Motherhood is a great feeling. You’ve just given birth to a beautiful baby, and now you’re responsible for its growth and development. However, many women long for their pre-baby bodies. Pregnancy may leave you feeling bloated, unattractive, and hormonal. After having the baby and taking the appropriate time off to care for it, now’s the time to get your body back. Here are some of the best exercises to lose body fat after pregnancy to help you get back on track.
Pilates
Pilates are great exercises to lose pregnancy fat. Ultimately, Pilates are mind-body exercises, similar to yoga. It helps with muscle conditioning and can relieve lower back pain. It’s a popular form of exercise for new moms because it’s low impact. Unlike sprints or running on a treadmill, Pilates allows you to engage in low-impact exercise to reduce injury and strengthen muscles weakened from childbirth.
Elliptical
The elliptical serves as one of the best cardio machines for weight loss since it’s versatile. You can perform steady-state cardio or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on an elliptical. Steady-state cardio refers to training for endurance at a base resistance level for an extended time. One example is using an elliptical at a base level of 6 resistance for 30 to 45 minutes.
Contrarily, HIIT refers to short bursts of intense exercise followed by a lower-intensity exercise. For instance, sprinting on an elliptical for 45 seconds followed by one minute of steady cardio. Either way, ellipticals are an effective way to lose stubborn body fat in areas like your hips, waist, and stomach.
Yoga
Like Pilates, yoga is one of the best exercises to lose body fat after pregnancy. It’s low impact, meaning there’s a lesser chance of injury. It’s also another popular mind-body exercise to help reduce anxiety and depression. If you suffer from post-partum depression, yoga can be an effective way to boost endorphins and dopamine, increasing your happiness and self-worth. You’ll feel better about yourself and have greater feelings of self-worth—both are important for your role as a new mother.
Light Weightlifting
Lastly, don’t neglect weightlifting in your fitness routine. Many women fear weightlifting due to the belief that it will make them bulky and unattractive. Just because you lift weights doesn’t mean you’ll look like a bodybuilder, though. Instead, consider light weightlifting to tone muscles and lose body fat. As with any exercise, you must follow a healthy diet and lifestyle for weight loss.