Sometime between week 6 and week 12 after the baby is born, you may be looking to ramp up your walking program. Here are some tips that can help you ramp it up. Be sure to not miss any follow-ups with your ob-gyn and listen to your body. Don’t start increasing the incline and the speed if you experience pain, dizziness or other. It’s also equally important that you drink plenty of water, whether you are nursing or not, dehydration is not your friend.
So without further ado, here are out Post-Natal Fitness Tips for today:
Gauge your speed. It’s a fact that the faster you walk, the more calories you burn. Recent medical studies have shown that slower speeds are actually better for overweight or obese people. A pace of 2.5 mph on the treadmill will burn calories steadier and more efficiently while producing less stress injuries. It’s important to remember that the slow pace of the tortoise is better in the beginning than the riot race of the hare. As you get used to and comfortable with the 2.5 mph pace, you can increase the speed gradually to improve the caloric burn.
Go uphill. Whether you are using a treadmill or walking outside, add variations to your path such as inclines or hills. Walking uphill increases the resistance and makes your muscles work harder. The harder your muscles work, the more calories burned, however don’t work so hard that you can’t even speak between panting breaths. Keep your pace and your incline on the conversational level, which means you, should be able to walk and talk at the same time.
Mix it up. Add some interval training. If you’re just getting started on your exercise walking, you might want to wait a bit before adding intervals. However, after you’ve gotten yourself to where you walk regularly, then adding some weight training or cross training by using a bike or even a pair of roller blades, can increase your overall caloric burn.
Throw your arms in. Swing your arms with your steps, but rather than throwing them in wide arcs, keep your elbows at a ninety degree angle. Keep the swings sharp and chopping and don’t flap them like a chicken. The addition of arm movements will increase your speed as well as require your heart to pump faster for the oxygen demands that your arms will be making along with your feet and legs. You will probably breathe harder doing this, but you should still be able to make short statements.
Find a friend. Once walking regularly is a habit, it’s one you will find yourself loath to miss after a while, but most activities are more fun with friends. Putting the fun into your program keeps you interested and motivated. You have someone to talk to, complain to and to encourage you. Because a workout partner can help you stay committed, it will keep the calories burning. You will likely go further and further, increasing not only pace, but distance.
Put some weight on. No, not pounds for your hips, but rather some hand held or ankle weights. While there is some controversy over using weights while walking, don’t employ fifteen or twenty pound weights. Rather you are looking to add a pound or two only. These small weights may not seem like much, but what they do is add resistance and adding resistance will increase the caloric burn. Adding weights is not something to do in the beginning of an exercise program, but something to add to it after you’ve gotten used to your pace.
Eat right. Eating is a fundamental part of any exercise program and while starving yourself may seem like a fast way to shed a couple of pounds, it also increases irritability, drains energy and denies your body the necessary nutrients to repair itself. If you’re cranky and tired, you aren’t going to want to walk and without the walking, you’re not going to be burning the calories. Eat three or four small meals over the course of the day. Your body feels full about twenty minutes after it is, so avoid stuffing yourself silly. Overeating is as bad as under eating.
Get plenty of sleep. Sleep is a commodity in the hustle bustle world. While the average amount of sleep a person needs is about 7 hours a night, everyone is different. Some people need 9 and others only 5, you need to get as much sleep as your body requires. When we sleep, our bodies repair themselves and recharge. In scientific studies, people who slept a regular 7 to 8 hours a night were more successful in their fitness programs than those who cut back. The human body burns calories even while at rest. During a regular program of walking 3 to 5 times a week, the rest time burn of calories is also increased.
Music. Music is like soul food, it can inspire, depress, reflect and encourage. Adding music to your workouts, whether walking, running, biking or lifting weights will keep your spirits up. Employ bouncy songs that add spring to your step and keep you charged while you walk. Whether you walk alone or with someone, music can help in both instances.
Stay committed. Make walking a fundamental part of your life, not just something you do when you have time for it. Make the time. A regular exercise program is only effective if you do it 3 to 5 times a week. Usually an hour on each of those days can go a long way to increasing your metabolism, energy levels and overall health. As your feeling of wellness improves, so will your exercise regimen. Start slowly, work out regularly and if you have to take a break for a few days whether due to travel, illness, or other commitments, don’t stay off the horse. Six months to develop a habit and less than six days to lose it, so the commitment keeps the burn alive.
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