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| Two Days Prior to McKayla's Arrival |
My weight the day before McKayla Belle was born was 167.8 lbs. I had gained 35 pounds during my pregnancy. I was super eager to get rid of that excess weight after she was born and by the time she was four months old, I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight! This is how I did it:
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| Four Months After Giving Birth |
First and foremost, be sure to get your doctor's approval prior to doing any workouts, and that goes for vaginal and c-section deliveries. It's usually around 6 weeks after giving birth that they give the ok, as long as there aren't any issues. Don't push it, you'll get your chance to get back in shape; meanwhile, use that six weeks to relax when you can so your body will heal faster. Also, easy on any diets. Eat a well-balanced diet without any major changes. Read more HERE. In addition, know that if you are breast feeding, you're already burning 500 calories a day (YAY!) (Eisenberg, Murkoff, & Hathaway, 1996). Read more HERE for more information about working out after giving birth.
1. As soon as I was feeling up for it, I would take McKayla Belle for a stroll every day in my neighborhood. It was nice to get out of the house for some fresh air and I'm sure it was good for her too. I always had someone with me, my momma, my daddy, my momma-in-law, my husband. It was an easy thing to do that wasn't hard on my body and baby got to enjoy it too!
2. After I got my doctor's ok at my six week check-up, I started more strenuous exercises. I found these ten minute work-out videos on YouTube by popsugarliving that I would work-out to every morning (I never skipped a day until I reached my pre-prego weight!). I've never been a person to like to work-out, especially for very long, plus, now I didn't have that much time to do so. So ten minutes while she napped or watched her video was perfect! Below are the videos I would work out to once a day:
3. An exercise I like to call vertical dance, otherwise known as pole dancing. Before you cast judgement, I need to point out that I am not a stripper (and have nothing against them!) and don't plan on being a stripper (and have nothing against the field!). I simply enjoy the art, challenge, and full body workout it provides. I happen to have my own spinning pole at home which has already paid itself (Nooooo, not what you're thinking! I mean compared to classes!). There are classes available that I would recommend if you're a beginner and are interested or not sure if you are interested yet. (For safety's sake, you should start with an experienced instructor and get comfortable performing the moves, especially inverts, before venturing home with a pole.) That's where I started. When I got good enough, I decided to get my own pole and worked out at home. (If you do work-out at home, never practice inverts alone. Make sure there is a friend or your husband available in the house to help if you get seriously injured.) Unfortunately, my pole instructor moved the business farther away, so now I started self-teaching through apps and YouTube videos. Working out on the pole is a fantastic work-out and excellent confidence booster! As with most sports, there is the risk of minor (bruises, pole burn, rug burn) and major injuries (sprains, or worse). In the beginning, everything you do hurts, but there is a saying that if you're in pain, you did it right! LOL! The more you practice, the less it hurts. It also hurts less and is more fun when you work-out with girlfriends! So if you're interested, look to see if there are local classes you could join. Also, try to go to a show. I mean a professional pole dancing show. I've been to several and let me tell ya, most of the audience is women! You'll hear in the the videos below that most of the cheers are from girls. If later down the road you decide, "Dang! This is fun!!" then below are some links to get you working out at home.
References:
- Pop Physique
- Core Fusion
- P90X
- Another Pop Physique
- Legs & Hips
- Arms & Legs
- Full Body
- Arms
- Abs
- Another Full Body
- Another Full Body
3. An exercise I like to call vertical dance, otherwise known as pole dancing. Before you cast judgement, I need to point out that I am not a stripper (and have nothing against them!) and don't plan on being a stripper (and have nothing against the field!). I simply enjoy the art, challenge, and full body workout it provides. I happen to have my own spinning pole at home which has already paid itself (Nooooo, not what you're thinking! I mean compared to classes!). There are classes available that I would recommend if you're a beginner and are interested or not sure if you are interested yet. (For safety's sake, you should start with an experienced instructor and get comfortable performing the moves, especially inverts, before venturing home with a pole.) That's where I started. When I got good enough, I decided to get my own pole and worked out at home. (If you do work-out at home, never practice inverts alone. Make sure there is a friend or your husband available in the house to help if you get seriously injured.) Unfortunately, my pole instructor moved the business farther away, so now I started self-teaching through apps and YouTube videos. Working out on the pole is a fantastic work-out and excellent confidence booster! As with most sports, there is the risk of minor (bruises, pole burn, rug burn) and major injuries (sprains, or worse). In the beginning, everything you do hurts, but there is a saying that if you're in pain, you did it right! LOL! The more you practice, the less it hurts. It also hurts less and is more fun when you work-out with girlfriends! So if you're interested, look to see if there are local classes you could join. Also, try to go to a show. I mean a professional pole dancing show. I've been to several and let me tell ya, most of the audience is women! You'll hear in the the videos below that most of the cheers are from girls. If later down the road you decide, "Dang! This is fun!!" then below are some links to get you working out at home.
- X-Pole Xpert 50mm Chrome Pole Very expensive, but if you're serious about vertical dance, it's a good investment. No worse than a stair master.
- Dry Hands to help you stick
- Windex to clean the pole
- Boy Shorts
- Sports Bra
- Pocket Pole Studio App It's pricey, but worth it!
- Pole Video
- Pole Move Tutorial Mina has several videos on YouTube that are awesome tutorials!
- Pole Move Tutorial
- Jenyne Butterfly One of the best pole dancers ever!
- USPDF I saw one of these USPDF shows live in New York, it was amazing!!
- My Pole Instructor Where it all started for me!
References:
Eisenberg, A., Murkoff, H. E., & Hathaway, S. E. (1996). What to Expect When You’re Expecting. New York: Workman Publishing.
