Health 5 years ago My Surprising Postpartum Workout Plan
I have been getting countless questions about my workout and diet routine since we had June.
If I am being completely honest, I’ve been really listening to what my body tells me over the past 8 months. Eight months, wow I cannot believe I am even typing that right now. If you asked me a year ago what I would weigh at the 8 month mark after having a baby, I would have replied in a cocky tone that “I will definitely be back to where I was pre-baby.”
But I’m not.
And guess what? It is okay.
One of the biggest surprises about having a baby is that I’ve let it all go.
I have let go of insecurities that once boggled me down. I have let go of stepping on the scale every few days. I’ve let go of the tiny voice that used to yell in my head that “you’re fat” and “you’re so ugly” when I get ready to go to dinner. By letting go of the hundreds of tiny voices that served absolutely no purpose, I have gained so much in return.
Some of you might think that I have been hitting it really hard with working out. In fact I had a few friends at lunch recently say how surprised they were with how quickly I got back into working out post baby. The thing is: working out for me is all about clearing my mind. Working out is a way for me to manage my anxiety and cope with outbursts of PTSD.
Whether it’s hitting a pilates class or taking a walk around my neighborhood, if I don’t work out at least once a week I start to feel it mentally more than physically.
During the final few months of my pregnancy I wasn’t doing a damn thing but sitting on the couch watching t.v. When we had June I couldn’t wait to get moving. This isn’t the recipe for everyone and to be honest I really want to encourage new mom’s to do the opposite and make sure to allow your body to HEAL!
So what exactly IS my workout plan? Well, to be honest, I don’t have a plan. I kind of tossed that out the window when I had a baby. I will say that my workouts absolutely must take place first thing in the morning otherwise they will not get done. I’m simply too drained by the end of the day to even think about what’s for dinner much less get the energy to work out.
I try to do something active at least three times per week.
The workouts that I’ve been enjoying lately are super low impact. I still cannot really run the way that I used to enjoy so I don’t stress over that. We will take a lot of long walks around our neighborhood {about 3 miles} checking out landscaping and houses in the area. I am also a very new advocate of pilates and take a mixture of private lessons and MDR classes.
I love pilates. It has really helped me to regain my strength and it feels manageable. Another workout that I’ve grown quite fond of is P.Volve which is the opposite of a high intensity training or painful workout. I like it because I can finish the workout and feel great and accomplished afterwards.
I am 10 pounds over what my body weight was before I had June. My tummy is still very, very soft and my arms and legs are carrying a few extra pieces of flab. But overall I am happy and honestly so proud of what amazing work my body just did. I created life. And that’s so much better than saying I ran a 10K or finished a 30 day cross-fit program.
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