Army Moms lose baby fat and get fit

Health.com Master seargeant Ruby Murrary

Master sergeant Ruby Murray of Fort Bragg, N.C. came real close to losing her job, because after she delivered her baby in 1998, she continued to carry an excess of 90 post-pregnancy pounds. According to a momlogic article, Murray had this to say about her weight. "I couldn't put on my pants, and I refused to buy new clothes," she said. "I was used to wearing a size 8 or 10, and I needed a 16 and 18." As a result, her company commander had gone so far as to draw up her discharge papers.

It seems that soldiers have six months after having a baby to lose baby fat and get back in shape. They must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and meet Army regulation weight standards. Failure to comply could result in being discharged. These are really stringent rules. If most new moms, had to adhere to these lose baby fat standards, there would a lot less working moms in the workforce.

To get back into shape that quickly, the normal routine was for the solider mom to begin training with her regular unit, after being released by her doctor, which is around six to eight weeks after delivery. Physical training with the soldiers' peers could be difficult to say the least. Most units consist primarily of fit, healthy male soldiers and officers, who have no sympathy, or expertise in working with a woman who is recovering from childbirth. According to the momlogic article, Warrant Officer Jacey Martin had this to say, "They look down on you, no matter how good a soldier you were before."

Luckily, Murray was given another chance. She hired a personal trainer and joined an off-base women's-only gym. Within a six-month period, she passed her physical training test and lost the excess baby weight. But her biggest accomplishment was gaining the confidence and stamina to be able to help other new mom soldiers to do the same.

Other female soldiers had the same problem. Only half of the new mom soldiers passed the training test within the six month period, and one third of them didn't lose the baby fat, so therefore didn't meet the weight and body composition standards. According to the Department of Defense statistics published by the Army times in 2006, many new mom soldiers left the Army.

Knowing that she was not alone, Murray volunteered to take over postpartum physical training program that was just getting started at Fort Bragg. Her personal success, confidence and compassion, took the program to new heights and she has led the program ever since. According to the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, in the first quarter of 2009, 89% of Fort Bragg new moms passed the fitness test within six months after delivery, and even better, 44% beat their pre-pregnancy scores. Now instead of being humiliated and discharged, Fort Bragg new moms are in the best shape ever after completing Murray’s postpartum fitness program.

For any new mom that can't hire a personal trainer or visit a gym, fitness expert and mom Sara Holliday has two great postnatal DVD programs: Sara Holliday's Postnatal Total Body Toning Workout DVD runs for 30 minutes at a quick pace mixed with kick boxing and cardio moves, along with stretching and yoga.

The 2nd DVD is the 60 minutes Sara Holliday's Stroller Workout for Moms(DVD) . The program offers back-to-back cardio, kick boxing, and strength training. The creative piece with this DVD is that it is created for Moms to do while using a stroller. It also comes with an audio CD that can be used with a portable CD player, or loaded onto an MP3 player. Now how cool is that? You can watch the DVD a few times to master the moves, then take off outdoors for some fresh air and exercise. The program can be modified for indoor use.