Conquering Postpartum Fatigue

So you've given birth to a healthy baby. You come home expecting rest but find yourself awake at all hours of the night among the sounds of crying and your own shuffling footsteps. You're exhausted. And even though it might seem like you'll be on permanent low gear, rest assured – energy is around the corner. In order to get around the bend, however, you should consider getting up on your feet.

It's true that exercising takes energy, but it is the best way to boost your energy levels in the long run. "A lack of activity directly translates into lethargy," says Brad Schoenfeld, owner and operator of the Personal Training Center for Women in Scarsdale, N.Y., and author of Sculpting Her Body Perfect (Human Kinetics Publishers, 2002). He recommends actually starting your exercises before you're pregnant and continuing them, with your doctor's approval, up until birth, then resuming activity a few weeks after delivery.

But for those of you who did not practice the ideals of fitness while pregnant, don't fret. You can still regain your former strength but must apply the effort of exercise. Schoenfeld recommends strength training to boost energy levels and provide "the strength to tackle activities of daily living."

Moreover, these exercises are fairly simple and take up a minimal amount of time. "Performing one set of a few basic exercises will do the trick and shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to perform," he says.

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