Hip Extensions

Starting Position:

Assume they "all-four's" position.

Action:

Bring one knee toward your head as you lower the head Extend the head up and the leg out to a flat position parallel to the floor Return to the starting position. Repeat, alternating legs. Do Not Cause Pain.

Tail wagging

Starting Position: Kneel on a mat and assume the "all-four's" position Keep your head in a neutral position by looking down at the floor.Action: Keeping your shoulders still, move your right hip toward your right shoulder as far as you can. Slowly return to the starting position then move your left hip toward your left shoulder as far as you can Do Not Cause Pain.

Cat ad Camel

Starting Position:

Kneel down on the floor and assume the "all-four's" position. Keep your head straight so that the gaze of your eyes is toward the floor.

Action:

Slowly allow your trunk to sag as far as you can so that your back is arched Do no, pull it down. but let it relax as you lift up your face towards the ceiling Then round your back up at the waist as far as you can by contracting your lower abdominal muscles as you lower the top of your head toward the floor. All motion should be initiated from your low back Do Not Cause Pain.

Curl Ups

Starting Position: Lie on your back on a table or flat surface. Your feet are flat on the surface and your knees are bent. Maintain your pelvic tilt for the curl up exercises.
Action:
Slowly reach your arms in front of you as much as possible, curling your trunk. Slowly keep the neck muscles relaxed. Breathe normally. Slowly return to the starting position. Do Not Cause Pain.
Fold your arms on your chest. Tuck your chin to your chest and slowly reach your elbows to your knees, curling your trunk. Keep neck muscles relaxed and breathe normally Return to the starting position.
With your hands behind your head, slowly curl your head to your chest and then your trunk. Relax, breathe and then slowly return to the starting position. Do Not Cause Pain.

Lower Abdominal Exercises

Starting Position: Lie on your back on a table or firm surface. Knees bent and feet flat on the table. Flatten your back to the floor by pulling your abdominal muscles up and in.Action:
Bring one knee toward your chest. Hold this position for ____ seconds. -time depends on you, don't cause pain- Lower your leg to the starting position. Then repeat on your opposite knee.
Bring one knee toward your chest. Straighten the knee Hold for ____ seconds Slowly lower the leg to the starting position. Repeat on opposite leg.
Raise your leg keeping your knee straight. Hold for ____ seconds. Slowly lower the leg to the floor. Repeat on the opposite leg.
Maintain your pelvic tilt and keep your resting leg relaxed at all times. Do not hold your breath.

Women aiming to shed after-pregnancy pounds should add daily walks and limit TV time and trans fats, according to a new study by Harvard researchers.“The childbearing years are a time of particular risk for weight gain in women,” said lead author Emily Oken, M.D. “Modifiable behaviors in that early postpartum period — such as diet, television viewing and walking — can influence a woman’s risk of retaining weight.”Oken and colleagues evaluated data collected between 1999 and 2003 on 902 pregnant women along with their pre- and post-pregnancy weight, physical activity levels, dietary intake and television viewing habits.

For each hour of walking they did daily, women had about a 34 percent lower odds of retaining 5 kilograms of weight — about 11 pounds — at one year.“Most women retain a pound or two after pregnancy, but women who retain substantial weight are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity,” said Oken, an instructor in ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

The results showed that the more television a woman watched daily, the less likely she was to shed pregnancy-related weight. Women who consumed more trans fats — often found in shortenings, margarines, crackers and fried food — also proved more likely to retain weight during the postpartum period.The benefits of each healthy behavior appeared additive. Women who watched fewer than two hours of TV daily, walked 30 or more minutes daily and ate fewer trans fats had a 77 percent lower odds of weight retention than women who did none of the beneficial behaviors.Although the study “emphasizes the fact that pregnancy is a big factor in weight retention,” said Raul Artal, M.D., professor and obstetrician/gynecologist at St. Louis University School of Medicine, he added that the population included mostly white, college-educated women with normal weight prior to pregnancy — a group generally characterized as being at low risk for weight problems.

However, the results should encourage pregnant or postpartum women to stay as active as they were pre-pregnancy, Artal said.

I had read that losing the baby weight was really easy. Well, that didn’t happen for me. Seeing all the celebreties lose all their baby weight within a couple weeks can be discouraging. They have access to a personal chef, and a trainer so of course they are going to look great soon after the birth of their babies. And yes, there are women in the real world you can lose the weight quickly, but for women like me, it can be a challenge. According to most experts, the average weight gain is between twenty-five and thirty-five pounds. If you are overweight, it is suggested to gain between fifteen and twenty-five pounds. Underweight women should gain between twenty-eight and fourty pounds. In a typical pregnancy, the weight gain during pregnancy consists of the following:• baby-6 to 8 pounds• placenta-1.5 pounds• increased fluid volume-2 to 3 pounds• uterus-2 pounds• increased storage of maternal fats, proteins, and other nutrients-4 to 6 pounds• breast enlargement-1 to 2 pounds• blood volume-3 to 4 pounds• amniotic fluid-2 pounds