Postpartum Fitness Blog

“Hey Busy Moms, When Do You Workout?”

You’re busy.

You’ve got to make breakfast, clean up breakfast, get showered, dressed, hair and makeup done (ish), get the toddler dressed (after spending 12 minutes convincing her that wearing shorts when it’s below zero is probably not the best choice), change the baby for the third time because he pooped (again), get snacks and lunches organized, put shoes and coats on (plus spend 8 minutes looking for that purple hat because she won’t wear the green or blue one), carry the toddler to the bathroom because she forgot to go pee before putting her shoes on, get everyone out to the car, kiddos in the carseats, come back in to grab the coffee you forgot on top of the dishwasher, lock the door (while you precariously balance your coffee, your bag and 2 lunch kits in one hand), put your seatbelt on, and try to take a deep breath before heading off.

And that’s just the first hour of the day.

You’re already exhausted. You’re already behind. You’re already feeling the “Ain’t nobody got time for that” frustration of #MomLife 😳

So how – for the love of all things motherhood – are you supposed to find time to workout?

How?!

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Do This to Get (At Least) 52 Workouts In This Year

Have you ever found yourself saying “I only got one workout in this week, what was the point?!”

Or, “I only have 10 minutes to get a workout in, I probably shouldn’t even start. It’s not worth it.”

Or, “I have to workout for at least an hour or it doesn’t really count.”

If you’ve found yourself uttering this (or something like it) at some point, you’re not alone.

All or nothing thinking – and the perfectionist mentality that goes along with it – is rampant in the motherhood community. And postpartum fitness is no exception.

It’s easy to put pressure on yourself to be perfect and “do good/be good” at all times.

You gotta workout this many times, in this way or it doesn’t “count”. It’s not “worth it”.

And I know you know that this mentality isn’t giving you that feel good “I’m doing amazing!” feeling. You know it’s wrecking havoc on your joy and confidence.

But do you know exactly how it’s hurting you? And – more importantly – do you know how to stop it?

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How Your Brain is Hijacking Your Fitness Goals

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I could just get motivated to exercise more” then this post is for you.

We’re inherently lazy.

I’m not saying you’re lazy.

I’m saying us – as humans – are naturally lazy.

Our brains are constantly looking for the short-cut, the fastest way, the easiest option.

So when you decide that you want to workout more, or eat more vegetables, or go for a walk by yourself 3 evenings a week, your brain may be getting in your way.

Here’s why…

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10 Minute Mini Band Booty Workout For Moms

Have you ever regretted working out?

I didn’t think so.

Unless something went horribly wrong, exercise is always a great choice.

Even on those days when you don’t think you want to – but you just start moving – it feels so good, right?

This doesn’t mean that you have to push through exhaustion and do a 30 minute HIIT workout.

Even just a 10 minute low impact, low intensity session can give your energy a wake-up call and help you de-stress so you can have the patience to deal with re-rolling an entire double-sized toilet paper roll that your toddler so “helpfully” unrolled for you 😆

That’s what today’s workout is all about.

It’s a booty-focused strength workout.

You only need one piece of equipment (a mini band – and that’s even optional; you can do the exercises without it if you like), some comfy clothes and 10 minutes.

We’re going to do 3 exercises, for 3 rounds.

You ready? Let’s do this.

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Why “Looking Like You Never Had a Baby” Is Confidence-Bombing (And 21 Desires to Focus On Instead)

If there’s one phrase in the postpartum world that I wish would just take a hike it’s…

“You don’t even look like you had a baby!”

I get that people typically mean it as a compliment. They’re trying to make the new mom feel good about herself. It’s coming from a good place with good intentions.

But comments like this can do more harm than good.

Especially since most women are already hyper-aware of how they look. At all times.

And saying “You don’t even look like you had a baby” can be so destructive simply because it suggests that you can do one of the most amazing things ever – grow a human being – but you certainly shouldn’t look like you just did that amazing thing.

Baby should come on out and everything should go back to “normal” ASAP.

You shouldn’t look any different. You shouldn’t look like a “mom”. You shouldn’t have any signs that a miracle just changed your life.

And the truth is that this simple statement pops up in all kinds of sneaky ways.

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The LCLE Method: How to Mindfully Get Back Into Higher Intensity Workouts Postpartum

One of the biggest points of confusion in postpartum fitness is knowing when it’s “safe” to get back into more challenging workouts.

“When can I run again?”

“When can I go to that HIIT class again?”

“When do I know I’m ready to move on from the rehab-y stuff – like heel slides and figuring out my core engagement breath – to doing workouts that make me actually sweat?”

I hear you.

You want to feel challenged again. Feel the burn. Get that achy, tingly, “I just got the best workout!” kind of feeling again.

Whether you want to get back into CrossFit, that group HIIT class at your gym, an exercise DVD full of jumping jacks and mountain climbers, or something else that puts your pedal to the metal, this is what you need to know first…

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