This post is from HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com, a leading retailer of heart rate monitors, pedometers, and other fitness gear for men and women of all shapes, sizes, and sports.

Now that you’ve confirmed that your body is ready for regular fitness and workouts, it’s time to pick a routine.
Start off by seeing if you can find a class or program locally, or design your own home work out routine with one of the following styles:

• Concentrate on cardio by walking or running on a stationary machine. Start off easy by walking, if you have the time, you can go around the block. Your upper arms will get a real workout once you start pushing the stroller on long walks. 
• Tummy tightening! Work on tightening your core by working out your abdominal muscles, which can all be worked on with crunches, Pilates, and other muscle toning exercises. 
• Jumping rope is a great home exercise that can increase cardio, while still staying indoors and in sight of your baby. Find a jump rope to fit your workout style, whether toning arms or improving cardio.

Figure out an exercise regime that gives you what you need most. If you long for more time with adults, join a class. Don’t want to leave baby behind? Try baby yoga.  If you’re really craving solitary time, start a home work out and track your progress with a fitness watch.

Just as you watched your belly grow with your new baby, you can now watch is slim down little by little by working out regularly. But be patient. Pregnancy causes your body to go through A LOT of changes, so it may take a little while before you start seeing results. After all, we can’t all have a post-baby body like Heidi Klum!

Don’t think we forgot about diet either. Transitioning into a post-baby diet can be easy, but it will take some time. If you’re breast-feeding, your child’s health should be the primary concern and that should be what controls your post-baby diet. Once you’ve stopped breast feeding, schedule a visit with your doctor or a nutritionist to discuss what would be best for your new post-baby body.

Depending on what happened during your pregnancy, you may have different dietary demands that need to be met. It’s not uncommon for many mothers to develop food intolerances or nutrient deficiencies after pregnancy, so we leave it up to professionals when it comes to dieting.

How did you lose the baby weight? We’d love to hear your tips!