It has been almost 4 weeks since the birth of my baby girl and I am
finally feeling ready to start back with running. However, usually when I am
mentally feeling ready it is still a week before my body is physically ready so
I am going to ease into my exercise routine conservatively. I was cleared to do
“cardio” after 2 weeks and in my mind cardio means running. So two weeks to the
day from the birth of Lilyana, I decided to go for a jog on my treadmill to
feel things out. I started at roughly an 8-8:30 minute mile and ran for 200
meters. I quickly had to slow down the pace and started walking. I decided to
try a walk jog but things didn’t feel quite right so I upped the incline and
slowed the pace and went for a brisk walk.
Running didn’t
hurt, but it just didn’t feel quite right. Things felt loose in my core and I
didn’t like it so I decided to err on the side of caution and not run. Over the
next two weeks I did cardio on the elliptical machine and spin bike machine. I
also incorporated some very light lifting that didn’t involve my “core” (i.e.
squats, etc.) but used more of my upper body. The first day of cardio on the
elliptical I went for twenty minutes and was tasting blood. By that I mean I am
out of shape, I had that metallic taste in my mouth and which I have never
gotten from an elliptical workout before so I definitely have some work to do.
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| (Doing my "cardio") |
Each cardio
session did get better but I am still only doing a max of 25 minutes a few days
a week and walking on the other days. After 3 weeks I emailed my midwives to
see if they meant that I could do impact activities like running when they
cleared me for cardio. Apparently they meant for me to just do some easy
walking…around the block. I have walked five miles at a time, definitely
farther than a few blocks. I guess there’s a big difference when you tell a
distance runner they are cleared for “cardio.” In the past I never considered
easy walking a form of cardio but this is a whole new experience for me so now walking
is cardio. The midwives want me to err on the side of caution until they can
check how well my abdominal muscles are healing at six weeks. They want to make sure I
do not have a condition called diastasis recti or diastasis recti abdominis
which basically means the abdominals have separated. During pregnancy this
usually occurs during the second or third trimesters and it is seen as a bulge
in the middle of the abdominal muscles. I never saw this and upon feeling my
stomach they do not feel more than 1-2 finger widths apart which seems o.k. Three
or more finger widths could indicate that I have the condition.
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A fellow runner
friend and mother of two came to visit Lilyana and me and she cautioned me
about the importance of coming back slowly to running. She told me if I come
back too soon I am also at an increased risk of having a prolapsed bladder. I
am letting my body be my guide. Every woman’s labor and pregnancy is different
so I need to be careful not to compare myself to other runners or women who may
have been able to start back with more vigorous activity earlier on. The first
two weeks I honestly don’t know how anyone could be starting an exercise
routine. I was so tired and my body so beat there was no way I was going to
even attempt to run, let alone go to the gym for any cardio. I think that was
my body’s natural way of letting me know I needed to heal.
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| (Resting) |
I did do a very
slow one mile jog outside today and it felt way better than the first day I
tried. It definitely felt awkward but that loose feeling in my core was gone. I
will build slowly from this and continue to do other forms of non impact cardio
and some weight training. It has taken a few weeks but I am starting to feel
like I am getting into a better routine and getting more accustomed to my new
role as a mother. As Lilyana starts to get into a better schedule and begins
sleeping longer at night that will make things a little easier as well. When
this starts happening it may coincide nicely with the increase in my exercise
routine, how convenient.
Lilyana is learning
new things every day. The changes are small but over time they are helping to
mold her into a self sufficient person. Something as small as learning to smile
for the first time or scooting herself across the floor, she is building upon each
little milestone. So for now I will follow in her baby steps and in no time I
will look back and be amazed at how far we both have come.
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| (Baby Steps) |
