Postpartum Fitness

Fitness has been such a huge part of my life and as I moved eagerly through pregnancy I was somewhat scared of what it was going to look like postpartum. I was fortunate enough to maintain a high energy level during my entire pregnancy even up until the morning of and enjoyed how my workouts took shape during. The intensity decreased along with the overall weight with most lifts, but I was still kicking butt, getting endorphins, and never feeling exhausted only strong & powerful. My pregnancy fitness was really a safe place that I made peace with my changing body & my reduction in ability. I absolutely understood the important work my body was doing, so I was more than okay with fitness taking that backseat. 

Postpartum (PP) is a hard time for many and there are very little that talks about what PP fitness looks like for some people other than a relatively in-active time until ones 6 week PP visit. I was able to go on walks with my husband and little guy during this time and enjoy the final months of summer/fall. Surprisingly I didn't have any desire to hit the gym or the pavement even. I wanted to be at home with my little guy and breastfeeding is no joke- a workout in itself. I was exhausted and happily sleep deprived so really working out or participating in fitness was the last thing on my mind. Not to mention, my body felt nowhere near ready for that sort of exertion. My core was weak- in shambles really... (understandably) and I would have soreness in random body parts or muscle groups over this entire time period up to about 2 months PP. I also want to just throw out there, I don't know how long the technical timeline of postpartum, but I'm 5 months in right now and I still feel like my body went through a trauma. This is a process ladies and gents, one that shouldn't be taken lightly. 

Once I got the clear "good-to-go" at my 6 week PP appointment from my doctor I was excited because I started feeling like myself again with the desire to get back in the gym. My core was still not even close to being stable and as a heavier weight lifter, I knew this meant starting not only slow, but low in the weights. I started with full-body workouts 3-5 days a week depending how I was feeling. Like I said, I really leaned into how my body was feeling during and after my pregnancy. Somedays I felt like getting movement in, others I wanted to lay on the couch snuggling my son in and out of his naps for the entire day. That time during my maternity leave was so precious to me & I truly can say I spent it solely focusing on what I wanted and that was on my son and loving myself and my new 3 person family. I know many women feel a real pressure to get back on the wagon if you will to lose pregnancy weight and luckily for me because I work on my body image & outlook often, I never felt this pressure on my own. There were a couple times, literally two that I can recall where someone said something about how quickly my body was bouncing back that actually made me clam up and feel very self conscious. My body just went through the ringer... I was still bleeding at 4 weeks PP and my lower half was wrecked and not anywhere feeling normal even at 6 weeks PP and someone felt the need to comment on it. Like, "CAN I LIVE??!"- a reminder to any of you that feel compelled to "compliment" someone by talking about their body... really just don't. My bowel movements were still so painful and would leave me sore for days (maybe TMI, but I don't hold back)- JUST stop talking about how my body looks and let me fully recover. 

As I began to feel stronger, I started to break my workouts into body groups like my programming was before. I moved to 4 workouts/week consisting of: back, a run, shoulders + chest, and bi's' + tri's. My core didn't start feeling back to it's pre-baby self until about 4 months & even when I would get done with a run, my lower abdomen felt somewhat sore/tender on the inside- as if something had been bouncing around in there, lol. So I didn't add focused core work until about 4 months. I stuck to only 1-2 core exercises per workout and instead would focus solely on keeping that core drawn in during all the other exercises to ensure proper form and to strength. This seemed to really do the trick, but it wasn't fast and it wasn't easy. Proper form and breathing techniques were the foundation to building my strength back up in my core & I'm really glad I took my time working on those fundamentals before just slamming my body around to just get back to the "usual grind". I feel much stronger and feel my power coming back to moves like planks, mountain climbers, and leg lifts. 

Overall- I am damn proud of every workout I complete and it's so nice to see myself getting stronger and stronger. Physically, I have absolutely lost both strength and muscle mass- which is heart breaking at times when I reflect back to where I was and the strength I had gained in the gym, but ego lifting isn't my thing & I know I can look at this in a different light. Instead I choose to think of it as an opportunity to work towards my old norm and establish some really great goals. I know this is something I plan on doing for life, so really and truly there is no rush to get back to where I was because honestly I am not the same person nor am I in the same body, so expecting myself to return to this place really isn't realistic. I'm forever going to be changed... maybe that means I will be stronger and have a greater amount of muscle mass, maybe it means my core will always be a bit weaker no matter how much time I commit to improving the strength there, or maybe I will get back to where I was but not have the intense drive to feel big because my life as a mom has really opened my eyes to a new love & that's my son. He's something I can pour myself into now, where as before it was predominantly fitness. I think this mental shift is not only "okay" for moms and all people to have when their family dynamic changes, but I encourage it. Priorities shift sometimes & new hobbies get created- this one just happens to be a really neat lil person I made. 

As far as goals go... I hope to add back some muscle mass. My physique is smaller and less muscular than I was and even though I love my body no matter how it comes, I prefer to have a stronger look. My pants don't fit the same and it's kind of a bummer. Now that I have been more constant in the gym during month 4-5 PP I feel like I have established a pretty good schedule and routine to work with and want to reflect to make a new goal or two for this upcoming year. My mileage didn't suffer much as far as running is concerned, but I have always been very cardiovascular-ly inclined. I'm back up to my 8 mile runs and feel I could squeeze out a ten miler if I wanted easily. I think for now I want to focus on consistency and building my strength while really having fun. I love my gym time and it's obviously important in my life because I'm still prioritizing it. 

If you are transitioning in life or are a mom trying to find your way back to fitness/movement. Stay true to yourself, just because you once loved something doesn't mean you have to love it the same now, if it doesn't serve you pass on it & find the thing that does. The most important take away I have is to move your body in a way that feels good, but also gives you a good outlook. You shouldn't force a negative relationship with movement just because you have a desire to "get your body back"- momma, that body didn't go anywhere & it did some hard ass work, so give it the accolades and love it for all that it does!