Returning to exercising postpartum is daunting. Your body has changed dramatically and everyone wants to get back in shape. But its HARD and it takes so much PATIENCE. Our goal is not to see everyone “bounce back.” Our goal is to help you build the foundation to recovery from pregnancy and delivery to allow you to recover and regain your fitness gradually and successfully. Here are 5 tips I have for returning to exercise postpartum.
Be flexible. Having a set number of workouts per week, an amount of time you want to work out for or a certain workout you’d like to complete is an awesome goal. However, you now have a new boss, your baby (and maybe older kiddos too). So your workouts will very likely be sporadic, interrupted and unscheduled. The fact that you even have a goal to workout is a huge starting point so any amount of time you get in at any point during the week is a win.
Get exercise in where you can. Your workouts may not be in the gym or out on a solo run like you did previously. Your baby is content in the car seat… go for a walk. Your kids are playing in the backyard…do a quick body weight workout of squats, push ups and burpees. Your husband is home or grandparents are over…take 20 minutes for yourself and do that workout you’ve had in mind. Your baby is (finally) happy on the floor independently…bring some dumbbells in the living room and workout next to them.
Respect your short term healing and long term recovery process. Your fitness level prior to and during pregnancy will play a role in your ability to jump back into exercise and at what level. However, regardless of how fit you were, your body went through a 9 month change growing a baby and an extensive workout in delivering your baby. Even when bleeding has subsided, incisions or tears have healed up and you’ve been “cleared for exercise,” you will still be healing. (Check out our recent blog on returning to exercise postpartum). The entirety of recovery and starting to feel like yourself again exercise wise can take months-years. Especially in the early days, movements will need to be modified, you will be weaker and it will be humbling. This will vary day to day as well because of so many other factors at play (hello, little sleep). With that said, getting movement in while you can will gradually get easier and your body will get stronger again. This is just a long term process which is what none of us want to hear.
Fuel your body. You are healing, you may be breastfeeding and your body needs energy. Make it a goal to eat your ideal body weight in protein per day. Plain and simple, your body needs fuel. It can be really hard to even remember to eat postpartum, let alone eat enough. If you have friends and family willing to bring meals, that’s amazing, but not always reality. Try to stock your home with protein dense snacks, meal prep prior to baby if you can, and just do your best at getting some protein in. There will be a time again where you can track macros, calories or making great meals.
Be proud of small successes. What your body can physically do fitness wise postpartum will be very different from what you are used to. This is temporary. So once you have that baby, celebrate what you are able to do. Are you able to run for the first time? Did you get a postpartum weightlifting PR? Can you hang from the pull up bar again? Can you simply sit up in bed and get off the couch using your abs again? Get a short sweat in when you can and be proud of what you are doing.
BONUS: sleep. This is a bonus because I know that sleep postpartum is elusive. Its broken, there’s not much of it and it is unpredictable. If it happens to be a night you get a good night’s sleep, that could be a good day to take advantage and get a short workout in because your body will respond better and stronger on those days.