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Get into Shape 6 Months After Giving Birth
 By Laura Williams
You shouldn’t be too new to exercise now so it’s time to crank up the pace and get you really fit and toned!
* Aerobic Exercise - This part of your routine is essential for boosting fitness levels and burning fat. You can include longer, more structured exercise sessions such as an aerobics class or a swimming workout or you can try and squeeze as many ‘aerobic opportunities’ into your day as you can – take a brisk walk with the pram to the shops; run up and own the stairs as many times as you can while you’re doing the housework or even try jogging on the spot, stepping up and down on the bottom stair, or even skipping to raise your heart rate.
*Toning Exercise - The following workout can be done in the comfort of your own living room – you’ll work all the major muscle groups and blitz those problem areas and the only equipment you’ll need is a mat and a couple of tins of beans!
- Side scissors (works bottom & hips) - Lie on your side in a straight line with both legs balancing in the air a few inches off the floor. Slowly start ‘scissoring’ your legs by extending the bottom leg forwards and the top leg backwards as far as you can without, a) overbalancing, or b) without bending your knees. Try and do 20 scissors before changing direction.
- Tricep dips (works backs of arms) - Sit on the edge of a chair or bench and position your hands close to your sides, palms facing forward. Your legs should be bent in front of you with your knees at ninety degree angles. Lift your bottom off the chair so that your arms are supporting you and slowly lower your body towards the floor until your elbows reach a 90 degree angle - then push yourself back up to your starting position. Relax your shoulders and try to keep your hips as still as possible (all the work should come from the backs of your arms). If you want to make this harder (!), extend your legs out in front of you – the farther away your legs are from the rest of your body, the tougher the exercise.
- Do 2 sets of 20.
- Bruce Lee lunges (works tops of arms and bottom & thighs) - Start by standing upright with feet shoulder-width apart and arms together outstretched in front of you just below shoulder height. Then, lunge down to your right taking your whole body with you so that everything, including arms, is pointing to the right. Lunge back up to your starting position so that everything’s facing forward again and repeat to the left. Do 2 sets of 30 (15 on each side).
- Bean-tin flies (works chest) - Lie on the floor on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms up straight up above you at breastbone level. With a very slight bend in the elbow, slowly bring your arms out to either side in an arc - stop just before the weights reach the floor or until you feel a slight stretch in your chest. Slowly, and in a controlled manner, return to your start position. Repeat. Make sure you don’t increase the elbow-bend as you reach the floor and start to bring the weights back up.
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* Pregnancy Workout
