Postpartum Exercise Plan

Emerald27

What is your plan for getting back in shape postpartum? I was just cleared to exercise again, so this is on my mind.

I'm thinking I'll start with walking every day and I might look for a Pilates class or something. I don't want to run or do anything too intense while I'm so heavy (still 200lbs) for fear of hurting my knees or something.

Dani0329

At 4 weeks pp I finally worked up the nerve to step on the scale. I have 25 lbs to lose. I'm disappointed, pre-pregnancy I worked out with a trainer twice a week and on my own twice and when I got my BFP I lasted 2 weeks and gave up.

I'm not cleared for exercise yet, but I'm going to try to make it to the gym on my own for two weeks with light cardio/lifting and then pick back up with a trainer. My brother is getting married in St.Lucia middle of Jan, lots of work to do!!

ETA: I love classes-Zumba, body combat, and kickboxing are my favorite!

ashie0610

I just started day one of couch to 5k. It's a great way to start out nice and slow if you're interested in running! I find it's the best way for me to burn calories quickly and also clears my head. You'll probably need a treadmill to get through winter though.

After a few weeks I plan to add in the 30 Day Shred and stick to 30 minute runs.

This is what helped me get back into shape with DS1.

mb314

I may start the 30 day shred this week, and start combining it with the treadmill or elliptical at the y. My main concern is that dS2 flips out any time he is not on my boob or asleep in the moby. I need to find anyway for him to be pacified for 30 minutes for me to work out. My Y has a place to watch kids but if they cry for more than 10 minutes, they come get you and DS2 cries constantly!!

I have 30 lbs to get rid of, 20 from ds1 and 10 from ds2. I don't lose weight from nursing, so I am really going to have to work at it. I'm trying weight watchers but I am hungry all the time and I am always over with my points. Ugh.

MuffinMom14

Emerald27 said:

What is your plan for getting back in shape postpartum? I was just cleared to exercise again, so this is on my mind.

I'm thinking I'll start with walking every day and I might look for a Pilates class or something. I don't want to run or do anything too intense while I'm so heavy (still 200lbs) for fear of hurting my knees or something.

There are people (Ok not many) that run marathons over 400 pounds. If you start with a program like couch to 5k, you are not likely to get hurt unless you have underlying issues with your knees. Even so, I did have knee issues and did the program to start running when I was around 190.

If you want to run. Not everyone likes it. Just saying it might not be an issue to start now. The key is to avoid too much too soon.

I'm full of info about training plans if you ever want to pick my brain!

MuffinMom14

ashie0610 said:

I just started day one of couch to 5k. It's a great way to start out nice and slow if you're interested in running! I find it's the best way for me to burn calories quickly and also clears my head. You'll probably need a treadmill to get through winter though.

After a few weeks I plan to add in the 30 Day Shred and stick to 30 minute runs.

This is what helped me get back into shape with DS1.

I can't wait to get back to it! I'm tempted to try a slow jog interval today on my walk

Emerald27

@SPurp13‌ I hate to exercise. Really loathe it. There are a million and ten things I'd rather be doing. That's why running appeals...I feel like it's a quick way to get in a bunch of exercise. Am I wrong about this?

Only once in my life have I run a full mile without stopping. Once. I have no idea if I could do it, but it might be worth a try. Pilates appeals because my belly is so squishy. I'm not sure walking or running would fix that.

I know nothing about exercising, but I want to lose weight (40lb goal) and be healthy, so I will gladly take any advice or tips you have to share!!

Emerald27

Also, I hate dieting. I think I would choose exercise over restricting calories. :P

ohioloveyou

Not cleared for exercise for a few more weeks, but I really just want to tone things up.  However my eating is out of control from breastfeeding, so I'll probably need to add cardio to make sure I don't actually gain, especially with the holidays coming up.

ashie0610

Emerald27 said:

@SPurp13‌ I hate to exercise. Really loathe it. There are a million and ten things I'd rather be doing. That's why running appeals...I feel like it's a quick way to get in a bunch of exercise. Am I wrong about this?

Only once in my life have I run a full mile without stopping. Once. I have no idea if I could do it, but it might be worth a try. Pilates appeals because my belly is so squishy. I'm not sure walking or running would fix that.

I know nothing about exercising, but I want to lose weight (40lb goal) and be healthy, so I will gladly take any advice or tips you have to share!!

You could try both! Pilates is great for the core but if you only do that you'll still have that squishy middle... Just with really strong abs underneath that you can't see! You'll need to do some form of cardio to burn off the fat that's covering the muscles. Cardio, like running is definitely a more efficient way to lose weight and get in shape quickly.

Don't worry if you haven't run far before either - C25K starts off with mostly walking with a few jogging intervals mixed in. And no one has to know how fast (or slow!) you go. You can start off with a quick walking pace and gradually in tease your speed. Before you know it you'll be running!

ashie0610

SPurp13 said:

ashie0610 said:

I just started day one of couch to 5k. It's a great way to start out nice and slow if you're interested in running! I find it's the best way for me to burn calories quickly and also clears my head. You'll probably need a treadmill to get through winter though.

After a few weeks I plan to add in the 30 Day Shred and stick to 30 minute runs.

This is what helped me get back into shape with DS1.

I can't wait to get back to it! I'm tempted to try a slow jog interval today on my walk

I couldn't wait either! My doc gave me the go-ahead at my 6 week check up and I vowed to start today. I can't believe how hard I had to work for just a few minutes of jogging though. :-/

Jesslynnsell

I want to pick back up with couch to 5k and start running again. Also, when I'm cleared to exercise I want to start taking Zumba classes again. My goal is to be teaching Zumba again by February. I'm signed up to lead part of a Zumbathon in March…so I have to be ready for that.

pnwlover12

Emerald27 said:

Also, I hate dieting. I think I would choose exercise over restricting calories. :P

Me too. And I hate "structured" exercise. I prefer things like yoga and hiking. I really need to find something though. I have the 30day shred and I'm scared of it. I bought it after I had my dd and threw up profusely after my first workout. Shit is hard.

Saragoeswest

@Emerald27 I know this goes against what some other bumpies have said, but the best place to deal with a squishy middle is in the kitchen. Yes, cardio is great for fat burning. But you get skinny in the kitchen but eating healthy foods. You get strong in your workouts. That's my fitness philosophy, at least. Even though I'm not concerned with "getting skinny," you get the point. A healthy diet helps you lose weight and a good workout regimen helps you get strong. Combine the two and you get fit. 

I'm stuck in the mothereffing box. 

CNJ4EVA

If this doesn't count, I got nothin'

Saragoeswest

Oh, to follow up my last reply-- last year when I was first getting started losing weight and getting in shape, I found a calorie counting app to be very helpful. I used Lose It. It takes a few weeks to get in the habit of logging but it really helped me to think about what I was eating. Once I was in the groove of eating well and working out consistently, I stopped using it. 

MuffinMom14

Emerald27 said:

@SPurp13‌ I hate to exercise. Really loathe it. There are a million and ten things I'd rather be doing. That's why running appeals...I feel like it's a quick way to get in a bunch of exercise. Am I wrong about this? Only once in my life have I run a full mile without stopping. Once. I have no idea if I could do it, but it might be worth a try. Pilates appeals because my belly is so squishy. I'm not sure walking or running would fix that. I know nothing about exercising, but I want to lose weight (40lb goal) and be healthy, so I will gladly take any advice or tips you have to share!!

Yes. It is a quick way to get a bunch of exercise, once you get into the swing of things. It's the only way I was able to lose 50 pounds, because I, too, HATE to diet. I can. I just hate it, and my body doesn't respond to it (bad genetics, history of restricted eating = no metabolism). 

I started Couch to 5K without ever running a mile. It starts out REALLY slowly. Like 30 seconds of running every 2 minutes of walking or so, and "running" can be as slow as you need. I mean, REALLY slow. People walked faster than I ran at first, but time is not the point. 

Running IS really good for the core if you do it with correct form (I don't).

I REALLY encourage you to check out Couch to 5K, I think now there are apps for it (I had to download the tracks on my MP3 player back in the day). And you can repeat weeks a million times if you want. It's not about finishing in a month or two. It's at your own pace.

https://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

angeltennis3

I plan to start doing longer walks in the mall in December at least 3-4 days a week. Then in January I hope to start couch to 5k. I did that the last time and loved it, and even followed it up with the bridge to 10k. I will need to join a gym with a childcare option though.

Emerald27

@SPurp13‌ Ok. I'm feeling super motivated!! I read all about Couch to 5K and I really want to give it a try! I think I'll start by just taking long walks this week and then start the actual program next week. Thank you!!

narabug

I don't really want to lose any weight (please don't hate me) but I do want to lose the stomach pouch. Anybody have suggestions for how to do that?

Klavanga74

Can't wait to get back to it, but still so tired! I'll go back to my old pregnancy workouts of lifting wrights and kettlebell swings. I'm a personal trainer/kettlebell instructor and functional movement specialist by trade. Just a piece of advice for everyone planning to run...please get some strength training in, too...specifically for your core. If you don't, your spine/discs take a beating. Both I and my business partner herniated discs by running with no core training after having babies ten years ago. It's how I got into my profession...trying to fix myself and I work with do many moms who have had similar issues. Not meaning to be on my soapbox, just want to save you the pain j went through!

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irisheyes317

I'm excited to start running again and get back into yoga and Pilates classes. I can't wait to get into the mommy and me classes at my local yoga studio while I'm still on leave.

I'm still 10 days away from my 6 week postpartum visit when I hope to get clearance to start exercising again. But, I started noticing more pain in my abdomen a few inches above my incision recently, and when I called the nurse help line at my doctors office, they said it sounded like I had overdone it too soon after my c-section. I'm still frustrated by that since I had been feeling better for weeks before that, and hadn't been doing much more than walking farther than usual and moving around the house. So, I'm not sure what that means for exercising after next week. Hope I can work up to it without aggravating the internal incisions.

2goingon3

I also love classes! I hate committing to any one thing because it gets boring. We've got a small gym set up in our basement (treadmill, weights) so I do that kind of stuff at home and then get out for hot yoga (love it!), Zumba, different exercise classes, and in the spring and summer I'll play soccer and softball.

My DH and I did get into running for a while, which he loves but I find to be incredibly boring. The only thing that kept me going at all was competing against him and his distances (it was a one way competition, lol)

MrsTinMKE

I am planning to start the couch to 5k as well. DH is doing this with me so hoping it will help me to stay accountable. I will also be adding some light weight training. Before pregnancy I was doing the insanity program and i was feeling great about my body and tone. Hoping to work my way up to that again.

bsquaredmsquared

Great topic! I'm 4 weeks pp after csection and worried that it will take some time before I can go back to my normal routine. I will focus on walking and tracking steps with my fitbit. When I feel stronger, I'd like to go back to spin and body pump.

Anyone have past experience with csection and weight training or more demanding training (kickboxing, Crossfit, etc...)? I'd be interested to hear how much time you needed to heal before you felt comfortable resuming tough workouts.

Would love to connect with others that use Fitbit from this group

LightBright515

Clean eating, cardio, and Pilates to repair my core muscles after being cut.

MrsSarahRenee

@SPurp13‌ alright you sold me. I am going to try couch to 5k. Will it make me hate running less?

Also, can I maybe do it while pushing DD in a stroller? Is that unreasonable to think I can do it?

I do like Yoga and Aerobics classes but I can't really afford gym memberships right now :-/

I was 23 lbs over my ideal weight when I got pregnant so I have some serious weight loss to do including my pregnancy weight gain.

Emerald27

@MrsSarahRenee‌ I'm starting C25K next Monday. Want to be "running buddies" and just kind of hold each other accountable? Anyone else planning to do the program is welcome to join in!

Also, it is my understanding that it's not safe to run with baby in the stroller until 6 months. Do some research and make your own informed decision, but I plan to get up before DH has to get ready for work 3 days a weeks so that I can take my half hour to exercise while he is with baby.

MrsSarahRenee

I laughed at myself for thinking I could run pushing something anyways!!

@emerald27 And yes let's be buddies! Tag me in an update on your workout on Monday so i don't slack!!
I will have to figure out when I can fit in work outs. How many days a week does couch to 5k recommend doing their exercises? @SPurp13‌

Emerald27

@MrsSarahRenee The plan involves 3 days per week for 20-30 minutes. I'm planning MWF at 5:30am. Hoping that's not too ambitious! Will definitely let you know Monday how it went and see how you're doing too! I downloaded the app, which looks super easy and helpful. Can't wait to get started!

MrsSarahRenee

Emerald27 said:

@MrsSarahRenee The plan involves 3 days per week for 20-30 minutes. I'm planning MWF at 5:30am. Hoping that's not too ambitious! Will definitely let you know Monday how it went and see how you're doing too! I downloaded the app, which looks super easy and helpful. Can't wait to get started!

3 days is doable!! Let's do this!!!! My MIL did it and she actually ran a 5k a few times. I may try to start Wed if my mother comes over. I will have to see what the weather is like though. I don't have a treadmill.

MuffinMom14

Emerald27 said:

@SPurp13‌ Ok. I'm feeling super motivated!! I read all about Couch to 5K and I really want to give it a try! I think I'll start by just taking long walks this week and then start the actual program next week. Thank you!!

Keep us posted on your progress! There are several runners on the board. I would stay a running check in but I'm not sure there's enough of us and maybe it should just be a general workout thread.

I'm thinking about starting to jog short intervals tomorrow. I'm not sure I'm ready to run. My legs and lungs are ready. But my core is still really weak from the c section and I pulled a side muscle a week ago that won't heal. I'm SO ready.

MuffinMom14

@Emerald27 Also, get a good pair of shoes! It can make all the difference in your progress and recovery between runs. If you can, get fitted at a running store that will watch you walk to fit you in the right shoe. If you can't do that, at least try to get one of the big three--Asics, Saucony, or Brooks. Those, in my opinion, are the top 3 brands of running shoes. New Balance is also good.

I found a model I love and I get old versions on ebay for 60 bucks (I used to run so many miles I needed new shoes every other month) instead of the newest one for 140. I like the Asics gel series--the Nimbus.

slsl509

Did C25K and still hated running but I'm glad I could say that I gave it my best shot. It really did get me to be able to run any sort of distance (hey, 5K is a distance to me) and I did several runs from 5K-5 miles and was legitimately able to run them which I completely credit to the program.

I am so deconditioned it is ridiculous. I didn't do shit when pregnant and I can feel it now.  This is the worst shape I have been in in my life even though my weight isn't the highest it has been. I have a really nice elliptical and need to try to do that when DS isn't on the teat. Which I guess would be right now.

I hate exercising. People always say to find something you love but I hate it all.

Emerald27

@SPurp13 DH was a runner (cross country) and loves Asics. I didn't even think of shoes. Mine are some Walmart cheapies...will see what I can do before Monday. Thanks!

I'll definitely keep you posted on my progress. It will help keep me going. You seem to be the board exercise guru...care to post a weekly health and fitness checkin?

MuffinMom14

Emerald27 said:

@MrsSarahRenee The plan involves 3 days per week for 20-30 minutes. I'm planning MWF at 5:30am. Hoping that's not too ambitious! Will definitely let you know Monday how it went and see how you're doing too! I downloaded the app, which looks super easy and helpful. Can't wait to get started!

Yup, 3 days a week. But if you need to repeat weeks, do it! Who cares how many weeks it takes?

slsl509

Also agree completely about getting fitted for running shoes. I never had one day of shin splints when running or hip pain which I think was because of the nice running Saucony shoes I bought.

MuffinMom14

Emerald27 said:

@SPurp13 DH was a runner (cross country) and loves Asics. I didn't even think of shoes. Mine are some Walmart cheapies...will see what I can do before Monday. Thanks!

I'll definitely keep you posted on my progress. It will help keep me going. You seem to be the board exercise guru...care to post a weekly health and fitness checkin?

I will if people are interested in that business.

Emerald27

SPurp13 said:

Emerald27 said:

@SPurp13 DH was a runner (cross country) and loves Asics. I didn't even think of shoes. Mine are some Walmart cheapies...will see what I can do before Monday. Thanks!

I'll definitely keep you posted on my progress. It will help keep me going. You seem to be the board exercise guru...care to post a weekly health and fitness checkin?

I will if people are interested in that business.

I bet there would be, and as more and more of us are cleared to exercise, the thread would become more popular. Even if just a few of us participated, it would still be worth it, right? ;;)

MrsSarahRenee

Emerald27 said:

SPurp13 said:

Emerald27 said:

@SPurp13 DH was a runner (cross country) and loves Asics. I didn't even think of shoes. Mine are some Walmart cheapies...will see what I can do before Monday. Thanks!

I'll definitely keep you posted on my progress. It will help keep me going. You seem to be the board exercise guru...care to post a weekly health and fitness checkin?

I will if people are interested in that business.

I bet there would be, and as more and more of us are cleared to exercise, the thread would become more popular. Even if just a few of us participated, it would still be worth it, right? ;;)

Yes!