How to lose baby weight like Cristina Hurtado
Cristina Hurtado is a fitness influencer taking the world by storm with her famous post baby weight transformation. Her five secrets to a healthier body and lifestyle were that she was: consistent, exercises at home, practices balance and lifestyle, does not skip a leg day, and she swims.
FIT College has brought on Tahlia Wilkins a personal trainer from the Sunshine Coast who specialises in post pregnancy health and fitness. We asked her what people have been searching for on Google and she has some good insight.
FIT College: How should mums start to look at loosing baby weight?
Tahlia: While it is easy to get caught up in focusing on your weight and “pre-baby body" post pregnancy, it is important to remember that you have just birthed a child and that in itself is a miracle. Your body has just been through a lot and now you are dealing with broken sleep and feeding your baby so please be gentle on yourself. Remember there is no rush. Medical professionals recommend that rest and recovery are priorities for the first 6-8 weeks postpartum.
FIT College: What exercises should mums do to lose weight?
Tahlia: I don't have the "influencer" answers that might be popular. But I have the answers that are important such as working on your pelvic floor first. You can start doing pelvic floor exercises 2 days after post birth. There are some fantastic resources online, with some great videos on how to start. Remember these are not abdominal exercises like ab crunches etc. These are deep internal exercises that often don’t involve a lot of movement at all. It is recommended that you visit a physiotherapist who specialises in pelvic floor assessment and women’s health.
In addition to pelvic floor exercises walking is also a good option. You can start walking, gently in the first 1-3 weeks – depending on your birth and the recommendation from your doctor. And to a quicker pace from around 3-6 weeks. This is not only great for weight loss but also mental health and gets you out of the house and into the sunshine and fresh air.
Once you have had your 6 week check up with your doctor or physio and have been given the all clear you can start doing Pilates. Pilates is amazing for gaining strength in a very gentle and supportive way and excellent for strengthening your pelvic floor so that you can get back into more high intensity training later. It is recommended to do at least 10 weeks of Pilates post birth.
You might not want to be patient after you've just had a child. Take the time to enjoy the moment, be kind to yourself and the journey you've just been through, knowing, you'll build yourself back up again.
Once you are 3 months postpartum and you have been sure to take care of yourself and strengthened your pelvic floor, it is safe to get back into the exercise that you enjoy or get a personal trainer to help you reach your weight loss goals.
If you are wanting to work with Tahlia visit her Instagram page for more information.