5 Tips for Starting a Postpartum Exercise Routine

Starting a postpartum exercise routine can often feel confusing, overwhelming, and at times near impossible.

My question to you is: why does beginning a postpartum fitness journey have to feel this way? Let’s talk about five ways you can make your experience more enjoyable, sustainable, and successful.

 

1. Stop consuming social media content that promotes “getting your body back.” Did you know it takes most women over a year to get close to what they weighed before pregnancy? And in some cases, it takes much longer. Too often do I see social media accounts where new moms are posting before and after photos of themselves. While the transformation can sometimes be inspiring, it is more often a catalyst for setting unrealistic expectations for others.

If weight loss is a goal during your postpartum journey, I highly recommend linking that goal with something else that is of value to you. For example, you can pursue weight loss in addition to gaining strength or improving your stamina. While your body may be different than it was pre-pregnancy, it is by no means worse. Try shifting your mindset to focus on exercise as a means of making yourself stronger instead of making yourself smaller.

2. Don’t over-commit. The postpartum period is one of the busiest seasons that you might encounter in your life. In addition to caring for a newborn, you’ll likely find yourself trying to recover while simultaneously returning to all the tasks you were doing before you gave birth. It is easy for a fitness professional to give you an exercise program that will consume 30-60 minutes of your day 4-5 times weekly. But my question to you is… does that sound like something you can achieve right now? Does the thought of scheduling that into your life seem realistic, or overwhelming?

I often encourage new moms to start off by performing 1-2 days weekly of twenty-minute strength workouts, with frequent walking (as their schedule allows). Commit to what you know you can confidently achieve. This will set you up for success. Once you’ve established a schedule you can regularly stick to, then it’s time to build. Overcommitting to a rigorous exercise regimen often causes feelings of overwhelm, stress, and disappointment. Start slow and allow yourself to grow.

3. Do your research. What exactly should you be doing for exercise during the postpartum period? Most likely, you should NOT jump right back into what you were doing before pregnancy. And just because you might have considered yourself “fit” before, doesn’t mean you are an exception. You might, however, be able to progress quicker. Postpartum fitness should be focused on allowing your body to heal while also performing movements to strengthen it. Once cleared by your provider to return to exercise, your routine should focus on:

• Breathing exercises

• Walking or other low-impact aerobic exercise

• Low-impact strength training

• Restorative stretching

Guidance for postpartum exercise should be coming from a medical provider (such as a pelvic floor physical therapist) or a qualified perinatal fitness professional…. NOT your favorite Instagram fitness account.

4. Pick exercises you enjoy. Back when I was in high school, I did a video workout program with my friend that consisted of intense bodyweight exercises. The program was EXTREMELY difficult. I hated every minute of it, but I felt “soooo good” when it was done. Right? WRONG! I felt “so good” because I was totally exhausted and simply happy it was over! I look back on all the fitness classes or workouts I’ve tried over the years and there are many that I did not enjoy doing. So, why did I suffer through them? There was no need!

Exercise is exercise, so pick something you like. If you hate walking, try riding a bike…. or swimming… or dancing…. Keep trying things out until you find something that you get excited to do! A fitness routine is not a one size fits all approach. Your journey needs to be just that, your journey.

5. Don’t give up. Release yourself from the stress of being perfect. Allow yourself to be present and resist the urge to compare the current you to past or future versions of yourself. Did you have a busy week and miss your exercise sessions? Oh well! Move forward and continue on doing the things that will push you closer to your goals. It is not an “all or nothing approach.” Give yourself grace and focus on why exercise is beneficial to you. C’mon sister, you just grew and gave birth to a baby… you can do anything! So don’t let one day, one week, or one month throw you “off track.” Take things one step at a time and remember… don’t give up.

Interested in learning more about postpartum exercise? Join me for the free Five-Day Postpartum Back to Exercise Challenge!

Find Your Flow: Syncing Your Cycle With Your Exercise Program

Have you ever heard of an infradian rhythm? An infradian rhythm is a type of biological clock that works over a period of time greater than 24 hours. Women have a complex infradian rhythm that works on a regular cycle, otherwise known as the menstrual cycle. Throughout the menstrual cycle a women’s hormonal levels are constantly changing, causing fluctuations in metabolism, mood, energy levels, etc.

Sticking to the same exercise plan without being mindful of these fluctuations can sometimes be counterproductive. So… how can we harness our hormones to work with us rather than against us?  Research shows that creating an exercise program that changes according to your own cycle may optimize efforts and yield greater results with your health and fitness, especially if you have a hormonal imbalance.

*Please note that if you are on some sort of hormonal birth control, such as a pill or an IUD, this plan will likely not apply to you.

Let’s begin by breaking down the cycle into four phases (the duration of these phases will differ slightly for everyone)

·      Menstrual Phase (Approx. 1-6 days)

·      Follicular Phase (Approx. 7-10 days)

·      Ovulatory Phase (Approx. 3-4 Days)

·      Luteal Phase (Approx. 10-14 Days)

Menstrual Phase:

The first phase of your cycle is called the menstrual phase. During this phase, your body is likely to feel the biggest energy dip due to a decrease in luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen, and progesterone. If you are experiencing fatigue, this is a great time to embrace low-intensity exercises that will get you moving without depleting your energy. Examples of this could be light walking and stretching.

Follicular Phase:

Next comes the follicular phase. During this phase your estrogen levels gradually rise, causing an increase in energy. The best types of exercise during this phase are moderate intensity, such as brisk walking, jogging, biking, swimming, low-impact resistance training, yoga, and Pilates. This phase also stimulates the brain’s creative side, causing many to embrace new opportunities, such as trying a new form of exercise.

Ovulatory Phase:

The third phase in your cycle is the ovulatory phase. This is typically the phase when most women feel energetic and lively. During this time, levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen, and progesterone are at their peak. Although energy levels are typically highest in this phase, the metabolism is naturally slower. During this time you’ll want to take advantage of your energy levels and try out some higher intensity workouts. Examples of this could be running, heavier strength training, HIIT workouts, and moderate to high intensity biking. HIIT workouts also have the potential to assist your metabolism in burning fat tissue and building muscle mass.

 *Please note that higher estrogen levels have been linked to a decrease in the muscle’s ability to efficiently absorb impact, therefor increasing risk of injury. Be sure to listen to your body and stay away from any exercises that cause increased pain or discomfort.

Luteal Phase:

The last phase of your cycle is the luteal phase. While estrogen immediately dips after ovulation, it will rise again one more time during this phase, along with progesterone levels. Both hormones peak towards the end of this 10-14 day phase. After that peak, your hormones start to decrease again as you move towards menstruation.  With these hormonal fluctuations happening in such a short time frame, women often feel sluggish. Your metabolism also starts to rev up during the luteal phase, which means you may experience food cravings or an increased appetite. During this phase of your cycle you will want to pay extra attention to how your body feels. At the beginning of this phase, you may be able to continue with higher intensity workouts, as mentioned above. Towards the second half of this phase you might shift towards moderate to lower intensity workouts, such as walking, light biking, yoga and Pilates.

The Bottom Line:

Regardless what phase of the cycle you might be in, the most important take-aways are to listen to your body, exercise regularly, and do what works best for you. Everyone is different, and your exercise routine should be programmed specifically to your goals, abilities, and obstacles. Please reach out if you have any questions and happy cycle syncing!

Resources:

https://www.floliving.com/workout-routine/

https://dukeintegrativemedicine.org/DHWBlog/workout-flow-ladies-syncing-exercise-cycle

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19088769/

5 Healthy Tips to Tackle Turkey Day

Enjoying the holidays while still prioritizing your health can sometimes seem stressful. But I’m here to tell you that with proper planning you can do it! Let’s break down my top 5 strategies for a happy and healthy Turkey Day.

• Move. Raise your hand if you've ever had a Thanksgiving that looked a little something like this: sitting, eating, talking, watching football, still sitting, still eating… Well, if your hand is up, you are not alone! All that sitting may seem like a good idea at the time, but I assure you that a day of couch potatoing is not working in your favor. This is why it is so important to schedule some structured movement into your day. I promise you do not have to go out and run a 5k Turkey Trot or sign up for a crazy bootcamp class. Just make it a priority to work 30 minutes of productive movement into your day. Walking is always my go-to!

  *For those of you who plan to take on the epic role of chef for the day, it is extra important for you to plan exactly when those 30 minutes of movement are going to take place. Cooking or not, it can be easy to let the opportunity for physical activity to slip away!

• Drink water. Not only is staying hydrated important for the overall function of your body, but it can also help you navigate how hungry you truly are. Often times many find themselves over-eating because their body is actually craving water, not food. I am not saying you can’t have some of your favorite red wine or seasonal cocktail… just remember to mix in a glass of water for every other drink!

• Eat a wholesome breakfast. I can’t tell you how many times I hear people don’t eat breakfast on Thanksgiving to “save room” for everything they want to eat later. Eating a healthy breakfast will help you kickstart your metabolism for the day and help you stabilize your blood sugar levels. If you skip breakfast, you will be way more likely to load your plate up with a larger portion of food than you normally would. What’s my favorite Thanksgiving breakfast? I love a slice of freshly baked whole wheat pumpkin bread with some hot coffee (click the link for the recipe I use). It's especially delicious when heated with peanut butter on top for some added protein.

• Fill your plate up with half of what you initially think you want. I promise you, there will most likely be plenty of leftovers if you are still hungry and want to go back for seconds! By loading up your first plate of food with heaping piles of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all the traditional goodies, you are likely setting yourself up for trying to achieve “clean plate club” status, even if you are full halfway through. If you take less and are still hungry… then go get more! Slow down, take your time, and actually enjoy the food you are eating.

• If you want pie, eat pie! Thanksgiving is one day out of the whole year. Eating one piece of pie, cake, or whatever sweet indulgence catches your eye will not throw your progress off track. Interested in more than one dessert? Split them in half and try both!

 Now that doesn’t seem so bad, does it? Happy Thanksgiving to all, and remember… don’t stress, just plan ahead!