Laila Ali has been a professional athlete all her life. After giving birth to her son Curtis in late August, the new mom found herself needing to get back in shape. But how does a mother find the time and the energy?

Laila, who found out that being fit is good for both the mom and her baby, shares her get fit tips with new moms.

Before starting an exercise regime, check with your doctor. Here are some other exercise safety tips to keep n mind:

• Invest in a good support bra. Your breasts are going to be larger than normal from the milk production and will need a lot of extra support.
• Be careful of high-impact sports due to lax pelvic ligaments and joints left over from pregnancy. This is why core (abdominal work is key after pregnancy preventing lower back and joint injuries).
• Make sure you drink lots of water to replenish yourself, especially when breastfeeding.
• Listen to your body. If you’re feeling tired, go easy on yourself. Try not to push yourself until you feel ready.
• If you start to feel light headed and nauseous, or notice a change in the color of your vaginal discharge, consult with your doctor. You may be exercising too strenuously.

*And remember, losing baby weight takes time. Since her son was born in August, Laila has lost 15 pounds. She says she has 20 more to go.*

“It takes a while to lose the baby weight, but I didn’t feel I had to starve myself,” News of the World quoted her, as saying.

“I did everything in moderation. I went to the gym three times a week, not seven – being stuck on a running machine for hours on end is so dull.

“I wanted to do everything naturally without going on a strict diet. I made sure I got the right nutrients, just in smaller portions,” she said.

Emma couldn’t imagine removing chocolate from her diet, saying

“A diet without chocolate was never going to work. There are some things you can’t deny yourself. As much chocolate as possible, please!” she said.

And as far as dancing is concerned, Bunton said: “I always say dancing is the very best way to lose weight. Dancing’s definitely my hot tip for post-baby weight loss, girls!”

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“I think they say that when you’re breastfeeding, you know, your weight kind of slims down. It’s a little easier. It’s like a workout within itself. It’s very tiring actually and you find yourself snacking more often.”

The average mom burns between 400-600 calories/day while breastfeeding depending on how efficient your little feeder is..

The star’s slimming secret isn’t some miracle diet or fitness routine, but waist-cinching undergarment Spanx! “She sometimes wears two pairs at a time,” a pal of Nicole reveals to OK!.

And while the new mom is keeping this secret from the public, her fiancé Joel Madden, 28, is all too familiar with them. “He’ll help her find them in her closet if they’re running late,” says the friend. “But he thinks she looks great just the way she is.”

Nicole is not alone. Many other celebs including Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba have also spoken publicly about their love for Spanx. After giving birth to her first child, Apple, Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to wearing 2 Spanx Power Panties at the same time to win back her figure.

The Body Benefit: Wearing a girdle or structured lingerie that has a reinforced abdominal and back areas after pregnancy will provide strong support to relieve discomfort, to re-shape and slim the tummy, especially after a C-section delivery. It improves the figure and helps bring it back to pre-pregnancy condition.

Herroom.com lists all of the celebrities, post pregnancy and not, that rely on the slimming lingerie to look good for red carpet events.