Postpartum Exercise, How to Make it Happen

Before you start postpartum exercise, make sure you check with your doctor to see if you are ready. After you give birth, it seems that six weeks is the magic number, as it takes that long for your uterus to shrink back down, the episiotomy trauma to mend, and if you've had a cesarean, for the stitches to heal. Don't try to rush things, as during this time, and especially if you are breastfeeding, your body will need extra care, nutrition and fluids to get back on the right track. Most find that they lose some of the baby weight along with some additional water weight in these weeks, without much effort at all, and without any post-pregnancy exercise.

When your doctor gives you the all-clear, consider what postpartum exercise will work best for you. It needs to evolve with where you are at in your life and mind. Start slow, but do something. This is another one of those "Kicking and Screaming" moments. You need to beg, steal, or borrow in order to get into an exercise scenario. Exercise will help you get back to your old weight (or new weight if you were heavy before the child), help with postpartum depression, and help deal with stress, especially if going back to work before you want to. Consider these options, or make up your own routine. I've done everything on the list below at one time or another, "Kicking and Screaming" my way back to fitness.

The Gym

A gym membership is a great idea in a colder climate, and particularly if there is a gym by your work, your child's daycare provider, or your home. A good scenario for postpartum exercise is letting your child play at their on-site day care while you work out. They usually have to be potty-trained, around three or so, but some gyms take younger children. This is a great opportunity to squeeze in a run on the treadmill and shower before or after work. If you can afford the splurge, a personal trainer employed by the gym is a great way of kick-starting your routine or beating boredom.

Outdoor Activities

I am lucky enough to live in a warm climate and I prefer to workout outdoors. That's where it started for my post-pregnancy work-outs. If your place of employment has a shower, you could walk, run, or roller blade in-between dropping the kids off and going to work, or just before you pick them up. At one time I paid $27.00 a month just to join a gym outside my building at work so I could use their shower.

A Stroller

If you can't afford a gym, and you're not lucky enough to have a babysitter or relative ready to get to work for you when you want to exercise, you should look for a good baby jogging stroller. The really sturdy quality models, like BOB Evolution, have many attachments, some for adding an infant car seat. For one baby, you could do with something less expensive. I started with a simple Jeep brand stroller with my first child. It worked just fine for what I needed, walking and sometimes jogging slowly around the park. It had a good sunshade and a little steering wheel for him to play with. I moved up to the BOB Evolution, because they made an excellent double version, and it was absolutely effortless to push my 3-1/2 year old and my then 9 month old at the same time. After an unsuccessful search on Craig's list, I got my model at a discount at the end of the season at The Right Start. And now that my eldest is 5-1/2 and with a combined weight of 85 pounds to push, and about 120 miles logged in, I know it's some of the best money I've ever spent. The big downside of this model is it's size. It will not fit into tiny trunks.

Boot Camps

A friend of mine (and working mom) has a great business where she holds work-out boot camps for women throughout the week. These are great, affordable ways to get personal training if you can line up child care. These often take place at parks and beaches and are becoming more and more popular as a workout choice.

Yoga & Pilates Classes

These exercise classes are wonderful treats for your body and soul. Yoga does something fantastic to thin out your limbs and strengthen your muscles. Pilates isn't as relaxing but does a wicked number on your core and is the only thing that really sculpts the fat on my belly. I have a harder time making it to these types of classes, probably due to the cost and time involved, but if you can do it, the rewards are supreme!

Exercise CDS

Popping in a CD is a good alternative to a Yoga or Pilates class, especially if you can squeeze it in during the kids' nap time, early in the morning, or late at night. Add in an exercise ball, and you just you just might get motivated for some ab crunches as part of your postpartum exercise. This type of exercise never seems to keep me motivated for long periods but I feel like it's good for those desperate moments when you just can't make it out of the house.

Pull-up Bar, Weights

Weights are a great way squeeze in a postpartum exercise routine, to tone your arms before you go to bed or early in the morning. It's great to have some 3.5 lb - 5 lb barbells tucked under your bed for when you might have time.
I chuckled when my husband bought the Iron-Gym bar that you can put in your doorway, but after a few months of us attempting to do pull-ups, I am amazed at the results. I can still only two 3-4 pull-ups, but it toned my arms, and my core actually got thinner. You can buy these bars just about anywhere now; CVS, Walgreens, and even Bed, Bath & Beyond. It's good to have someone help/spot you, so it's a great bonding activity for Husband and Wife. He can assist and spot you while you complete yours, and when it's his turn you get to step back and admire all three of the pull-ups that he can do.

Fitness for Working Moms - You Can Do It!

No matter what you do, you need to do have some sort of postpartum exercise routine to manage stress and stay centered. It will help you be a better person, mom, employee, and wife. The important thing here is consistency and patience. It's a new lifestyle, not an instant answer. You should never crash diet or over-exercise after having a baby. My (very thin) aunt with four children used to say, "It takes a year to get pregnant, and a year to get un-pregnant." The idea is to start a healthy routine that you can and want to adhere to. Cardiovascular exercise like running or fast walking for at least a half an hour or taking an hour Yoga class three days a week paired with eating a healthy diet while breastfeeding will not only get you un-pregnant, but get you to a healthy and happy body.

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