Congratulations! You just had a baby. About six years ago this month, I’d just had a baby too and I have to admit, one of the first things I thought about after I got some of my energy back was how do I get back into shape. There are no hard and fast rules in post-natal fitness except that you need to listen to your body. So let’s talk about that.
Having a Baby is Traumatic
When you give birth whether it’s a vaginal delivery or a c-section, you need to give your body time to recover. Don’t make any plans for the first week or two after getting home. Be sure to consult with your physician on the proper recovery time for the c-section as well.
When you are feeling some energy returning, you’re not going to dive back into an intense workout routine. Whether you were physically active during your pregnancy or not, it’s important to make allowances for your body’s healing and make no mistake, you are healing.
Walking is Your Friend
Okay, you are two weeks post-natal and you want to feel like you are doing something. Start it out by walking. If the weather is nice outside, your newborn can go along with you or if you have a treadmill at home, you can use it. But pace yourself. You’re not looking to run a marathon and you don’t want to do yourself injury.
Don’t exceed a 2.5 speed on your treadmill. Don’t go for the inclines. Give yourself a 15-minute timer and go for it. If you can do that for a couple of days and you’re feeling pretty good about it, increase it to 20 minutes. After a week or two, you can pick up the pace and you can add some deep stretching. Hold off on the lifting weights and other weight bearing exercises until you’re at least six weeks post-natal and the bleeding has halted.
If at any time you feel light-headed, ill or feel pain in your legs or your side. Pause, take a break and get your breathing under control. Every one is different and every one heals at different rates. You are better off taking the slow and steady. This reduces your chances of injury and setback, while allowing you to build up your energy and strength as your body adjusts to the demands of parenthood, breastfeeding and more.
We’ll be talking about post-natal exercises over the next few days and targeting specific areas to help you lose those extra pregnancy pounds as well as helping you to tone your body up.
How soon after having a baby did you get back to your workout?
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