One of the things I wish I did better at as a new mom was working on myself…more specifically, my body. It was a mess after having my son. I took “eating for two” literally and gained 55lbs. Sure I also had a TON of swelling in that pregnancy, but at the end of it all, I still gained 55lbs. I was huge. They sent me home from the hospital and I still looked pregnant. And since I had a c-section, I was a mess. It took me 8 weeks to get back to my old self. And even at the 8 week mark, I was still having some pain. Once I was able to work out again, my son was in the middle of colic…so working out was the last thing from my mind.
You’re a new mom…regardless of the amount of time you have (which is probably not all that much in the very beginning) there are things that you can do to help aide in your quest to lose that dreaded stomach fat. Obviously you can’t continue certain eating habits, i.e. eating ice cream every night before bed–you know you did it! But what you can do is eat foods that are proven to help lose stomach fat. Those foods are things like fruits, vegetables, legumes, dark chocolate (yes…you read that right!), nuts and whole grains. So while you are taking care of your gorgeous newborn and may not have time to work out, you can jump-start your body by eating the right foods.
Once you have your eating under control and your newborn on nice sleeping pattern, there are a few exercises that you can do in your living room that will help banish the stomach fat.
Using a giant exercise ball, you can do ab crunches on the ball…plus when your baby gets bigger, he or she will have a blast with that ball!
This is probably one of the most important crunches to add into your workout. You see, when you do the crossover crunch, you are working on your oblique muscle. When you don’t work out your obliques, the dreaded “love handles” form. So do those crossover crunches!
Once you get back into the swing of things with crunches, definitely add the V Sit exercise into your routine. The V Sit works your ENTIRE core. Having a strong core aides you tremendously. With a strong core you have better strength and stability.
There are all kinds of exercises to help lose stomach fat. And the nice thing is, you can do most of them in the comfort of your own home while your baby sleeps! If some exercises requires lifting a 10lb medicine ball…use your baby! Bond with your baby while you exercise! I wish I did these things. I would have been in MUCH better shape when I got pregnant with my daughter if I did. And remember…dark chocolate (in moderation) is good!
Rob says
Great tips for moms. These are excersices that even dads could do to get in better shape. Great post. Thanks for sharing.
Robin @ Blommi says
I’m not a new mom, but still need to lose stomach fat. I’m going to try that crunch exercise.
Stefani says
My youngest is 3, but I still have some baby fat to lose…. I have been thinking of finding some easy exercises I can do a home.
Thanks for the post!
Annie @ Mama Dweeb says
These are so simple and really do work! I remember doing the exercise ball crunches in high school and they worked! I need to get another ball though cause every time I get it out to use my kids want to play with it LOL
Lisa from Life with Lisa says
I have really been thinking about getting back on the exercise train and this was really motivating – thanks!
Beth says
I love ball exercises. These are great even for those no so new moms that never did anything after becoming a mom!;)
Maria says
My youngest is three, and so I’m not *really* a new mom, but boy have I been thinking to myself lately that my tummy hasn’t gotten the message! Thanks for sharing some tips and techniques to try because I’ve really been at a loss for what to from home.
Yogi says
Great post. I’ve been considering get a fitness ball. I think I may get one to do the crunches.
E Pickleton says
after conceiving baby.. there will be lot of fat is in body.. I think these exercises will help to loose weight
Mitchell - Home Fitness Manual says
Leah,
This is a definite list of ab exercises. I really love the v-sit. It really hits every area of the stomach.
What kind of cardio routine or strength training did you focus on when you started off on your plans, if you don’t mind me asking? My wife had been frustrated with the weight she gained after each of our two daughters, but sometimes a mom just needs to put herself into the attention-equation too. A healthy mom is a healthy baby.
Best of luck in your fitness journey,
-Mitchell
Leah says
I love this machine at the gym called The Arch (or the ultimate ass machine as I like to call it). I also like the rowing machine.