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.
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!
Loving Your Body: The Key to Success
It’s time to break the glass ceiling on the limitations and expectations we set for ourselves, especially when it comes to our health and happiness. You can absolutely set goals and number marks, but please do not fixate on them. Living healthy is a lifestyle; a state of mind. It is not a destination to be reached, but a journey to be traveled. And if we keep waiting for “when” we get there, we miss all the happy, emotional, difficult, and rewarding times in between.
Did you know that less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight?” And 9% of the U.S. population (28.8 million Americans) will develop an eating disorder in their lifetime. (1)
When I was a freshman in college I developed an unspecified eating disorder. “Unspecified” meaning not a diagnosis such as anorexia, or bulimia, but a generalized unhealthy relationship with my body, food, and exercise.
It began with my annual physical the summer before school started. I had just graduated from high school and was getting ready to be a first-year student at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI (which I later transferred from). I got on the scale, and my doctor absently told me I was borderline “overweight” based on my BMI.
“Borderline overweight” to a teenage girl practically equates to plain old “overweight.” And while my doctor had no intentions of being the catalyst that set me on the path to disordered eating and exercise, her words caused me to become obsessed with my body. And honestly, my concern was not necessarily surrounding my health, but the way I looked and a fixation on what others thought about me.
I began to exercise excessively and cut calories to the lowest amount possible without starving myself. I obsessed over planning out my meals, food logging and weighing myself multiple times daily. If anything in this process was unexpectedly altered (having to stay late at work and missing my scheduled exercise, mom not cooking the exactly portioned out meal we planned) I lost it. I was debilitated by defeat and unworthiness. I felt like a failure.
I lost 30 lbs that year. Losing 30 lbs in one year is not unhealthy in itself. I was not technically underweight, our malnourished. “I did not actually have an eating disorder,” I told myself constantly. But here’s the thing… I actually did.
I was consumed by my food, my exercise, and my body image. That is literally all that mattered to me. I would cancel plans with friends last minute because I didn’t want to get frozen yogurt. I would yell at my mom if she decided to pick up a pizza after a long day of work instead of cook the bland “safe” dinner I had planned for. I had a very unhealthy perspective on life during those two years. My mental health was diminishing. Eventually, I got help through counseling. I read self-development books, started journaling, and did a lot of work mentally to help dig myself out of an unfortunate situation.
The reason I am writing about this time in my life is to point out that working towards health and fitness goals is not easy. They require time, effort, and dedication. But what they do not require is obsession, stress, and negativity. Working towards such goals requires a certain mindset; a perspective.
Perspective is something you can change; it is not permanent. While I had an incredible support system to get me through a difficult time in my life, the pivotal moment that actually changed me was my mindset shift. I realized that my health, self-worth, and happiness did not equate to a number on the scale, the size of my pants (which varies GREATLY from store to store…) or how many calories I burned in my workout.
My health and happiness lay in my love for my body. I needed to love my body before anything else. Without that, I was chasing an empty goal; an empty dream.
It’s time to break the glass ceiling on the limitations and expectations we set for ourselves, especially when it comes to our health and happiness. You can absolutely set goals and number marks, but please do not fixate on them. Living healthy is a lifestyle; a state of mind. It is not a destination to be reached, but a journey to be traveled. And if we keep waiting for “when” we get there, we miss all the happy, emotional, difficult, and rewarding times in between. With that being said, I’d like to end this post with one of my favorite quotes.
“If it costs you your peace, it costs too much.” -Jenna Kutcher
This quote speaks volumes to me, not only as a professional in the health and fitness industry but also as a young woman journeying through this crazy life herself. Without happiness, you cannot truly be healthy. While making healthy choices is hard work, it should never cost you your peace of mind. It’s not worth it. There is a way to achieve what you want without forfeiting what you have.
Once you learn to love your body, then you will be able to cherish and embrace the ways to take care of it. Find your balance, find your value, and you will find that happiness is right there in front of you!
Sources:
Find Your Flow: Syncing Your Cycle With Your Exercise Program
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 28-day cycle may optimize efforts and yield greater results with your health and fitness, especially if you have a hormonal imbalance.
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