Working Out Post Pregnancy

When is it the right time to get back into the gym post pregnancy? Many women ask themselves this after having children. Here are my thoughts on the subject:

I’m very fortunate to have recovered relatively quickly after delivering my first son. I am down 20 lbs already (I gained 35 lbs), and I am already back to working out a few days a week. My advice to new mothers out there..don’t let the weight gain get you down. If you have been working out and eating healthy throughout your pregnancy, the weight will melt off. If you incorporate breast feeding into your daily routine, you have the potential to burn up to an additional 500 calories. One thing I will also suggest is to listen to your body. I have received some criticism for working out already. People are telling me to take it easy and not push myself too soon. My doctor told me (a week after having Braxton) that I could resume my normal workout routine. Obviously she said to work my way back into running and lifting heavy weights, but because I had been working out up until I had him, my body would be fine. I ended up giving my body another week to recover and then started back at the gym this week. I wouldn’t be working out if I wasn’t ready. I know people are trying to look out for me, but I’m good. Ladies, your body knows its limitations. Listen to your body–it’ll tell you what you can and cannot do. No one knows your body like you do, so there is no need to listen to others trying to tell you what you should and shouldn’t be doing post-pregnancy. 🙂 Enjoy your time off from working out, but don’t be scared to jump back into it either!