What Is an Exercise for Women to Strengthen the Lower Body After Children?

You love your children but carrying them for 9 months and then bringing them into the world likely did a number on your body, especially the lower half. Exercise can help to get your pre-baby body back and also boost your strength and stamina, a much needed bonus for chasing after energetic kids. Incorporate cardio and exercises that target your hips, pelvis and thighs into your routine to feel and look better.

  1. Benefits of Lower-Body Exercises

    • Your lower body, particularly your pelvis and hips, endured a lot while carrying and delivering your children. Your knees have also worked overtime to support your ever-increasing pregnancy weight. Exercises that target your lower body can help strengthen the muscles that support these joints, lessening the stress on the joints themselves. Kegel exercises, which work the pelvic floor muscles can aid in recovery after childbirth by improving blood circulation in the pelvic area. In addition, kegels can help prevent urinary stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Exercise can also benefit your emotional well-being. Regular exercise can act as a stress reliever, lower your levels of anxiety and boost your mood -- perks any mom would enjoy. If you're a new mom, it can also lessen and even prevent postpartum depression.

    Lower-Body Cardio

    • Walking and jogging are both convenient and kid-friendly -- older children can join you and the smaller ones can travel snug in the stroller. Both walking and jogging give you a cardiovascular workout and help strengthen your hips and pelvis while toning your thighs. If you're a gym-going momma, spinning classes, the elliptical and the stair master all give your lower body a great workout and provide you with a little break from the kiddos. Spinning and stair climbs are great for the glutes, and the elliptical provides a full-body workout when you use the handles. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days per week to keep your heart and lungs healthy and help burn any extra calories, or fat, you have hanging around. You can do your 30 minutes all at once or break the time into smaller sessions done throughout the day. As your fitness improves, increase your exercise intensity or duration to continue to challenge your body.

    Lower-Body Exercises

    • One of the most important lower-body exercises women can do after having children is kegels. To perform kegels, tighten your pelvic floor muscles, the muscles that allow you stop the flow of urine mid-stream, and hold the contraction for 5 to 10 seconds. Perform at least 20 kegels twice per day. Squats, bridges and step-ups are all very effective for strengthening and shaping your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings. Lunges target the same muscles and also help to improve flexibility in the hips. Perform two to three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions of each exercise if using only your body weight. If you use added resistance, drop the repetitions down to eight to 12. Lower-body exercises can be performed on 3 nonconsecutive days per week.

    Considerations

    • Before beginning a new exercise program, speak with your health care provider to ensure you're healthy enough for exercise. If you're a new mom, give yourself that six-week-postpartum time to enjoy your baby and allow your body to recover before beginning a new exercise regimen. Begin each workout with a five to 10-minute warm-up consisting of light-intensity activity such as walking. Wrap up your workout with a 5-minute cooldown of light-intensity activity and thoroughly stretch the muscles you worked. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds.
      Wear comfortable clothes and a supportive bra, especially if you're a new or nursing mom.