Hi Beauties,
As a Mom of four kids aged 8 years to 8 months, one of the biggest lessons that I have learned is that the postnatal recovery process takes patience and time. There is so much pressure on Moms to quickly “snap back” and lose a ton of weight quickly, which is unnatural and can also be unhealthy - for the body and the mind! What we don’t talk about as often is the importance for new moms to also have the time and ability to rest and recover. From a fitness perspective, there are many stages of postnatal recovery. While some people might be ready to begin movement again at 6-8 weeks postpartum, others may want or need more time. For myself, I found that I experienced a fair amount of variation in what I was feeling and able to do after each delivery. After delivering my first daughter via c-section, I had to really work to discover how to move and rebuild strength without irritating my incision. After my fourth, I have found that my body is generally more tired from taking care of the other kids and the overall recovery has been a bit slower than with my previous deliveries. Reminder for myself and all of you - postnatal recovery is not a race! The goal should about be health and strength, not your jean size. This is not as easy as it sounds. Be patient and remember the big picture of caring for yourself so that you can best care for your little one!! The first step to postnatal training is getting cleared to workout by your Doctor and medical team. If you recently had a baby or are looking for a postnatal program, or even lower intensity training, here are a few tips to get you started: 1. Easy movement - Slow walks are a great way to get moving again in those early post delivery weeks. Sunshine, fresh air and vitamin D work wonders for the mood, too! Taking care of our bodies and our minds is an important part of a successful exercise program!
2. Core recovery - The core goes through tremendous changes during pregnancy. A slow and stead process of rebuilding strength is essential to safe postnatal workouts.
3. Do not compare yourself to others - This holds true for people you may see on social media, loved ones, friends and even for yourself! Comparing your postnatal body to your pre-baby body is a setup for frustration, especially in the early weeks after delivery.
4. Look ahead, not back! - There’s no going back in life, especially after becoming a parent! Look ahead to each days goals and don’t focus on the life or the body that you used to have. I hate the “getting back in shape” mentality of a lot of fitness programs. I try to keep my focus on getting into shape and building strength, not getting back to something from the past. It sounds small but mentally, this is a big shift!
5. Set a realistic timeline - In my experience it takes a minimum of one year to recover and rebuild strength after having a baby, often more. With all of this in mind, I am really excited to introduce our new postnatal training videos. These short, 5-minute workouts were created as a stage 1 training process to help get you moving again and to rebuild and reconnect the core. The workouts are diastisis-recti friendly but not DR specific. I’m working now on closing down a small gap in my stomach and find that the recover core series is making an excellent impact. The postnatal journey is an ongoing one! Thank you for being a part of mine, and for sharing yours with me! Love,Mary Helen
