My body doesnt work anymore

Peachesanddinosaur
Peachesanddinosaur Posts: 15 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 29. I had a very difficult pregnancy and post partum recovery. Recently I've been trying to start moving again but the challenge has been enormous. I feel broken, like my body will never work again.

Before pregnancy, I could run, jump, and exercise regularly like eg Zumba. Now I can barely move, everything feels like its met with resistance. I even sprained my foot just by going on walks.

Is there any hope? Has anyone else encountered this?

Replies

  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited May 2021
    I hope you're still working with your medical professionals but it's going to take time for overall healing and recovery. We don't know if this is very recent but your quality of nutrition matters, too. Make sure that your calories are not too low. 1500 may not be enough while you're taking care of your child. Eat at your maintenance level until you can get back on your feet. Trying to do everything at once may be too overwhelming right now.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Don't expect to return to your pre-pregnancy abilities immediately. Just build up slowly like you're a beginner and you'll get there soon enough.
  • owen1826
    owen1826 Posts: 53 Member
    How recently did you give birth? Your joints are extra mobile and loose for a long time after giving birth from hormones, so be extra careful. Be patient and give it time, build up slowly. You’ll get there. I also sprained my ankle after giving birth. But I am now stronger and fitter than ever.
  • Lhenderson923
    Lhenderson923 Posts: 102 Member
    I’m also curious when your baby was born? I had my first child 4 months ago. I didn’t begin any exercise until about 4 weeks pp and that was just super light walking. I had a very slow, painful recovery and even after being cleared at 6 weeks I was definitely no where near ready to do more than light walking. Around 8 weeks pp I began doing some low impact cardio through YouTube videos. Starting low impact and simple was so important for me to be able to start getting back in shape. I also started to slowly reincorporate basic bodyweight strength training a few times a week. Even at 4 months pp I am no where near my previous endurance and strength. But, I am still recovering from giving birth- sticking to low impact as I had some issues with my pelvic floor. You definitely can not expect to get back to your prepregnancy fitness level immediately, especially while juggling your new demands as a mother and body changes.
  • Peachesanddinosaur
    Peachesanddinosaur Posts: 15 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Did you have some bloods lately? How are your iron (especially feritine) and Vitamin B12 (gas and air inactivates all B12 in your body, when you need it most). What about other bloods?

    I did! Everything was great. Even my b12.
  • Peachesanddinosaur
    Peachesanddinosaur Posts: 15 Member
    Lhenderson923 wrote: »
    I’m also curious when your baby was born? I had my first child 4 months ago. I didn’t begin any exercise until about 4 weeks pp and that was just super light walking. I had a very slow, painful recovery and even after being cleared at 6 weeks I was definitely no where near ready to do more than light walking. Around 8 weeks pp I began doing some low impact cardio through YouTube videos. Starting low impact and simple was so important for me to be able to start getting back in shape. I also started to slowly reincorporate basic bodyweight strength training a few times a week. Even at 4 months pp I am no where near my previous endurance and strength. But, I am still recovering from giving birth- sticking to low impact as I had some issues with my pelvic floor. You definitely can not expect to get back to your prepregnancy fitness level immediately, especially while juggling your new demands as a mother and body changes.

    I just turned 14mpp. I started trying to move at 10mpp, which is when I kept getting injured. Now I'm trying again at a very basic level; just some daily stretches and light walking.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,213 Member
    Peachesanddinosaur wrote: »
    Lhenderson923 wrote: »
    I’m also curious when your baby was born? I had my first child 4 months ago. I didn’t begin any exercise until about 4 weeks pp and that was just super light walking. I had a very slow, painful recovery and even after being cleared at 6 weeks I was definitely no where near ready to do more than light walking. Around 8 weeks pp I began doing some low impact cardio through YouTube videos. Starting low impact and simple was so important for me to be able to start getting back in shape. I also started to slowly reincorporate basic bodyweight strength training a few times a week. Even at 4 months pp I am no where near my previous endurance and strength. But, I am still recovering from giving birth- sticking to low impact as I had some issues with my pelvic floor. You definitely can not expect to get back to your prepregnancy fitness level immediately, especially while juggling your new demands as a mother and body changes.

    I just turned 14mpp. I started trying to move at 10mpp, which is when I kept getting injured. Now I'm trying again at a very basic level; just some daily stretches and light walking.

    That sounds like a good plan. Much progress can come from patience, coupled with keeping up a small, manageable amount of continuing challenge, even as the "challenge horizon" moves forward as we slowly get fitter.

    You're still young (context: I'm 65), so you have every reasonable expectation of a long future in which you can
    make patient progress.

    Personally, I was mostly inactive until my mid-40s, and *very* depleted when I started becoming routinely active at that point (just out of surgery/chemo/radiation for stage 3 (advanced) cancer, obese, recently diagnosed hypothyroid, already with arthritis and a torn meniscus, among other things). Now, at 65, my Garmin fitness tracker estimates my cardiovascular fitness age at 20 (which is ridiculous, and I don't take it literally, but it's still sorta gratifying), I have age-group medals in my sport (rowing), and I'm definitely stronger and more active than the average woman of my age, plus at a healthy weight for 5+ years now. I never would've dreamed, at 45, that any of that was even remotely possible.

    With patience and persistence, I predict that you, too, can surprise yourself with where you end up.

    Recommendation: Lose the "my body doesn't work anymore" conceptual frame, think "I'm going to find my way around, over or through any obstacles to make steady progress despite them, even if slowly". You'll do fine.

    Best wishes!
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    Be kind to yourself and give yourself some grace. Your body absolutely will work again, but pregnancy (especially if you weren't exercising regularly throughout pregnancy) can be kind of traumatic to our bodies, and in your case it sounds that it was definitely traumatic. Because of all the changes that occur, it will take longer to regain strength after pregnancy than if you had just stopped exercising for awhile.

    Have you worked with a physical therapist specializing in post-partum recovery? Because you said yours was difficult, I'm wondering if there are issues like diastasis recti that's going on. That would make it even more difficult to resume the activities you were once able to do, even "simple" things like walking around the block. Your core supports you for so many things, and if it's really weak from not only pregnancy (even more so if you've had a c-section) but any other damage that may have occurred, you may start to compensate with other parts of your body (hence the sprained ankle). I'm not a professional, but do have a lot of knowledge about muscle imbalance/weakness and compensation in other areas from my own issues and working with PT's (both professionally and personally).

    I had c-sections and initially thought I wouldn't be able to ever be as strong, especially in my core. However, almost 10 years after having my 2nd child, I'm stronger than I ever was. I've had to go to physical therapists for chronic back issues that may or may not have been worsened by pregnancy/c-sections, but I've managed to (for the most part) overcome those. I've had to accept what will never be like it was before kids (like the lower stomach pooch and extra abdominal skin), but I also had to convince myself that I absolutely could get in good shape.

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