Before I entered my fourth week post-partum, I made preparations for what needed to take place beginning with week four. Even before my daughter was born I was preparing myself for my four week break from exercise. I was determined to begin exercising again as soon as my midwife gave the okay. She said that it would be fine to resume my workout routine within four to six weeks. While my body bounced back much more quickly than with my son, there really is only one way to achieve abdominal muscle tone after pregnancy: regular exercise especially abdominal toning. I went to bed on the sixth day of week three, with my alarm clock set to awake me at eight in the morning to do my first post-partum workout. My hope was that my husband and children would continue to sleep while I exercised. If not, I had expressed milk saved in the freezer in the event that our daughter was ravenous while I was doing my workout. I was quite determined and practically jumped out of bed when my alarm summoned me from sleep. After a quick Greek yogurt, I began my forty minute dance cardio workout that also works abs (the same one I did during my pregnancy sans the modifications). I did not know how my body would respond after the four week vacation, but it did well enough. It seemed that my body was not horribly out of shape thanks to my persistent pregnancy workouts. I imagine that first workout would have been much more difficult if I had let my exercise routine go to the wayside during my pregnancy. I continued my workout faithfully all week doing the same dance cardio that I knew so well to ease me back into my routine. On the last day of week four I felt good enough to do a much more rigorous and abdominal strenuous workout lasting fifty minutes. It was much more difficult than the dance cardio and I awoke to week five with very sore muscles. It was a wonderful feeling!
