As soon as the doctor clears you to exercise, don't delay. The biggest hurdle for women is not getting in there right away," explains Janelle Perry Elmore of The Pilates Center. They offer private, customizable workouts for post-pregnancy clients, emphasizing abdominal wall rebuilding and core strength.
"If you can start a program even six months before pregnancy, it's night and day how fast the weight comes off afterward," says Robin Thomas of Inursha Fitness. They provide personal training for pregnant and postpartum women.
Smart Barre offers a total body workout fusing ballet, Pilates and yoga safe for pregnant women, as well as classes where moms bring their babies.
"It's the hardest thing for new mothers to step away and take an hour for themselves," explains owner and mother Allison Poston. "Doing these exercises got my core strength back. It was essential to getting rid of back pain and increasing my energy level."
Urban Yoga's Mommy & Me class for mom and baby focuses on inner alignment and strengthening pelvic floor muscles. Their Nia practice, which incorporates yoga, martial arts and dance, is also very popular among pregnant and postpartum women.
"For each hour I can spend on the mat, it's going to translate into so many more hours of connection with my children," says owner Brook Barrow.
Low-impact exercises like walking and yoga often can begin two weeks following delivery, says Dr. Noushin Firouzbakht, an OB/GYN with Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. With doctor approval, unrestricted exercise usually can resume after six weeks unless there are complications.
"When you start your exercise earlier than recommended, you could actually cause a lot of bleeding, which can lead to anemia," she explains. Instead, she advises patients to start slowly and set realistic fitness goals. "You should allow your body 10 to 12 weeks to recover."