Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, accounting for about 25-35% of the total protein in the body. It is found in bones, cartilage, tendons, teeth, eyes, hair, and other human body parts. Many types of collagen can be replaced, but the most common are types I and II. Type I collagen is the body’s most common collagen in our skin, tendons, and bones. Type II is found in cartilage and is often included in joint health supplements.

Because collagen is so abundant in our bodies, taking collagen supplements is believed to provide multiple health benefits. Although more research on such supplements is needed before definitive claims can be made, some studies have shown results.

The benefits of collagen for joint health
One of the main reasons to take collagen supplements for exercise is the benefits to joint health. As we age, there is wear and tear on our joints, in addition to the stress we put on our joints by exercising and constantly putting our bodies in stressful situations. Sometimes this wear and tear are unavoidable and debilitating, but there are steps you can take to reduce the stress on your body. Taking collagen is one of them.

A 2009 study compared to type II collagen supplementation with glucosamine and chondroitin, another popular joint supplement. The study authors were interested in how the two accessories might work in knee osteoarthritis and whether one was more effective. They recruited 52 volunteers who were divided into two supplement groups.

The volunteers took their group’s supplement for 90 days after their initial examination and came to the lab every 30 days for evaluation. The researchers used the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), a scoring scale that measures patients’ pain and mobility during various activities. In addition, they used the Lequesne Index test (hip osteoarthritis questionnaire) and the visual analog scale (VAS, a measure of pain intensity).

After 90 days, both supplement groups showed improvement on all assessments, but the non-denatured type II collagen group had better scores on all counts. Here’s a comparison of how much the subjects improved on all the tests after 90 days.

Type II collagen 33% versus 14% for glucosamine and chondroitin
VAS: Type II collagen was 40% versus glucosamine and chondroitin 15.4%
Lequesne Index: Type II collagen 20% versus glucosamine and chondroitin 6%
Both supplements proved beneficial to the subjects, but type II collagen scored slightly higher for maintaining joint health and reducing pain associated with osteoarthritis.

With age and increased stress on the body, it becomes increasingly important to protect and help the joints. For people who want to prevent joint degeneration, collagen supplements can be a helpful tool.

Several studies have shown that people who engage in high levels of regular exercise can slow aging on a cellular level. How do you do that? By producing longer telomeres.

Telomeres are the caps on the ends of chromosomes. Their job is to protect our DNA, similar to plastic caps that keep shoelaces from fraying. But every time a cell replicates, it loses a little bit of its telomeres. The older we get, the more times our cells replicate, which is why telomere length is directly related to aging.

Inflammation and oxidative stress are also thought to make telomeres shorter. Researchers believe this is why an anti-inflammatory diet, stress management, and exercise may slow telomere erosion. But not just any type of exercise will do. Three studies have found that intense exercise, such as jogging for at least three hours a week, is key.

Nearly 6,000 adults took part in a new experiment at Brigham Young University. The study found that women who ran for 30 minutes five times a week and men who ran for 40 minutes five times a week had their telomeres protected, making their average biological age nine years younger than those who did not exercise at all. People who exercised less intensely also saw some telomere benefits, but not as much. Their biological age was two years younger than that of the lazy participants.

A 2012 experiment conducted by researchers from Chung-Ang University Medical Center in Seoul analyzed the exercise habits of 44 postmenopausal women. Participants who did aerobic exercise and resistance training three or more times a week had significantly longer telomeres than sedentary women.

A 2008 study of 2,400 twins at King’s College London found that exercise can even override the effect of genes on telomere length. The researchers found that the more active twin, he or she had longer telomeres.

Also, for extra support, consider incorporating sports nutrition products into your fitness routine on the advice of your doctor or personal trainer. Products to watch for include pre-workout and recovery formulas to improve your workout performance, protein products, and other popular supplements like sarcosine and L-carnitine. There are even women’s sports products on offer.

Support the injured area immediately after injury to avoid further damage.
Apply ice to the sore area to reduce swelling and bleeding.
Apply pressure to the site with an elastic bandage to suppress swelling and bleeding.
Elevate the injured area above the heart to facilitate the drainage of fluids from the injured area.
But you can do more than that. After a few days of injury, you can significantly reduce recovery time by consuming nutrients that reduce inflammation and speed recovery. Here are four particularly effective strategies:

1. Vitamins and minerals that have therapeutic properties
   Several nutrients are essential for promoting recovery. Vitamin C supplements are necessary because vitamin C plays a vital role in preventing and repairing the damage. Vitamin A deficiency is associated with poor tendon and bursa of Fabricius tissue repair. In addition to C, vitamins A, zinc, E, and selenium are crucial for their wound-healing properties and antioxidant effects.
2. Flavonoids
   Flavonoids, a group of plant pigments that give many fruits and flowers their color, are very effective at reducing inflammation and strengthening collagen structure. Collagen is the main protein in tendons and other connective tissues. Flavonoids help maintain healthy collagen structures by (1) reducing vascular permeability, thereby reducing the flow of inflammatory mediators into the damaged area; (2) Preventing free radical damage through its effective antioxidant properties; (3) Inhibiting collagen tissue damage caused by the enzyme that breaks down collagen; (4) inhibit the release of inflammatory chemicals; (5) Enhance the natural cross-linking of collagen fibers to make them stronger. An important source of flavonoids is pine bark or grape seed extract. A daily dose of 150 to 300 mg is recommended.
3. Bromelain and other proteolytic enzymes
   Bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme complex in pineapple, has been found to have various benefits, including reducing inflammation in the case of sports injuries or trauma and preventing swelling after trauma or surgery. One of the most exciting studies of the use of bromelain to treat sports-related injuries involved 146 boxers. Of 74 patients who received bromelain, 58 had all bruising symptoms wholly resolved within four days. Of the 72 boxers who did not take bromelain, only ten had fully recovered from their bruise after four days, while the rest took seven to 14 days to recover fully. That’s something! It is recommended to take 200 to 500 mg twice daily between meals.
4. Curcumin
   Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric, has excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Studies have shown curcumin to be as effective in animal studies as cortisone or the potent anti-inflammatory drug. However, cortisone and buttons are highly toxic, while curcumin has no side effects. One problem with curcumin is absorption, but several methods and products exist to enhance curcumin absorption. One way is to combine curcumin with soy phospholipids to produce a product called Meriva. Studies with another advanced form of curcumin-co-curcumin showed better absorption (at least 27 times higher than regular curcumin). Follow the label instructions for any of the enhanced forms.

Always see a doctor if you suffer a severe sports injury. There are also physical therapy methods that may be very helpful in speeding up recovery and relieving pain. But you can make a big difference with these four natural strategies.

What is the definition of Functional Training?

Functional training is a blanket term for exercises that help you perform daily life activities with greater ease. Generally, this definition includes compound exercises that involve squatting, pressing, pulling, and carrying. These have the most excellent carry-over to activities you may encounter in daily life (i.e., lifting and carrying a heavy box). Essentially, functional training seeks to mimic movements that challenge you in everyday life, with the ultimate goal of improving your capacity in these movements.

One prevalent issue in the fitness industry today is how the term ‘Functional Training’ has become a buzzword for convoluted exercises that serve no real purpose other than to garner attention on social media platforms. While not all training may be considered ‘functional,’ all functional training should be simple and accessible, as the aim is to improve the quality of life for anyone and everyone.

How is it different from non-functional training?

Functional training typically comprises challenging exercises that focus on progressively overloading day-to-day movements such as weighted carries, squats/deadlifts (improve posterior chain strength and proprioception), and pressing movements.

Non-functional training may include things such as bicep curls, where the desired training adaptations are primarily for aesthetics, rather than helping an individual perform daily living activities with greater ease. This does, however, depend on the purpose of your functional training. For instance, if bicep curls help you achieve your daily tasks with greater ease (e.g., an elderly person picking up their young grandchildren), then there is no reason why this would not be classed as ‘functional training.’

If an exercise helps to improve your strength to enhance your ability to perform daily tasks, then the training is functional. Just don’t get caught up in ridiculous exercises that serve no purpose, such as barbell squats on a stability ball – the only thing you’ll gain from this is an injury!

What are the Benefits of Functional Strength Training?

Functional training can be ideal during periods when you have a specific goal or if you are recovering from an injury. This section will break down some of the main benefits of including functional training in your program.

Resistance training adaptations

As with any form of resistance training, functional training will elicit similar training adaptations beneficial for your overall health and performance. Increased muscle mass, increased bone density, body composition management, and improved cardiovascular fitness will all reduce disease risk. This is especially important in older populations, where processes such as sarcopenia & osteopenia result in gradual muscle and bone density loss due to aging. Resistance training, in general, can mitigate these changes, helping to reduce the risk of falls and injuries like bone fractures.

Reduces risk of injury

The focus on core strength in functional training can help protect the spine when doing other forms of exercise that expose us to additional risk of injury. Improved flexibility and strength due to this style of training can also help reduce the prevalence of injuries such as muscle strains.

Ideal during injury rehabilitation

Functional training is ideal for you if you are undergoing rehabilitation from an injury, as it emphasizes proficiency in movement patterns. Practical training can help you work around a present injury or strengthen the movement pattern that may currently be causing pain or discomfort.

Improves movement competency

Increased core strength, muscular power, and proprioception will all carry over to athletic performance, no matter what the sport is. Many modern resistance training programs focus far too much on bodybuilding-style movements, simply aiming to enhance muscle mass. While this is an essential part of training, functional training helps to improve your competency in action, meaning you are better able to meet the demands of your sport or daily activities.

Take home message

Functional training is essentially any form of exercise that helps you become more proficient in performing daily tasks while simultaneously reducing your risk of injury. To implement practical training into your training routine, evaluate your needs and compare them against your current abilities. Use functional training to bridge gaps and improve your quality of life in the process!

1. High Intensity Interval Training

‘HIIT’ will be the option to burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time and is designed to improve your overall cardiovascular strength.

Technique

• Split your workout in to working and rest periods
• Ensure your rest is equal to or slightly shorter than your working period
• An example would be 20 seconds hard work and 10 seconds rest
• The hint is in the ‘High Intensity’ so make sure you hit a sprint pace

2. Low Intensity Steady State

‘LISS’ is the easier option if you do not feel like HIIT will apply to you for any reason. It may take longer, but you will see similar results and as much as a sweat.

Technique

• Vary the difficulty of a brisk walk or slow run
• Use lower speeds to keep it steady
• Vary the incline without using Hill Climbs to amend the difficulty

3. Hill Intervals

Adding hills to your workout can increase your calorie-burning capacity. Walking energetically or running at an incline can burn more calories per minute.
Hills are the concentric movement patterns that help us lose weight quickly in a short interval and strengthen our muscles for other strenuous workouts.

Technique

• Start off with a slight incline to warm up.
• You can use the hill settings on the treadmill or determine your own.
• Vary the inclines to maintain a challenging workout.

TIP: Don’t hold on and lean back. Treat it as you would walking up an ordinary hill.

4. Increasing Intervals

A great way to introduce interval training and work out your capacity while burning calories in the process.

Technique

• Start off by selecting a resting walking pace.
• Splitting your workout into intervals. You will use the walking pace for 60-90 seconds.
• Start by matching the walking pace but increase your running sections each time
• You can finish sprinting or with a heavy jog

5. Enter the Fat Burning Zone

While using the treadmill, we should work out in our fat-burning zone. It will help you lose weight and burn more calories.

Technique

• Calculate the maximum heart rate which is the number of heartbeats per minute and the burning zone will be 70% of the heart rate.
• You can get to this target by briskly walking or a steady run over time.
• Start slower and steadily increase the intensity.
• Each Treadmill will have sensors to monitor your Heart Rate if you don’t have access to heart monitors including watches or straps.

Take Home Message

The treadmill can be seen as a pretty dull piece of equipment, but these variations will spice up your cardio sessions and help you lose weight. Two birds, one treadmill.

The good news is that it’s achievable. The bad news, it isn’t necessarily healthy, and just like all things diet and fitness related, there is no quick fix.

To lower body fat safely and effectively, it’s essential to focus on diet and exercise. There’s no one-size-fits-all method, and a balanced approach must be taken. Genetics, body shape, and build always factor into individual results. 

So, what can you do?

You can do as many crunches as there are people in the world, but until you’re in a calorie deficit and lose the layer of fat over your abdominal muscles, the six-pack abs won’t show. This makes a calorie deficit extremely important as reducing body fat is necessary to reveal a chiseled midsection. 

Often when you’re in a calorie deficit and lose weight, you also lose muscle. To help maintain muscle mass, it’s essential to consume adequate amounts of protein, the building blocks of power. Aim for a higher-than-average amount (average is around 0.8g/kg of body weight), typically 1.2-1.5g/kg. This allows for the preservation of lean muscle mass.1 

Carbs also cause the body to store extra water. When we eat carbs, the energy we don’t use right away is stored as glycogen molecules. Each gram of glycogen comes with 3g of water attached. When we decrease carbohydrates, it creates an illusion of effortless weight loss, but actually, it’s water that’s being decreased, giving us the visual appeal of a more defined midline.2 

Lastly, combining cardio — specifically high-intensity exercise and resistance training — while in a calorie deficit seems to be an effective way to tone the abdominal region of your body.3 Simple exercises like walking or swimming laps can also increase total energy expenditure.4 

The theory of spot reduction has been promoted in the health and fitness world for some time — this is where you can reduce fat levels on specific body areas by exercising them specifically; however, there’s not much evidence to support it. For instance, as we said before, smashing out the crunches alone isn’t going to give you abs. 

Is it healthy to have very low body fat?

Put, no. Too little body fat can be harmful, and somebody fat is good — we need it to survive.  

This fat can ensure you have sufficient energy reserves to survive and heal your body. Furthermore, it protects internal organs and joints from injury. We need fat in our bodies.  

Once your body goes ‘out of its comfort zone and starts to get to the lower body fat percentages, it tries everything to fight back. It doesn’t like being there and will do everything to defend your most stable weight. This is because your body thinks you are putting it into a starved state and preparing it for the next ‘famine.’ This is known as the set-point theory.5 

Women naturally require more fat than men.  This is due to the hormone estrogen necessary to support fertility. On the other hand, men have unnecessary body fat and naturally have more lean muscle tissue due to testosterone, which helps them drop weight faster.6 

Essential functions of life will start to deteriorate, such as concentration, breathing, temperature regulation, menstrual cycle, and energy levels will go haywire if essential fats begin to fall below 5% in men and 15% in women. Women have high essential body fat ranges due to childbearing and reproductive needs.7,8 

So, as you can read, having a six-pack doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re taking proper care of your body.  

Do genetics play a role?

Genetics plays an exciting role in body composition, especially regarding body fat.  

Research suggests that abdominal fat, for example, is inherited. This is due to DNA variants that affect the maintenance and distribution of body fat and body shape.9  

It’s said that those who carry the FTO gene may weigh on average 3kg more and are 1.7 times more likely to be obese than those that don’t take that gene.10 Although there is promising research into genetics’s influence on our body composition, genetics aren’t keeping you from losing weight.  

Diet has the most significant impact on weight and body composition. Focus on understanding the role that nutrition and exercise play in your fitness goals instead of wondering if your weight loss struggles are because of hereditary factors.   

Take home message

Revealing your hidden six-pack requires a lot of dedication and commitment and certainly doesn’t occur overnight. Your body fat percentage, genetics, diet, and fitness all play a role in whether or not that six-pack will appear.  

Instead, focus your efforts on a well-balanced diet and moving your body daily. We’ve seen that body fat stores that are too low are not considered healthy and aren’t worth the extreme restriction, in our opinion.  

You’ve likely seen headlines like “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days!”, “Eliminate belly fat with one trick,” or “Drop three dress sizes in one month!”. It’s hard to miss these extreme diet claims, especially during the new year – but they should raise a red flag when you see them. They’re likely fad diets that won’t work, won’t be sustainable, and in the worst case, could compromise your health. So here’s the critical info on rapid weight loss diets, why they’re so detrimental, and how to lose weight safely.

What is Rapid Weight Loss?

Any diet that claims to help you lose a significant amount of weight in a short period can be considered a rapid weight loss diet. 

Research shows that a weight loss of 0.5-1kg per week is not only safe for your body but also much easier to sustain over time.1
Whereas losing 2kgs or more per week is a rapid rate of weight loss that could be dangerous in the long run.

Extreme low-calorie diets are based on the calorie balance weight-loss method but are far too restrictive. Any calorie intake less than 1200 per day can be considered an extremely low-calorie diet. Staying under this calorie level consistently may lead to rapid weight loss. Still, it also can make it difficult to obtain essential macros (protein, carbs, fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). 

Very low-calorie diets should only be done under medical direction and supervision, when professionals can monitor your intake and how your body responds.
 

Starvation diets are an extreme form of calorie restriction – typically recommending you only consume water with some other common kitchen ingredients. There is no magic potion for weight loss – no matter what type of vinegar, citrus, or spice you add to your water. Without adequate calorie intake, you won’t have the energy to do anything that could help you lose weight.
 

Cleanses are another diet that promises rapid weight loss by consuming only certain drinks – typically juices, smoothies, or teas. These may lead to a quick loss of water weight but are usually not nutritionally adequate to long-term support your health.

While nutrient-packed juices claim to “cleanse and reset your body,” we can only absorb so many vitamins and minerals each day – most of them are flushed quickly through your system. The best way to cleanse your body is to consistently eat a varied, healthy diet. Your kidneys and liver do all of the cleansings that your body needs. 

Is Rapid Weight Loss Safe?

While following one of the fad diet patterns above might not cause you to harm in the first few days, they can pose serious risks long-term. Without adequate nutrition, you won’t exercise and may even struggle to concentrate or complete your daily activities.

Rapid weight loss has been shown to cause several medical complications requiring treatment, such as gallstones.² Extreme weight loss can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and blood sugar control issues. Plus, you’ll likely feel weak, irritable, and can lose lean body mass (muscle).

How to Lose Weight Safely

The actual “trick” to weight loss is a healthy lifestyle that combines eating less and exercising more to achieve a negative calorie balance.

So let’s get back to the basics. Calories are a measure of energy, and carbohydrates, fat, and protein are the macronutrients that contribute calories as fuel for our body. Vitamins and minerals are examples of micronutrients that are also important for health. We burn a fair number of calories just going about our days, but exercise is often the key to helping us burn more than we’re consuming. 

Because all macronutrients play essential roles in keeping our bodies functioning, be wary of diets that exclude entire food groups or are very restrictive.

Diet culture might tell you that fruit is too high in sugar or that some vegetables have too many carbs, but carbs and sugars aren’t inherently “bad.” Sure, you can get too much sugar if you eat three bushels of bananas a day – but sugar usually only causes problems when it’s refined in things like desserts, chocolates, and sweets, and usually only if you’re eating them excessively.

A healthy calorie deficit that helps us lose weight gradually and sustainably is key to weight loss. 

How to calculate your calorie deficit

It takes a deficit of about 500 calories per day to lose approximately 1 pound per week. That 500-calorie deficit can be a combination of eating less and moving more. If you’re already highly active in the gym, you might need to focus more on your calorie intake. If your calorie intake is already at a reasonable level, you might need to work harder in the gym to see weight loss. Most people need a combination of both approaches. 

Losing 1-2 pounds per week is a safe rate of weight loss that people can usually maintain over time.1 Use our macro calculator if you need somewhere to start. Counting calories and exercising takes a lot of work but feels the most satisfying when you reach your goals. 

Calculate a healthy calorie deficit in 3 steps here… 

Skipping is a virtually universally available form of exercise that you can do regardless of where you are, how much time you have, and, in most cases, how much space you have. 

Infinitely cheaper than other forms of cardiovascular equipment and arguably providing many more benefits that may not even be considered, today we’re going to cover the top 10 reasons why you should be including more skipping in your exercise routine.

1. It won’t break the bank

This one is a given. Compared to any half-decent exercise machine, skipping ropes cost next to nothing. Most devices will set you back a couple of hundred, if not thousands, of pounds, whereas you can pick up a skipping rope for the price of your lunch! 

2. It’s a full-body workout

Skipping is an excellent full-body workout recruiting as many muscles as you could think of — your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs, shoulders, and even your arms.  

3. Cardiovascular training

Skipping is an excellent tool for improving cardiovascular fitness. In as little as just a few weeks, studies have found missing to have a significantly positive impact on both men’s and women’s cardio. In fact, in one study comparing 30 minutes of daily jogging to 10 minutes of daily skipping, it was found that both forms of exercise significantly improved participant’s cardio, with 10 minutes of cutting being just as effective as 30 minutes of jogging! 1  

4. Burns a lot of kcals

Research shows that skipping can burn up to 25 – 30kcals a minute in both men and women, meaning you can burn off up to 600kcals in just half an hour.2 If you’re looking to reach a calorie deficit to lose weight, skipping could be the burner you’ve been looking for to get it without reducing your calorie intake as much. 

5. Improves agility

Skipping rope is a great activity to add to your program if you’re involved in any activities or sports involving a high demand for agility. Anecdotally, we can see countless examples of how jumping rope is incorporated into sports training to improve skill (again, ask any boxer how they strengthen their agility!). Still, it’s also reflected in research findings too! 3 

6. Increases variety and flexibility

One of the best arguments to incorporate jump rope into your routine is the variety of workouts you can do, from endurance to interval training to improving power output and the ability to do it virtually any place, any time. There are loads of tricks out there that you can learn — it’s a great way to pass the time and impress your mates. 

7. Can make you happier

What is one of the easiest ways to improve your mood? Exercise, of course! Performing exercise releases signaling molecules (neurotransmitters) called “endorphins,” which can help improve our mood! 

Skipping fits perfectly into the zone of moderately intense exercise, which may be the best intensity to shoot for to ensure you get the improved mood you’re after.4 

8. Improves coordination

Coordination is a critical skill for many sports and general activities throughout the day. Skipping may be a super simple exercise to improve motor skills, balance, and overall coordination significantly. 

In as little as two sessions a week for several weeks, a study found that skipping improved balance and motor coordination in a sporting population.5 Given the importance of coordination (and credit) in sport and the fact that athletes can add in jump rope with minimal, if any, disruption to their training program, it would be well worth giving it a go-to to see how it improves your performance. 

9. Decreases injury risk

Ok, so skipping seems pretty amazing right? But how does it compare to other exercises injury-wise? Well, it may just be top dog in that capacity too… 

One study compared running to skipping to investigate these activities’ effects on our bodies.6 Researchers compared the contact force on the knee for 20 healthy young adults when they ran and glanced at the same speed. 

Compared to skipping, running produced almost twice the average peak force on the patella or kneecap in the front of the knee joint, the study found.  

Running also produced almost 30 percent greater average peak force on the tibiofemoral joint, or the knee hinge formed between three bones: the femur, tibia, and patella.  

The researchers also found that skipping burned 30% more calories than running and appearing to be less impactful on the body; that’s a win-win in our books.

10. May even make you smarter

According to the Jump Rope Institute, skipping helps develop the left and right hemispheres of your brain, which further enhances spatial awareness, improves reading skills, increases memory, and makes you more mentally alert. 

This has also been reflected in research, highlighting that even as little as 3 minutes of skipping can engage the brain parts associated with being advantageous for cognitive learning.7  

Factoring in the jumping rope can influence other cognitive skills, like coordination; for example, we can assume that it can help make you significantly more intelligent.

1. Listen to Your Body

You just did a fantastic thing; you grew another human inside of you over the last nine months. Your body went through a lot. Go easy on it as you try and get back into things. While you might want to jump right back into workouts to get rid of that baby weight, it is so important to let your body rest during those first six weeks postpartum and make sure you get the go-ahead from your doctor. If you are recovering well and feel like you can do a little more, try some light stretching and walks to get your body back into it slowly. 

2. Focus on Postnatal Diet and Nutrition

Even with your physical activity being limited in the first few weeks postpartum, you can still work towards your goals. This is a great time to make diet and nutrition your focus. Take the time to eat! I love food. I’m usually that person who is always thinking about what I will eat next, but as a new mom, I found it so easy to skip meals. Having a newborn is time-consuming and exhausting. Although it seems like there is never time to eat, it is so essential to make time. You can’t take care of your baby if you’re not taking care of yourself. You are going to feel so much better if you are eating well.

Eating a nutritious diet is key to helping your body heal, having adequate energy during the day, and losing those unwanted pounds. Try to eat mostly clean, whole, unprocessed foods. Aim for lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. For nursing mamas, I recommend adding foods to your diet that help with milk production, like coconut, oatmeal, dark leafy vegetables, bone broth, and brown rice. You can also try adding a lactation support supplement to help keep up your milk supply. 

Often, new moms make the mistake of not eating enough calories to lose their post-pregnancy weight. However, it is essential to make sure you are eating enough and increasing your calorie intake, especially in nursing. By focusing on the right foods, you can still lose weight while eating adequate calories.  

There is a focus on prenatal nutrition and supplemental support; unfortunately, there is not as much guidance for the postnatal period. I recommend taking a postnatal vitamin. I try and get all of the nutrients I need from food sources, but it can be so easy to miss some or not get enough of some vitamins and minerals, especially for nursing mamas. As with any supplement, make sure you check with your doctor before taking anything. 

3. Stay Hydrated

The thirst was confirmed as my milk came in. It felt like I couldn’t drink enough water. Staying hydrated is so important to keep your milk supply up, but it’s also great for you non-nursing mamas too! It can help improve energy, aid in weight loss, improve cardiovascular health, and improve brain health. Mom brain, anyone? Make sure you are drinking at least half your weight in ounces. For example, someone that weighs 150 pounds would need about 75 ounces of water each day. If you get sick of plain water, try adding a water enhancer to mix the flavor.  

4. Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health

Postpartum depression is natural and, unfortunately, more common than you think. It’s estimated that 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression. Adjusting to your new life can be challenging as you run on no sleep, deal with your unique body, experience hormones raging all over the place, and on top of it, you are taking care of a new baby. It can be a lot. Watch for signs of postpartum depression, and make sure you take time for yourself each day. 

Breathing exercises can be a great way to cope with the new added stress and help heal your abs. Win-win! You can also sip on an anti-stress drink to help relieve some of that stress. Try looking for one with magnesium, which has been shown to reduce anxiety. 

Some other practices to help with stress are meditation or yoga. Free meditation apps and guided yoga workouts are now easily accessible. You can also try a relaxing bath or read a good book. Find something to do for yourself to help relieve that stress. 

5. Get Into a Good Postnatal Exercise Routine

I am a big believer in getting your workout done first thing in the morning. Something always comes up when you try and get it done later in the day, especially when your day is spent taking care of someone else.

By the time you’re cleared for workouts, you’ve probably realized that tired is your new normal. As backward as it seems, waking up to get in a workout can help get that energy back. Don’t get me wrong—those first few days of getting up early can be torture, but the feeling you get after a good workout makes you feel like Supermom. 

I like to get up early enough to get in a good workout, eat a good breakfast, and drink lots of water before the baby is up. The days I stick to it go so much better. I am in a better mood, and I accomplish more throughout the day. Find a routine that works for you and stick to it. 

6. Don’t Overdo Exercise, and Choose the Right Postpartum Workouts

It’s essential not to do it when you finally jump back into workouts. Your body went through a lot, and you most likely won’t be in the shape you were in before. Remind yourself that it’s going to take some time. 

For the best results, I recommend both strength training and cardio. Start with lower-intensity workouts and slowly increase the intensity. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a great way to burn off fat, but you want to take it slow and build up to high-intensity workouts. 

Oh, and abs! Let’s talk about those. Diastasis recti: have you heard of it? It’s the partial or complete separation of the rectus abdominis muscle. This is so common but often never even mentioned when you have a baby. That separation can make your belly pooch and make you feel like you still look pregnant. 

Most women have some postpartum separation, but it’s essential to determine how severe it is. If you have more than a two-finger separation, you will want to alter your exercises so that you don’t make it worse. Ask your doctor to check you for it when you go in for your postpartum checkup. Often it will heal on its own as you regain abdominal strength, but sometimes you need to do specific exercises to help heal it and avoid certain activities. If you have a severe separation, meeting with a physical therapist or postpartum fitness specialist might even be good.

I hope these tips help you with your postpartum journey!