Exercise After Pregnancy

Last week I wrote about exercising during your pregnancy, but what about exercising AFTER pregnancy? Are there do’s and don’ts when it comes to that?

I asked my expert moms, Shannon, Norma and Agatha, who all train with me at CrossFit LA for their opinion and to share their experiences with us. Getting back into the routine of working out had two battlefront in their opinion – the physical aspects and then the mental aspects of dealing with a child and a new lifestyle.

Making a Physical Comeback

The physical aspects of recovering from pregnancy can be different for every woman, depending on her fitness level going into and during pregnancy, and whether or not she had natural childbirth or a C-section.

Says Norma, who underwent a C-section, “I couldn’t even imagine doing sit-ups. In fact, all the magazines, books and internet articles I read said to NOT do sit-ups. You have to let your abdominal muscles get back in place before you start doing any sit-ups.”

Instead Norma started walking. She started 2 weeks after her son was born and just walked down the block and back. By 4 weeks post-delivery she was walking 2-3 miles a day. By the time her son was 2 months old she had shed all her baby weight.

Agatha gave me this warning, “You definitely cannot expect to jump back in, as my cardio ability was pretty zonked and my strength had diminished. It was pretty discouraging at first, but then you realize what an amazing thing your body did.” Agatha also suggested focusing on back exercises due to the strain of carrying a baby around.

Making a Mental Comeback

Agatha had this to say about trying to juggle her newborn’s schedule with her desire to work out: “It is very hard to come back to the gym when the baby is breastfeeding. She would want to eat at least every two hours so it was impossible to time a trip to the gym. I would get so frustrated. It took until she was at least four months old for that to ease off, so I would just go when I could, and  try to do DVDs or go for a run if I couldn’t’ go to the gym.”

Norma also believed that exercise helped her avoid more severe postpartum depression. “I went through it,” she said, “but I knew that exercise would bring me back up. Endorphins are amazing. So that was what I looked forward to the most every single day.”

Shannon expressed a similar experience, saying, “Get back into it as soon as you can! It will help your mood and give you a little energy after MANY sleepless nights!”

…and the Unexpected Benefit of a Newborn?

“My arms look good since I have to carry a 16 pound baby around!” said Agatha.

My Coaching Tips for Getting Back to Exercise After Pregnancy

• Scale your way back in – remember your body has just been through a lot and it will take some time to get back up to the activity and strength level you had prior to pregnancy.
• Be reasonable with yourself – the first few months can be a stressful time of motherhood. Be patient with yourself and with your schedule.
• Just move – exercise doesn’t have to look like going to the gym to “count.” Just get out and walk, do some squats in the living room, or buy some yoga or Pilates DVD