I’ve gotten so many questions about what my fitness routine looked like during the post partum period – when I started working out again, what workouts I’ve been doing, etc. Before I talk about what “post baby fitness” has looked like for me…please remember that every woman’s body is totally different and every woman’s recovery post baby looks completely different! I personally worked out 5-6 days a week throughout my entire pregnancy and had a complication-free labor…so my recovery process might be completely different than yours! Having said that though, today I want to talk about what “fitness” has looked like for me post baby.
First of all…I thought not working out for 6 weeks would KILL me and be the hardest thing in the world. I was shocked at how not hard it was haha, for the first 4 weeks for sure. I was (am) honestly so sleep deprived that the idea of working out was the furthest thing from my brain. Before having Shiloh, I was really into high intensity cardio workouts – flywheel classes, stairmaster, long runs, etc. I also did weight training, but cardio has always been my favorite. Those types of workouts (even if they were ‘allowed’ within that first 6 weeks) just sounded awful because I was so tired / didn’t have the energy for that. Before having Shiloh, “fitness” to me meant high intensity workouts – lots of sweat, high heart rate, etc.
After having Shiloh, my idea of “fitness” has definitely changed and looks a little different right now! When I was 4 weeks post partum, I talked to my doctor about starting to workout again. I wasn’t having any pain or bleeding. She said if I wanted to do some light weights, yoga, or low impact activity, that was fine. She said no running yet because…obvious reasons haha. So at four weeks I started doing some core workouts, went for longer walks with Shiloh (usually between 1-2 miles), and some strength training exercises. I love the post partum guide from Expecting and Empowered and highly recommend it! There are “exercises” you can start right after giving birth to help your pelvic floor recover, and strengthen your core. There’s also just a ton of information in that guide that I found very helpful in my recovery.
So before I hit that 4 week mark, I went for walks with Shiloh if the weather was nice, and followed the Expecting and Empowered post partum guide. I thought i would go crazy not working out but again, so sleep deprived and just obsessed with staring at Shiloh that it wasn’t bad at all. I also learned to think of “fitness” more as “what is best for my body right now?”, and I loved just going for a walk with Shiloh. I loved doing those E+E workouts because I knew those things were helping me recover, and just good for my sanity! I wasn’t really missing my spring interval runs or stairmaster workouts because I knew those things weren’t best for my body at that time.
I just hit my 6 week post partum mark last Saturday and was so excited to go for my first run! I got cleared by my doctor to start working out again, and she advised me to just take it slow and listen to my body. I went for my first run last Saturday and it was great! Definitely much slower than I used to run but overall, it felt so great to run again and my body responded really well to it.
I’m pretty sure I’ve tried just about every running shoe in the book, and I always go back to my favorites. The Adidas UltraBOOST 4.0 running shoe is definitely one of those faves! I LOVE how lightweight these shoes are. They are supportive yet not bulky which is almost impossible to find in a running shoe. These shoes are super comfortable, which is great for running but also makes them perfect for just about any workout, and wearing in everyday life! I wear these with leggings when I have a doctor’s appt or at the grocery store, going for walks around the neighborhood…they’re such a versatile shoe!
Even now that I’ve been “cleared” to start working out again, my workout routine looks nothing like it used to haha. First of all, I’m still pretty sleep deprived so that makes working out hard. Second of all, I no longer have an hour+ to spend at the gym everyday! So, if Shiloh is having a good day…I will nurse her, have some awake time, then put her down for a nap. And if she goes down okay, I’ll try to get a 45 minute workout in! Right now that looks like going for a run, doing a flywheel class on my flyanywhere bike, or doing some weight / strength training exercises in our home gym. I’m also really thinking about starting to do BBG! I love that those workouts are short yet effective.
Before having Shiloh, I would stress out if I didn’t get 5-6 workouts in every week. Not because I felt bad about myself, but because it’s something I just truly enjoy. Even though life with a newborn looks a little different, I still think its so important to prioritize health and fitness! It might not be an hour+ at the gym 6 days a week anymore…but I still think it’s so important to take care of and move my body, even if its just a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. I no longer think of a “workout” or “fitness” as a crazy sweat sesh or super high impact (even though yes, that obviously does count haha)…but rather I think of it as “how can I move my body today in a way that will be beneficial for my mind and body?”. Some days I don’t get a workout in at all because Shiloh doesn’t want to nap or because work takes priority or I’m too sleep deprived. But, I do my best to still make fitness a priority, even with a baby. Because I truly think it makes me the best version of myself I can be, and therefore the best mom to Shiloh I can be!
Outfit Details: Similar LS Tee Here and Here | Similar Leggings | Adidas UltraBOOST 4.0 Running Shoes
Any moms out there, how do you prioritize fitness with a baby?! If you have any tips I’d love to hear them in the comments below! And if you’re in need of a new pair of running shoes, I can’t recommend the Adidas ultraBOOST 4.0 running shoes enough. They are amazing quality and worth every penny! Thanks for reading!
This post was created in collaboration with Finish Line. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
xo Lauren
