Tag: hormonal changes

So you just spent 280 days (give or take a week or two) growing a whole entire human from scratch and bringing it into the world via your very own body. Congratulations!

Now, when will you lose the baby weight? Ah yes, the graceless, tired old question many of us are asked, often far too soon and with far too little kindness. Sometimes, this question even comes up in our own minds, perhaps still lacking the deserved kindness.

We have a culture obsessed with the human body – especially the female body – and its physical appearance. Here at the fitness cult, however, our focus is and always will be primarily on your overall health: seeking FUN, fitness, and community. Our goal of getting back on track after baby centers not around the number on the scale or the size of your jeans, but on creating a routine that encourages movement in a realistic and enjoyable way, and allows you to prioritize your mental health as well as taking care of your body.

Your body goes through a myriad of physical and hormonal changes throughout pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum recovery. (For more on the changes that happen during pregnancy, check out our last post Understanding Your Body: Changes to Expect During Pregnancy). First and foremost, the most important part of postpartum health is allowing your body ample time to heal physically, and readjust to changing hormone levels. For most vaginal deliveries, this typically means about a 6-week recovery time with little to no structured exercise; and cesarean deliveries typically require at least 8 weeks. It can take 6-18 months for the body to readjust hormonally.

**Disclaimer:** It is important to consult with a qualified medical professional before resuming exercise following childbirth. Each postpartum journey is unique, and your healthcare provider can offer personalized guidance based on your individual health needs. Always prioritize the advice and discretion of your medical providers when planning your postpartum fitness routine.

As your body and hormones begin to return to normal, focus on building a fitness routine that allows you time to nurture yourself, practice mindfulness, restore core and pelvic floor strength, and support your mental well-being. This can be difficult to do with a newborn – not to mention if you have other, older kids as well – and with balancing other responsibilities; such as cooking, tending the house, and returning to work if applicable. Ultimately, the most important part of any postpartum fitness routine is to make it conducive to your life and needs!

Understanding Postpartum Recovery

The postpartum period, sometimes also referred to as the “fourth trimester,” lasts about 12 weeks; although there are many variables that can factor into aspects of postpartum recovery and its full duration.

The postpartum period sees the sharpest drop in hormone levels, namely estrogen and progesterone, that the human body will ever experience. Since estrogen acts as a natural mood-booster and stress-reducer, having dramatically lowered levels can lead to feelings of anxiety, irritability, or general unease. Estrogen is also essential to brain functionality; lowered levels can cause brain fog and persistent feelings of fatigue – even with adequate sleep.

In addition to navigating these hormonal changes, the body is also working hard to repair an internal wound the size of a dinner plate on the uterus wall (where the placenta was previously attached), as well as shrink the uterus back down to its normal size. It’s important to take the necessary time to allow your body to heal physically, as well as being gentle and kind with yourself as you try to regain a sense of normalcy for your changing hormone levels.

During the immediate postpartum period, focus on gentle movements, such as walking or light stretching, and mindfulness for your exercise routine. Remember to take things slowly and give yourself plenty of grace and space to heal!

7 Essentials for a Successful Postpartum Exercise Routine

1. Setting Realistic Goals

It’s great to shoot for the moon, but having goals that are too out of reach or unrealistic can be discouraging and frustrating! When beginning or restarting your fitness routine postpartum, create goals that feel reasonable and achievable, and that center around your overall health and wellness rather than trying to hit a target number.

Looking for some help

setting realistic goals?

Contact us to work with

Kailey, our ACE Certified

Personal Trainer with a

specialized education in

pre- & postnatal fitness

Knowing what is reasonable and achievable can be hard, however, especially as you adjust to your body’s ongoing physical and hormonal changes. Working with a personal trainer, particularly one who specializes in pre- and postnatal fitness, is extremely beneficial in identifying what you and your body need on a personal level.

It’s also important to set both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals may look like “I will go for a walk with my baby 4 times this week,” while a long-term goal takes more time and continued effort to reach (i.e., “I will lose 15lbs in 3 months”). Check out our post on SMART Goals for more help identifying and creating goals for your fitness routine!

2. Listening to Your Body

Your body has been through a lot of grueling physical changes and exertion, and it will take time to get back to your prior levels of output. Prioritize listening to your body’s signals and honoring what your body needs each day.

While your body is strong, resilient, and capable of rising to challenges and crushing your goals, it is also deserving of rest, respect, and receiving gentleness. Your body will send clear signs of what is too much for its current state of healing; such as feelings of extreme soreness or fatigue, dizziness or lightheadedness, or running out of fuel. Always respect and follow what your body is telling you, and be mindful to heed any restrictions or advice given by your healthcare team around your exercise routine.

Focus on starting with a little movement each day and building up to 30-minutes of moderate intensity activity 5 times a week.

3. Creating a Workout Plan

Having a workout plan in place helps keep you accountable and on-track to reach your goals! A good workout plan includes the type of workout you plan to do, the time (and day/s) you plan to do them, and solutions to possible obstacles that may derail your plan.

For example, you may plan to walk for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings with your newborn after dropping your older kids off at school and during baby’s naptime. You have a clear goal of what type of exercise you’ll do, when you’ll do it, and have planned for a time when you can make this work because other distractions have been minimized.

Walking with your baby is a great way to get back into your fitness routine as well as stimulating your baby’s development! This is also why we love our Mommy & Me Fitness Classes – incorporating and including your baby in your workout time helps you to create the time and space to take care of yourself while taking care of your new little one!

4. Building a Support System

They weren’t lying when they said it takes a village! Don’t shy away from asking for help from your partner, family, friends and neighbors to support your postpartum recovery. This could look like asking a family member or friend to watch your baby so you can focus on your workout for an hour, or asking them to join you during your workout to help keep you accountable!

Yet another reason why we love our Mommy & Me classes is for the built-in community they provide! Having a network of other parent-friends who understand the unique struggles that come with parenting babies through different stages is invaluable; not only for the accountability to your fitness goals, but for your mental health as well!

If you’re unsure where to start looking for a Mommy & Me class, check out your local library and community center – many offer different classes and groups, and can connect you with other resources as well.

5. Getting Nutrition for Postpartum Recovery

It can be tempting to start dieting, fasting, or juice-cleansing to jumpstart postpartum weight loss, but resist the urge to do so and instead focus on having a well-balanced diet rich in nutrients. This will support your body’s postpartum recovery as well as lead to healthy and sustainable weight loss – particularly fat loss.

Receiving adequate calories and nutrients is essential to healing and recovery, and is of particular importance for breastfeeding mothers to maintain their milk supply. In general, women should never consume less than 1,200 calories per day; breastfeeding women need an additional 500 calories per day and should strive for no less than 1,800 calories per day. Always consult with a nutritionist or registered dietitian to find an appropriate diet and caloric intake for your specific needs.

General information on nutritional needs for postpartum and breastfeeding women can be found here from the CDC. Also, check out this neat caloric needs calculator that takes milk production into consideration!

6. Prioritizing Mental Health and Wellness

In addition to the hormonal changes in the postpartum period affecting your mental health, new parents are also adjusting to a major life change – and doing it all with not nearly enough sleep!

It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed, emotional, stressed out, exhausted, and angry during the postpartum period. This does not at all take away from the love and happiness you experience with your new baby and does not mean that you aren’t still enjoying motherhood and this season. It is so important to practice compassion with yourself and allow yourself to experience the range of emotions and feelings as they come up without judgment.

Mindfulness, meditation, and journaling are all excellent ways to tend to your mental health in the postpartum period. If you haven’t heard of the Canopie app for mental health in motherhood, check it out here – it’s filled with mental health programs as well as other resources and care providers.

If you are concerned that you may be struggling with postpartum anxiety or depression, don’t hesitate to reach out. You’re not alone 🤍

• Call the Postpartum Support International HelpLine 1-800-944-4773
  • Or Text “Help” to 800-944-4773
• Maternal Mental Health Hotline – Call or Text 1-833-943-5746
• Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

7. Celebrating Your Progress

The hormonal changes that occur in the postpartum period. combined with the lack of sleep, make it extremely difficult to lose weight. Remember that big goals take time to reach, which is why it is important to set short-term goals and celebrate yourself as you reach them!

Keeping a fitness journal or using an app to log your workouts can help you to not only stay accountable to your workout plan, but also allow you to mark clear goals and reflect on your accomplishments. You can also create your own reward system, with opportunities to celebrate your progress as you reach milestones. Some non-food related motivational rewards include:

• new workout outfit
• new workout shoes
• exercise accessories like phone holders, hats, running belts, or yoga mats
• new water bottle
• sports treatments such as massage or hydrotherapy
• spa treatments such as mani/pedi’s or facials

You’re working hard to reach your goals, remember to stop and appreciate all that you have accomplished and all that your body is capable of!

Types of Postpartum Exercises

When approaching your postpartum fitness routine, remember that everyone’s journey is unique, and it’s all about moving at your own pace while having fun. We’d love to hear your stories—share your postpartum fitness experiences and tips in the comments below! Let’s lighten the load together and support each other in this wild ride of motherhood. You’ve got this!