Hey girl- you just have a baby? Pre-workout Postpartum Checklist
I'm sure you know if you recently had a baby that you need doctor's clearance before getting back into the fitness game (or at least you should know this part but if not, get that doctor's clearance!) but what are some other things that you should consider before jumping back into your pre-baby routine? I've got ya covered-
1) If you were working out through your pregnancy then I am sure you are no stranger to modifications. Well, expect those to still be your friend, at least for a little while. You want to make sure that your body is fully healed (especially your core) before you get back to banging big weights or hour long cardio sessions. So stick with your modified planks, push ups and burpees for the time being. This will help protect your vulnerable areas.
Speaking of, let's get into vulnerable areas real quick. You know your abs are shot (at least that's how you feel, like 'have I ever sat up before in my life?', 'how did I get out of bed?') but what about those less obvious areas like your lower back (either from weakness from pregnancy or soreness from an epidural), your tailbone (did ANYONE tell you your tailbone might be sore??) or just your joints in general? So take it slowly as you start back into your routine. You can always go up in intensity after a workout easier, than you can recover from an injury from a workout that was too hard.
2) You had a lot of pressure on your pelvic floor, for a long time. So allow some recovery time here as well. If you notice leaking during any specific exercises (jumping moves or running) then lay off these at least for the first couple weeks back. Allow your body time to heal itself along with your PF exercises that you should still be doing! Try to incorporate PF exercises into your workout so they don't get forgotten about. *If you still have leaking after a few weeks back then I would recommend talking to your doctor.
3) When you are working on core moves look out for coning! When you start to see coning that is an indication that you need to modify or take that exercise out. This goes for during pregnancy too!
4) Go at a pace that FEELS good. Your number one priority right now is that little baby that needs you. So start your exercise program back with the intention of getting stronger for that baby- not with the intention of losing baby weight quick. Think of it like this, it took you 9 months to put on that weight- so allow yourself that much time to get it off. If a year later you want some high intensity workouts to up your burn- I will be more than happy to load you up with them. But make sure your mind is in the right place when you start back. And that should be that this program is making you stronger, so that you can be a better mama!
We will go into different postpartum topics in the future but for now remember- MODIFY, start slow, be aware of vulnerable areas (and protect them), if you're leaking back it off, watch out for coning and make sure it feels good!
Have a strong (and leak-free) day mamas!
Coach Mel