Best Barre Workout DVDs After Having a Baby
It’s pretty safe to say that all new moms know they should be getting some sort of exercise after their baby is born, especially if they are looking to reduce their post pregnancy belly.
But losing your baby weight can sometimes feel like a frustrating, uphill battle.
Don’t you wish you could just take Easy St. and get there fast?
Well, it does take time to lose post pregnancy baby weight.
But I can tell you that there is one type of exercise that will greatly reduce the amount of time it takes you to do it. In fact, I used this type of exercise (with the help of a few DVDs), to get back into shape fairly quickly.
But first, I want to explain a little about the type of exercise you should be doing in order to get results in the quickest amount of time.
The Best Type of Exercise for Post Pregnancy Weight Loss
The best form of exercise for burning body fat, especially post baby belly fat, is high intensity interval training (HIIT).
Studies continue to show that the best way to burn belly fat is with this type of exercise. The reason is because these high intensity intervals cause EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.
EPOC is just a fancy way of saying that your body has to fight very hard to return to normal after this sort of workout. The result is a high amount of calories being burned up in order to do this.
So How Do You Perform Intervals?
To perform intervals, you will need to alternate a period of high intensity cardiovascular exercise with a period of low intensity cardiovascular exercise, and then repeat for a period of time.
A very simple example of this would be walking at a brisk pace for 1 minute, followed by sprinting for 30 seconds. You would then repeat this sequence for approximately 20-30 minutes.
The good news is that intervals can be accomplished in a number of ways, so if you are unable to jog or run, don’t feel discouraged. You can perform intervals on a stationary bicycle, an elliptical machine, or with a jump rope.
You can even find some home exercise DVDs that effectively use HIIT.
Below are some of my favorite barre DVDs that will whip you back into shape in no time:
Physique 57 3 Disc Workout Series Volume 2 – This is the workout program I used to get back into pre pregnancy shape very quickly. Of course I was watching my diet too, but it was these workouts that really accelerated my weight loss and helped me lose my 30 pounds of baby weight in just a few weeks time. It’s a very fun workout but also very challenging, so if you decide to give this one a try, be sure you’re ready 😉 You can read my Physique 57 review here.
Xtend Barre: Lean & Chiseled – This is another one of my favorite barre workouts. it’s so much fun to do and the time goes by fast! It’s a really effective total body workout. Click here to read my review of Xtend Barre.
Tracey Mallett’s The Booty Barre Beginners & Beyond – This is a good workout for beginning exercisers and also if you are new to barre workouts. They may look easy, but believe me, these workouts are anything but easy! In many ways they are much harder than the traditional weight lifting routines you may be used to.
The Bar Method Beginner’s Workout – I don’t own this particular video, but I own 4 other Bar Method videos and I can tell you that these videos are among the top three in terms of their ability to deliver results and give you a very thorough workout. I was doing The Bar Method workouts exclusively for a few months when I was asked on two different occasions if I was a dancer. So they really do give you the dancer’s body that they promise.
Whatever form of HIIT you choose to do, just remember that your heart rate must alternate between high intensity and low intensity for the duration of the workout. A good sign that the workout is effectively challenging you is that you should be very red in the face and chest, flushed from the rapid rise in your body heat. In other words, you should be rockin’ the “fat-burning flush”.
Once you find a method of HIIT you enjoy, make sure you do it 3 to 4 times a week and be consistent! Don’t make it harder than it has to be.
Most new moms fail to get rid of their baby belly after pregnancy, not because a particular workout failed them, but simply because they did not stick with something and be consistent.
Never underestimate the power of consistency when it comes to fat loss!
It does take some time to shed the baby weight and get a flat belly again. But it doesn’t take forever. The worst thing you can do is rush yourself. Make sure that you wait until you have clearance from your doctor to start working out…especially if you’ve had a C-Section. Give your body the time it needs to get strong again so that you can get the best results possible.
Any questions? Please let me know in the comment section below or feel free to contact me!
~T
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