Post Pregnancy Workout Do’s and Don’ts

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Even with all my experience teaching Pure Barre and fitness in general, returning to fitness after having a baby is always intimidating. It’s AMAZING how much our bodies change during pregnancy and after. I am still amazed at how God designed me to able to carry a WHOLE life for 40 weeks. This is nothing short of a miracle. I was eager to get back to exercise after having Leyton, but my body needed a lot of rest – 6 weeks of hardly walking to the mailbox to be exact. You can read more of my experience with Leyton HERE. This time around with Finn, I am trying to take it slow and easy as I get back into a good post pregnancy workout routine!

I’ve had some of you ask me how I’m doing with the weight coming off and eating, but the truth is I’m not worried about that yet. I don’t even know what I weigh right now. I told myself I wouldn’t even think about that until I go to my 6 week check up. I truly want to just enjoy this season (as much as you can with no sleep) and let my body intake enough calories to breastfeed + heal. But, you better believe I can’t wait to get back to Pure Barre and and some running intervals with the stroller and babies as soon as I can. 😉

This post is the last week of our 4 Week Mommy Fitness Series I am hosting with Jessica at Happily Hughes and Natasha at Hello Happiness! If you haven’t read my 5 Easy Tips For a Healthy Lifestyle, Do’s and Don’ts of Exercising While Pregnant, or Pure Barre Empower Pregnancy Modifications, be sure to click the links and check them out!

As always be sure to check with your physician before returning to any post pregnancy workout! Having experienced this twice now, here are all the things I have learned about when and how to jump back into a post pregnancy workout. I’m counting down the days till I get the all clear at 6 weeks postpartum to get my exercise regimen back on!

Post Pregnancy Workout Do’s and Don’ts

DO:

1. Do Get Support

I have done workouts from yoga to Pure Barre, tennis, and just about everything in between. It wasn’t until I had Leyton that I decided to try a one-on-one trainer. Meeting with a trainer can really help with personalizing your needs in a post pregnancy workout. I had a GREAT experience that you can read all about HERE with Homefit!! Don’t forget if you mention MLWL they will offer you 20% off and your first session is always free! And remember if a trainer isn’t the right fit for you right now, getting your friends’ support is just as important…find someone to walk with or meet up with at the gym. Having that accountability is key! 

2. Do Wear the Right Clothing

Wear loose-fitting clothing that will help you keep cool but also make sure you wear a bra that gives you enough support. If you are breastfeeding, it is especially important to protect your breasts to avoid any discomfort during exercise and while breastfeeding. I’ve gathered some of my favorite mom sports bras HERE. Also, be sure you have a good belly support band to wear while you are walking and exercising and some leggings even have great supportive panels built into them.

3. Do Focus on Inner Strength

Just because you can’t do crunches doesn’t mean you can’t gain some of that core strength back. Focus on strengthening your transverse abdominis (those hard to see deep muscles in your core) to regain your strength and stability! Bridges and heel slides are AWESOME for this! If you aren’t sure about how to do those exercises, be sure to check out YouTube for demos!

4. Do Take It Slow

If you are following me on Instagram, you have seen that we have already been on a few family walks in the first 3 weeks after Finn was born. I got many questions about HOW I had the energy to already be exercising and the truth is we are walking very slow and every single person and pregnancy recovers differently. My doctor cleared me to walk right away this time, so I’m trying to walk at least 3-4 times a week even if it’s just a quick 20 minutes around our neighborhood. I am thankful to be feeling okay enough to walk this early after having Finn – plus it helps me to get out of the house and get some fresh air and Leyton to go on a little adventure!

DON’T

1. Don’t Perform Crunches

After giving birth, avoid abdominal exercises like crunches, full spinal extensions, and twisting exercises until you are cleared by your doctor. During pregnancy your core is overstretched and your stomach can often feel very different. Crunches and other exercises can exacerbate this and delay your recovery time causing further damage down the road.

2. Don’t Rush Back In

This means getting clearance from a health-care professional before starting any fitness or weight-loss program. Like I mentioned above, I had to wait SIX WEEKS to walk past my mailbox with Leyton. While it was incredibly frustrating at times, I knew rushing back in would only cause harm to my body and Leyton.

3. Don’t Do What You’ve Always Done

It’s understandable to be eager to return to your pre-baby body. There can be a lot of pressure to do what you’ve always been able to do and this can lead to lots of frustration, and sometimes even major setbacks. However, your body just went through this wonderful change and is getting used to so many adjustments – one of those including a crazy change in hormones! Be easy with yourself and remember these changes are good and your body will slowly start regaining strength again.

4. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others (Or Even to Your Other Births!)

Postpartum recovery is different in every woman and even different with each child!! There will be new aches and pains that may be different with every post pregnancy journey. Some may be able to run marathons after being pregnant but remember you need to do what is best for YOU and for your baby in the end. We are all in this together!! Instead of comparing your experience to another’s, let’s encourage one another in this postpartum journey.

How was your experience with a post pregnancy workout routine after having your baby? What worked out for you and what didn’t? I’d love to hear your answers down below in the comments!

Post Pregnancy Post GIVEAWAY Featuring:

In celebration of the last post in our mommy fitness challenge wrapping up, my girls Natasha Jess and I have teamed up to bring you an AWESOME mommy essentials giveaway prize pack that includes the below prizes. Enter to win the $300+ valued prize via the Rafflecopter below!

• Diff Aviator Sunglasses
• MAC Qween Supreme Palette
• L’Occitane Divine Cream 
• WM Nutrition Pre-Workout 
• Avon Mask
• Real Techniques Base Makeup Set
• + MORE

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