Getting back into exercise when you’re postpartum
I’ve had 3 children and not one of my pregnancies was the same, including my exercise routines throughout and postpartum.
Pregnancy #1 I was spring chicken at 22 with an eating disorder, hadn’t exercised since my high school PE classes and had a high stress pregnancy with a breakup, gestational diabetes and let’s throw an emergency appendix removal surgery in there which meant I also lost my job a week later, so to say that it was a shit show is probably a huge understatement, but I got a great kid out of it.
Pregnancy #2 I had just completed in a fitness competition where I was in the best shape of my life and that journey itself came from wanting to be the healthiest version of myself after having my first child, so I joined a gym and it became my solace, my safe place and something I really loved doing, which meant that this was an active pregnancy and I was in the gym up until the week that I went into labour and honestly scared the gym staff each time I went , so much so that they’d joke “should we put some towels down” and most of the blokes would clear out of the weights section once they saw me walk in.
Pregnancy #3 came the literal day before the first ever lockdown in Australia, on my birthday and much older than I was in my previous pregnancies, so my body was really feeling it. With lockdown came home schooling, so I became very sluggish and inactive, focusing on the kids doing their school work, I felt like absolute shit with nausea and exercising at home was not really something I enjoyed doing at that stage, so the fact I couldn’t go to the gym meant that I just stopped exercising. Occasionally I’d do a home workout but most of my activity came from playing with the kids in the backyard. I was also diagnosed with C-PTSD during that pregnancy and honestly I thought being my third child that I’d be able to handle pregnancy like a boss but it was the opposite. My body was a big ball of fluid, I was stuck at home and by the end of my pregnancy, I would attend doctor’s appointments in tears for both emotional and physical reasons.
So yeah, it’s safe to say that I’ve experienced very different types of pregnancies, I’m very grateful for the wonderful legends that I’ve given birth to and I’ll also confidently say that I will never birth a child, ever again. (If you’ve followed me on IG for a while you’ll know that I said this after my second and yes in that case I was full of shit but this time I meant it).
When it comes to getting back into exercise after having a baby, whether you’ve had an active pregnancy or not, it’s always best to get yourself checked out first. The usual time is about 6 weeks but every body is so different so it’s a great idea to get checked out by your GP, OBGYN and/or a women’s physiotherapist so you can get an idea of what your core and pelvic floor is doing after having bubs. Once you’ve been checked out, the journey begins!
The biggest step is to START, as simple as that. It’s being gentle on yourself, listening to your body and setting aside some time 3-5 times a week to move your body and you know what, walking is a wonderful way to get back into it and get that momentum going. Not only is it so good for you in so many ways, it’s also good for bubs to get out in the fresh air, get some vitamin D and get out of the house (beneficial for everyone!).
The next step, find an exercise program that you ENJOY, that is SAFE for your body postpartum and that works for you. You might be used to doing an hour of uninterrupted exercise before bub arrived but now they wake up every 15 minutes, so instead of throwing in the towel and thinking “well I can’t get anything done anyway so I just won’t even bother”, I suggest to adapt. Honestly I’m speaking from experience here as my third child never slept, HATED WITH A CAPTIAL H the gym creche when I did a trial run (the trainer gave up after about 5mins and just gave me that look of “hey, get your kid”) and I hated going for walks because I had to pee so often and it was just frustrating (I also found it quite boring too if I’m going to be totally honest).
Some babies will love the gym creche, some babies won’t.
Some babies will sleep long enough to get a gym sesh in, some babies won’t.
Some people have partners to help them with bubs so they can exercise, some people don’t.
Some people enjoy home workouts, some people don’t.
Some people are able to get back into normal workout routine postartpum, some people are not.
Some people love going for walks, some people don’t.
And of course, some people enjoy exercise, some people don’t. But it’s good for you and I reckon you should whack into your life somewhere.
You see here, what I’m trying to point out is that not every mother has the same postpartum journey and it’s all about adapting to a new lifestyle because really that’s what being a parent is about - adapting while also making sure that we find that time to look after yourself, because you matter too.
Once I began exercising again, my mental health felt it. I was beginning to feel more energised, more confident, stronger and happier, all by adding little bursts of movement into my day and making a routine out of it. YES, I had to get up earlier to do so and that was something that had held me back for so long because I was sleep deprived to the absolute shithouse and I adjusted my sleep so I could work out a way to fit it in (started going to bed earlier, relying on my partner so put the kids to bed so I could at least get a couple of uninterrupted sleep) and wake up to do my exercise, start my day off with some good energy, shower and be the better version of myself for doing so.
Whatever way it works for you, what you may have worked out by now is that once you find something that you enjoy doing and look forward to doing and that works for your schedule, exercise won’t seem like a chore, it will be your self-care time.
Remember that looking after yourself isn’t selfish, it’s essential to being the best mother, partner, human that you possibly can be. We may make a lot of sacrifices to become a parent but your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing isn’t one of them. You deserve that time to move your body and not only will it do you some good, the kids also get to witness you creating a great habit of movement which they’ll take on as they grow up and know that being active is one of the keys to feeling your best self in all sorts of ways.
Lauren
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