourage. Even on days when the weather - or your baby - doesn't cooperate you can get your steps in from the comfort of your living room by walking in place, doing laps around the house or doing one of my Indoor Walking Workout Routines. Other low-impact, postpartum-friendly cardio options include swimming, biking and rowing. Walking in place Walking in place is just as simple as it sounds — walk in place for 60 seconds bursts. Swing your arms, smile and breathe in and out through your nose. For an added challenge, walk with high knees, pulling one knee up to hip height before lowering it to the ground and raising the opposite knee. Stretch Make stretching a part of your daily routine. You can use these exercises as a warmup or cool down for a workout or simply sprinkle them throughout the day to help ease tension and combat aches and pains. Wide-leg forward fold Stand in a wide straddle with your feet parallel. Bring your hands to your hips or let them hang by your sides. Inhale and look up to the sky. Exhale and hinge at the hips, folding forward. Keep the hips in line with the heels and reach your fingertips toward the ground. If your flexibility allows, walk your fingertips forward while you pull your hips back. Ground through the heels. Hold for a few breaths and then slowly roll back up to standing. Repeat. Cat Cow Start on all fours with your hands below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Breathe in while lifting your head up toward the ceiling. Arch your back as you breathe in, moving your stomach toward the ground. Then, exhale while pulling your chin to your chest and pulling your abs in so that you arch your back toward the ceiling. Continue alternating back and forth for about one minute. Crescent Lunge From a standing position, step your left foot back behind you. Bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle, keeping your knee over your toes. Reach your arms toward the sky and straighten your back. Hold for 5 breaths, relaxing the shoulders, before switching sides. Hamstring stretch Start standing tall. Step your right foot 1-2 feet forward and bend your left knee as you lean forward over the straight right leg. Flex the right foot. Feel a stretch down the back of your leg and into your calf. Hold for 2-4 breaths and then switch sides.
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