I had a cesarean birth, nursing my baby, working full time, and eager to get back to my pre-baby figure. Not surprisingly, I couldn’t find a way to exercise consistently. I needed to find a way to a healthy lifestyle.
5 steps to a health lifestyle after having a baby
Set goals – Defining a goal is important to achieve your desired outcome. My overall goal was to lose weight however I needed to be more specific. My first goal was to develop consistent workout routines. I went from maybe working out once a week if I was lucky to working out 3 days a week. With regular exercise, I could better manage my weight.
Family support – My husband and children handled the home front. I have to trust they can do this in order for me not to worry or become distracted while I’m getting ready for the gym and also while I’m at the gym. Find help, whether you have 1 person or several people available and importantly you have to trust their care. If you find it hard to ask for help, if you feel guilty asking, that’s an issue you’ll need to confront before you can truly progress. There is no shame in asking and receiving help!
Committing to myself – Without distractions from the home front, I can focus on myself. I can listen my voice telling me, “I want to commit to my health”. Our inner voice is powerful. Create a positive message and listen.
Scheduling – It took several attempts throughout the month but I did find a convenient gym time. I scheduled my workouts using the MindBody app. Kudos to me for going each Saturday too!
Proper gear – I didn’t feel 100% excited to workout until all these pieces came together. A Latex waist trainer (SqueezeMeSkinny) held in my panza (tummy) so I could actually jump and run without feeling like my insides were jiggling around. Unfortunately, a cesarean birth has a longer and different healing process than a vaginal birth. Moving Comfort’s Juno sports bra (Brooksrunning) was a total lifesaver holding my nursing boobs in place so that I could jump higher and run faster without feeling uncomfortable and hurting myself, not to mention taming that embarrassing bouncing. I can’t leave out KT Tape because I once had plantar fasciitis and now I feel better running with my foot taped.
If you’re ready to hit the road running, check out this post on learning how to enjoy running and this post on running a 5K while breastfeeding.
This is how I was able to develop consistency and confidently return to a healthy lifestyle.
- Set Goals
- Family support
- Committing to myself
- Scheduling
- Proper gear
Is there more to do? Yes!
Food prep – I will agree there is a true benefit to preparing your weekly meals; breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, at one time then packing them in individual containers ready to be eaten at their appropriate times. This is a routine that will lead to a healthy lifestyle. Finding the time to shop, prepare and cook, and then package takes planning. I wasn’t ready to juggle in this step into my life. But I will! This will be a separate post with how I’m able to finally get this together!
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