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Even with careful planning and resisting dodgy cravings, it's easy to pick up a few extra kilos during pregnancy. Fitness Doc gives some tips on how to lose the baby weight without having to find a babysitter to care for your little bundle.
Q: Losing weight after a C-section
I was wondering what the best methods would be to lose weight and get back into shape after having my baby. I had a C-section. Is it better to join a gym and get some professional advice from a personal trainer, or is there an alternative you would suggest?
Expert: It depends on what you did before the pregnancy. If you're active and continue to be active until as late as possible during your pregnancy, then it's normally a case of resuming training at a lower level and taking maybe a month or so to build up to the level where you left it.
If you're not used to training then it's a bit trickier, but no different to someone wanting to start an exercise programme in any situation. In this case, my opinion is: it's always better to have someone guiding you, whether it's a personal trainer or a coach or someone else. If you can have a biokineticist guide it, that's the best option, but failing this, a good personal trainer will help. We have some programmes on the Fitness page of the site, and that should help you as well!
Q: I gave birth 6 wks ago, and I need to lose weight
I gave birth six weeks ago. I need lose more weight, but it has to be a programme I can follow at home as I can't leave baby with anyone. I have lost weight with the Bioslim products before, should I use them again?
Expert: It's very difficult, short of actually getting specific equipment to use from home. The best alternative is probably videos/DVDs for taebo, aerobics because you need some sort of cardio-based training - running, cycling, swimming, aerobics etc. Short of buying a treadmill or indoor bicycle, a DVD/Video may be the best bet. Unless you can afford something like a treadmill (not a bad buy, by the way) or a indoor bike. But it's key that you get 40 minutes or more of cardio a day - anything you do other than this is very difficult and likely won't work. And that includes Bioslim products, I would not use these. A diet from a dietician and a good exercise routine are the way to go. So consider buying some sort of exercise machine or DVD, and definitely see a dietician, that's really very important.
Q: I'm a new mom who can't leave home to attend gym
I have just had a baby. I need to lose 10kg, but I cannot attend a gym. I have a health walker, exercise ball and tae-bo dvd's. What type of programme should I follow to assist with weight loss. I know the importance of diet. Please help.
Expert: Check out the Fitness page of this site, and click on Programmes. You'll see a range of programmes that you can choose from. Now, none of them deal specifically with a health walker, ball and tae-bo dvd's, but my advice to you is to take one of the programmes (a running one, for example) and just adapt the sessions. So, if it has you running on Monday, Wed, and Friday, then just insert your equipment on those days, and do the intensity and duration as prescribed in the programme. It's important to note that it's how you do it that counts, not necessarily what you do, so the tae-bo and health walker will work, provided you get the duration, the frequency and intensity right. So let the programme guide you, but make your on decisions regarding what you'll do.
More information:
Visit the Weight Loss centre for practical advice
(Joanne Hart, Health24, February 2012)
