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Get into Shape 3 Months After Giving Birth
 By Laura Williams
This is a good time to think about exercising –you should be clear of any post-pregnancy risks so your muscles and joints will be ready to workout! You want to start gently, though, and think about what you want to achieve.
* Aerobic Exercise - This is the sort of exercise that will help you to regain your fitness levels and even better, it’s the fat-burning exercise that will really help you to ditch that post-baby weight. Think about what you might like to do: if you’re happy to head outdoors with just baby and the birds for company, the world is your oyster! If, however, you fancy a bit of company think about taking both you and baby to a class where you exercise with the pram (Buggyfit, Pushy Mothers and Power pramming are all popular). Or ask a friend to join you for a walk/jog session in the park. Remember: it all counts, so as long as you’re raising your pulse, even 10 minutes of dancing to the radio will all help to whittle that waistline back into shape.
* Toning Exercise Work long-forgotten pelvic floor muscles, tone that hard-to-shift tum and boost your metabolism with this easy 15 minute workout.
- Wall press-ups (works chest & backs of arms) - Stand 3ft away from a tree or wall. With feet hip width apart raise your hands to chest height (to form a ‘T’) and then bend your elbows out to the side and lean in against the tree/wall. Then straighten your arms and push back until your arms are nearly straight (taking care not to lock your elbows) and repeat. Do 15 times.
- Wall slide (works thighs & bottom) - Lean against a solid wall with your feet approximately 12 inches in front of you positioned shoulder width apart. Keeping your back flat against the wall, slowly bend your knees and lower yourself down towards the floor until your knees reach a 90° bend. Hold for 5 seconds then slowly push yourself back up to your starting position without arching your back. Do 10 of these.
- Leg lower (works stomach) - Lie on your back with one leg bent and one leg extended straight up above you at a right angle - your head and shoulders should be on the floor. Slowly lower your extended leg towards the floor with your stomach very tightly pulled in until you feel your back start to arch. At that point, lift your leg back up to your starting position and repeat. You should be pulling your stomach in throughout so that your back remains flat on the floor. As you tire, reduce the range of movement so that your leg is only lowering a little way. Aim for 5 leg-lowers on each leg.
- Skater Squats (works thighs and hips) - Stand tall and position your feet around a shoulder-and-a-half width apart. Bend your knees, stick your bottom and hips back and squat down to the floor. Then as you straighten up, extend one leg out to the side (aiming for hip height) before returning it to the floor so you end up back in your original squat position. Then repeat but this time switch sides.
- Do a total of 30 squats, rest for 30 seconds and repeat.
- Pelvic Floor Squeeze (works pelvic floor muscles) - Make sure you’re sitting comfortably and then imagine you’re trying to stop weeing mid-flow - squeeze these internal muscles briefly 5-10 times. While you’re doing this, make sure you’re not holding your breath or tightening up any other muscles accidentally. As the squeezes become easier and more familiar, you can try doing more and squeezing for a bit longer – but don’t overdo it!
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* Pregnancy Workout
