Lose the Baby Fat Fitness Program - Essay Example

THE QUEST FOR WELLNESS The Quest for Wellness Introduction: “Lose the baby fat” fitness program Pregnancy is period in a womans life in which the body undergoes numerous changes to accommodate the beautiful life growing inside (WebMD, 2013). Aside from the psychological and emotional stress encountered by the mother, the physical stress on the bodys resources is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of this phase. However, over time, research has been conducted to device methods of successfully going through these changes. Women naturally gain a considerable amount of weight during pregnancy. This gain is essential because it is used to nourish the baby while in the womb and shortly after birth. In addition, their bodies are stretched to accommodate the growing belly resulting in a flabby belly post pregnancy. After delivery, most women find it difficult to fit into their clothes resulting in the need for “Lose the baby fat" fitness programs. These fitness programs are designed to ensure women safely lose weight after pregnancy and regain their self-esteem (WebMD, 2013). Factors that promote success of the program The “Lose the baby fat” fitness programs focus on weight loss and wellness through a series of combined exercise programs. This program is likely to achieve success because it pegs its intervention on a key area that is likely to assist with weight loss; exercise. During pregnancy and lactation, the caloric requirements of the body increase demanding up to an extra 300 calories per day. Hormones contribute to an increase in appetite during lactation therefore focussing on aspects of dieting may not be realistic. The focus on exercise allows one to mitigate the effects of increased food consumption that are encountered in this phase. The success of this program is pegged on that understanding. Most women are able to successfully go through these programs without stress because they are allowed to consume food realistically while burning off any extra calories through exercise. The result is weight maintenance for a period of time followed by a peak in weight loss. This program understands that dieting during pregnancy may actually hamper the process of weight loss. This is because the body will naturally protect the new born child by preserving nutrients and calories to create the precious breast milk. As a result, going on a diet will only send the body into starvation mode to preserve fat (WebMD, 2013). This will counteract all measures of weight loss as the body retains this fat despite any exercise program the mother may get on. Exercise is important despite the amount of weight loss that may be achieved. The goal of any exercise program should be focussed on trying to establish healthy weight instead of simply shedding off the pounds. Hence one can exercise for pure wellness and not for the obvious goal of weight loss. The “Lose the baby fat” program understands this fact and has utilised it to achieve success among its participants. Apart from providing exercises that are aimed at reducing specific target areas, it has provided exercises that promote overall wellness. Incorporating aspects such as swimming and jogging in these programs is a clear indication that overall wellness is an integral part of losing the baby fat. Factors that promote failure of the program Childbirth is no walk in the park; it takes a great toll on the mothers body. It is also clear that despite the fact that a mother exercised before pregnancy, it may not be prudent to return to exercise before proper healing has occurred. It is in fact detrimental to the mothers health for her to return to exercise before her body is ready. And the body needs to take its own time to heal properly, it cannot be rushed. With a clear understanding of this concept, there may be a significant failure of this exercise program. Various medical conditions that may result from this overall process, like hip dislocation, may prevent one from engaging in the program altogether. The creators of this program have taken into consideration the needs of the average woman. However, there are some women who may not be able to engage in the exercises listed in the program because of various constraints. Disability, extreme weight and perceived pain may hinder the success of this program. In this case, it can be considered that some exercises are unrealistic for certain groups of women. The overall result is the complete avoidance of these programs by some women leading to failure of the program. Social support is vital to the success of every womans exercise program (WebMD, 2013). The average breastfeeding woman has got various issues to deal with stemming from the needs of the new born baby and her own need to look great. Getting time to exercise is a challenge for most women because the baby takes up most of their time. In order to find time, they have to enlist social help from a trusted person possibly from their social network. A close relative, mother, friend or babysitter can offer this support to give the mother a few hours in a day to exercise. Failure to receive this type of support could lead to failure of the program. Strategies related to positivity in the program A positive attitude is essential to the success of any program (Molnar & Kelly, 2013). This is because it provides a certain level of motivation that users can tap into for strength to perform any task. Various strategies have been used in this exercise program to ensure that people stay positive with the program. The use of an incentive system has been employed to provide rewards for those who not only make progress but generally stick to the entire program routine. Lovely gift hampers consisting of fitness equipment, e-books and even cash are provided to ensure users stay loyal to the program. It provides them with a goal to work towards thereby encouraging a positive attitude towards the whole program. Free items are also provided within the program to ensure users have got every resource they require to achieve weight loss. A personal trainer is provided for any question that users may have. Essential tools for tracking weight loss and diet are provided as a means to ensuring accountability to the program. Personalized programs are also offered to ensure a user is offered a personalized exercise program that they can manage efficiently. Strategies for increasing positivity in the program Creating exercise groups Exercising alone is difficult especially in the house because it is likely that one will get bored easily and give up. However, in a group, one is more likely to achieve success with their exercise program. This is because people in groups have the ability to motivate each other and provide each other with tips (Molnar & Kelly, 2013). This may not only be about exercise but it may also relate to challenges that they may be facing in other aspects of their lives. Mothers exercising together can also exchange information about taking care of babies, a topic that may make a whole hour of exercise seem like ten minutes. In addition, they are more likely to come back for more exercise because of the anticipation of connecting with their circle of friends. Maslows hierarchy of needs places love, belong and self-esteem right above physiological needs. Hence human beings seek to belong in society by creating acts of friendship with others to make them feel better about themselves and stay motivated. Creating these groups taps into this psychological need. Vary exercises and introduce new routines each time Exercise can be quite monotonous if carried out in the same manner every day. This monotony may lead to loss of motivation with an exercise program leading to overall failure of the program. According to Karl Marx, change is an important part of any society without which there would be anarchy (Molnar & Kelly, 2013). Physiologically, change is also an important aspect of exercise that allows the body to receive some form of shock. It is in this manner that the body is prompted to work harder to deal with these changes. This leads to weight loss which is an integral component of ensuring that the exercise program succeeds. References Molnar, G., & Kelly, J. (2013). Sport, Exercise and Social Theory: An Introduction. Hoboken, NJ: Routledge. WebMD. (2013). 6 Get-Your-Body Back Moves for New Moms. WebMD. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/parenting/6-exercises-for-new-moms Read More