Fitness After Baby

Well, it's been 7 weeks since little Miss Makena made her dramatic debut - straight from my baby shower! I've been cleared for all exercise and I'm SO READY to get back into a fitness routine. I gained 28 lbs during my pregnancy. I was pretty happy with this number, it was in the healthy range my doctor had specified and lower than I had expected. Of course, if she had been on time (2 weeks later), my days filled with eating homemade strawberry rhubarb crisp and lounging in the AC may have contributed to a few extra pounds! In case you were wondering...here's the progression of the good ol' baby bump.

That last picture was literally an hour before my water broke! Surprise!!

 I am so thankful that I was able to keep up with my fitness relatively well during pregnancy, and that I had a very smooth recovery after giving birth. Sweating = sanity for me, so it's definitely a priority moving forward. I was ready to get walking (slowlyl) about a week post-partum, and that has been my main mode of exercise ever since. 

I think the biggest thing I have learned throughout this journey is to take it easy on yourself. My husband is my number one reminder of this, because I'm always trying to do more/better/faster! My body just went through some crazy changes and he always reminds me that it's perfectly acceptable to be slower and take it easy! I am still just in awe of the amazing miracle that my body created and supported (and continues to support via breastfeeding). 

I am SO MUCH happier in the pictures on the right! Being 8 months preggo in July is ROUGH!

So what are my plans to get my fitness back? Here are a few of my current goals:

1. Be active every day. As you fellow moms know, that alone can be a challenge! Walking seems to be the easiest way for me to get this in. Miss Oakley, Makena and I have been going on daily walks...it's good for all of us to get out and get some fresh air and sunshine! In addition, between wrangling the 80 lb excited lab and a stroller my hands are full! If you ever see me on the trails please give me a wave and wide clearance. We are quite the sight! 

2. Fit in strength moves throughout the day. I know that the days that I take 15-20 minutes to exercise, I feel much better and in turn am a more patient, loving mom. That's the real motivator here - not a number on a scale. The exercises don't have to be all at once, just a set here and there throught the day. I do plank circuits during nap time and Makena gets lots of push-up kisses! I'm planning to start adding in higher intensity weights and exercises in the coming weeks. I have several DVDs with short workouts that I'm excited to start using again too! 

3. Add running into my routine 3 days a week. I've started running again (slowly but surely) when I have some help from friends or hubby is home. My runs include some walking still, but with each run I add more running and less walking. Running is truly the biggest thing I missed while being pregnant and it feels so good to be back at it! I've got a 5K slated for October and hope to run another half sometime in the spring!  I'm also super excited to start pushing my new Bob Ironman stroller with my newest running buddy when she's big enough!

These goals are going to be a great way for me to stay motivated to keep moving in the next few months. I'm sure I'll be updating them and challenging myself even more in the near future!

how about you?

What are your best tips to fit in exercise with little ones at home?