Exercises After Delivery
Every woman wants to look young and slim after child birth. Pregnancy causes a number of changes in the physical appearance of the woman like increase in waist size, sagging of breasts and increase in body weight. A combination of Kegel or the pelvic floor and abdominal muscle exercise will help for this. Here are some exercises that can help return your body to shape.
• Kegel exercises: The pelvic floor muscle or Kegel muscles support the abdominal organs and prevent it from dropping forward. It supports the uterus, bladder and kidneys. While urinating, try stopping and starting the urine flow. This squeezing that stops the flow of urine is due to the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles. Try contracting and relaxing the Kegel muscles while driving or watching television. Remember you should not do it till few weeks after delivery, this might strain the muscles. If you feel pain or any other any uncomfortable feeling while working on this, perform pelvic tilt to improve the strength of the pelvic muscles.
• Pelvic Tilt exercise: Lie down on your back with the knee in bent up position and with your feet positioned flat on the floor. Now keep your hands on the stomach to feel the tightening muscles there, and gently tighten stomach muscles. Push the arch of the back towards the floor and squeeze the bottom tightly and be in this position for 6 sec and then relax.
• Elbow to Knee lifts exercise: Lie down on your back with the knee in bent up position and with your feet positioned flat on the floor. Now bring one of your knee and the opposite elbow together. Same way do for the other elbow and knee. Repeat this for 20 times.
• Abdominal Crunch exercise: Lie down on your back with the knee in bent up position and with your feet positioned flat on the floor. Place the hands on back side of head. Now slowly raise your head to touch your thigh. Contract your stomach muscles gently. Breathe in and out. Repeat this for 10 times.
• Sit-Up exercise: Lie down on your back with the knee in bent up position and with your feet positioned flat on the floor. Place your hands in the side of your head. Try to bend forward and touch you knee. Repeat for 10 times.
While exercising if you feel pain or tired don’t stay committed. Your body may not be used to it; don’t overdo anything if it causes pain. The number of times repeating an exercise should be determined by you according to your body’s health condition.
