Breast Exercises After Pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through a vast number of changes in order to accommodate and support the baby growing inside. The breasts also go through several changes during this time, all to prepare itself for the future task of breastfeeding. Some women are amazed at the many changes their bodies went through during this important time, especially when it comes to their breasts.

The effects of pregnancy on the breasts can be felt during the early stages. Sore breasts are a common occurrence during this time. Often, the breasts will feel swollen or enlarged, with some likening the sensation to a more dramatic version of what occurs shortly before menstruation. Sore breasts are often an early indicator of pregnancy, with most women experiencing this about 4 to 6 weeks into pregnancy.

Not only does tenderness in the breast occur, but breast enlargement can also follow. In some cases, women have seen their breasts grow an entire cup size during pregnancy, especially if they are having their first child. These changes are usually not as extreme during subsequent pregnancies.

After pregnancy, some women may want to get their breasts back to the way they looked before. Others tend to express dissatisfaction with what they see as sagging or abnormally large breasts. In any case, these problems can be managed with exercises that can help bring their breasts back to their previous looks. There are plenty of exercise options that can help tone and keep breasts in shape.

Keep in mind that there isn’t any exercise out there that can tone the actual breast itself, since the actual breasts only consist of fat and tissue, nor can these exercises help “tighten up” the ligaments that support the breasts. However, the surrounding muscles can be firmed up, which will in turn be able to better support the breast tissue while providing a firmer feel and prevent the ligaments from stretching further.

The easiest and most inexpensive option is to rely on resistance exercises that work to target the pectoral muscles. These muscles are located behind the breast and work to support the breast tissue. These exercises include push ups, whether they are ordinary push ups, “girl-style” push ups or vertical push ups that can be done against walls.

Start out with 5 to 10 push ups per day, slowly working up to 20 to 30 push ups a day. This exercise can be done at any time in any location, which can help new mothers with hectic schedules.

Working with free weights in exercises that target the pectoral muscles can also help return breasts to their previous condition. Butterfly presses, pectoral presses and pectoral flys are just a couple of exercises that can be done at home with small weights or resistance bands. Exercising with machines that work to firm up the pectoral muscles can also help tone up breasts.

Machines such as the pectoral fly machine and the vertical bench press can be of a big help in this endeavor. However, this may not be an option to those who cannot frequent the gym regularly. In this case, free weights and body weight resistance exercises may be a better solution.

In most cases, the breasts will become noticeably tighter and firmer. Some may even see a reduction in breast size, as the fat accumulated during the pregnancy is worked off. However, these exercises cannot help the more extreme cases of sagging. For this particular problem, breast lift surgery may be the only answer. This procedure essentially removes extra skin and underlying tissue in order to elevate and reshape the breast.