Postpartum Exercise for Real Moms

The following is a guest post by contributor Wendy Powell of MuTu System.

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What’s different about your life as a mom? Well, let’s see:

1. Your body has changed – it’s emerged from pregnancy and childbirth with stretched bits, wobbly bits, weak bits, achy bits
2. Your energy levels regularly dip – Whether your child is a newborn on a school kid, ‘tired’ is likely to be your default mode
3. You haven’t got much ‘me time’ – try as you might to carve out sanctuaries of time just for you, kids always come first
4. The gym has lost its appeal – alone time is precious and a sweaty gym is possibly the last place you’d like to spend it
5. Your confidence has taken a knock – If your body isn’t where you want it to be, you might be feeling on a low ebb

I’m not suggesting ALL us moms are flabby, knackered, sleep-deprived, time-pressed, confidence-sapped shadows of our former selves. In fact, we’re all rather fabulous.

But I AM suggesting that, when you’re a mom, lots of things change. The changes can compound to make you less sure of yourself and, where exercise is concerned, lacking motivation and focus.

How do you get fit when you have little time and low energy and your body isn’t up to the sort of fitness program you did before you had kids?

If you were toying with the idea of dragging your mama-licious butt to the gym for an hour at a time, stop right there! It’s time to get clever and use your time for exercise in a smart way. Long cardio sessions at the gym are not the most effective route to post-partum fitness. Relieved much?

Bumping along doing medium-paced cardio exercise for long periods is BORING and it’s not going to help you achieve fitness, fat loss and shape.

Break a sweat, Mama!

There is a simple, effective, fast way to lose your pregnancy bulge, but you’re going to have to work hard for short bursts of time. You’ll need to work up to this type of workout gradually, but you’re aiming for fast, intensive bursts of exercise, rather than long slow steady ones.

Very important: If you’re less than 20 weeks postpartum, don’t even think about going all-out with high intensity workouts. You need to start with a core restoration program (MuTu System), gradually progressing to short, higher intensity sessions after a minimum of 8 weeks postpartum.

A combination of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and MRT (Metabolic Resistance Training) is the way to get results. These terms basically mean: Working out intensively – using whole body, resistance and cardio exercises – for short bursts, then catching your breath for a few seconds. Then repeat. Until you’ve clocked up about 15-20 sweaty minutes. (It’s kind of like circuit training – but if you do it the MuTu way, without the burpees, pelvic floor high intensity pounding… yelling or smelly mat.)

Sometimes your workout could involve just one type of repeated intensive cardio work, such as riding a bike as fast as you can or swimming a few lengths in the pool. You go like your life depends on it, rest, go again… This is the ‘High Intensity Intervals’ part, and the high intensity really does have to be high intensity for it to work. If you’re going to get great benefit from just a few minutes exercise at a time, clearly its got to be intensive.

MRT involves resistance exercises, such as press-ups, squats, or lunges. The goal is to use your whole body dynamically and against resistance, making your core do its job all the while, increasing your heart rate and building lean muscle and shape.

Working out in this way, as hard as you can in this short period, and working out regularly (4-5 times per week), will improve your fitness and make your excess weight melt away.

MuTu Intensive, the high intensity, low impact, Mama-Core-Safe workouts in the 12 Week Program, combine these methods in workouts that last no more than 20 minutes, are completely tailored for a Mom’s body, and that you can do at home with minimal equipment.

3 Reasons Why This Will Work For You

1. Variety – You can incorporate a diversity of exercise into your workout, so there’s less chance you’ll get bored and give up
2. Time – Got 15mins 4-5 times a week? Sure you have! With this minimal time commitment, you really CAN commit
3. Results – Do this regularly and you will get stronger, fitter and leaner. When you start to see results, you’ll want to continue

Special Benefits of HIIT and MRT

+      Metabolism – HIIT boosts your heart rate and your metabolism during and after your workout, so it’s highly effective at shifting fat

+      Little or no kit – HIIT and MRT can be done anywhere, with little or no equipment

+      Shape – This type of exercise burns fat, but it doesn’t just make you skinny – you’re sculpting your body contours

MuTu System, my 12-week post-partum fitness program, uses this approach. Working on restoring core function first, it moves on to fat blasting and strength training through HIIT and MRT. This is the best and quickest way to achieve post-partum fitness and fat loss.

Try it for yourself – see and feel that it’s working and enjoy the great effect it has on your body and confidence.

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Inspired RD readers always get 15% off any MuTu program with the code “INSPIRED15”

UK-based Mom of 2 Wendy Powell is founder of the internationally recognized and sought after MuTu® System program. She has accrued over 12 years experience, proven record and study in the pre and postpartum fitness industry.

MuTu System includes online coaching, DVD’s, online support and community, fully endorsed by Specialist Women’s Health Physiotherapists and Industry Experts worldwide. It is fresh, personal, progressive and motivational, and it gives Moms the answers, guidance and support they need to restore body confidence inside and out. The programs are sold worldwide, especially in the US and she has an established international social media and industry reputation.

MuTu System covers fitness, fat loss, nutrition, hormone balancing and motivational strategies for busy Moms. Wendy’s specialist area of expertise is pelvic and abdominal reconnection and restoration after childbirth: functional core strength, diastasis recti, pelvic floor and related alignment issues.

Wendy writes for the Huffington Post and has appeared in numerous magazine features, including Red magazine, Health + Fitness + Zest. Health + Fitness magazine UK also commissioned Wendy to write their ‘Get Your Body Back’ book, published September 2013. Connect with Wendy by signing up to receive information on the MuTu System website, on Facebook, Twitter + Pinterest. Programs can be downloaded online, or DVDs shipped internationally, all available from the website.

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