Getting Active After Baby

Motherhood is an amazing journey from that first pink line on your pregnancy test all the way to the first steps. Each moment is absolutely incredible! Who am I kidding, being a momma is hard. Our bodies, moods, and schedules change. I am not denying that throughout all of the chaos there are magical moments that make it all worth it, but I think Mommas deserve a huge round of applause for bringing a little human into the world and caring for that wee one while they find their new normals.

One aspect of this change many of us struggle with is losing baby weight. I’m not going to lie, it’s tough to get motivated when you may be sleep deprived, but I am also going to share some easy ways you can get back in shape (or get in shape for the first time in your life).

Four children later, here are my secrets to post baby fitness that continue to work for me:

1. Give yourself a grace period. – When you are healing after baby, don’t get hung up on your weight or your belly pooch. Take this time to really care for yourself and baby. Rest when possible, eat often and well, drink plenty of water. The first couple of weeks post baby will be a wash and that is perfectly okay.
2. Don’t use the baby as an excuse. As easy as it is to believe you don’t have he time to get some exercise, I’m going to call that a big fat lie! You will never have time if you don’t make time. Sometimes this means trading in your shower time to squeeze in a quick workout, and sometimes it means waiting until your spouse is home to keep an eye on babe. You have to commit to making yourself a priority if you are going to be successful in your fitness goals.
3. Start small. Lots of women, especially fit women prior to their pregnancy, might scoff at walking as exercise (I did!), however, let me tell you you can get a great sweat on and burn many calories walking at a decent pace. The bonus to walking as postpartum exercise is that baby can join you. You can also add some HITT (high intensity interval training) to your walking routine to burn extra calories faster. Try adding jump squats, walking lunges, or some hill sprints when you are ready.
4. Try YouTube workouts that incorporate baby!
5. Make an exercise schedule. Just saying “I’m going to work out 3 days a week” doesn’t hold you accountable. Write down your goals and post them somewhere you can see them! Post a bikini pic of yourself on the fridge as motivation. Write your workouts on the calendar. Once completed put a big X through that day.
   
   An example schedule might look like this:
   • Sunday: Walk with HIIT
   • Monday: Rest
   • Tuesday: Yoga
   • Wednesday: YouTube workout
   • Thursday: Rest
   • Friday: Jog and Arms (Click the link for my Arms weight training video)
   • Saturday: Rest

Make yourself a priority and you will see results!