Postnatal Fitness (Aka How to Get Your Body Back)

Hey friends!  Life as a new mom is tough and one of the last things I want to worry about right now is how can I get my body back in shape after baby?  Well, luckily I have an expert like Dave Smith to offer me a little bit of guidance and to take the questions out of postnatal fitness.  Read on to find out more about getting back in shape after baby!

Having a baby can be one of life’s most exciting moments. You are creating a life and beginning a new stage of your own life. But, the process of having your baby…well, let’s just say it comes with some baggage.

For nine months your body is being altered. Your bone structure is changing, muscles are stretching, and internal organs are preparing for the birth process. While this is all necessary, it can leave even the fittest women feeling like they have just taken a huge step backwards in terms of their personal fitness.

Now what?

How do you, as a new mom, safely get back into shape? What exercises should you be doing? When should you be doing them? And how long will it take to reclaim your pre-pregnancy body?

If any of those thoughts are going through your head then just know that you’re not alone. In working with hundreds of new moms over the years, I learned that there is a lot of information out there (thanks to the internet!) that talks about post-pregnancy fitness. Unfortunately, a lot of this information is incomplete, and is sometimes just plain dangerous.

That’s why we created this Definitive Guide to Postpartum Exercise. It’s a summary of a course we teach to new moms that provides guidelines for safe exercise post-pregnancy. It’s broken down into three 6-week stages that will gently help your body heal, recover, and be re-introduced to exercise.

The most important thing to remember when following any exercise plan, especially for new moms who had a cesarean section or tough birth process, is to listen to your body. Some moms find that 6 weeks in the first stage isn’t long enough – that’s okay! Others heal quickly and can progress through the second stage in less than 6 weeks – great! I know it can be tempting to jump right back to where you left off before having your baby but the risk of injury is not worth it. Please take your time.

With that being said, hopefully you find this program to be helpful in regaining your body and getting back your fitness!

BIO
Dave Smith has been a personal trainer since 2001 and was recently named “Top Fitness Professional in Canada”. Dave offers free online fitness training at Make Your Body Work and also spends much of his time helping other personal trainers improve their training techniques and business success. Check out his free resources, videos, and fitness programs at makeyourbodywork.com.