5 Expectations to Set for Postpartum Workouts

Regardless of what kind of labor and delivery you experienced, recovering from birth takes time. Once your doctor clears you to begin more intense movements again—usually after at least six weeks, sometimes longer—it’s helpful to set clear, realistic expectations for your body. After all, it has just produced and sustained a whole new human. It deserves all your kindness, and a round of applause, too. 

My body will feel different than it did pre-baby.
Pregnancy is a wild ride. Your body has just spent nine months rearranging and stretching and growing to create and sustain (!) a new life. Postpartum is its own ride, too—with more internal rearranging, hormone fluctuations, and all kinds of physical and emotional changes. It’s natural that after experiencing such big, rapid fluctuations that your body would feel completely different. There are things that will probably go back to feeling like they once did, and others that won’t. Instead of wishing for your pre-pregnancy bod, acknowledge all that you have accomplished, and hold space for this new version of you. 

The way my body feels (not pressure to bounce back) will dictate my activity.
One of our favorite pieces of motherhood advice is to trust your instincts when it comes to taking care of your baby. You know your baby best. That same advice extends to taking care of your body. You—not a random article online or social media fitness trainer or anyone else—know your body best. Instead of letting pressure to look or feel a certain way guide your activity, make a habit of asking yourself the same kind of gentle questions you might ask a friend. Am I feeling up for moving today? What kind of movement sounds best to me? How is my pain level? Will rest promote my recovery today more than movement? 

My strength will look different during this season.
Your strength as a mom extends far beyond your ability to lift heavy weights or run X amount of miles or complete a 60-minute pilates class—even if that’s how you’ve measured it in the past. Now, your strength looks like: caring for a tiny human who needs you 24/7, functioning on very little sleep, navigating the highs and lows of postpartum, leaning on your community for support. And so much more. Your physical strength will return. In the meantime, your emotional strength is inspiring. 

My workout might be interrupted by the needs of a tiny human.
There will be days where you might find 30-60 glorious uninterrupted minutes to move your body. Maybe someone else will be available to care for baby while you head to a yoga class or do a HIIT workout in the garage. Other days, you’ll try to sneak in your workout during naptime and baby will start crying 10 minutes into your warm up. Or your boobs will start leaking a few blocks into your run. Be flexible with your postpartum workouts. If you can’t get a solo workout in, look for ways to incorporate baby into your workout (who needs dumbbells or weighted vests when you have a 10-pound tiny human?). Remember, their needs will only look like this for a short season. 

My confidence will grow the more I create time and space to care for my body.
It’s easy to prioritize the needs of baby above your own needs as a mom, but taking care of your own body is just as essential to keeping baby healthy and happy. Be intentional about creating opportunities to prioritize your own needs—from physical recovery to emotional wellness. Go for a solo stroll to the coffee shop, attend a workout class with girlfriends once a week, schedule a therapy appointment, take baby for a wrap ‘n' walk. The better you care for your body, the better you’ll be able to care for baby too. 

Ready to ease back into postpartum workouts? Celebrity trainer and Solly Baby Movement Director Megan Roup has developed a series of postpartum workout classes tailored specifically for babywearing. Grab your Solly Wrap and rebuild your strength and confidence—all while keeping baby close and connected—with 10 workouts designed for babywearing mamas from The Sculpt Society.