Now that it has officially been an entire years since my daughter’s birth, I feel that my post partum period has come to a close. This twelve month phase of my life has been rather incredible mostly because of the precious gift of my daughter’s life and the joys (and frustrations) of being a mother, but also because I seemed to have accomplished my post partum fitness goals. I felt that it was fitting to bring my post partum journey to a close by divulging some of my fitness triumphs and defeats.
I set out determined to get back into shape as soon as possible after having my daughter. Even before she was born I had laid out a fitness plan for myself and I excitedly and anxiously (a little bit nervously) awaited the day that I could get back into a workout routine, while enjoying every second that I was not allowed to exercise (having a baby is really the best reason to take four weeks off from regular exercise. After consulting with my midwife, she told me that I could start back slowly no sooner than four weeks post partum. While six weeks seems to be the standard post partum “do not” period, I was blessed with a complication free pregnancy and delivery of my daughter in glorious water. By four weeks post partum I was chomping at the bit.
I started my workout routine at exactly four weeks post partum (to the day) at seven in the morning (that is how excited I was). I started out slow with one of the workouts I did during my pregnancy. It was a total body cardio that is low impact and easily modified that also provided a motivating workout with just a little bit of sweat. For the first week I did that same workout every day.
(To be continued…)