Three Weeks Out and Starting to Move Again...

This Friday Calvin will be three weeks old. I always heard parents say that once their baby arrives they can't imagine life without them. I must agree. I look back to life without Calvin...it consisted of sleep, a "normal" schedule, nobody attached to my frontside every 2 1/2 hours, leisure grocery shopping trips, and regular showers. Survival mode has set in, and I'm eagerly looking forward to our new "normal". BUT, just like they all say, it's so worth it to hold and snuggle my little boy. He is precious and I love him to death!

On the exercise front, I am happy report that I have actually been able to start moving again. Fortunately, my labor was not that traumatic and I only suffered a 1st degree tear, which seems to be healing very quickly. The first week, of course, normal movement was out of the question. I was so sore that anything more than short walks (from the couch, to the bathroom, to the bedroom) was difficult. I could almost actually see my muscle deteriorating. My legs got super skinny really fast, AND the dreaded "mom butt" was making its appearance. Aaaahhh!! Not cool.

By about the seventh day I ventured out for a short walk around the neighborhood. It felt so good to stretch my legs, but it did make me somewhat sore afterward. Two days later, I decided I had had enough of the sedentary life and did one of the easier yoga episodes. It consisted of mostly stretching (downward dog, hero rolling, warrior, etc.), and I was pleasantly reminded of what it feels like to lay in child's pose without having to make room for a huge belly. After the yoga workout (which I treated as a warm-up) I did a series of push-ups, rows, elevated lunges, single leg bridges, tall planks and side planks. This was super quick and not strenuous, but definitely stimulated my muscles. I was actually sore the next day.

Since then, I've done a couple more quick strength training workouts. I'm focusing on rebuilding my strength in the basic/foundational movements. I'm doing push-ups, single leg squats with full range of motion, elevated lunges, planks, side planks, and lots of bridges for my glutes and hamstrings (trying to rebuild my butt--no more "mom butt"!). I'm also walking a couple times a week for at least a mile or two, when the weather cooperates, which has been dicey. I'm definitely not as sore after these sessions as the first few, which means I'm healing and a normal exercise routine is in sight!

I'll probably try to keep up this level of intensity and modes of exercise for the next couple weeks. I hope to be able to phase in jogging (gotta gear back up for my sprints!) and some more intense strengthening. Hopefully more intense than what I was able to do while pregnant.

It's also all about time management, of course. With an infant I can't just spend an hour in the workout room or go galavanting around the neighborhood. My exercise selection has to be highly efficient and selective. I have to get the most bang for my buck, so I'll be choosing exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, challenge my cardiovascular and muscular systems at the same time, and have high levels of intensity. This way I'll be able to fit in a challenging workout without making Calvin wait for his mom.

I'll keep you updated. I'm excited to get back into it!