There was just a “new normal” instead.
Im an Exercise PhysiologistHeres Why You Shouldnt Worry About Cortisol Spikes When You Do HIIT Workouts.
Elliptical vs Treadmill: Which Cardio Machine Is Right For You?
Does Rowing Count as Strength Training?
Heres What Experts Had to Say
Our editors independently select these products.
But I had no routine, and I was yearning for some structure.
certified personal trainer and pre- and post-natal fitness specialist
So I signed on to participate in a 10K trail race when I would be nearly 10 months postpartum.
Plus, Id belearning how to trail runas part of aHokatraining team along with other runners.
Id have a plan, accountability, propertrail running gearandfootwear, and moral support.
This was when my bodys bounce back was supposed to happen, right?!
Training for something felt like a good way to get there.
Sounds reasonable, right?
Nevertheless, I managed to run a couple times a week for about a month.
I started with run-walks, the way I had trained for my 10K pre-baby.
Meanwhile, I noticed a bit of pain around my left knee.
certified personal trainer and pre- and post-natal fitness specialist
Id felt this before, just some twinges after runs, but it always went away.
Then, after a long run, I felt the pain more strongly.
But it was a Sunday, and there were piles and piles of laundry to be done.
My coach advised me to stay off my knee so I didnt hurt myself further.
The pain throughout the left side of my body remained.
What was going on?
I was easing back in, I felt ready to get back to my body.
Where was the bounce back Id been working toward?
Youre not broken, trainer, researcher, and kinesiology professorKara Radzak, PhD, ACT, told me.
But your relationship with your body…its not going to be the same.
You dont need to do what you used to do in your workouts prior to being pregnant.
But that was not the case.
That was, essentially, the news my doctor delivered.
This blew my mind.
What else could I not sense about myself?
And when I say changing, its really intentional.
Its changing, and its not going back to the way that it was.
(FYI: Radzak implores people who have had a C-section to consider doing physical therapy).
This affects joints throughout your body, not just in your pelvis.
I expected that more than half a year after being pregnant, my joints would have stabilized.
I definitely felt less wobbly.
But relaxin stays elevated if youre breastfeeding, which I was.
Your muscles need to work overtime to ensure your joints are stable.
If theyre not, that can lead to injury.
Does Dancing Count as Cardio?
Heres What Experts Say
Glute Bridge vs Hip Thrust: Which Is The Better Booty Booster?
Im a Master TrainerHeres Why You Shouldnt Skip Your Post-Run Stretches.
A similar thing can actually happen to other joints in your body.
The physical anatomy of how your hips sit on the top of your legs changes forever, Horwitz says.
And that changes your alignment.
The same goes for the pelvic floor, which is part of the core.
Those muscles are put under a lot of stress, and might undergo trauma during childbirth.
A lot of [people] need to start slow, Shimonek says.
You dont need to do what you used to do in your workouts prior to being pregnant.
Im certainly not alone in having body aches and weirdness as a new parent.
Its just going to make your movement patterns different, Radzak says.
If you have different movement patterns for long enough, its going to become ingrained.
That requires a slow and steady re-training program.
So youve got all of these things going on at the exact same time.
Youre not getting the necessary recovery
Sleep, rest, hydration, nutrition.
Sleep and rest is when your body repairs the damage done by exercise and gets stronger.
If youre not getting that, then youre not filling your cup back up.
If youre not fully rested, then youre going to have a potential increased risk of musculoskeletal injury.
Id wanted to do the race because I wanted some sort of external motivation.
But what I really neededwhat I still needwas for exercise to be a way to connect with myself internally.
Goldsmith LT, Weiss G. Relaxin in human pregnancy.
Ann N Y Acad Sci.
2009 Apr;1160:130-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2008.03800.x.
PMID: 19416173; PMCID: PMC3856209.
…
Got it, you’ve been added to our email list.
