My Postpartum Fitness Routine

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I’m finally getting this post up! Things with two toddlers and a newborn are more than busy. Its a straight-up balancing act. I’m chasing a naked two-year-old around with the newborn in one arm, a stuffed red dog under my other arm, a sippy cup in one hand and a diaper in the other. Total chaos. At other times, I’m sitting on the couch staring off, while ALL THREE BOYS ARE SLEEPING. I’m afraid to move. I know it won’t last…or will it? What should I do? What do I need to do? I had a list of things somewhere didn’t I???! My mother-in-law also just arrived, who is absolutely fabulous. She is the sweetest version of Paula Dean, cooking and all. This leaves very little time for any sort of post-partum fitness. The key is to choose very wisely what you do in the very few moments you have. That’s what I’ve learned works. Honestly, I can’t waste my time, so I do exercises that I know are gonna get the job done – fast. I want my tummy to hurry up and get back to where it was, and my booty to stop sagging and start popping. So, here’s what I do before the 6 week mark. Its not really a “workout,” its more of a maintenance fitness routine to help keep me from being totally jelly at the gym.

Since I wrote this post almost two years ago, I’ve developed my postpartum fitness and diet program that is a complete breastfeeding-focused meal plan for protecting milk supply while losing weight. i also go over more exercise to correct and repair your core and pelvic floor, as well as get back into fitness again with some great work outs!

I also highly recommend the app I’ve been using to stay fit beyond babies. They have a wonderful postpartum, stroller workout program, and it is great because it is all audio with great play lists! You just listen and go. No being stuck to watching a video! I highly encourage stroller workout program,

Here’s a screen shot of what the program looks like from my app!

I’ve recently wrote a post on how I lost all the baby weight by six weeks, and also the honest way to lose the pooch after babies. Super helpful tips when you are working on losing the baby weight!

My Postpartum Fitness Routine to Get Back To Pre-Baby Weight:

Front-Pack Squats:

I wear the baby a lot. So, I just start squatting away. I go for a minimum of 50. Yesterday I did 100 squats. It works so many muscles in one move, and you have a little extra weight from the baby, so its perfect. Squats use more muscles per move, so they get your heart rate up a bit as well. If 50 is easy, go for 150. If 50 sounds ludicrous, start with increments of 25. It all depends on the delivery you had and your fitness pre-birth. Feel your body out on the number of squats to do, then do it every day.

Protein Powder:

I wrote a long post on the cleanest protein powder I love for postpartum and breastfeeding. My favorite is the Milk Dust and it really helps me stay full, get something sweet and get a lot of super clean, organic nutrients in quickly. For busy moms, it’s such a helpful method of making sure your body is getting the nutrition it needs!  Big help when it comes to my fitness routine. If you want more information on protein powders, I talk about some of my favorites for breastfeeding moms, as well as how to choose the right protein powder to get you started! This is really important to keeping up your milk supply as you start working out, and this is what I DO! 

Pelvic Tilts with Kegels: 

This is super important to healing your body. Lie on your back, knees bent about shoulder-width apart. First, keep your spine in neutral position. You can tell you are in neutral position by placing your hands in a triangle shape on top of your hip bones and pubic bone area. Your pointer fingers come together at your pubic bone, and your thumbs touch in the middle of your hip bones. This triangle should be level. Not tilted up or down. Keep your hands there. Breath in, then as you exhale ONLY engage your pelvic floor (which basically just feels like your vagina). Squeeze and hold as long as you can without sucking in more air. Kegels should ONLY EVER be done on an exhale. Very important because those muscles are connected to your diaphragm. Do 10 of these, then move into a pelvic tilt, which is where you start with a kegel, then pull your abs in and tilt your pelvis up. DO NOT USE YOUR GLUTES! This is only for repairing and strengthening your pelvic floor and core.

Kitchen Lunges:

I don’t know why, but I do more lunges when I lunge around the kitchen. I usually have the front pack on, I can wipe down the counters while I do it, and I feel like I’m going somewhere. We have an island that I go around. Maybe you can go the length of your kitchen? The goal is about 12 lunges per side, each set. Do a set three times. Baby or not, that’s about as many as I do. Lunges also work a good amount of muscles at once, so it helps give your heart a boost, and you get more bang for your lunge buck.

Booty Activation:

I found a great video by Lyzabeth Lopez that covers flexing your behind. I actually like a lot of her videos, so I recommend checking her out. Booty activation helps encourage your posterior chain to correctly engage as you workout. This keeps you from building a lot of quads (thighs) and having a flat butt! 

Aaptiv App:

I am just signing up for their free trial, and I wish I had this sooner in my postpartum fitness journey. It is a great way to “do a workout class” without ever going anywhere, and it really is like a personal trainer in your ear. I recommend it because there are all sorts of beginner classes, that are just perfect for postpartum mamas just getting back into moving around. I will be writing a full review on it later this month, so stay tuned for that!

*update: I have now used Aaptiv for almost 2 years, and I LOVE IT!! Seriously, the best workout app for moms to use at home. HIIT, Stroller, Treadmill, Rowing, Running – EVERYTHING! 

Or, you can do my workouts in my program. They are HIIT-style and very efficient for limited time! This is a great way to go because I guide you on the diet portion, help you heal your abs to prepare for working out, then take you into fat-loss workouts! 

Here’s a workout video to do now!:

 

I also do some Pilates work here and there in the midst of these other moves. It depends on how much time I have. I try to do this Pilates video a few times a week! Who doesn’t love Blogilates? She actually came to Seattle a few months ago too, and I should’ve went, but of course I’m a mom, and attempting to go anywhere by myself is like orchestrating circus animals.

 

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