Getting Fit after Pregnancy - My Journey

Getting active after Thomas' arrival has come in phases. The first few weeks I spent healing and adjusting to being a mom. Once I was up for it Kevin and I started to go for walks again. I didn't want to push myself too hard but I felt it was important to get my body moving. At the 6 week mark I was able to start working out again so I was excited to get back to feeling fit.

I cancelled my gym membership near the end of my pregnancy because once we move at the end of this month I will have access to a new gym. My cardio pre-pregnancy was walking or jogging and I'm hoping to start jogging with the stroller soon. At the moment I really want my workouts to be fun and quick because let's be honest, I'm tired and if I had my way I would just be doing a whole lotta sleeping. I know myself and if I try to get too intense with my workouts too quickly I will rebel and end up on the couch with netflix and candy. To those of you who are able to kick butt at the gym right away, high five!

Here are some ways I am getting moving again in hopes to feel energized and fit again soon:

1) Dancing with Baby: This is my personal favourite. Thomas loves dancing around with me and when he's happy, I'm happy haha.

2) At home workout "DVDs": As I mentioned before, I wanted to make sure my workouts weren't going to be a chore. When I was looking at possible workouts to download, I was happy to discover the Jillian Michaels kickboxing series. They are 20 minutes and actually a lot of fun. While I'm sure I am horrible at them, kickboxing has always interested me so I'm really enjoying them!

3) Resistance bands: I randomly found mine at Forever 21 but I've seen them at a variety of places. They are inexpensive, don't take up a lot of room and are quick to use. My lower body is always a problem area so I will sometimes do a quick little workout with them during one of Thomas' naps. I also have weights at home but I find myself reaching for the bands more.

4) Exercises with Baby: Thomas loves (and I mean LOVES) to be held and so I try to do little workouts throughout the day while carrying my little 12 lb chubster. There are a lot of ways to incorporate baby into your workouts on Pinterest but so far I've only held him while doing some squats and lunges. As of now these little workouts aren't scheduled or planned. I'll just throw some squats in when I get up to get a glass of water (for example). As I get stronger I'm sure I'll put together some sort of workout plan.

5) My fitbit: I could talk about why I love my fitbit for hours, so let me know if you'd like me to do a post on that, but it helps keep me accountable. Before Thomas, I would get an average of 18,000 steps a day so right now I am just focused on trying to get 10,000 steps again. While Kevin and I still love our walks, I spend a lot of time sitting while breast feeding (this boy eats a LOT) so I really have to focus to get all the steps in. My fitbit really motivates me to get out and get walking. Sometimes I'll carry Thomas during our walks in a carrier so I have an adorable little 12 pound weight  with me.  I'm going to slowly start building up to jogging again as well.
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I try to remind myself that it took 9 months for my body to create this adorable little human so I won't be able to get back into shape overnight. As I get stronger and stronger again I am excited to up the intensity of my workouts. I also know that my body may never look exactly the same as before so my focus has been on feeling good and less about a particular size. But, if I'm going to be completely honest, I do hope my old clothes will eventually fit because I definitely don't have the budget for a whole new wardrobe haha.

Getting fit and feeling good after pregnancy will be a journey but I'm so happy I get to bring Thomas along for the ride.

I feel the need for a disclaimer here. I am not a personal trainer or an expert. These are just some fun and easy ways I am trying to get back into shape after giving birth.

In case you're wondering why I didn't mention nutrition, which is extremely important, it's because I have a whole post coming about health(ish) eating. Stay tuned!