Post Baby Body Workout – How To Get Your Body (and head!) Back In The Game!
Post Baby Body Workout – How To Get Your Body (and head!) Back In The Game!
Whether you’re thinking about having a baby, preggers or have recently given birth, chances are your changing body and your health will be filling a bit of head space. While nothing means more to you than this precious little angel, it’s really important to make sure your head and body are given some nurturing. After all, the healthier and happier you are within yourself, the more you’ll be able to offer your little one. I am so excited to share my post-baby body workout, and some tip on how to get your body (and head) back in the game.
I’ve just recently given birth to my first baby, little Lachlan, and what a life altering four month’s it’s been. While I can say I had a pretty straightforward, pregnancy and birth, nothing prepares you for the complete planet shift you go through. You’re living in the same house, surrounded by the same people, but everything feels different. Including your relationship to your body.
Some people don’t give their bodies a second thought after birth, their focus is on bub so who cares if their body looks and behaves quite differently. I’m not one of those people. I was keen to get my health and my body back to where it was before. But how do you get back into shape when you’re sleep deprived, breastfeeding and a hormonal rollercoaster? I don’t have all the answers but let me share some of my tips.
Start with your headspace:
Take the pressure off yourself. Normally you will hear me talk about mastering the art of willpower, sticking to your commitments, and hardening up when it comes to training. Not as a new mum. As a new mum think of each exercise session as a way to fill up your emotional bank balance. Think of it as giving back to your body rather than depleting it. You can’t train at the same intensity as before for risk of injury and reducing breast milk supply, so enjoy these more moderate sessions and don’t let yourself get worked up if you miss one.
Getting back into exercise:
I loved doing these exercises throughout my pregnancy, but always check with your doctor first.
Week’s 0-6:
Do no formal exercise. Give your body time to recover. Being in labour is harder than running a marathon, and I give myself a month to recover after one of those! From week 4, I started upping my walks a little bit, but very gradually.
Get Doctor’s Approval – The biggest and the most obvious disclaimer, you need to speak to your doctor as to when is it okay to get back into exercising. Double check with your obstetrician at your six week checkup.
Week’s 6-12:
Master the art of incidental exercise – I can’t stress this enough, take the pram out for big long walks, even twice per day. Sunlight and fresh air will do the both of you the world of good. Incidental exercise is also gentle on the body but very effective in firing up your metabolism and tightening up your lose ligaments (from pregnancy hormone relaxin), and awakening your core. It’s also great for shifting post baby weight.
Try to find 1-4 exercise session times: Most new mums will tell you that finding time to shower is a massive achievement, but I think it’s important to squeeze in even just one formal exercise session. Lachlan pretty much always sleeps from 8-9am so I do my best to get out of the house and jog with the pram at that time.
Focus is core and posture: The most important part of your body to get back into shape is your core and posture muscles. No one prepares you for the amount of awkward positions you will be in! Holding bub, whilst doing five other tasks, sleeping twisted because your boobs are about to explode. Constant rocking, shushing bouncing and lord knows what else, leaves your posture a mess!
Top Workouts:
Reformer Pilates
Yoga
Walking and slow jogging (if it feels right. You’ll know if it doesn’t)
TRX workouts (or SXT if you train at Fitness First)
Pump class
Easy spin class
5 min workout:
Perform the following exercises in a circuit. Do 12 reps of each exercise and repeat the circuit three times.
Angel Pose
Drinking Bird
Squats
Kneeling core and balance
Childs pose
Your focus is still strengthening up all the little stabilizer muscles in the body but now we are adding back some of your cardiovascular fitness as well as strength. This time is still about getting your baseline fitness back up. Perform 1-4 sessions per week.
Top Workouts:
Total body weights program (start easy)
Reformer Pilates
Yoga
Walking and slow jogging (Add in some hills and make it longer)
TRX workouts (or SXT if you train at Fitness First)
Pump class
Spin class
5 min workout:
Perform the following exercises in a circuit. Do 12 reps of each exercise and repeat the circuit three times.
Back Squats
Plank
Hip raises
Reverse crunches
V Seat hold
Weeks 21-30:
Photo credit: Jane Allen
Your focus should be on shifting those last pregnancy kilos. It took nine months to put them on, so expect around 6-9 months to take them off. If you are planning on a second bub, ideally you want to be back at your pre pregnancy weight before you fall pregnant again.
Ramp up your sessions by making them a bit longer and more a bit harder. But keep an eye on your milk supply. I recommend no more than three harder cardio sessions per week.
Top Workouts:
Split body weights program (upper body one day, lower the next)
Jogging (Add in some hills and make it longer)
Cross Fit
Pump class
Spin class
Pretty much what you were doing before you fell pregnant.
10 min workout:
Perform the following exercises in a circuit. Do 12 reps of each exercise and repeat the circuit three times.
Front Squats
Single leg hip raises
Clean and jerk
Single leg hip raises
Twisties
Ultimately, getting back into training post pregnancy is a very personal thing. Listen to your body, don’t worry about what other’s are doing, and go at your own pace. Make sure your workouts leave you feeling fab not flat. Happy Training!
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