Article Advise

submitted: Jul 18th 2008 | by: TeresaBrown | Total views: 2 | Word Count: 701 | |

A new Mom's main priority is taking care of her baby and her family but she always has the priority to lose weight after giving birth lurking in the wings. Unfortunately, this priority can be put on hold or delayed if she has the following misconceptions regarding weight loss.

Losing pregnancy weight can be challenging for a busy Mom. What if you have been committed to losing the weight and after all the hard work and sacrifice, you end up not getting the expected results and decide to "throw in the towel"? You will have to assume that something was not quite right or that something was missing. It's time to right some of your wrongs and find the missing link.

1. Cardiovascular exercise takes you only so far.

Your heart loves cardio because it keeps it healthy and strong. Unfortunately, the rest of your body doesn't benefit as much. Sure your lungs and legs build up endurance but not muscle mass. Have often do you see a body builder running for 60 minutes? Cardio can decrease your muscle mass over time. Muscle tone and fat burning are intricately linked. So if a toned, lean body is your goal then doing too much cardio is not the right thing for you.

For the determined Mom who is trying to burn the baby fat with spending her valuable workout time only doing cardio such as running, the disappointing news is that your body eventually adjusts to the type of cardio that you perform and you will not lose any more weight. This means that your 45 min run 2 months ago would have burned more calories than the same activity today. This is a possible piece of the puzzle as to why you are not getting "there".

2. Weight training tones your muscles.

We are quick to notice a woman with a lean, toned body but fail to connect that she got that "look" by strength training with weights and not from running 6 times a week. Weights come in different shapes and sizes but the ones suited for your purpose are free weights. Strength training with weights stimulates the muscle fibers to re-build your muscle's density. A dense muscle is a strong, toned muscle. However, not all strength training is the same and you need resistance strength training to lose your tummy.

Compared to other forms of strength training such as power lifting or bodybuilding, resistance training does not make your muscles bulky but it does increase your muscle and bone density. Rest assured that using weights as part of your workout will not bulk up your muscle unless you are willing to undergo the intense diet and exercise regime of people who want to big muscles.

Rest easy Mom, you won't be able to get bulky using free weights or an exercise ball to trim your tummy. When you work your muscles using some form of resistance, you will get a lean, toned body and have more energy to see you through your busy day. You will look and feel great.

3. Weight training is User Friendly.

Who wouldn't want the option of being able to workout at home? Resistance training enables you to this luxury because a typical workout can be as simple as using an exercise ball to do crunches or dumbbells to do lunges. As along as you are using an external form of resistance, you are burning the calories and working your muscles. You should learn how to execute each exercise before you begin any form of training.

Spending time in the gym can be intimidating and time consuming. So why make your efforts to lose weight after giving birth more unpleasant? Losing pregnancy weight can be more attainable when you can do it at home. A resistance workout is easy to learn and convenient for the busy Mom.

Although exercise is key to losing the baby fat, you need to utilize the most effective exercises to lose weight. By incorporating resistance training into your workout routine, you will reap the most benefits and get back into your skinny jeans sooner than later.

About the Author

Before you try another fad diet to burn the baby fat, make sure to check out Teresa Brown's blog on how you can lose pregnancy weight fast and keep it off.

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