Okay, can we please talk about Postpartum Fitness & Body Image?
I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the pressure I keep seeing out there for postpartum mommas to work out ASAP….. IT’S NOT OKAY.
Going through a pregnancy and having a baby is an intense, body-altering event. One that requires strict healing of an internal wound left by the placenta that is not playing around.
Before the 6 week mark, there can be GENTLE stretching that occurs, yet I keep seeing fitness gurus suggesting moms doing intense cycling and other insane things during this time. Just no.
It takes 9+ months to grow a baby, and it can very well take that amount of time for our bodies to “bounce back”. But what if they never do? That’s okay too! Because we are more, so much more, than just our level of fitness. Yes, breastfeeding and genetics can contribute greatly to our weight going down, but that isn’t always the case. And that’s okay.
Have you experienced that high that tells you, “I just had a baby, I’m amazing, and I’m just going to throw on whatever because I have bigger fish to fry”? If you know, you know. It’s a really great feeling.
Basically I’m just here to tell you to keep your head up, and when the time comes that you are medically cleared to work out, do what you ENJOY. Not “I should do crunches during my baby’s nap time”. Maybe some days that will happen. But it shouldn’t on the days where you haven’t slept at all and your body is begging you to sit down.
What might benefit you more in multiple ways, is taking your baby on a walk to enjoy the fresh air, not to push your body to the max.
Please, please don’t miss out on the now because of all of the “shoulds” you hear from others or your own mind.
You are doing okay because you love your baby.
Okay, I know after that rant I should probably leave you with some action steps. So here are some REALISTIC, gentle postpartum stretches to do while you are recovering.
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