Post Partum Exercises

New mama J Lo loses a whopping 40 pounds in 4 weeks; What’s reasonable post-pregnancy weight loss?

Posted by Noelle Crombie, The Oregonian June 30, 2008 07:51AM

Categories: Entertainment, Food and Nutrition

So new mama J Lo’s punishing – not to mention crazy – workout routine has paid off.

Those know-it-all British tabs reported that Lopez, who had twins in February, got up at 4 a.m. each day to exercise for three hours. (We’re sure her hubby, Marc Anthony, was taking care of the kids so she could do her workout.)

Reports London’s Daily Mail:

Her workouts consist of Pilates, a one hour cardio workout followed by an hour of weight training.

Despite embarking on such a gruelling schedule the 5ft 5 performer has limited her food intake to 1,400 calories a day and banned all carbohydrates.


Check out the results.

Courtesy of PopSugar.com

(Note to J Lo, um, these images of a newly slender you do not endear you with the new mom set.)

Word is J Lo lost something like 40 pounds in four weeks – virtually an impossible standard unless you are a mega-star with a cadre of personal trainers and assistants to cook for you (not to mention care for your newborns).

More reasonable post-partum weight loss is about 2 pounds a week, according to Heather Goodell, a physical therapist and personal trainer who works with pregnant and post-partum women at her Southwest Portland clinic.

A couple of other things Goodell says new moms should keep in mind:

– Think of nursing as a great workout. If you did nothing but nurse and resume your pre-pregnancy eating habits (assuming they were good ones, of course) you’re still burning 500 calories a day. (By the way, Jennifer Lopez opted for formula for her twins instead of nursing.)

-Give yourself a break. It’ll probably take a year, and maybe 15 months, to get back to the old you.

-Don’t think of exercise as something you need to leave the house to do. While you’re warming up your fourth cup of coffee in the microwave, do a set of mini-pushups using the counter. Or do squats while holding the baby. Point is, find a few minutes here and there to fire up your muscles.

-Start out slowly. That’s especially true if you’ve had a c-section. Your body needs time to heal.

Goodell recommends these simple exercises to get you started:

Kegels. Remember to pull in those abs.

Squats. Stand and bend your knees like you would if you were going to sit on a chair, then come back up. Start with a couple sets of 10. Work up to 25. You can try these with a ball or pillow between your knees.

-Pushups. Spread your arms wide apart, keep your feet back and your ears, shoulders and hips in a straight line while bringing your chest toward the counter. (Remember: tuck in the tummy.) Start out with sets of 10 and work your way up to 25.

Crunches. Sit your baby on your belly and do situps. Make sure your low back is pressed into the floor. Again, start with sets of 10 and work up to 25.

Goodell offered one last tip:

“For some people, it’s like, ‘I have lost my body. It’s gone forever.’ Don’t lose hope.”

-Noelle Crombie; noellecrombie@news.oregonian