7 Ways to Get Back into Shape after Having a Baby ...

That’s right, walk. It’s pretty easy and you can do it with your baby with no trouble. Walk around the block a few times, walk around your house a few times - just walk! The simplicity of this exercise is why it tops my tips to get back into shape after having a baby.

Hold your baby close and do a little jig for a while. I had an eight pound baby and I used to just put him in the front pack and dance to do everything. Shimmy when you’re doing dishes or vacuuming; even a little bit of movement is enough to burn a few calories.

This is a workout that I liked to do a lot when my son was younger. Now that he’s 25 pounds and he won’t sit still it’s a little harder. But, do squats while holding your baby. I know it seems a little silly but my thighs were my hardest hurdle when I was trying to tone up after I had my son (during bikini season no less!). But I found that if I did about 10 squats about 8 (work your way up to this) times a day, my thighs toned up pretty quickly.

Did you know crunches are actually terrible for firming a post baby belly? Now think back to when you were a kid and you used to do that cool back bend. This is kind of like that. Only now you put your feet flat on the floor just below your bottom and with your shoulders also on the floor you push your belly up. Sound easy right? That’s because it is. I did this for 30 seconds ten times as a bit of a warm up and it worked wonders. Plus it was easy… and a little bit fun.

That’s right, climb up and down stairs. Now you don’t have to go up and down 14 stairs a million times, I just walked up and down the 3 leading to my laundry room while the baby napped for about 10 minutes. Even though it sounds silly you’ll feel the burn pretty quickly and after just a few weeks your legs will start to look amazing!

This is THE workout. It works your abs, your shoulders right down to your glutes. It’s a little hard to describe so try and stick with me. First, stand with your feet shoulder width apart (knees slightly bent) and hold dumbbells (or water bottles filled with sand or any other dumbbell alternative) in your hands at your sides. Then extend your left leg behind you, keep your arms in front of your chest with your palms facing each other. Now just exhale and bring your arms out to your sides (your shoulder blades should be slowly coming together). Lower and repeat 4 more times, then switch sides and do 5 more reps.

That’s right, breastfeeding burns calories every time that you do it. Not only is it good for your baby, it’s good for you too. But, you also have to keep in mind that if you lose too much weight too fast when nursing your milk will become toxic. So have a serious conversation with your doctor about any workout routines before committing.

The most important thing to keep in mind when working out after having your baby is that every person is different and it may take some time to get back to your pre-baby body. But don’t be discouraged! It took 9 months for your body to get where it is, so take all the time you need to get back. You’ve just had a baby, you don’t need to over exert yourself! Now, what methods did you mommas use to lose weight after you had your little ones? Let me know down below!