The elliptical is one of the most complete home fitness machines. Most importantly, it reproduces natural body movements, enabling you to feel your best. It’s an excellent choice for getting fit again after pregnancy!

Training without trauma

Pregnancy and childbirth can take their toll on a young mother’s body: muscles, joints and tendons can all undergo some rather harsh treatment. So to resume exercising after your baby’s birth, you need to follow some rules to make sure you’re treating your body right.

First, you can complete a period of perineal reeducation, also known as pelvic floor rehabilitation. You can try re-strengthen your pelvic floor, which may have been affected during pregnancy. Then, during your postnatal follow-up, get the go-ahead from your health professional (gynecologist, physiotherapist or midwife) who will make sure that you’re physically ready to start working out.

Also remember to be reasonable and listen to your body. If you are tired or if you have pain (joint, muscle or other), it means it’s probably too early to resume exercising. Don’t just set an arbitrary date. It’s also not a good idea to simply copy what you did after a previous pregnancy, or rely on the experience of a friend, because each pregnancy is different. Recovery time can vary from person to person so be patient and look after your body in this period.

Finally, choose the right way to restart training!

Determine what kind of activities suit your goals

Your choice of activity is important. Post-childbirth, your pelvic floor is still fragile, so you need to exercise in a way that avoids any heavy impact. For example, you can forget about jumping rope!

You need an activity that you can gradually increase in intensity, aligned with your progress. Last but not least, choose something that suits your tastes and your desires. The best activity is one that will put you in a good mood – something you’ll enthusiastically look forward to doing.

Ellipticals: the most natural way to train

Among your home fitness equipment choices, the elliptical is could provide a preferred route back into fitness It’s got a lot going for it if you are on the look out:

• You might look for natural movement
• You may be wary of joints after pregnancy
• You may be looking to distribute your weight more evenly during this period
• You might find it simplistic and easy to use
• You might want to ease back in slowly

When all is said and done it’s important to really look at the elliptical and decide will this help me on my journey.

Better yet, an elliptical machine offers a great training combining a cardio workout to increase your breathing capacity, weight training, and muscle strengthening for the entire body. Your can seek to improve your lower body too , as well as your abs and back, not to mention your arms. Even your pecs get a workout. Soon, who knows maybe you’ll have regained that body of a goddess you had before you were pregnant!

Make progress by keeping to your schedule

After pregnancy, don’t get hung up on setting goals and planning out your progress. Stay in tune with what your body is telling you, and move at your own pace. But try to train regularly: don’t go a whole week without climbing on your elliptical, for example. A session every two days would be ideal.

The first sessions should be particularly light. Gradually increase the difficulty and duration of your workouts only when you begin to feel your body regaining its flexibility and energy. It is best advised as well to do some gentle stretching after your workout.

One last tip: don’t take lightly your choice of fitness machine. It needs to be stable and solid, and it must encourage fluid and loose movements to make your workouts comfortable. So take advantage of your baby’s next nap, and visit NordicTrack’s site to learn more about our ellipticals. Compare different models to understand their various features and choose the one that’s right for you. You’re going to spend hours on your elliptical, so you better like it!

Disclaimer: "Although exercise during and after pregnancy has been associated with multiple health benefits, you should consult with and obtain permission from your physician or other health care provider before starting this or any other fitness program to determine if it is right for you, especially while pregnant and in the months following your pregnancy. Not all exercise is suitable for everyone or every pregnancy and exercises, including those contained in this video, may result in injury. Do not start this fitness program if your physician or health care provider advises against it. This video is for informational purposes only. Any instruction, information, or guidance contained in this video is not a substitute for medical advice, consultation, and/or medical treatment from your doctor or healthcare provider. Do not delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of any instruction, information or guidance contained in this video. You are responsible for your own safety and are participating in this fitness activity at your own risk. Start slowly and do not exceed the exercise recommended by your physician or health care provider. If you experience faintness, dizziness, pain, discomfort, bleeding, or shortness of breath at any time while exercising, stop immediately and seek medical advice."

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