Well, my little baby girl recently turned five months old and I cannot stress enough that exercise and sleep are what will get you through those first few months. I know it sounds crazy… new moms, you’re probably thinking something like, “when would I find the time to exercise, much less sleep?!” It’s not easy, but the payoff is exponential. Here’s how you get your pre-baby body back faster!
Getting Active & Staying Active
During my pregnancy, I kept up with light cardio on an elliptical, strength training, and incorporated prenatal Pilates as well. Exercise was a huge part of my preparation for delivering my first baby. It made all the difference in my recovery and helped me lose the baby weight quickly.
By the time my two-week checkup came after Rita was born, I was already back to my pre-pregnancy weight! So to all other expectant mothers, here are my tips to achieve the best possible recovery:
- Keep up with diet and exercise while pregnant
Find what works for you. Some mothers can run while pregnant; I could not. I kept up with my cardio workouts by hopping on the elliptical for 30 minutes a day or by taking a spinning class. Strength training and prenatal Pilates were incorporated in my workouts until I was in my 39th week.
Related: try out a Pilates session at FFC on us! Click here.
- Rest when you can
This is very important! I felt zero guilt when I would take my afternoon naps during that last week of pregnancy. Your body needs rest for the weeks ahead. Those long nights, whether you are breastfeeding or not, are exhausting. Sleep!
- Sleep when they sleep
After the baby arrives, maintain a similar schedule to your newborn. The more rested you are, the better you will feel and the more likely it will be for you to exercise.
- Early morning workouts are key
I found that if I woke up and fed Rita early in the morning, put her back to sleep and stayed up to work out, I was able to get it done and out of the way. If I waited to work out until the afternoon, it wouldn’t happen. Something else would always come up! So get up, get it done, and congratulate yourself. You’re doing an amazing job!
- Fight the cravings
Remember, you’re no longer eating for two. Breastfeeding does burn calories and you’ll feel hungry, but feed yourself with GOOD calories. What you eat is transferred to your little one, so make sure to stick with lean proteins, lots of veggies and limit your sugar intake (try some of these lower sugar recipes out!).
Whether it’s walking around the neighborhood with baby in tow or doing tricep dips in your living room with the little one in your lap, get yourself in motion. Your body wants to be strong and get back into shape. So keep modifying your workouts until you’re back at your previous fitness level.
From one strong mama to another, you’ve got this!
Post written by FFC contributor.
