Getting back into a fitness routine

The first two weeks post delivery seem to fly by!  The first week was especially tough as stitches are healing and your body is pulling itself back into pre-pregnancy state. I was convinced I would never be able to walk properly again! After about ten days, I found I was finally feeling up to walking longer distances than simply around the house, and it hurt less and less to sit. By 14 days, I was up to walking around the neighbourhood at a good pace and even got to the dog park. I have also been feeling strong enough to add light weight training.

The most important thing to remember as you are in the healing phase is to allow yourself to heal slowly, the more you rush, the more likely you are to set back your progress. Here are a few suggestions for starting back into a light routine that will help you move forward with recovery.

Kegels should be the first muscles you try to strengthen as they have been weakened during delivery. Try to squeeze them for short periods of time throughout the day, especially when going to the bathroom.  Be sure to let your doctor know at your post-delivery checkup if you are having pain or much difficult using these muscles.

With baby:

Walking: Begin walking around the house and up and down stairs. This functional exercise is crucial for building strength back in your hips and pelvis as well as in your abdominals and back.  If you focus on flexing your abs, you'll find they strengthen and tone very quickly. When you feel adventurous, get out the stroller and begin walking in the neighbourhood. You may only start with a short trip down the street then add a little each day. Keep the pace slow and listen to your own body, remember that there should be no pain. When you're ready, pick up the pace a bit, maintaining the same distances, then build from there. You're in no rush so work your way up slowly to a challenging pace with different distances. At the beginning, you may aim for 10 minutes all the way to an hour. A great way to gauge your body is to keep the same routine for 2-3 days, when it feels easy, add on!

Stretching: Loosen up tight joints with some play.

Lower back: Holding your baby in your arms, swing your upper body from the waist side to side in light turns to loosen your obliques and lower back. You'll be amazed at how quickly baby can fall asleep with this too.

Lower back and hamstrings: Hold baby in your hands and allow your body to fold forward.  You can swing your baby lightly as you're folded to release tension in your shoulders.

Legs: Sit on the floor and lay baby on the floor in front of you. You can stretch many different ways with baby laying there. Legs spread open to stretch the adductors and hamstrings by walking your hands forward, feet together then butterfly your knees to stretch your adductors and hips. Stretch your abductors and hips by laying your baby to the left side of you, cross your left foot, knee bent, over your right stretched leg. Switch to the other side.

Without baby:

While baby is sleeping, you have the chance to get in a quick strength training workout. If you have hand weights at home, take advantage of them. Remember that a ball is a great tool to own! Try to fit in a 10-20 minute session a few days a week.

Weights: 2 sets of 10 reps for all your weight training. Remember that the goal is to strengthen and tone rather than focusing on building more muscle. Use the same weights you used at the end of your pregnancy. Simply carrying baby around will be strengthening your arms but you will also want to strengthen your upper back to assist in feeding. Begin with working your upper body (biceps, triceps, shoulders, back, chest). For the first while, avoid squats and lunges as they will put added pressure on any stitches so you may find them very uncomfortable.

Abdominal exercises: Begin these slowly as your muscles were stretched and weakened during pregnancy. The first few days may simply be flexing your muscles and holding them strong for a few seconds at a time. When you're ready for more challenge, stabilization exercises are great such as the basic plank. I was happy today that I could hold a plank on my toes for 10 seconds! Lower abdominal exercises are very important during this healing phase and necessary to help keep a strong back. Heel drops and reverse curls are options for strengthening this area.

Pushups: No need for equipment when you can strengthen your chest, arms, and shoulders with a basic pushup. Pushups do not need to be done on your toes, begin high up on your knees (kneeling on all 4s) then build up to a plank position on your knees and, finally, to your toes. To begin, work towards 10 pushups, you may only complete 5 but each one will be perfect form. To build intensity, try one pushup at the next level of intensity then finish another 9 at the level you were working before. Eg: 1 pushup on your toes, 9 on your knees. Similar to building up to running from walking, you add onto your challenge and decrease the lower option: 2 pushups on toes, 8 on knees and so forth.

As you're getting used to having a new person in the house (and probably many visitors), getting used to reduced hours of sleep and learning to accomplish basic tasks with one hand, try to take a bit of time to focus on your healing body. Every step is a step forward!

See you at the gym!