Q and A: Starting Over After Baby
22 01 2009
Hola. I need some advice on starting my fitness routine over. I had a baby 3.5 months ago. Prior to getting pregnant, I was working out 6 days a week, doing a three-day split on ST, and 3 days of cardio. I was eating clean. I was feeling good and lookin good. Then I got knocked up and made excuses to not work out, got gestational diabetes and gained a whopping 56 lbs. The kicker? Only 22 of it has “magically” melted off as everyone promised it would. I was 20 lbs overweight to start. So my goal now is 55 lbs lighter than my current weight.
So I’m training to run a 12K May 18, and a half-marathon in October. I started a walk/run program last week, which consists of 30-40 mins of intervals 2x a week, then 40-50 mins on the weekend, gradually increasing the amount of time you run vs. walk. I started last week and am astonished with how out of shape I am. The good news is I’m feeling great about getting back into it.
So here’s my actual question: when do I start S(trength) T(raining) again? I’m nervous about jumping into my old routine because well, it was a little insane, and obviously I’m not at the level I used to be. Should I just start with basics, i.e. squats, lunges, deadlifts, bicep curls, tricep dips, etc. ? Should I wait until I have two weeks of 3x cardio, or should I get back in asap?
Thanks in advance!
Heather
Got “knocked up.” I love it. Ive never had a kid, and am not sure I even want to, but the fact a mom doesn’t refer to their child as a blessing every other second makes me believe there is hope for me.
Anyways- you want to clear it with your doctor before you start strength training again (and hopefully you did about the running as well) but as long as you get the go ahead, you should start strength training again! Everyone needs to strength train, so as long as a medical professional doesn’t tell you not to, you are fine.
I wouldn’t jump right back into the same routine. As beautiful of an experience as having a baby is (how can anything that involves a placenta be beautiful?) it wreaks havoc on your body. You might find that you are working with a body you don’t even know anymore, so taking int through a rough workout right off that bat isnt a good idea. You know how sore you get the first workout back from a week long vacation? Well, imagine that, times however many weeks its been since you worked out. You want to start slow and listen to your body. I owuld start with the basics, and if you feel fine, progress from there.
A big issue with having the baby, is sometimes your abs pull apart. I cant for the life of me remember what its called and am too lazy to google it (dias-something abdominus? recti? something like that- if you know, let me know) but its important to specifically train to build the abs back together. Most of the time it can be done by physically holding the abs together with your hands while you do crunches, but check with your doctor to be sure.
Oh, and Im supposed to say congrats, too, huh? Or is 3.5 months too old for a congrats. I don’t know the etiquette. I know 16 is too old. “How old is your boy? 16? Congratulations.”
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Your abs pull apart?!? Holy shit. Geez the more I learn, the more okay I am with waiting another year…
hehehe..great post Kelly, and great cartoon!
Your abs pull apart? Eeeeeeek! Ok, reminder to refill my birth control prescription ASA- FREAKIN-P.
it doesnt always happen! But sometimes. I dont think it hurts or anything, it just makes it poochy lookin’. You can fix it though. But still- no thank you.
oh. well mine already look poochy, so whatevs.
You know that book that shows how to strength-train using your cat as a dumbbell? This question made me imagine doing that with a baby. Just plain wrong but I’d bet someone could make a profitable “awww, wat’s cute!” book out of it (Anne Geddes, perhaps).
haha! kelly great advice!
when i was a new mom, i started walking after 3 weeks. then when my daughter was about 2 months old i started doing yoga and added in pilates. i didnt have to do much after that, i was a broke 19 year old.. and i went back to waitressing.. so yes.. my weight magically melted off and then some from running around waitressing!
i did however get a hernia from doing too much heavy lifting so soon after having a baby.. so lets hope her baby does not weigh 55 pounds anytime soon..
congrats to the new mom!
The problem is called “diastasis recti.” Here is a good Q&A on diagnosing the probelm and how to fix it:
http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/baby/My-abdominal-muscles-separated-during-pregnancy–how-can-I-fix-this-302.htm
This is fairly common since 1/3 of pregnancy experience the ab muscles separation. Women who experience rapid growth of their stomachs during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from separated ab muscles. Women with particularly weak abdominal muscles may also end up with a split between the left and right side of the rectus abdominus.
So the important things to remember is to: 1. get to your healthy weight BEFORE pregnancy. 2. strengthen your core BEFORE pregnancy. and 3. gradually gain the pregnancy weight (pregnancy is not an excuse to eat everything!).
Heather must be pretty sore from beginning to run again as well. I had to start over once after an injury lay-off, and it was awwwfullll.
oh, how i can so relate! It’s tough to get your pre-preg body back but it can be done. Work hard, eat clean, and try to get enough sleep. And in the meantime, snuggle that little baby because they grow up way too fast.
(yes, they might drive you crazy for hours on end, but it’s totally worth it)
Very interesting about the abs separating! I never heard that before. Hopefully I will not be getting pregnant for at least 5 years so nothing to worry about! Good luck Heather!
Another great resource for healing the diastus recti and getting your core back before taking on too much (if you have a weak core and start into heavy running you could end up will all sorts of other issues, too) is the Sahrmann series of exercises (find them here: http://www.thegreenbody.com/content/blogcategory/128/274/)
The relaxin hormone that loosens your ligaments during pregnancy can take up to a year to clear your body, so do be careful. On the lifting weights, I’d say you’re probably fine to start back up–gradual, of course. Remember, by now you’re lifting a babe in a carseat, which is no slouch of a task. Your muscles need to be strong enough to do that so you don’t end up with shoulder/back injuries! Now, I need to make sure I take my own advice here in a month or so:-)
Abs pulling apart sounds rather concerning… good thing I’m never having kids.
But that’s great that Heather is running and making marathon goals and getting back into strength training just a few months after having a kid!
Thanks everyone! Greatly appreciated. I went back to ST this week and literally could not walk for three days!! I’m doing a run/walk routine (Galloway method) three days a week and have uh, modified my ST routine. The walking lunges = out. Stationary lunges = back in.
I’m going to run/walk today and Sunday, then do the ST tomorrow.
Thanks again for the advice — I’ll check out the link on the abs. Poochy, Party of 1!
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