6 Things You Should Know Before Exercising After a Baby

Twice a week, I punish myself with a high intensity workout. My goal is simple: To get my pre-pregnancy pants on (and zipped up) without holding my breath/passing out. 

Personal Trainer Stephanie Sibbio of Think Fitness has a butt and thighs that no doubt bring her equal doses of admiration from men and cut-eye from women. For this reason I let her hurt me every Thursday morning (and then her fine Think Fitness colleagues once a week).


Stephanie showing my friend Joanna Rivard how it's done.

I had some concerns before starting to workout again after my son was born, especially since I had a Caesarean.  Stephanie being the wise, perky-butted woman she is shared some crucial tips every woman should consider before starting to exercise again.

1. "Wait until your 6 week checkup before resuming exercise," Stephanie advises. "If you want to stay active prior to this, do tons of walking to keep the blood circulating."

Motivated Mamas: My workout buddies Mikaela Clark and Joanna Rivard with their baby girls

2. "Once you do start working out, be careful when performing exercises that involve impact for the first little while. A lot of women who have not been prone to injuries pre-pregnancy may end up getting hurt when they attempt to resume their regular exercise routine due to the heightened hormones in the body."

3. "Weight loss is usually a main goal after having a baby but remember that it takes about a year for hormones to stabilize after childbirth so be patient! The weight will eventually come off."

This next one came as a huge shock to me, which I'm sure it will to all of you so brace yourself:

"Fat cells are developed in the first few years of life, and during pregnancy. Apart from that, they can only shrink. You cannot get rid of fat cells."

What??

You cannot get rid of fat cells. What that means is it may be tougher than it once was to take weight off, but many women get their pre-pregnancy body back. It just takes work."

Jo's daughter reclines in Stephanie's arms while she sweats.

5. Did you know your abs separate during pregnancy? Stephanie explains: "The midline of the rectus abdomens (your '6-pack') is called the Linea Alba. This can stretch out during pregnancy. After giving birth, it may or may not come back together so you may need to modify some abdominal exercises."

Mine certainly have separated, and as a result it is harder to do certain abdominal exercises that were child's play for me before getting pregnant.

6. "Take care of the little muscles too. Although we want to use the large muscle groups to burn the most calories and take the weight off, we must not forget about all of the little muscles that are important in stabilizing our joints."

Now that you have the important medical details down, click over to try one of the workouts I do with Stephanie!

Photos: Shiori Mine

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