C section also known as cesarean delivery is the use of surgery to deliver babies. When there is a risk in vaginal delivery, doctors opt for a c section. C section has some side effects and other health effects which are often seen after delivery in mother. Often women after c section find them in a situation of much overweight and increase belly fat. If you are reading this article then chances are you had a c section in the past or recently. Before introducing you to exercises let me clear you one point.
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TAKE A NOTE OF THIS BEFORE YOU EXERCISE:
Women after c section generally make the mistake of going to harsh on them by exercising too much or get often too much De-motivated that they don’t even exercise. It is really important for you to understand that weight gain during pregnancy and after c section is quite normal and actually healthy for baby and if it had taken almost a year to gain that much weight then it would not be loosened within weeks, definitely, it will take time and you will have to be patient for it and more importantly not to be too harsh about it both mentally and physically.
GIVE YOUR BODY SOME TIME:
If you have recently had c section then your body in the first six weeks starts recovering itself, your uterus contracts and slowly starts going back to how it was pre-pregnancy.
When you were pregnant all cells in your body swelled up to retain fluid to feed the baby. After giving birth to a baby, cells in your body start releasing the fluid through sweating, urine and vaginal fluids.
The reason for your body to put an extra weight during pregnancy is to nourish the baby. After giving birth to baby your body will work naturally to get rid of fat, but definitely it will take time to see the visible results.
WHEN YOU SHOULD START EXERCISING:
If you are too much concerned about body weight and desperately want to start exercising then you should consult your doctor first. As every woman has different body and every different body takes different amounts of time to heal. Some might take a few weeks while others may take months. So it’s really important to consult the doctor first, while if you are used to exercise and physical workout then Generally start exercising after 7-9 weeks of c section.
WALKING TO LOSE WEIGHT AND REDUCE BELLY FAT
If you are not familiar with intense exercise or another exercise than walking is the best thing you can do to lose weight. Walking is very light and does not take any toll on your body while it is equally effective in reducing weight or belly fat.
It is easy to walk while compared to running and a long early morning walk will be very effective for you as it will increase your body’s metabolism and ultimately losing belly fat and weight. If you do not like to walk with friends or family take your baby in a stroller and go for long walks this will help you to even burn more calories due to weight in stroller and you are pushing it.
BEST EXERCISE TO LOSE WEIGHT AFTER C SECTION
If you feel comfortable and prepared for exercises then I will tell some of best gentle exercises that you can do to lose weight without harming your body.
1) BRIDGE POSE
One of the best exercises that you can do to lose weight and at the same time develop strength and stability in your gluts, hamstrings and lower back.
Often you would have feel slightly or more back pain after c section, this is because of weakness in lower back and gluts muscle and bridge pose is the best exercise to develop strength and stability in your lower back.
HOW TO DO BRIDGE POSE?
• lie down on your back over a mat or floor.
• bend your knees down with almost 90° degree angle on your knees and heel.
• now push the ground with your heel and this will lift your back and gluts upwards, now hold this pose for couple of seconds and then came back to normal position.
• repeat this 10 times
• Always remember while pushing the ground, try to push with the help of your heel and gluts muscle and not with you back muscles.
2) SUPERMAN POSE
Again a great exercise to strengthen your lower back and at the same time targeting those belly fat. Superman can be done just after Glute Bridge.
How to do superman pose?
• lay down on mat or floor on your stomach.
• Now keep your both hands straight and in front of your head just like your body completely stretched.
• Now try to raise both your hands and legs straight upwards. And then you will feel the contraction in your lower back muscles.
• hold this position for about 2 seconds
• repeat this for about 20 times
• Increase the number of repetitions each day as you progress through exercises.
ABDOMINAL EXERCISES AFTER C SECTION
1) Plank
One of the most famous and effective exercises that you can do to reduce belly fat. The benefits of plank are remarkable like it strengthen your shoulder back and abdominal at the same time, while the highest contraction is on abdominal muscle.
How to do plank?
• lay down on mat over your stomach
• now you have to keep both hands joined and raise your upper body with the help of your shoulders.
• now give you shoulders a support with your legs being straight and support form toe of your legs.
• hold this position for at least 10 seconds and repeat it for 5 times.
• remember to keep your knee and back straight as one line to have the best possible benefits of this exercise.
• also keep your head forward looking, neither down nor too much up.
2) Leg raise
If your not able to do plank for longer due to lack of shoulder strength then this exercise is for you. In this exercise you just need your abdominal and not the support of any other muscle group.
How to do leg raise?
• lie down on your back over a mat.
• Now slowly try to lift your legs up while your upper body still on the ground and then going down.
• keep your legs straight while lifting your legs upwards.
• do exercise slowly and not to bring any pressure on lower back.
• repeat this exercise for continuously five times without break.
• perform 3 sets of 5 repetitions.
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CONCLUSION :
Weight loss or reducing fat is always difficult and after c section it can be even more just because you have limitation of movements. All you need to have is patience and a right mindset and not a frustrated one. Continue performing above given exercises and you will definitely see the results. Until then take care of your health and yours baby’s health, god bless you.