Mommy Exercise Time

When you become pregnant the level of exercise and even the types of exercises that are safe for you and the baby-to-be can be different from what non-pregnant people can do.  Check with your doctor to make sure that the exercises you are interested in doing are safe. My doctor advised me against weight lifting while pregnant.

Once the baby is delivered you will still need to rest.  I had a cesarean section and as a result was not allowed to lift anything heavier than the baby for six months.  Needless to say I wasn't exactly hitting the gym during that time.  But one thing that did help me recover was walking as soon as a was physically able after surgery.  admittedly I wasn't able to walk very far that first day, but each day it got easier.  Part of my motivation to walk through the pain was to see my son who was in a separate recovery room from me the first few days. I remember the walk to him seemed a lot shorter than the walk back to my room.

About a year after the birth of my son I found a renewed interest in going to the gym.  Fortunately the gym my husband and I go to has on site child care, sadly this is not offered on Sundays.  Which is a shame because Sundays would be the most convenient day of the week for my husband and I to get our workout on.

Luckily there are still plenty of ways to  exercise at home.  Though trying to  exercise with a small child underfoot can increase the difficulty level and not in the useful way.  Doing sit-ups is all well and good but it's hard to do when you have a child trying to use you as a jungle-gym.

Another option is to put your child in a jogging stroller and take a run.  The more you do the more you will be able to do.

With a baby around it's easy to make excuse when what you need to do is make time for yourself, so that you can maintain your health and remain a good caregiver for your child.  Babies don't weigh much to start but they grow quickly. Do you still want to be able to carry your child when (s)he weighs 20 pounds? 30? 40? Are your arms up to the task? How about your back?   Keep in mind as the heavier your child gets the harder it will be on your back not just your arms.