Leg Slide

At about 4 to 6 weeks postpartum — or earlier if you're physically able — add exercise to your day. To make this exercise more effective, you'll need a pair of 3-pound dumbbells, a pair of 5- or 10-pound dumbbells (available at sporting goods stores), and a resistance band (an oversized rubberband that you can use to create resistance, also available at sporting goods stores). To increase difficulty, add repetitions, sets of repetitions, and/or more weight.

Begin each workout with a warm-up: Try five minutes of marching in place or fast walking. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds. Cool down afterward with some light stretching

Leg Slide
• Lie with your back on the floor and your knees bent.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles and press the small of your back against the floor as you breathe out.
• Slide both legs away from your body slowly, using your abdominal muscles to keep your back flat on the floor.
• When your back starts to arch, bring your legs back to the start position — keep your stomach tight. Repeat eight to 10 times.Pay attention to your breathing throughout this exercise. Remember to tighten your abdominal muscles and flatten your back before you start sliding your legs away from you. As your stomach muscles strengthen, you'll find you can push out your legs farther.

Why do I still look pregnant?

You may be very surprised by the way your tummy looks after birth. Your baby is out, but there it is, right around the navel: a big, round, squishy puffball that makes you look like you're still six months pregnant. Many women also have a dark line down their abdomen called a linea nigra and a web of stretch marks, which are actually little scars caused by the extensive stretching of skin. Those who had a c-section have surgical scars to contend with as well.It takes time for your body — and especially your belly — to fully recover from pregnancy. Imagine your abdomen as a balloon, slowly inflating as your baby grows. Childbirth doesn't pop the balloon, it just starts a slow leak. But don't worry — it's a steady one.From the moment your baby is born, hormonal changes cause your midsection to deflate, shrinking it back to something closer to its pre-pregnancy state. It takes about four weeks for your uterus to contract to its normal size. All the cells in your body that swelled during pregnancy will begin releasing their fluids in the form of urine, vaginal secretions, and sweat. And the extra fat you put on to nourish the baby will start burning off (especially if you're nursing and exercising). But it takes at least a few weeks to see noticeable results.Stretch marks and the linea nigra, however, endure longer. The good news is that stretch marks usually become considerably less noticeable six to 12 months following childbirth. Their pigmentation fades and they typically become lighter than the surrounding skin (the color will vary depending on your skin color), but their texture will remain the same. The dark color of the linea nigra will gradually fade over a year, but that too may not completely disappear.

source- babycenter.com

Day One

Postpartum Exercise Routine

Day One
You can do this routine with two pound ankle weights or without.
Leg Extensions 2 sets of 40Lay on your back, bend legs and extend them to vertical. You should feel this in your quad/front of thigh/around knee.
Leg Curl 2 sets of 40Stand next to a wall (on a phone book for a bit of height. Hold the wall, but don't lean). Bend leg to your butt and extend it all the way, with foot flexed. You should feel this burn the hamstring/back of thigh, butt.
Adductors 2 sets of 40Lay on back, legs extended vertically and together. Open legs to straddle and close. (you don't have to straddle wide, just as much as you can and so that you feel it working your inner thigh muscles)
Abductors 2 sets of 20Lay on side, both legs bent slightly. Lift top leg slightly above horizontal and back down. Make sure the foot of the leg you are lifting is straight, vs. turned out or in. You should feel this on the outside of your thigh.
Calves 2 sets of 40Stand with feet together (you can hold the wall if you like) and go to tip toe (or as high as you can). Make sure when you raise your heels that your ankles stay in line (don't let ankles collapse in or out). You should feel this in your calves.
Toe Taps 2 sets of 50Standing, just tap one foot at a time, lifting toes. You can do these quick. You should feel this in your shin.
Lunges 2 sets of 20Standing, step back with each leg, once at a time. Make sure you don't turn out the foot of the leg that is in front and make sure you touch the knee to the floor of the leg you step behind. Alternate each leg. Left, right, so on. You'll feel this in your thighs.
Crunches 50Lay on back, bend knees, arms on your stomach. Lift your head and shoulders enough to clear the floor. Try not to use your neck/head to help you lift. You'll feel it burn those muscles!

Are you really in good shape?

You consider yourself to be in better than average shape. You run several times a week for health and fitness and maybe do an occasional fun run on the weekend. Some friends come into town for the holidays and you decide to go skiing. "No problem", you think, "I'm in great shape." After a day on the slopes, however, you feel like you've been run over by Santa's sleigh and all his reindeer. What's going on?
You may think you're in great shape, but if you focus solely on one activity, you may not be in as great of shape as you think. You may, in fact, be setting yourself up for injuries, overuse syndromes, or worse still - staleness and drop out. What to do? Simple. Cross train.
Cross training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines.
Cross training as allows you the freedom to vary the stress placed on specific muscles or your cardiovascular system. After months of the same movements your body becomes extremely efficient performing those movements, and while that is great for competition, it limits the amount of overall fitness you possess and reduces the actual conditioning you get while training. Rather than continuing to improve, you simply maintain a certain level of fitness. Additionally, cross training is extremely helpful at reducing the risk of injury from repetitive strain or overuse.
The term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise. While it is quite necessary for an athlete to train specifically for their sport if they want to excel, for most sports enthusiasts, cross-training is a beneficial training method for maintaining a high level of overall fitness. For example, you may use both biking and swimming each week to improve your overall aerobic capacity, build overall muscle strength and reduce the chance of an overuse injury. Cross-training limits the stress that occurs on a specific muscle group because different activities use muscles in slightly different ways.
Benefits of Cross Training
Reduces exercise boredom
Allows you to be flexible about you training needs and plans (if the pool is closed, you can go for a run instead).
Produces a higher level of all around conditioning
Conditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groups
Reduces the risk of injury
Work some muscles while others rest and recover
Can continue to train while injured
Improves your skill, agility and balance
What exercises should make up a good cross training routine?
Cardiovascular Exercise (Think about adding three different exercises from the list below):
Running
Swimming
Cycling
Rowing
Stair Climbing
Rope jumping
Skating (inline or ice)
Skiing
Racketball / basketball / other court sports
Strength Training
Calisthenics (push ups and crunches and pull ups)
Free Weights
Machines
Tubing and Bands
Flexibility (stretching, yoga)
Speed, agility, and balance drills
Circuit training, sprinting, plyometrics and other forms of skill conditioning
With cross training, you can do one form of exercise each day, or more than one in a day. If you do both on the same day, you can change the order in which you do them. You can easily tailor cross-training to your needs and interests; mix and match you sports and change your routine on a regular basis.
Exercise can strengthen the cardiovascular system, bones, muscles, joints, reduce body fat and improve flexibility, balance and coordination. But if you want to see all of these benefits, you'll need to start cross training. What better time to start than this Winter. Hurry, I hear your friends have taken up snowboarding.
source- about.com

Listening to your body

Warning Signs of Serious Injuries
There are some common tip-offs you should recognize as warning signs that you have an injury that needs your attention. While some sports injuries are immediately evident, others can creep up slowly and progressively get worse. If you don't pay attention to both types of injuries, chronic problems can develop.
For detailed information on specific injuries, check out the sports injury by body part reference page.
Joint PainJoint pain, particularly in the joints of the knee, ankle, elbow and wrist, should never be ignored. Because these joints are not covered by muscle, there is rarely a muscular origin. Joint pain that lasts more than 48 hours requires a physician's diagnosis.
Tenderness at a Specific PointIf you can elicit pain at a specific point in a bone, muscle or joint, by pressing your finger into it, you may have a significant injury. If the same spot on the other side of the body does not produce the same pain, you should probably see a physician.
SwellingSwelling is usually quite obvious, and can be seen, but occasionally you may feel swollen without outward signs. Almost all sports injuries cause swelling and should never be ignored. Often, swelling within a joint will cause pain, stiffness, or may produce a clicking sound as the tendons snap over one another because they have been pushed into a new position due to swelling.
Reduced Range Of MotionIf swelling isn't obvious, you can usually find it by checking for a reduced range of motion in a joint. If there is significant swelling within a joint, you will lose range of motion -- the limb will only go so far in each direction. Again, compare one side of the body with the other to identify major differences. If there are any, you have an injury that needs attention.
Comparative WeaknessComparing one side to the other for weakness is often hard to do, but can be a good clue to identify significant injury. One way to tell is to lift the same weight with the right and left side and look at the result. Often therapists will test comparative weakness manually or with special equipment.
Numbness and TinglingNever ignore numbness or tingling. Often related to nerve compression, these warning signs may indicate serious injury and should always be seen by a physician.
Immediate TreatmentIf you recognize any of the above warning signs, the goal is to prevent further damage. Don't let the problem get any worse and don't let the swelling continue. Look for an obvious cause of the injury such as poorly fitting equipment or a missed step while sprinting. If you can locate the source of the injury, you can begin to remedy the situation. If you have any of the above warning signs, do not continue your activity. Begin treatment immediately.
The first treatment indicated for any acute injury is reducing any swelling. Swelling causes pain and loss of motion, which in turn will limit use of the muscles. If you don't use the muscles, they will weaken, and shorten and resist repair.
Use the R.I.C.E. treatment method. (Rest, ice, compression and elevation).
Do not apply heat to an injury. Heat will increase circulation and increases swelling.
Steps to Follow
Stop the activity immediately.
Wrap the injured part in a compression bandage.
Apply ice to the injured part (use a bag of crushed ice or a bag of frozen vegetables) for no more than 15 minutes at a time. Let the area warm completely before applying ice again, in order to prevent frostbite.
Elevate the injured part to reduce swelling.
Get to a physician for a proper diagnosis of any serious injury.
Source: Anybody's Sports Medicine Book, James Garrick, M.D. and Peter Radetsky, Ph.D.

Typical Warm up exercises include:

· Gradually increasing the intensity of your specific sport. This uses the specific skills of a sport and is sometimes called a related warm-up. For runners, the idea is to jog a while and add a few sprints into the routine to engage all the muscle fibers.
· Adding movements not related to your sport in a slow steady manner: calisthenics or flexibility exercises for example. Ball players often use unrelated exercise for their warm up.
· Which to choose? The best time to stretch a muscle is after it has an increased blood flow and has increased temperature to avoid injury. Stretching a cold muscle can increase the risk of injury from pulls and tears. So you are better off doing gradual aerobic exercise before stretching. Keep in mind that the best time to stretch is after exercise because your muscles are warm and pliable with the increase of blood in them.Make sure your warm up begins gradually, and uses the muscles that will be stressed during exercise.
· Keep in mind that the perfect warm up is a very individual process that can only come with practice, experimentation and experience. Try warming up in various way, at various intensities until you find what works best for you.

Why warm up?

· Blood Vessels Dilate - This reduces the resistance to blood flow and lower stress on the heart.
· Improve Efficient Cooling - By activating the heat-dissipation mechanisms in the body (efficient sweating) an athlete can cool efficiently and help prevent overheating early in the event or race.
· Increased Blood Temperature - The temperature of blood increases as it travels through the muscles, and as blood temperature rises, the amount of oxygen it can hold becomes reduced. This means a slightly greater volume of oxygen is made available to the working muscles, enhancing endurance and performance.
· Improved Range of Motion - The range of motion around a joint is increased.
· Hormonal Changes - Your body increases its production of various hormones responsible for regulating energy production. During warm-up this balance of hormones makes more carbohydrates and fatty acids available for energy production.
· Mental Preparation - The warm-up is also a good time to mentally prepare for an event by clearing the mind, increasing focus, reviewing skills and strategy. Positive imagery can also relax the athlete and build concentration.

Benefits of a proper warm up

A proper warm up has important benefits
Most athletes perform some type of regular warm-up and cool down during training and racing. A proper warm up can increase the blood flow to the working muscle which results in decreased muscle stiffness, less risk of injury and improved performance. Additional benefits of warming up include physiological and psychological preparation.

Benefits of a Proper Warm Up:

Increased Muscle Temperature - The temperature increases within muscles that are used during a warm-up routine. A warmed muscle both contracts more forcefully and relaxes more quickly. In this way both speed and strength can be enhanced. Also, the probability of overstretching a muscle and causing injury is far less.

Increased Body Temperature - This improves muscle elasticity, also reducing the risk of strains and pulls.

Workout With Care

Workout after pregnancy is usually recommended six weeks after normal vaginal delivery. In the meantime, one can go for light exercises such as walking, stretching and deep breathing that prepare your joints and ligaments.

These exercises can gradually be increased in intensity as the baby grows and so does the mother’s stamina.
In cases where the woman had to undergo a C-section, she is advised to go easy on her workouts and enable her body to heal better by walking around at an easy pace.

Follow these tips to ensure a successful postpartum workout experience.
Consult your gynecologist for a well-planned workout plan.
Wear a sports bra to avoid breast pain during workouts.

Take the help of a certified fitness expert before you perform any exercises for the first time.
Do not strain any muscles while exercising.
Drink plenty of water and fluids to avoid dehydration.
Do not compromise on your daily-recommended calorie intake.
Workouts after pregnancy help a woman to restore her strength and energy after childbirth. Workouts after pregnancy should be gradual and moderate.

Kegel exercises help in tightening the pelvic muscles that become weak during delivery. Weight loss after pregnancy could be very easy if you do proper exercises after pregnancy under the guidance of your fitness trainer or a qualified therapist.

If you want to regain your shape fast after pregnancy, make sure that you take adequate precautions during your pregnancy period to avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain. Visit Pregnancy for more information on pregnancy exercises, pregnancy weight, pregnancy diet and almost everything you want to know about pregnancy and childbirth.

3 important tips to keep in mind!

1. Rest. In addition to getting enough sleep, it is important to take some rest days. Working out too much for too long can lead to overtraining syndrome.
2. Cross Train.In addition to helping reduce workout boredom, cross-training allows you to get a full body workout without overstressing certain muscle groups.
3. Dress properly.This includes using appropriate safety equipment for your sports, choosing proper footwear, and clothing that wicks sweat and helps keep you cool and dry. Read more about how to layer clothing for cold weather exercise.

Keep these 5 tips in mind for a good workout!

1. A few initial sessions may be all you need.
2. Warm up slowly.A proper, gradual warm up goes a long way to prevent injuries. The warm up can consist of walking, jogging or simply doing your regular activity at a snail’s pace.
3. Don’t workout on empty.While you don’t want to exercise immediately after eating a large meal, eating about 2 hours before exercise can help fuel your exercise and help you avoid bonking during your workout.
4. Drink before you exercise.Dehydration can kill your performance, so stay well hydrated. Try to drink 16 oz. of water in the two hours before your workout and then take in water during your workout to replace any lost fluids.
5. Listen to your body.If you experience any sharp pain, weakness or light-headedness during exercise, pay attention. This is your body’s signal that something is wrong and you should stop exercise. Pushing through acute pain is the fastest way to develop a severe or chronic injury. If you don’t feel well, you should take some time off until your body heals.

Aggressive Efforts Needed To Curb Maternal Obesity, Expert Urges

Most women get it - smoking and drinking don't mix with pregnancy, but not so with excess weight before and during pregnancy. Physicians need to be aggressively counseling women about the importance of starting pregnancy at a healthy weight, according to Temple University obstetrician-gynecologist, Vani Dandolu, M.D.

In a recent analysis, Dandolu and colleagues found that obesity, increasingly common in pregnant women, raises the risks to mother and baby. Overweight and obese pregnant women are at higher risk of C-Section, and less likely to breastfeed, while their children are at higher risk of high birth weight and childhood obesity. Specifically, over half of the overweight and obese women gained excessive weight during pregnancy. Further over half of the obese women had a C-section, almost twice the rates of women who were normal BMI (body mass index) before pregnancy.

"While public education campaigns have increased the awareness of adverse effects of smoking and alcohol during pregnancy, there is limited public awareness regarding the harmful effects of high BMI during pregnancy," Dandolu said.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that pregnancy weight gain be modified according to pre-pregnancy weight. But Dandolu and colleagues go further recommending that both pre-pregnancy weight and weight gain during pregnancy need to be controlled, stating, "Maternal obesity is a well known risk factor for obesity and chronic disease in childhood and starting pregnancy at ideal body weight will have far reaching benefits."

The researchers offer the following recommendations:
Body mass index should be measured as part of vital signs at routine annual check-ups and all women of child bearing age should be counseled to achieve and maintain optimal BMI.
Preconception counseling programs should include education regarding the poor maternal and perinatal outcomes among the obese and overweight.

Women with high BMI planning a pregnancy should be counseled to participate in intensive nutrition programs aimed to achieve optimum BMI prior to conception.
Encouraging breastfeeding can partially help to decrease childhood obesity and also help mother to return quickly to pre-pregnancy weight.
The Institute of Medicine recommends the following range of weight gain for pregnancy based on pre-pregnancy BMI:

For underweight women with a BMI of less than 19.8, a weight gain during pregnancy of 28-40 pounds is recommended.
For normal weight women with a BMI between 19.8 and 26 the recommended weight gain during pregnancy is 25-35 pounds.
For overweight women with a BMI between 26.1 and 29 the recommended weight gain during pregnancy is 15-25 pounds.

For obese women with a BMI greater than 29 the recommended weight gain during pregnancy is about 15 pounds.

In the study, published in the May 2007 issue of the American Journal of Perinatology, Dandolu and colleagues analyzed information from a sample of 7660 women using the New Jersey state Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System database: 18 percent of mothers were obese, 13 percent were overweight and 16 percent were underweight. Black non-Hispanic mothers were more likely to be obese and overweight than white non-Hispanic mothers. U.S.-born mothers were more likely to be obese and overweight than foreign-born mothers. And older women who'd previously given birth were more likely to be obese than younger women who had not.

The study is among the first to show a correlation between high pre-pregnancy weight, excessive pregnancy weight gain and post-partum consequences.
"Maternal obesity: Can pregnancy weight gain modify risk of selected adverse pregnancy outcomes?" by *Neetu J. Jaina, BHMS MPH, Charles E. Denka, PHD Lakota K. Kruse, MD MPH, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, MCH Epidemiology Program, Vani Dandolu, MD., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital, appears in American Journal of Perinatology, 2007

Is it safe to lose wiight while breastfeeding?

You can breastfeed and lose weight at the same time if you do it slowly. Don't expect any miracle cures; plan on it taking at least 10 months to a year to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight.Losing weight gradually through healthy, low-fat eating and moderate exercise is important. Losing weight too quickly releases toxins (PCBs and pesticides) that are stored in your body fat into the bloodstream, which, in turn, increases the amount in the milk supply.Don't think that you must wean your baby in order to lose weight. In fact, breastfeeding makes it easier to lose the excess weight because your body uses the stored energy in fat to make milk.

Help with postpartum weight loss

Postpregnancy weight loss is such a tough one! Many women encounter the same problems as you have. Not only do they have extra weight to deal with, it is not so easy to get exercise or to eat right because of the additional demands on them. That just seems to compound the problem.
The first thing you need to do is to try to deal with this positively. You have every right to be proud of that extra weight, it was there for a reason. Losing it will take time. In fact, the slower the weight loss, the healthier you will be -- and the more apt the weight is to stay off. So, think positive! And, decide that you may have to adapt to a different body image, even when your weight does come back down.

The main battle you are fighting right now is one of metabolism. The human body is amazingly adaptable to many conditions in order to survive. In times of calorie deprivation, it will slow down its metabolic rate in order to conserve energy. By reducing your calories to as low as 1,000, you have sent your body into this mode. Exercise should help counter that effect to a certain extent.

You did not mention how much, or what type of exercise you are doing, but it is my guess that it is not intensive enough to offset the "starvation mode" you have gone into.
It sounds a little counterintuitive, but what you need to do is increase your calorie consumption (to at least 1,500 calories, if not more) while simultaneously increasing the intensity and duration of your exercise. You also need to add some weight training to your program in order to build muscle.

Muscle operates at a much higher metabolic rate than fat and so burns calories all day long. Not only that, it makes you feel terrific and helps to firm up those body parts that may have become a little lax during the past few months. Your exercise should consist of 30 to 60 minutes of sweat-producing, heart-pounding, deep-breathing aerobic activity as many days a week as possible (but at least four) and should include weight-lifting exercises for all major muscle groups at least three times a week.

I recognize that finding that kind of time can be very difficult. Perhaps you can have a neighborhood teen come into your home after school for an hour to keep an eye on the baby while you go out for a run or work out on a stationary bike. If your budget isn't too tight, one of those baby strollers that you can push while running may be a good way for you to get out with your baby. Perhaps there are other moms who you can do some baby-sitting trades with. Of course, if you are at work full-time, you are even under more constraints. Perhaps you can get out at lunch hour? Whatever efforts you make, you will be well-rewarded for. Expect change to be gradual, but it will probably be permanent.

I'll bet that after a few months of an invigorating exercise program you will wonder how you ever did without it, both physically and mentally.

Increasing your calories will not only help to lift your metabolism, it will better ensure that you are getting all the nutrients you need. If you are just starting your family, and this is baby number one, and you are planning on having another, it is important that you keep your nutritional health in top-notch shape.

Although vitamin supplements should never be an excuse for not eating properly, they are a good idea to augment the diet of a women who is in her active, childbearing years. A one-per-day multiple vitamin supplement that meets 100 percent of your daily requirements would be a good addition to your weight-loss program.

Weight gain during pregnancy

The average weight gain during pregnancy is between 25 to 35 pounds. During the birth, new moms shed about 12.5 to 14 pounds, leaving about 12 to 21 pounds of excess weight to be lost during the postpartum period. In addition, some new moms may gain an extra 10-12 pounds during pregnancy, due to various medical conditions, in which case there will be more postpartum weight for them to lose in order to regain their pre-pregnancy figure.

What to Expect in the First Few Weeks

Urinary or fecal incontinence. The stretching of your muscles during delivery can cause you to inadvertently pass urine when you cough, laugh, or strain or may make it difficult to control your bowel movements, especially if a lengthy labor preceded a vaginal delivery.
"After pains." The shrinking of your uterus can cause contractions that worsen when your baby nurses or when you take medication to reduce bleeding.

Vaginal discharge (lochia). Heavier than your period and often containing clots (sometimes golf-ball sized), vaginal discharge gradually fades to white or yellow and stops within 2 months.

Weight. Your postpartum weight will probably be about 10 pounds (the weight of the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid) below your full-term weight, before additional water weight drops off within the first week as your body regains its sodium balance.

3 tips to a safe workout!
Have a routine physical.Visit you doctor before beginning a new exercise program. Any new activity can stress your body. If you have undiagnosed heart disease or other conditions, you should modify your exercise accordingly. Your doctor can let you know what your limits might be and suggest an appropriate amount of exercise for you.
Gradually increase time and intensity.When starting an exercise program, many people have lots of enthusiasm initially, and go too hard, too soon. Begin with moderate exercise of about 20 minutes, 3 times a week and gradually build upon this.
Visit a personal trainer.If you just don’t know what to do or where to begin, a good trainer will get you started safely and help you learn enough to work out on your own if you choose

Look for this!

Here's what the American College of Sports Medicine says to look for when selecting a stair stepper:
• Rails: Your stepper should have side rails, a rail in the front, and/or moving posts on the sides to help you keep your balance.
• Smooth, independent stepping action: Pushing one step down shouldn't push the other up. Dependent step platforms (pushing one step down moves the other up) don't work both legs as well.
• Safety: Solid construction and a stable frame are important, so the unit won't tip over. • Electronic display: Your stair-stepper's computer console should, at minimum, display heart rate, calories burned, distance climbed, rate of speed, and intensity level. You can buy stair steppers with more sophisticated training programs, but you don't really need those for a basic exercise routine.

How can I ensure a good workout?

Stair Steppers
Besides using it regularly, try to get the maximum benefit from the machine by taking big steps and using the handrails only for light support. Leaning on the rails can hurt your posture and lower the intensity of your workout (you won't burn as many calories). You should be making your legs do the work. Stand tall, with your knees positioned behind your toes, and look forward. Start with a stepping rate that slightly raises your pulse, adjusting the resistance and your speed as needed.For a more difficult workout, let go of the rails every now and then — but take care not to lose your balance. Many machines let you increase the difficulty of your workout, either manually or by selecting a program from the electronic display.Caution: Keep an eye on your baby during — and immediately after — workouts because the moving cylinders can pinch curious fingers. And both the cylinders and the pistons can get hot enough to cause a bad burn.

should I invest in stair steppers?

Stair steppers are particularly good during pregnancy because, when used with the correct posture, they don't strain your back. They strengthen and tone your lower body and give you an aerobic workout. Because you can choose the intensity level of your workout, it's a good piece of equipment to have around after giving birth. You can ratchet up the intensity as you regain your strength.Stair steppers range in price from a few hundred dollars to around $2,000. You'll want to make sure you have a dedicated, level spot in your home to keep the stair stepper, with enough clearance overhead to stand tall. There should also be plenty of room to get on and off the steps without tripping over power cords or other obstacles.