As someone who exercised every day without fail before I fell pregnant, it wasn’t very easy to get back into with all of the changes that happened in my body, especially after having a c-section.
I remember the first time I tried to run… even though I hadn’t had a natural birth, the muscles where I carried my baby where not the ones I remember. I got the the bottom of the road and hobbled back!
So if you are looking to get back into a routine – here are some top tips!…
- Don’t go back too fast. Your body really does need time to recover and even if you feel great on the outside don’t underestimate what you body is doing to heal on the inside. Be patient.
- Don’t set yourself the expectations that you had before pregnancy. Your body has been through a lot, so of course it is in a different place than it was a year ago.
- Get rid of the idea that a workout has to be an hour. It absolutely doesn’t and most likely won’t in those early months of motherhood. A workout can be 20 minutes and just as effective so don’t put it off just because you haven’t got a whole hour.
- Don’t choose running as your first workout back (the mistake I made). Whilst it seems like a lovely idea to get some fresh air and some “me time” out of the house, running is actually incredibly intense on your joints and not to mention your pelvic floor. Your body needs to build up to running. Work on your strength through bodyweight and light weight exercises for a few weeks before even attempting a run to give your body the best possible chance of being able to cope with the impact.
- Most importantly, remember there are no “mistakes” because everyone is different, so what works for you may not work for someone else.
