Post-Pregnancy Fitness

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abok627
abok627 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all :) I just gave birth to my daughter on the 5th and am looking to get back in shape. However, I am not sure how much is too much. I was thinking of starting off with the 30 day walking challenge as my body heals, but as I was active during my pregnancy I am not sure that is enough to get me in shape. I also don't know when to join the gym - how do I judge when my body is ready? Thanks for all the help you can give me!

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  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
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    Only you can gauge that! Just listen to your body. Everyone's different
  • emilycarr71404
    emilycarr71404 Posts: 176 Member
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    I waited until I got the 6 week all clear from the doctor. You also need to consider how much sleep you are getting too. Is your baby keeping you up all the time? If so, then you need to wait until you get a little more sleep because you don't want to over stress your body with exercise when you are stressing it with lack of sleep. Now if your sweet one is sleeping all night already then I would say get the OK from the doc and go for the walking challenge. Congrats on the new baby and getting fit soon. (I waited until last month to start doing anything myself but have had a lo of success since then.)
  • maasha81
    maasha81 Posts: 733 Member
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    Well I had an emergency c-sec so had to wait till the doc cleared me but I did do very light walking. When he did clear me, I started with Jillian Michaels 30 day shred ..low impact at first and used light weights. I worked out when my son napped and those workouts were only 30 mins. I couldn't really eat at a deficit as I was breast feeding at the time but I wanted to be active. It really depends on you and your baby needs. I think it was easier for me as I was active throughout my pregnancy. Good luck.
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
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    Ah! Such a cutie!
    I third letting the doc clear you. Make sure to mention if you are breast feeding, getting no sleep etc. I had a section, but I was good to walk after the surgery. Hopefully you will be up and at em soon?
  • abok627
    abok627 Posts: 8 Member
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    Okay, I will check with my doc first. My baby sleeps pretty well but I would rather have the peace of mind that comes with a check. Thanks all :) also, crazyjerseygirl, thanks about the baby :)
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    Be sure you don't have diastasis recti and be careful with core exercises for the next month or 2.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    And congrats! You're baby looks beautiful!
  • rianoel
    rianoel Posts: 22 Member
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    Wait until the doc clears you. Otherwise you could end up a lot worse off. Then, start with walking and let your body be your guide. Also, what jennifershoo said. Diastasis recti requires a whole different exercise regime, and something like a shred would make you immensely worse. I did get permission for gentle walking in the hospital---asked before I was discharged.
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 528 Member
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    You had a baby nine days ago and are already thinking about exercise!?! Go you!! Yeah - get the all clear from your Dr. Then you have to gauge what you can do. I had a C-section in May of 2013 and I did a 5k that July, I think (about nine weeks post partum if I remember correctly). But I didn't do it very fast, that is for sure!! (And I was doing a lot of running before pregnancy and a little during. AND that C-section was WAY easier than my first.) It was really slow going. I mean Ssssslllllowwwwww. I could run a mile in 12 mins before pregnancy, but after - just running one minute was a struggle. I found it took a full year for my body to be back to normal after babies. Be kind to yourself. <3 Be very kind to yourself.
  • abok627
    abok627 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi all, okay, I definitely don't want to overdo it. Scraver2003, I find you brave for doing a 5k just two months after birth! To me, that's incredibly brave haha :) I will stick to the walking challenge for now until I manage to get checked out by the doctor. Thanks everyone.
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 528 Member
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    Oh! And congrats on your baby!!

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