Happy FitSpirational Friday! Today I am having Kelli from Not Your Mamas Marathon share with us 5 tips for your first postpartum workout. She is a new mama, an avid runner, and has patiently returned to her fitness routine following these very steps.
It has been a while since I have had a baby, my baby is 5 years old now… but I agree with her tips and know you will benefit from reading these too.
No matter what type of birth you have had, your body has taken a beating. You need plenty of time (at least 6 weeks) to recover. Once you have passed your 6 week mark, you can start working out slowly and getting back into your regular exercise routine. Here are some tips to get you back into your workout groove.
1. Take it EASY. Take it even easier than you think you should be taking it. Your body may still be in pain and is probably still recovering. The easier you take it, the better. There shouldn’t be any rush to get back to your normal workout routine.
2. Take it SLOW. Really slow. My first postpartum run was at a 14 minute pace. My regular pace is usually 8 or 9 minutes! I was slowly jogging/walking and I was gasping for air and my lungs were burning the whole time. You should not try to go any faster than your body wants you to go.
3. Don’t expect too much. Your first postpartum workout will probably not be very pretty. You might not even make it for a full 20-30 minute session. But that is OKAY! You will have plenty of workouts in your postpartum days where you feel absolutely miserable. Then you will have plenty of workout in your postpartum days where you are totally amazed by how quickly your body can recover and perform.
4. Listen to your body. I cannot stress this enough. Your body knows what it can do, so if you listen to it, you will not get injured! If you start to feel awful, slow down. Take a break and come back to what you were doing later. If you can’t finish your workout, come back to it another day. You will be surprised at how quickly your endurance will build and a workout that went terribly one week will feel awesome another week.
5. Bring baby with you! My favorite postpartum workouts were done with my baby in tow. Whether it is while my son naps in his car seat at the gym while I rode the exercise bike, or whether it is one of the many runs we do together at the park, it is always more fun to have my little buddy with me. It is a great way to bond with your baby and to teach them at a young age that exercise is an important part of life.
If you take these tips to heart, I’m sure your first postpartum workout will be a success! Enjoy your first workout and the many workouts to follow!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says
It’s been quite a while for me as well! Great tips and taking it slow is so important. Accepting that your body doesn’t bounce back as quickly as you might like is key to staying sane. We all have different bodies and we can’t expect to bounce back at the same rate.
Kelli says
So fun to guest post for you! Thanks for giving me the opportunity!
Raijean says
I love t his, where was this after I had my baby. Great tips.
Donna says
As a woman who had her baby years ago and is still carrying baby weight, I think I need this… because I’m bad to start an exercise program and go at it too hard right off the bat and either hurt myself, or feel so miserable that I quit.
Ty says
I had my son 13 years ago and I’m still carrying around my baby weight (yes I know…embarrassing). Thanks for the great tips!
TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs says
Great tip to not expect too much. Pregnancy and giving birth change your body so much and the new routine of having a little one takes a huge demand on your time and energy.
Crystal says
Those are great tips! I think it’s important to keep in mind it’s a slow process. There’s no benefit to pushing yourself too hard, too fast.
Theresa @ Faith and Family Reviews says
Sounds like the tips I was given too. Great tips.
Jenn says
Easy and slow, I agree with that. It’s important to make sure your body has had time to recover.
HilLesha says
It wasn’t hard to get back into the groove after my first. It was a completely different story after my second child. I was beyond tired to do anything! Thus, the baby weight lingered on longer than it should have.
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
I had a hard time taking it easy with my second one. There was too much to do!
Liz Mays says
I so agree about starting out very slowly and listening to your body. It will definitely tell you if you’re pushing it too hard too soon.
Tammy Litke (@threedifferent) says
I like your idea to bring baby with you! I think that when you see the little miracle that your body produced, you’ll be more forgiving of yourself too!
Ty says
These are some really great tips! I’ll definitely have to share them with my friend!
Marcie W. says
I had my children fairly young and was lucky enough to bounce back quickly without a lot of exercise necessary. It would never be that way these days and I love these tips for new moms!