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Hi, I'm Kathy Smith.
I'm pregnant and I feel great about it.
And I'm really excited to share a new program I've created for this exciting time.
It covers full pregnancy, then the first six weeks after delivery to that postnatal period.
Now my goal here is to help you experience yourself as a strong, beautiful, healthy woman
during a time when your body image is rapidly changing.
The rewards of remaining fit and active will be reflected in your self-esteem and eventually
in your confidence as a mother.
Pregnancy is a time for learning how to balance activity and rest.
With new demands on your time, you need a fitness program that allows you to do whatever
you can each day.
That's why I've put together a variety of choices on this tape that should fit into
your busy schedule.
Now in the prenatal section of this tape, you'll get a full posture awareness check,
which will help you adjust to the shifting center of gravity and prevents any long-standing
problems that pregnant women can develop.
A seven-minute energizer, which is actually the warm-up to the prenatal workout, but also
acts as a great mid-day pick-me-up that you can do whenever you have an extra seven minutes.
This is meant to improve your circulation, free the tension through your muscles and
joints, and leave you feeling refreshed.
You also get a 40-minute prenatal workout, complete with modifiers, body checks, and
focus tips.
And finally, you'll enjoy a revitalizing active relaxation program.
Next, a program of recovery for the first six weeks, then a wonderful conditioning program
to return you to your former pre-baby shape.
I'll be sharing a lot more with you than just a good workout.
Full information from doctors, childbirth educators, other women, and friends.
You're going to feel great and have more fun moving this amazing body of yours than you
ever thought possible.
Some of the ideas are going to be as simple as putting your feet up when you get a little
tired, while other information is meant to supplement that of your own physician and
childbirth educator.
Now an important point here, please make sure that you have your physician's approval before
you start this exercise program.
I want you to think that you're getting good prenatal care and encourage you to bring this
to your doctor for approval.
Also check with your doctor and stop exercising if any unusual symptoms appear.
Some of the things that you should watch out for are discomfort, spotting, watery discharge,
shortness of breath, dizziness, elevated temperature, or a rapid pulse.
Now we've built in some safety precautions and helpful advice every step of the way by
including such things as body checks to keep you in proper alignment, modifiers, which
customize the workout for every stage of pregnancy and for every fitness level, focus tips, which
is important information for a healthy pregnancy.
All of these features work together in this tape to make sure that your special needs
are cared for.
You'll be able to check how hard you're working during the low impact general aerobic
routine through three different methods.
First of all, by measuring your target heart rate.
Be ready to take your pulse on your neck or on your wrist.
Count the number of pulses you feel in 10 seconds, then compare the number you got to
the one on the chart that corresponds to your age.
If you're above the one shown, you need to slow down.
If you're under it, then you need to try to step up the pace a little bit, but only if
you feel comfortable.
We'll also check our intensity using a perceived exertion scale.
Simply assign yourself a subjective rating of how hard you're working according to this
scale.
Try to keep the range between 12 and 14.
And last but not least, I've got a wild and crazy surprise for you, a pregnancy rap song
that is actually a measure of how breathless you are.
If you can sing along with me, chances are you're right on target.
So how can a fitness program help you during pregnancy?
Find these benefits from our team of experts whenever you need a motivational boost.
Pregnancy should not be a state of confinement as it used to be.
Women should feel free to do whatever they were doing prior to pregnancy.
So I see it as a positive thing that women continue to live a normal life.
Well, actually, my patients have always wanted to exercise during pregnancy, and that's one
of the most common questions I get on the first visit.
Can I continue to exercise?
What kind of exercise can I do?
Do I have to modify my exercise program?
What I tell them is that for most normal, healthy pregnant women, a moderate exercise
program is just fine, and that they can pretty much with some minor modifications continue
with the fitness level that they're at.
I also tell them that if they haven't already run a marathon, that this is not the time
to start training, that they need to kind of maintain their fitness level rather than
try to reach new heights of physical ability.
The pregnant patient has a number of things happen during the pregnancy that make exercise
unappealing.
During normal pregnancy, average patient will gain somewhere between 15 and 40 pounds.
It's a rapid weight gain no matter what you do.
Not only the baby is growing, but the baby, uterus, amniotic fluid, blood volume, breasts,
all those will put body weight on.
There's even a natural tendency to accumulate some fluids and get swelling and swelling
of your hands and feet.
As the pregnancy progresses and all those progress more, the concept of getting out
and exercising looks less and less appealing.
In the average patient in pregnancy, as the uterus grows and pushes the diaphragm up,
it's short of breath, so they're already short of breath, difficult breathing, swollen
hands and feet.
That patient looks for excuses not to exercise.
And as the body screams at you more and more, leave me alone, it takes more and more motivation
to keep the exercise program going.
What they don't realize is that if they will exercise, if they will take long walks, swim,
some gentle aerobic exercises, they'll feel better.
They won't have the shortness of breath.
They won't accumulate as much edema.
They'll be more comfortable.
Certainly women that are fit have a better image of themselves, psychologically, mentally,
they are better off.
And secondly, their ability to endure physical challenges is eased by them being fitter.
I think all of our muscles work better when they're toned, when you're aware of them,
when you can use your muscle instead of letting it do what it's supposed to do.
I believe that pregnant women that continue to live the same life in pregnancy that they
were living prior to pregnancy, it certainly enhances their ability to cope with stressful
and demanding conditions.
Well, I think that being physically fit can only help you in labor and delivery.
Labor is the hardest thing you're ever going to do in your life and believe me that last
hour or two hours of pushing that baby out is probably the hardest work that any woman
gets to do.
And if you are in good cardiovascular condition and your muscles are in good shape and you
have good endurance, it'll be easier.
Plus, I think in general, the people feel better when they have some degree of physical
fitness.
Well, it has an impact on everyone.
Self-image is a very important thing.
Our way of asserting ourself is our self-image and maintaining a certain style of life adds
a lot to our self-image.
Before we get started, I want to share some vital things with you about your changing
body.
The areas that are stressed most during pregnancy are the pelvic floor muscles, the abdominals,
and the lower back.
Now, first of all, the pelvic floor muscles.
They're located between the pubic bone and the spine.
Now, these are the muscles that you can track in order to stop the flow of urine.
Exercises for these muscles are known as Kegels.
We're going to be doing quite a few of them throughout the workout.
They're designed to help prevent incontinence and tighten the vaginal walls.
Learning to relax these muscles will also help with the descent of the baby during labor.
Contract this muscle by imagining that the pelvic floor is an elevator lifting up.
It's better to perform these slowly with control than too rapidly.
Eventually, you'll hold the contraction for a few seconds, then slowly release it.
You may find that lying on your left side makes it easier to do Kegels.
I'd also like you to be aware of the possible lengthwise split, a normal one that can occur
here in the abdominal muscle.
One reason that we greatly modify abdominal work during pregnancy is to avoid any further
aggravation of this midline split known as diastasis recti.
Not everyone gets it, and it's not always related to either strong or weak abdominals.
If you have a split, you'd feel it here about two to three inches below the navel, or you
may see a little tent-like appearance right up here underneath the breastbone.
Ask your physician to measure it for you, find out if it's one, two, or three finger
breaths apart.
One is normal.
Two means you should stop diagonal sit-ups and use your hands to splint the abdominal
muscle.
Three or more means you should stop doing even the modified abdominal work in this tape.
Recti splits can heal, but you'll concentrate on that after delivery, not before.
My third point here concerns the discomfort many pregnant women feel in the lower back
and the important role good posture plays in relieving it.
Now in all my tapes, I stress the importance of good posture, and for pregnant women, I'm
really driving the point home.
Now more than ever, do we need to be aware of our posture and how it relates to our shifting
center of gravity.
Watch what happens to the spine and to the body's alignment as a woman deviates from
good posture.
The abdominals stretch and weaken, the lower back muscles shorten and give you a sway back,
and the weight of the breasts causes rounded shoulders.
Very often, the chin juts forward.
When we stack those boxes in the most supportive manner, there's no strain or fatigue to the
joints and muscles.
In order to avoid any long-standing bad habits, ones that will continue after the baby is
born, we need to consciously adjust our posture.
When you've corrected your posture, you should not only see a difference, but you should
feel a difference.
Take a second with me to go through a quick posture check.
Now think of the body as if it were in different sections, all stacked on top of each other.
Start with the feet shoulder width apart, the knees are soft.
Now let's start at the pelvis.
Do a slight rock, tucking it under, and now releasing it to the midpoint.
Hold it there.
Let's do the same thing with the shoulders.
Let's pull those shoulder blades together and release them about an inch.
Now for the head, let's jut it forward and then back, and find that neutral position,
and finally shift the weight slightly on the heels and then to the toes, and now stand
squarely on that midfoot section.
Now if you were to drop a plumb line from the top of the head, it should go straight
through the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle.
With all that under your belt, you should be well equipped to start this exercise program.
So let's get energized.
Review this information as much as you need to, then set your memory counter after this
section.
There are things to remember while exercising.
Never exercise on an empty stomach.
Make sure there's fuel for your body to burn.
Also, make sure that you drink plenty of water while you're working out.
If the workout's too difficult for you, you should take a break every 20 minutes.
Remember this is not a competitive program.
Also, dropping your arms will make the aerobics a little easier.
Remember this is the Energizer.
Even though it's our warmup, it can be done alone any time during the day.
Okay, let's start by looking at our posture.
Quick check, feet shoulder width apart.
Now your knees are soft.
Let's start by rocking your hips forward and then back to midpoint and hold them there.
And the shoulders, you want to pinch them together.
Pinch those shoulder blades together and release them about an inch.
Same thing with the head.
Judd it all the way forward and all the way back and find the neutral position.
And now with the feet, let's rock back on the heels and forward on the toes and stand
squarely on that midfoot.
Okay, with that in mind, let's do some deep breathing.
Now I want you to think about breathing from your abdomen.
Here we go, that's seven and eight.
Breathe it up.
Exhale out and again, inhale up.
Now I want you to think about using your back, full lung capacity.
No shallow breathing here.
Reach again.
One more time.
Now reach that rib cage off your baby.
Keep her going.
Give me two more.
Now the last one, let's take one deep breath for the baby.
And then we're going to march it out and start to energize.
March it.
Okay, now it's really important that when you're getting energized, you start out nice
and slow.
You want to pick up the circulation of your body while lubricate those joints and warm
up those muscles.
Reach to ceiling and up, up.
Exhale out again.
Reach it up and up and exhale out.
Two more times.
One more time.
One more time.
One more time.
One more time.
One more time.
One more time.
One more time.
Exhale out.
Two more sets.
Reach it nice and high.
Up.
Exhale out.
Last set.
Up.
Up.
Now we're just gonna step side to side.
And five, two, three, four, five, six.
Give me another eight.
Now keep those hips square.
Don't rotate them.
Side to side.
And five, six.
Step touches.
Here you go.
Take it.
Step, touch.
Step, touch.
Nice and easy.
To get warmed up, you need to use those legs to make the most little movements you can
make.
Step, touch.
Step, touch.
Nice and easy.
Get warmed up, you need to use those legs,
make the most little bigger.
Four more.
Now we're gonna do the same move,
but take it forward and take it.
One, two, three.
Now side to side, hold it here.
Take it back and back.
Two, three, side to side, hold it here.
Hold it again and clap it out, you got it.
Side to side, hold.
Take it back.
Side to side.
Okay, going forward again,
but big arm circle forward, take it forward.
Picking up the intensity slightly, side to side again.
Arm circle back and back.
Two, three, now side to side and side.
Last one forward.
Side to side.
Back again, back.
Okay, let's go into a lunge.
Keep the knees behind the toes as you lunge.
This will prevent any knee problems.
Also keep the knees and toes in alignment.
And up, down, again.
Reach it out, up, give it two more sets.
Last time, reach it nice and tall.
Let's do the same thing on the other side,
starting down and down.
Take it down.
Two more sets.
Last time.
Let's go back into our lunge, a little deeper this time.
One, side to side.
Now we're gonna start into a back sequence.
Let's hold it.
Keep still and warm up the shoulders.
For those in advance months,
you may wanna stand up a little straighter.
Simply adjust your hands higher on your sides
and don't bend quite as far.
Four more, three, two, now hold it to the side
and hold, stretch it out.
To the side, stretch it out.
And again, one more time.
Let's loosen up that lower back by rounding it.
Round to three and release.
Again, round, two, three and release.
Don't arch this, round, two, three, back to neutral
and round, two, three, fingers tucking the pelvis under.
Great for the lower back.
Make sure it's tight and you wanna stretch it out.
Release it.
Last one and round, two, three.
Now round it up.
Take it up.
Shake out the hips, shake it right, left, right.
Give me eight more.
Shake it side to side.
One more, three, let's go to our first Kegel exercise.
Contract, two, release, two.
Again, contract, think of that pelvic floor.
And again, contract and release.
One last time, concentrate inside.
Inside, rock the hips forward and back.
Rock it forward, release.
Now don't arch the back, just release to a neutral position.
And again, four more, four and three, two.
Now the arms come up straight in front of you.
Take it up and down and up and down, nice and gentle.
Okay, let's add a round upper back to this.
Round the upper back.
Extend through our shoulders.
You really can stretch by the one of the upper back.
Now the pelvic tilt with it.
C-shape, finger moving, little big C-shape.
Four more, last four, three, last two, last one.
Now a little combination, take it out, over,
round it up and lift again.
Round and shoulders back, round again.
Take it round, shoulders back, lift the ceiling.
Last time, down, back, into our C-shape, here you go.
Take it out.
As you bend forward, think about creating
that C-shape with your back.
This will be your great stretch
through the upper and middle back.
Now don't hunt your shoulders.
Relax them and make sure you're not leaning too far forward.
You'll still get a great stretch through the back.
Lift it up, drop it down, shoulder rolls.
Take it right, left, right, left, release.
Hold those shoulders back.
Now lunge side to side.
Now lunge side to side.
Five, six, seven, our elbow comes back.
Far, reach it back out, good time to loosen up
the upper back, get all the kinks out, big arm circle.
Same arm movement, but take it across the body
and take it across.
Back to lunge, keep the knees behind the toes
as you lunge, this will prevent any knee problems.
Also, keep the knees and toes in alignment.
Hold it here.
Let's turn the shoulder around,
put the heel into the floor, reach the ceiling,
reach it up and down.
Again, the arms don't go behind the head,
reach it forward enough.
Now bend and straighten and bend the knee and straighten,
warming up the arms,
now bend and straighten and bend the knee and straighten,
warming up the ankles.
And line as you move.
Up, down, and bend, straighten.
Now don't throw those arms behind the body,
no arch in the back, keep them in front of the head.
Last step.
Okay, let's go, hold that calf stretch,
press the heel into the floor,
lift her, pressing forward, and let's switch
and stretch out those hamstrings.
Lean forward, supporting yourself on your legs,
using the forward, chest and forward,
abdominal and thigh, now arch in the back,
and the head is reaching out.
Look at there, side to side, here you go,
take it side to side.
Back to our lunge.
Okay, let's do that, hold stretch very close to the other side.
Hold it here.
Turn it around, it's important to keep those legs parallel,
and reach lower and reach lower, reach lower,
now let's bend and straighten, here you go.
Bend and straighten, really roll, straighten, roll,
press into the heel, just combine the two arms,
take it up, down, and again.
Take two more, up, down, then don't forget
about your breathing, last time,
let's just hold it here, stretch out that calf.
Stretch out the heel, keep that heel down,
stretch out the hamstring.
Okay, again, supporting yourself, reaching up,
pretend like somebody's pulling you back here
with the string and pulling you forward,
good, you're doing a good lengthening move there.
Back to side to side and take it back.
Okay, let's circle the wrist and take it around.
Now this is a great exercise,
if you get any swelling in your hand,
just pull them up and tuck them around, both directions.
Carpal tunnel affects about one third of all pregnant women.
It involves swelling around the wrist, arms, and fingers,
which makes the whole area feel numb and tingly.
Okay, you should be feeling energized right about now.
Ready to get into our aerobic activity,
so let's just bring it out,
oh, you did it, and let's get ready to go.
Okay, let's get ready for some aerobics,
here we go, side to side, side to side.
A spasm in the groin area may occur
with any rapid twisting motion, especially with the hips.
Now this is normal and it may come and go.
The spasm's occurring in the round ligaments
that support and align the uterus.
You can prevent that pulling sensation
by not doing any sudden twisting movement.
Take it forward, two, three, slide it back,
slide it one, two, three, take it forward again,
map it, two, three, and slide it back,
so one, two, three, now one arm forward,
take it forward, and slide it back.
Now you don't have to drop those shoulders too low,
keep them back, again, take it forward, two, three,
reach up off that baby, back, two, three, one arm again.
Now two arms back, really lift,
okay, giving up that heart rate slightly,
and up, two, three, now slide it back, and up,
two more sets, all the way through.
And back, last high forward, and side to side,
both arms back, let's just swing it out.
Instead of a hip swing, if you're feeling uncomfortable
in the hip or groin, try a simple heel shift
from side to side.
Grapevine to the side, and one, two, three, and slide.
Really slide it out there, use the legs and bend,
really get into it.
Last two, a bad new arm, up to the side,
and reach, down, reach, up to the side,
and up, okay, feeling into the dog, drop the arms.
Now let's hold it right here, take it, five, two, three,
little higher arm, take it over and down,
over and down, you got it.
Okay, into our trombone move, take it down, and up,
now really play it, and back.
Again, down, up, last one, back to back to side,
take it side, arms go a little higher this time,
take it up and down, and up and touch,
okay, really bend those knees,
okay, into the trombone the other side,
take it up and down, okay, now what you think about
if you're in a band, got my backup fingers back here,
we're playing that trombone, really pulling that arm,
side to side and shake it out.
We're gonna do the whole thing from the beginning,
starting one more to the front, take it front, bigger,
let's pick up the momentum a little bit,
front again, and take it front, two, three,
and slide it back, big movements,
we have a tendency to take big steps forward, small backs,
and really work it back, two, and back, two, three,
last time forward, take it forward, two, three,
two arms back, let's go right into the grapevine,
take it to the side, and one, two, three, and touch,
you got it, four more, last four,
four more, last four, add a trombone arm, add an arm,
you don't have to feel any kind of discomfort in your hand,
you don't have to keep them flexed,
just keep them out there, point it, last two,
let's hold them here side to side,
really work those legs, overhead, and,
ready for trombone, take it down, up, down, up, down, up,
down, up, step, okay, last two, back side to side,
and take it side, overhead,
make the movement a little bigger,
if you're feeling tired, just drop those arms,
use the legs, back to trombone, take it up, down, good move,
good move, two more, side to side, and shake it up,
okay, so let's get ready for our first heart rate check,
let's take a pulse here on your wrist or on your neck,
now count the number of pulses you feel in 10 seconds,
ready, begin, stop, check the chart,
make sure you're not surpassing the number indicator
for your age group, if you had a higher number
than the one listed, please slow down,
if your own number was lower, work a little harder,
but only if you feel comfortable,
we're not striving for a high intensity here,
the goal is to keep your heart rates about 60 to 70%
of maximum, never exceeding 140 beats per minute,
we'll still get the cardiovascular benefits,
but avoid the wear and tear of a high intensity workout,
okay, ready for our robots two, seven and eight,
and step, and step, step, step, give me four more, three,
now the arms go down and up, take it down all the way up,
now lift that rib cage, same move but take it forward,
round it back, take it back to circle around, up and again,
you can increase the intensity by making larger moves
and stepping out more, if you find you're getting too winded,
keep the arms below the shoulder level,
and if you're entirely new to exercise,
then keep the arms much lower
or simply drop them all together,
down and up, down and around your back,
remember those circles, right leg here you go,
and right, forward and back, forward and back,
give me another four and you're really lifting,
bring it around, lift, bring it around, two more,
now last one, just go back to center, other side,
reach back, reach back,
back, give me four more, reach it up, three, two,
come back to center, now we're gonna need the other leg,
work out on this side, last two,
come back to center and hold again, and back,
really make a big movement, come back to center,
now count to two, two, center, switch,
two again, okay we're going right into a four step series,
headed that way, take it one, two, three and touch,
okay add some accent, with our shoulders,
go one, two, three and touch, two more,
we're starting a little combination,
this time we're gonna bring the knee up,
each time the intensity goes up a little higher,
okay this time twist the arms out, and exhale,
really extend those arms, knee comes up,
do four more, last two, come onto the ceiling,
come onto the ceiling, and up and then out, up and out,
okay last two, let's go back to the beginning,
take it low, low, low and touch, this time we do four,
give me two more, then we bring up the knee,
little combination here,
okay, now we press the arms, last two,
arms go up to the ceiling and up and then out,
one more, take it down, two, three, accent, you got it,
you got it, now the knee, now make sure that your hips
and your shoulders and your belly are all squared off,
all in alignment, push the floor, push it,
last two, then arms go to the ceiling,
take it up and out, there we go, last time,
let's do some knee lifts, side to side,
if you're having trouble lifting the knees,
lift them a little lower or more to the side,
another eight, last four,
let's bend the knee behind and take it down,
arms go to shoulder level, up to the ceiling,
up as high as you can go, back to shoulder,
four pounds each way, now count for two,
here we go, two, down for two, okay, one, two, three,
up to the side, a little bit more,
lift those legs, two again,
okay, single, go all four directions, you got it,
big step, big step, keep it going,
now if you didn't lift it higher, just drop those arms,
keep the legs moving, step behind, step behind,
now reach in front of you, now reach to the ceiling,
in front again, you got the pattern, first it,
down, really reach, out, really reach, up,
all the way through, take it down, and out, and up,
last time, all the way through,
bring it down again and shake it out side to side,
okay, give me four more, five, six,
gravel across the floor and circle around and touch,
circle again, give it up there,
really move it across the floor,
okay, let's take that same move,
but I want you to do is make it a little bit bigger,
and then go round and up,
if you're uncomfortable with this little hop,
try taking two little steps to the side,
half four, last three,
last three, right, come back to center,
now you're ready for our rap song,
you guys ready?
Now they call this work and they call that labor,
but it's all great fun, just grab your name,
you don't need to jump, no need to scuffle,
monster don't fall into the prego shock,
into the prego shock, into the prego shock,
into the prego shock, into the prego shock,
I take my water, it's okay with me,
cause everyday's a new center of gravity,
you'll get much more from your pelvic floor,
when you pass on the bagel and do one more kale,
now let's visualize those big baby eyes,
and then still big hug to the number one bud,
into the prego shock, into the prego shock,
now before you continue,
make sure that you can carry on a normal conversation
without getting winded,
this is our last aerobic song,
the pace will come down gradually,
but continue to pace yourself as you need to,
and out, and out, and out, keep it going,
same legs, press the arm down,
okay let's take those two moves and combine,
and take them out, then down, and out,
really full range of motion, press them out there,
and bend and press, take it side, down, okay diagonal arms,
and up, four more, okay give me another set of eight,
here you go, we're gonna take the same move,
and now just move it forward, and eight,
take it forward, two, now use those other arms,
and come on back, it goes out and then down,
out, go forward again, whoops,
take it out and down, two more sets, take it forward again,
take it back, now big movements, last time forward, and up,
now if you're getting tired, just remember,
drop those arms, and take it back,
two counts to the side, take it two, then switch sides,
switch again, keep it going, press into it,
okay now we're gonna take this move and add another move,
take it across the floor this way,
out and down, and out and touch, two moves,
across the floor, cross, and you press,
then you take it across the floor, great,
and out, press for two, moving across the floor,
and out, and move it, really move it, last two,
okay let's pick up the intensity with the knees,
two to the side, each side, two,
hold those moves out to the side, step touch to the side,
shake it out, loosening up, now we're gonna take those two
moves and we're gonna put them together,
so it's gonna be two knees to the side,
and then step side to side, five, six, seven, two knees,
take it two side to side, up, now side to side,
step and touch, step and touch, and knees come up for two,
step and touch again, one more time,
now last two, last one, okay you earned it,
march it out, here you go, and march it,
step touch, here you go to the side,
step touch, step touch, to the princess arms again,
march, step touch, touch it, touch it, and again,
step touch, step touch, and step it,
two, three, and again, last time,
take that leg forward and back, and take it forward,
back, come back to center, switch legs,
forward, back, come back to center, switch legs,
add an arm, up, and out, and up, switch legs,
up and then out, switch sides,
switch again, okay give me one more, each side,
and now, we're gonna do the same thing,
okay give me one more, each side,
up, then out, then up, and switch, last one,
good, let's shake it out, let's cool it down just a bit,
bringing the heart rate back down,
two counts to the side, chain move,
okay new arm movement, take it over the shoulder,
shake it up and back, and up, switch sides,
okay now four counts, one, two, and three,
fours again, one, two, pull it out again,
one, two, up, again,
back, back, back,
almost there you guys, okay little half circles,
quarter circles, same thing forward, press it,
press it, press it, now march it out,
divide the curl, now pump it out, repeat it from the beginning,
circle, circle, circle, and march one, two, pump,
two more sets, last, march, march, pump, last,
you got it, whoa, we're almost there,
starting to get excited now, lunch is coming,
walk it forward, cool it down, side to side,
really start to cool it down, pull back the moves,
nice and slow, shake it out, give me two,
give me two more sets, really cool it down,
nice and slow, pull your movement back,
little shoulder action, last time forward,
side to side, okay, you're ready to check your heart rate.
Time to check your heart rate again,
let's find your pulse, ready, begin, stop,
if you need to walk around a little more before going on to the next exercise.
And now using the Borg scale, pick a number that best describes your level of intensity
and places zero after it, remember,
AgCog recommends no higher than 140 beats per minute.
Now is a good time to drink some water and drain some too if you need to.
Just put your VCR on pause and join us in a minute for some standing leg work.
I want you to start with feet shoulder width apart,
hands on the chair, don't lean on the chair though, just use it for balance,
and let's start with our calf braces, here you go,
take it up and down, and up and down, up on the toes, bring it down, up,
keep it going, now think about your posture right now,
good time to think about it, keep those shoulders back,
make sure the pelvis is tucked under so you're not arching that back,
and make sure you're using that full foot to go up and down.
Give me four more, three more, last two, and now let's just stretch it out,
take that leg behind you,
what I want you to do is keep this straight and press through those hips, press them,
good, good man, now bend the knee ever so slightly,
bend it in, bend it in, bend it in, work in the thighs now,
let's take it down, back up, and down, and up, and down, and up, and down,
again, take it down, and up, a thing to remember though,
very important point, the knee has to stay behind the shoelace for the toe here,
if it's getting behind the toe, I want you to take a bigger step back,
so it looks like this, you just take a bigger step back and continue to move,
keep it going, last one, and let's flip side,
let's stretch the other leg out, really stretch into that heel,
stretching that heel, pressing those hips forward,
and now bend that knee forward and take it down, and up, and down,
now one thing, range of motion, if you find that it's a little too fast,
don't go down as far, but each time you come back up,
think about squeezing that buttock area,
work in those thighs and squeeze in the buttocks,
you guys are looking good,
now why don't you give me a couple more here, how's it feeling?
let's go with a little squat, your dad's feet shoulder width apart,
what I want you to do is think about just tucking under and squatting,
so take it down, and up, bend down, and press, good,
each time come up, press that buttock, really squeeze it,
next move is going to be out of thigh move,
we're going to lift the leg out to the side,
last one, now let's go into the outer thigh,
here take it down, and out, down, out,
now you want to make sure you close your point forward,
and you're keeping those legs square, you're not turning them out,
you're keeping them square so you work in the outer thigh and the groin is medium,
you're going to the side, another thing, posture, standing tall,
shoulders back, chest up right, and that's going to that side,
last one, let's do the same move but take it back, take it back and squeeze,
and back and squeeze, now notice what Patty's doing,
she's leaning back with the heel each time,
she's leaning back with the heel, not arching the back,
so she's staying in rest here and just isolating that buttock's muscle,
again, taking it back, tight, little cheek, each time, make them tighter,
give me four more, three more, last two, last one,
okay, let's come to the pelvis tilt, and let's down and up,
and down and up, down, up, down, up, down, up,
the thing about pelvis tilt is great,
baby sometimes starts to land on the spine in a kind of uncomfortable position,
so this kind of rocks the baby around, gets her in the right place again,
I say her because I know I'm having a girl,
last two, okay, it's a good time to think about a kaggle,
so let's turn out and kaggle, two and release, two and contract for two and release,
go within, think, tighten, tighten and release one more time,
think about it, now for the plies, take them down and up,
and again, take them down and up, now notice, Alice, you got a big belly up here,
you got to really think about keeping that pelvis pressed under,
taking that arch out of the back, keeping your shoulders relaxed,
when you lower yourself in the plie, make sure you don't fully relax the pelvic floor muscle,
if you feel too much pressure there, you may just want to do pelvic tilts instead of plies,
let's stretch the whole thing out, okay, you deserve it,
we'll take back one leg back and press into that heel,
stretching that calf, great to do if you have any cramping at night in the calf,
to get out of bed and think about the stretch,
a little deeper stretch is bending the knee while you keep that heel thrust into the floor,
hold it there, okay, let's take it forward and stretch out the quadriceps,
now again, you want to keep your hips pressed forward,
and the idea is to bring that knee back and hips forward,
not to sort of scrunch that leg into your body, okay, let's stretch out the hamstring,
keeping the chest high, abdominals tight,
flanking that back and really leaning in using your chair for support,
let's do the whole thing on the other side now,
take the other leg back, press into that heel,
and now bend the knee, keeping that heel down,
okay, good, let's stretch out the front of the leg,
grab onto that leg,
if you're having a hard time reaching around for your foot,
then just bend the knee to stretch the quadriceps like this,
and let's finish those leg stretches off,
stretch out that hamstring,
okay, good, supporting yourself on a chair,
let's walk away from your chair,
keep your shoulder with the cart, knees are definitely bent,
we're going to fold, stretch out the back of the shoulders, reaching, keeping that cabin line with your body,
keeping it between your shoulders, between your arms,
and let's get ourselves back up by supporting yourself on one leg and then the other,
and moving up one little bit at a time, good,
and now let's get ready for some arm work, shake it out,
now we're ready for arm work and upper body strengthening,
if you've been using light weights, grab them,
otherwise this is not the time to start working out with weights,
okay, let's get in position, what I want you to do, support yourself on your chair,
feet apart, now make sure that you have your back straight, your knees are soft,
here we go, working the back, bring it out to the side, then down, and side, and down,
now we're working that shoulder as well as the back here,
I want you to think of pulling that shoulder blade in, it will give you that great posture,
two more, last one, now pull it back, pull it back, and down, and back, and down,
back, and the elbows a little closer to the body, and we're working more of the lower back, the lat now,
it's important to keep the abdominals up again,
okay, let's add a movement to that, one more time, and take it up, extend it back, bring it in, drop it down,
so now what we've done is we've added that tricep motion,
but we're working the back of the arm and that's the part that tends to get real wobbly,
so you really want to concentrate on that extension, so you take it up, extend, lower, and down,
keep that elbow high right here, extend, lower, and again, take the elbow nice and high, extend, lower,
one more, last one, good, and let's switch sides, this is the same thing on the other side,
okay, we're pulling it out to the side, here we go, and take it out, and down, and out,
now again, we're taking the elbow out to the side, trying to pull that shoulder blade in,
now it's important that if you've never used weights before, you don't start now,
but if you've used weights, it's a real effective way to tone all these muscles,
one more, now take it back, take it back, and down, back, and down, back, down, again,
really pull it and control that down, no, don't drop it down, control each motion,
give me one more, and now let's extend it back, combination move into the tricep,
so here, you can really see it right on Patty, she's using her muscles right here,
and each time, she really wants to hold that elbow up high, so we're working on that,
just give me four more, now it's important to pretend to move that posture,
keep those abdominals up, that back straight, and that chest forward,
give me the last two, last one, all the way, okay, good, get our pillow,
now let's get comfortable, use the pillow for support, and what I want you to do is
move your feet far enough apart so that you're comfortable,
and we're going to be working that bicep, what I want you to do is starting with
that right arm, and pull it up, pull it right, down, and left, down, and both of them down,
now we're working the front of that arm, the bicep, right here,
and once it pulls up, you see it moving right there, it's real important that you
work this muscle, because just imagine, in just a few months, or a little bit down the road,
a baby that weighs, they weigh six to ten pounds, and you have to keep that baby up all the time,
so you want to strengthen those muscles, and now let's move into the deltoids,
and take the right arm, down, left, down, and then both, great, do it again,
now you really want to make sure that you bring those arms at the shoulder level,
but it's really kind of important you think about relaxing these neck muscles,
and really just focusing on the muscle group,
now we've talked about posture before, that's a good time to think about it,
don't be slumping forward, make sure you have those shoulders back,
give me one more set each side, both of them together, okay great,
you want to scoot back in the chair a little bit, positioning that pillow,
lean back, what you don't want, let me put your arm up here, you don't want an arch here,
you want to make sure that you push back against that pillow,
and now let's work the chest, pull it across, then back, and across, and back,
across, back, and across, working the muscles all around the chest here,
each time you want to feel as if you're pressing them together, pressing them together, good, good,
exhaling, let's think about our breathing, as we do the effort we exhale,
so you exhale now, and in, last one, great, let's shake it out,
you have some weights, let's drop those weights down, and now let's just stretch it out,
starting with the shoulders, stretch it back, circle it around, back, again, circle, big circle,
last one, let's add some arms, circle all the way back, feel it stretch,
don't forget to breathe, give me one last one, and take the fingers, intertwine the fingers,
reach them up to the ceiling, and let's exhale and get ready for abdominals.
During pregnancy, we modify our approach to abdominal work.
On the one hand, we need strong abdominals to assist us in pushing during labor.
They also support the expanding uterus and protect the lower back.
A little bit of abdominal work, though, goes a long way, and we want to protect and support that area.
The correct way to perform abdominal strengthening is still under a lot of discussion.
We're going to show you the five most acceptable methods, flat on your back,
on two pillows, on your left side, with elbows on a chair, and on all fours.
You and your physician should decide which is best for you.
Choose the position in which you feel most comfortable, and let's start with abdominal contractions.
Inhale, and as you exhale, contract your abdominal muscles.
Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale and contract.
Our guideline for this tape is for those under four months,
exercise on your back for under four minutes and only if you feel all right.
Roll to your left side if you feel unusual.
For those women four months pregnant and up, don't exercise on your back.
Inhale, exhale and contract. And last one, inhale, exhale and contract.
With the same breathing pattern, contract your abdominals and bring your chest towards your hips.
Contract and release. Contract.
If you're feeling too much pressure on your wrists in this position, you may want to place your elbows on a chair.
And continue to contract and release.
If you're on your back, lift your shoulder blades off the floor.
In any of the other positions, round your back as your abdominals contract.
Contract it, and now release it, and contract and release.
Next exercise, start with Kegel and pelvic tilt. Now contract the abdominals.
Release the pelvic floor, and now release the abdominal contraction.
Again, Kegel and pelvic tilt, contract the abdominals, release the pelvic floor, and release the abdominals.
The purpose of this exercise is to learn control of the pelvic floor while contracting your abdominals.
Again, contract the pelvic floor, contract the abdominals, release the pelvic floor, and release the abdominals.
Kegel and pelvic tilt, contract the abdominals, release the pelvic floor, release the abdominals.
Kegel and pelvic floor, contract the abdominals, release the pelvic floor, release the abdominals.
Kegel, pelvic tilt, contract the abdominals, release the pelvic floor, release the abdominals.
And then one last time.
Let's get ready to cool it down and stretch.
We're going to start on all fours.
Let's start with a cat stretch.
As you exhale, round the back up and feel a stretch through the lower, middle, and upper
back and hold that stretch.
Now release it back down to a neutral position, making sure not to arch the back, but just
to a neutral position.
Then again, round it up like a cat, dropping that head forward, and again back to a neutral
position.
Round as you exhale, dropping the head and feeling the stretch through the back.
One last time, round and release.
Now let's grab a couple pillows for support.
Let's separate the legs as we lean forward, supporting ourselves on the pillow, and get
ready for a couple of Cagels.
Think about the elevated floor, and think about contracting up and holding, and release.
Now again, contract up and hold it, and release it back down.
Now let's get ourselves on up again and slide the pillows to the side as we flip over and
start to stretch out the sides and neck, like you support yourself on the left-hand side
as you reach up and over and feeling that stretch through the entire side of your body.
Now drop the head to the right side as you put a little pressure with your right hand
while you maintain an erect posture.
And again on the other side, reach up and over, supporting yourself on the right-hand
side as you reach up with the left hand toward the ceiling and then over slightly.
Now let's stretch out the neck.
It's important to keep that opposite shoulder down.
You'll feel more of a stretch through that neck area.
Okay, let's put the soles of the feet together, and letting the knees drop open, let's round
forward to stretch out again the neck, back, and legs.
Let's extend the left leg and pull that right leg in, keeping a slight bend in that left
leg just to protect the lower back.
You will stretch there as you reach forward with the chest toward the toes.
And again, let's do the same thing on the other side, pulling the left leg and extend
the right leg, again reminding you to keep a slight bend in that leg.
Let's take a deep breath, inhale.
And as you exhale, grab on underneath your legs, pulling your knees toward your armpits.
Now this is a great stretch that will really help you out during the pushing stage of your
labor.
Hold that stretch.
And again, you can make some minor adjustments by sliding a little closer toward your feet.
Let's grab a pillow and get ready to relax.
Relaxing is an art that we learn to do.
The more you practice it, the quicker and easier you'll ease into a deep, relaxing,
rejuvenating state.
The next five minutes are devoted solely to you and your baby.
Get in a comfortable, well-supported position, sitting in a chair or lying on your left-hand
side.
Now the first few times you go through this guided relaxation, you may want to keep your
eyes open just out of curiosity.
But you'll probably get more out of it by eventually keeping your eyes closed.
So let's begin.
Start by taking some deep cleansing breaths.
Inhale slowly and deeply.
And take a second, then exhale fully.
Take a little bit more time exhaling than inhaling.
Now let's do it again.
Inhale.
And this time, feel yourself relaxing as you exhale.
Feel the muscles of your body letting go, relaxing and releasing the tensions they carry.
Now continue breathing deeply and regularly.
With each breath, you may feel the tensions of the body slowly fade away.
The deep breaths we are taking are called cleansing breaths or releasing breaths.
With enough practice, simply putting your focus on your breathing will help trigger
a deep relaxation response.
During childbirth, this deep breathing will signal your body to relax at the start of
each contraction.
Breathing and relaxing becomes synonymous for your mind and body.
You're doing beautifully.
Your breathing is becoming very soft, very gentle, and as rhythmic as a lullaby.
Now continue breathing deeply and regularly.
Imagine a kind of relaxation that starts in your toes that very gradually spreads throughout
the muscles of your feet.
Today, begin to feel the relaxation spreading.
Feel the muscles of your feet loosening up.
Feel them getting more and more relaxed, getting limp.
Now imagine that warm feeling like a healing light spreading slowly upward over your ankles
to the muscles of your legs.
Feel your leg muscles begin to loosen up, getting very relaxed.
Feel that gentle warmth spreading over your knees to the muscles of your thighs and hips,
loosening those muscles, making them feel relaxed and limp.
Now feel all the muscles of your legs completely relaxed, everything still and warm.
Now bring your focus to your hips and buttocks.
Relax your hips and buttocks and let any tension and fatigue simply fade out of the body.
Let your hips release and sink into the chair or floor and feel the tension disappear with
each deep cleansing breath.
Relax the muscles of your lower back, your mid-back, and slowly relax the tension across
the upper back.
You may feel that you're slowly sinking into whatever is supporting you, that you've released
any hold on your back and you're simply letting it get into a full deep rest and relaxation
that your hardworking back deserves.
Now bring that relaxation up from your back over and across the pelvis.
Release the tension across your lower belly.
Let a deep warmth cover your entire pelvis.
Allow that warmth and relaxation to rise up across your abdomen, bathing your baby in
warm glowing light, cradling your baby in the gently swaying rhythm of your inhale and
exhale.
Relax your abdomen and feel the relaxation spreading up over the rib cage.
Move your attention now to your chest, deeply releasing the muscles of your chest as you
inhale and exhale.
Feeling the warmth cover the entire chest and belly.
Now try to imagine the same process starting in your fingertips.
Try to feel the relaxation spreading throughout all the muscles of your hands.
Feel the muscles of your hands starting to loosen up.
Feel the muscles relax as the hands go limp.
Now keep breathing gently and deeply as you're cleansing your body of all the stress and
tension when you slowly exhale.
Imagine the relaxation you feel in your hands is spreading upward like a warm glow slowly
over your wrists, upward slowly over the muscles of your forearms, making them feel completely
relaxed.
Feel the warm relaxation spreading and relaxing through the muscles of your upper arms and
now into the shoulders.
It feels wonderful to have this gently bathing warmth cover and caress your shoulders and
muscles of your neck.
Feel the muscles here gradually beginning to relax.
As each exhale you're releasing tension out of the muscle, out of your body.
As you release the tension the area feels warmer, looser, limp and relaxed.
As the relaxation spreads upward to the muscles of your neck, the tension leaves your neck.
The muscles here relax with each cleansing breath.
Feel it relax until the muscles of your neck are completely loose.
Now feel the relaxation spreading upward over your face.
Feel the face muscles let go.
Your jaw muscles relax with each deep breath.
Feel it spreading more and more a warm glow rising upward over your temples.
Relaxation is spreading easily, gently to the muscles of your forehead, across your
eyebrows and over your eyelids.
The tension is eased out of your face and you feel yourself resting quietly and comfortably.
Breathe deeply and release any remaining tension from your whole body.
Feel the soft quality of your breath and the gentle rhythm of your breathing.
Your body is benefiting from all the loving devotion you've shown here today.
You are a strong, feminine, healthy woman.
Your body is the perfect, beautiful vehicle supporting and nurturing a developing life.
Your breathing is as rhythmic and caressing as an ancient lullaby and your energy flows
from a harmony and stillness that only a mother can know.
Enjoy this glorious moment with your baby for as long as you'd like.
When you rise, you'll have all the energy and focus you'll need to enjoy an active,
wonderful day.
Hi.
Meet Kate Carlisle, weighing in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces and growing like crazy ever since.
She sure is a miraculous addition to our family.
If you've already had your baby, you know all about the dramatic and thrilling changes
in your life during these early postpartum days.
Well, with all the visits and the phone calls, the stress and new demands, you find that
life offers you a brand new role.
You've gone from being somebody's child to being somebody's mother.
Let's put you down here just for a second.
Yeah.
And despite all the excitement, and it sure is a lot of fun, a woman can suddenly experience
disappointment because her body is not getting back into shape overnight.
Even though you're relieved of that awesome weight in your belly, that 9 pounds of baby
and another 4 pounds of related product, you may have thought like many new mothers that
your abdomen was simply going to deflate like a balloon.
Yeah, you tell them.
That's not, that's not so.
It almost takes 3 to 4 months for everything to get back to normal.
Don't worry about it.
Your body is readjusting to its normal functions and rhythms.
That starts immediately after childbirth.
And understanding this natural process should help you pace yourself without strain, fatigue
or worry.
And you just chew on that.
Let's put you down just a little bit more here.
Yeah.
Down back here.
There you go.
Now, you got something to play with?
Right here.
I've gathered together many of the questions that I had right after Katie was born along
with questions from other new mothers and friends.
And in this next 20 minutes, you're going to get some answers about resuming exercise
as well as some helpful advice on topics related to your health and energy level.
Again, I want to stress that there is absolutely no substitute for asking your physician.
So be sure to share with your doctor what we discuss here, then try it on for size.
How soon can I start exercising after I have my baby?
Well, personally, I found that I felt pretty good taking short walks about a week after
having the baby.
But I did slowly work up to that with a mild routine, which I'll share with you a little
later.
How soon you start to exercise really depends on your own fatigue level, your previous level
of fitness, and how well you're coping with the entire readjustment process.
I believe that if a woman had a normal, spontaneous vaginal delivery, she could probably get up
the day after her delivery and start doing some mild walking exercises and gradually
returning to normal life.
We have to remember that delivery involves long hours of labor, so it's hard labor.
You can draw an analogy and say it's like after running a marathon, how fast after a
marathon would you be ready to exercise?
I usually tell my patients if they have had a vaginal delivery that they can start exercising
as soon as their episiotomy has healed and as soon as they're not hurting any longer.
If they've had a cesarean section, I like them to wait at least four weeks because it
really takes that long for the incision to be completely healed and everything to get
comfortable.
I tell them that they should start slowly and if it hurts to stop, it's as simple as
that.
Let your body tell you what you're ready for and it will.
What if I've had a C-section?
How long does it take to get going again?
Actually a lot of ambulation right away is very helpful.
Probably the worst problem that people have post-cesarean section is simply gas pain and
that comes from lying around taking a lot of pain medication and not moving.
As you get up and move around and become active, that's very helpful.
Also deep breathing after any surgery is important because when you've had an anesthetic, your
lungs tend to collapse down a little bit and that predisposes you to a possible pneumonia
so we always encourage all post-surgical patients to do a lot of deep breathing and coughing.
But for the most part, recovery from cesarean section can be almost as easy as recovery
from vaginal delivery.
When can I start working on my shape again?
I feel loose and flabby and want to be firm and shapely again.
It's helpful to think of the postpartum period in three stages.
The first week is one stage.
Our first goals are to restore strength to the pelvic floor, to assist the abdominal
muscles in closing the recti gap, and to relieve the stiffness and aches that can occur throughout
the neck, shoulders, and upper back which can show up after a long labor.
We also want to prevent any circulatory problems in the legs and pelvis.
Perform these exercises a few times throughout the day.
The pelvic floor muscles have been stretched and weakened and it's up to you to help them
return to their former tone.
You can start kegels as early as an hour after delivery but they're going to feel a little
differently as if you have no control.
Just squeeze, lift, and hold like you would normally and then release.
You'll gradually increase the strength of the contraction over the next month.
Remember, lax pelvic muscles can result in leaking urine, increased pressure, a falling
uterus, and even decreased sensations during intercourse.
Pull your toes toward you and then point them away.
Do that a couple times.
Now circle the ankles to the outside and then reverse it and circle inside.
It would be good to do this whenever you think of it.
This is going to help your circulation and minimize swelling in the ankles.
Pelvic tilts will help improve posture and relieve backache and stiffness.
They also work the buttock and abdominal muscles.
So tip the hips under by pressing the lower back to the floor while you contract the abdominal
muscles and tighten the buttock muscles and then release it.
And again, take it up.
Now a strong contraction is needed if we really want to make this a strengthening exercise.
To make sure you're doing it properly, check that you're always emphasizing the flattening
of the hollow of the back and contracting the abdominals and tightening the buttocks.
Now hold it for a good three to five seconds and then release.
This exercise can also be done while you're sitting, standing, or on all fours.
You start out with a few a day and then as you get a little better, add a few more.
The first step to strengthening your abdominal muscles is to be aware of what they feel like
to contract and release.
Lying on your back, place your hands on the abdominal area right below the rib cage here.
Inhale through the nose and as you fill up the lungs, let the abdominal wall expand upward.
Then, pull those abdominal muscles down, flattening the abdominals as you push the air out of your
lungs.
Again, fill it up and contract it.
Start with a few and each day add a few more.
Slowly but surely, it will come back to you.
It's amazing how even a little bit of bed rest can seem to sap the energy out of you.
We need to start moving those legs again with some mild movement.
This will continue to strengthen the abdominals and increase the circulation in the legs.
So begin by lying on your back, knees bent, maintaining that correct pelvic tilt.
Slide one leg down and slide it back up again and then lift the leg and gently stretch it
out.
Then let's do the other side, maintaining that tilt, slide the leg down, slide it back
up, lift and stretch.
That feels good.
Okay, continue doing it both sides.
Here we go again.
Lift it up and stretch.
Place your fingers on your shoulders and make gentle large circles backwards.
This helps alleviate much of the soreness and tension you may have in your upper body
due to pushing during labor.
Try this a couple of times throughout the day, especially after your feeding sessions.
Review the portion of the video that contains the progressive relaxation program.
You're going to want to structure some time in your day for deep relaxation.
A head to toe program with deep breathing helps clear the mind and refresh you.
Once again, we're building a step by step program, slowly gaining back our muscle tone
and stamina, while still getting the rest we need.
So if you're ready, add the following to your established program of kegels, abdominal contractions,
knee bends, pelvic tilts and ankle work.
Lying in bed or on the floor with your knees bent and feet on the floor, gently roll the
knees to one side, keeping your arms out to the side.
And now let's do it on the other side and really feel that wonderful stretch all across
the lower back.
This can be done standing up or sitting down.
First, let's take the time to check your posture.
Remember all those good reference points we had?
Head up.
Your shoulders are back and down.
Your pelvis is at a neutral midpoint.
The knees are soft.
The feet are comfortable width apart with toes ahead.
Good.
Now with one hand supported on the thigh, let's reach overhead, lifting the rib cage
up.
You're lifting up, not over.
Let's alternate and do the other side as we breathe easily.
Now this exercise can smooth out all the tightness in your shoulders.
Stretch those sides and bring an awareness back to your midsection.
Begin with a few a day and then work your way up to ten.
Standing pushups are a good way to regain your upper body strength and you're going
to want more strength as you carry your baby around.
After six weeks or so, many women are ready to resume these on the floor.
So start with six and work your way up to two sets of eight.
Like the ones that were done in the prenatal program, be sure not to arch your back but
to tighten your buttocks as you lift.
This is the beginning of getting your behind back in shape.
Now take it back up, hold it, hold, hold and then release slowly as you roll your back
and buttocks onto the floor.
If you had a recti split of three or more fingers when you were pregnant, then check
with your doctor before starting abdominals.
When you're ready for strengthening your abdominals, start slowly.
Lying on your back, bend your knees, exhale first, then lift your head and neck off the
floor and exhale any additional breath and then slowly lower yourself down.
Now concentrate on pulling in your abdominals and even brace them with your hands on either
side like so.
Start with a couple and then add on slowly.
It's more important to do this correctly than to do any certain number.
The second stage is the next two to four weeks and it carries with it a lot of room for individual
pacing.
I suggest that you try the prenatal energizer located at zero on your VCR counter.
It contains gentle movements for the total body as well as comfortable stretches for
the legs, lower back and shoulders.
Only do the exercises that you feel you're ready for.
Over the entire six week postpartum period, the hormones of pregnancy begin to subside.
The muscles and joints slowly resume their former tone and stability.
Because they're still in transition, it's a good idea to avoid any weight lifting or
resistive machine workouts.
Now remember, we're just adding on here, it's kind of like that old nursery rhyme, the house
that Jack built, except this is the body that you built.
So keep doing those overhead reaches, lower back stretches, pelvic tilts, wall pushups
and modified curls.
Simply add on the prenatal energizer.
When can I return to a more vigorous workout?
Oh yes.
Now at the four week stage, many women are kind of chomping at the bit for something
more peppy.
You may feel like you're ready for an exercise class at four weeks, but at this point experts
still caution against doing too much too soon.
The joints and ligaments are still affected by the high levels of progesterone that were
present during pregnancy.
The hormone that was responsible for softening joints in the pelvis and hips and expanding
our entire frame.
Boy, you're really eating your hand there.
It's important right now to avoid any rapid or jarring movements of the knees, hips or
back.
If you're ready for some endurance building activity, there's nothing better than starting
out with a 15 to 20 minute walk.
It all depends on you.
Ten minutes may be just right for your first.
Yeah, you want to start with 10 today I bet.
Yeah, just 10.
Now I recommend doing the warmup and the prenatal workout before you put your baby in the stroller
or pack and take some time to go out and smell roses.
You saying let's go, let's go.
How do I know if I'm doing too much too soon?
If she starts to get really breathless, she should stop.
If she finds that her heart rate is going above 60 to 70 percent of the maximum recommended
and she should be checking her heart rate from time to time, she should stop.
If she finds herself getting really overheated, she should stop.
I experience a lot of soreness in my breasts, enough to keep me from working out.
What can I do about it?
This is a fairly common complaint for many a new mother whether she's breastfeeding
or not.
Do yourself a favor and get a good supportive sports bra.
I also wear a fairly tight leotard just so I can get an extra binding effect to help
stabilize the breasts.
When women start exercising after their pregnancy and should they breastfeed, they should remember
that breastfeeding prior to exercise is better than after exercise.
The composition of the milk changes after exercise and the milk may become a little
bit more acidic after exercise so babies just don't like it.
So when you design yourself an exercise routine after delivery, make sure that you breastfeed
your baby prior to exercise.
What exercises will prevent my breasts from sagging?
Your breasts are going to go through a lot of changes from Dairy Queen to sometimes smaller
than original size.
Some women report no sagging at all and often that's because of good tone throughout the
pectoral muscles.
The most effective exercises for the pectoral group of muscles up here are done in two ways.
Whenever you push away from the body like this or whenever you push against resistance
toward the midline of the body like this, wall pushups are a good way to start.
Eventually, you can progress to pushups on the floor.
The upper body conditioning in the prenatal workout is also a great way to improve tone
and strength.
When can I start working on my shape again?
I feel loose and flabby and want to be firm and shapely again.
You know the truth is that getting your shape back depends on how well you maintain muscle
tone and what shape you were in before and during your pregnancy.
Your first six weeks postpartum were working on regaining the muscle tone in the pelvic
floor and abdominals.
That's our highest priority area right now.
If we neglect them and concentrate on other areas of the body, we could be setting ourselves
up for some long term problems and muscle atrophy.
So hold off for a little while longer.
Then at six weeks, you get the green light to begin shaping and firming your arms, thighs,
buttocks and legs.
That's when you'll begin the prenatal workout and this time you'll have the supporting
cast all in place.
My husband and I feel like we're neglecting our relationship.
When can I resume sex?
The two factors involved.
One is the physical ability to resume sex and that's whenever they feel like they can.
If a patient has a relatively easy delivery, not very large baby, either not in episiotomy
or not a number of lacerations or bruising, then the whole perineal floor or vagina heals
faster and they won't have a physical problem early.
The libido question is when does she want to have sex again?
That is such a variable factor and that's again up to her.
There are some things which will interfere with the libido unrelated to hormones, unrelated
to her physical condition and that is that she now has a new baby at home and a lot of
responsibilities and a lot of stresses and all those interfere with libido.
If I exercise, I feel like I'm neglecting my baby.
What can I do with my baby?
God bless you too.
Many new moms experience desire to be with their babies every single second and there's
some wonderful exercises you can do together.
These include knee ups, baby bicycles, pectorals, arm stretches, alternating.
You like this one.
That's one of your favorites because you look like you're going to stop an airplane right
now.
What else do you like to do?
Scissors?
Cross the legs back and forth.
Last but not least, we like to roll up.
Come on, help mommy out.
Come all the way.
Oh, you made it.
All the way up there.
Back down again.
Let's try one more time.
Oh, Psyducky, you got it.
You got it.
Okay.
Now, Katie loves to be massaged and there's a great way to share with your baby, especially
in this little time, let me take off your sock and I'll massage your leg for you.
You should have a little oil right now, shouldn't I?
It's a great way to take out all the tension and anxiety that builds up in their little
bodies when they've been crying.
You might want to check with somebody who specializes in baby massage and at the end
of this tape, you'll find an address that will help you locate somebody.
Here, let me massage your titsies right here.
When your baby's about six weeks old or maybe a little younger, he or she will enjoy being
present during your workout.
Now, I've been taking Katie with me everywhere and giving her a variety of different heights,
views and sounds, right?
When I'm out there stretching, she's stretching with me or if I'm on the bicycle or taking
a walk, she comes right along with me because we're a team.
Yes, we are.
Yeah.
Now, you might want to check into a local community rec center or why for mommy and
me classes.
They're a great way to structure the love of movement on a regular basis with your child.
Yeah.
Let's try another round.
Oh, you're so sweet.
You have another roll up.
My back really hurts and I'm not sure why.
What can I do to relieve the aches and stiffness?
You know, nobody ever warned me about the aches and pains all over my neck and back
after labor.
I guess three hours of pushing really took its toll in a big way.
Massage helped much of this enormously.
Talk your partner or someone into a friendly massage of the neck and shoulder area, but
in addition to massage, there's a few other pointers I'd like you to keep in mind about
your back.
First of all, now more than ever, should you pay attention to your posture while standing,
talking on the phone, seated or nursing the baby?
Do a quick posture check on yourself.
If you're seated, are your feet firmly on the floor?
Yeah, they are.
That's right.
Are you seated against the back of the chair or do you need an extra pillow behind you
for support?
With the new baby, you can put a lot of hours into sitting and holding, especially if you're
breastfeeding.
This can add to the strain in your neck, shoulders and upper back if you're not well supported.
Now, I like to have a breastfeeding area already with a large book on the floor, that's for
my foot, and one or two pillows on standby.
This way, when Katie calls, I can sit down, get comfortable and enjoy my time with her.
There's nothing worse than having to get up and down for things once you're ready for
a good long session.
So position yourself like so when you're breastfeeding.
Take a book and place it under your foot and take some extra pillows.
Let's scoot you over this way, Katie.
Yeah.
Underneath your arm for support.
Now this helps.
Oh, you're not ready for breastfeeding, I can tell.
For support.
Now this helps raise the baby to you so you don't have to lean over to the baby.
You want that back?
Now you're happier?
Are there any special exercises I can do for my back?
Try doing some of these exercises to relieve some of the backache.
Let's start out with a neck stretch.
Drop your head down and then to one side and the other.
And now let's continue with a C stretch.
Rounding the back as you hollow out the stomach, pull forward with the arms.
One side, pull the other side and again.
Now drop the hands down to the thighs as you round the back and then release.
Now we're going to pull in more of the lower back as we tilt the pelvis under.
Rounding the back, let's round all the way up.
And let's do some shoulder rolls as we pull those shoulders back and down.
And again, back and down.
There's also a great stretching routine for the back and the prenatal energizer.
They'll be giving your back a welcome treat.
What precautions should I take when lifting or carrying?
A good rule of thumb, don't lift or carry anything heavier than your baby for the first
six weeks.
It's really perfect how babies manage to be just the right weight for your recovering
body and how they provide just the right challenge increasing their weight every single week.
It's really hard to improve upon mother nature, isn't it?
Yeah.
Be cautious about holding your baby for prolonged periods of time without support in the early
weeks.
You'll feel the strain in your lower back and sometimes throughout a softened pelvis
and hips.
Also, whenever you bend to lift your baby, especially from the floor, make sure that
you bend your knees and use your leg and arm strength, not your back.
Also, keep the crib in its highest position to save on your back.
Yeah.
But one that's going to be safe for your baby as well.
Sometimes it feels like nothing will ever be the same again.
My body, my sleep patterns, my appetite, everything seems off.
What can I do about that?
This is a good time to take a mental inventory of your feelings about your body, your shape,
the new aches and pains, your energy level, appetite and emotions.
Yeah.
Yeah, all those things.
It's normal to be concerned about these changes.
And the first step to healing and correcting is raising your awareness level about your
present condition.
Recognize that the concern is real and that it's shared by every mother who has ever given
birth and that this first six weeks is a process of profound change and transition to a new
role in life.
It's not a time for quick fixes, but a time for accepting the process of restoration and
healing.
It took you nine months to gain 25 pounds plus.
You can't really expect to get it off in six weeks.
So right now I'd like you to scan your body.
Write down and make a list.
Be specific about what you would like changed about your body.
Even put something in like, I want my own waistline back in six weeks.
Put that list away and then a month from now make another one.
Compare the two lists.
You're going to be surprised at all the changes and all the progress you've made naturally.
You'll even surpass much of your wish list and you'll have a new faith in your body's
resiliency.
Thank you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai