Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Get In Shape, Girl!

You do remember that commercial jingle, don't you? Or, does that completely date my decade?



Anyway... I am now ten weeks postpartum. Here is a picture of The New Little Guy on his two month birthday. Pretty cute, huh?




See his bib? Well, he almost always wears one. Because he spews like a volcano! (Thankfully, it is getting better.) And most of the time, unlike in this photo, his bib migrates around to his back so it resembles a cape. All that to say, he has earned a blog name. He is the caped wonder: Superman. The perfect sidekick for our dear Spiderman. Although, we did wonder if we should rename the boys Tornado and Volcano...

On to my subject for today: Getting in Shape... whether you are, like me, getting back into shape or whether you are just beginning a habit of exercise.

It has been over three months since I have exercised. And that is just way too long! I mentioned before that Superman preferred to lie transverse in the womb. This put incredible stress on my hips and made it impossible to exercise without ruining my mobility for the rest of the day. Then, there was the cesarean recovery... And now, it is time. I can tell that the "idle months" have negatively effected my posture, my stamina and my muscle tone. It is time. I know I will feel more vitality and strength once I get started.

Although, I am not ready to jump directly back into my old routine. My old plan is too intense for my recovering core muscles. Eventually, I'll get back to that plan. But I've gotta start somewhere!

I've been searching online to find some more moderate core exercises to get me started. I know me, and I know that without a plan, I will not be consistent. And without being consistent, I will not see results.

After looking at WAAAAAYYYY too many sites, I found this program to be the most realistically helpful. Technically, it is a postpartum program. But I think it would be beneficial for anyone jumping into an exercise routine. Start at the top and find out where on the progression you need to begin your program.

Remember, a strong core is so important. Your balance, posture, agility and range of motion all depend on your core muscles. Whether you start with these exercises or with a more advanced program, make time *almost* every day for strengthening your back and abdominal muscles.


In addition to the core exercises, I am going to work up to doing intervals on my elliptical machine again. I would love to be outside walking! But, the weather and daylight don't permit that quite yet. I am very much looking forward to it though!

With my nights still quite unpredictable, I don't know how many mornings I'll be able to follow the plan. But I am starting small, with just 15 or 20 minutes of workout time. Hopefully I will find three or four mornings a week for fitness. What about you? What are your exercise goals? Do you have a good routine? Please share what works for you in the comments!

10 comments:

Noel said...

There's that smile I was looking for the other day. He is so precious. It takes me about a year to bounce back after having a baby :) Good luck though and TAKE IT EASY!

Sharon said...

The baby is adorable.

Carrie Beth said...

Do you use the DVD's, or the book? The DVD's look fairly expensive, but I use DVDs every day and wonder if I could make myself do what I would need to do with a book- if you use the book, are the instructions clear enough for use and help you accomplish daily routines without a DVD? THANKS!

Carrie Beth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kristi said...

If I can ever get my lower back to go back in to place, and then stay there, I want to get back to a regular fitness routine. I want to do intervals on my eliptical in the morning for strength training, a half an hour on the Wii in the afternoon for core training, and the Bowflex in the evening with my husband for strength training. That ought to be enough training to get my body where it needs to be! I miss the feeling of being fit. I want to loose weight, and look better, sure...but what I really want the most, is to FEEL fit and healthy!

Beth said...

I don't know if you've heard of it or have one in your area, but Stroller Strides is a perfect postpartum (and prenatal) workout. It is modified for every fitness level and is a great workout- plus a fantastic way to meet other moms.
Good luck with all your fitness goals!!

busymomof10 said...

What an adorable little fella!! Such a precious smile! You know one thing I really miss about having a new baby? Those times when he/she would stop nursing and look up at me and SMILE with milk dribbling down his/her little chin!! :) what precious moments . . . .

As far as exercise goes, I am still trying to learn to be consistent. My exercise of choice is T-Tapp, plus I try to get in a walk whenever I can in my new Shape Ups! Have you checked out: http://ttapp.com

T-Tapp has a wonderful 15 minute workout and it focuses on the core. It is a great program for moms, I think.

busymomof10 said...

Check out this testimony that I just read!

http://ttapp.com/success/amyhoward/index.html

Amy Ellen said...

Hi Carrie Beth,

I just have the book. I actually bought it before the dvds were made. And I find it completely sufficient. It is quite easy to follow the instructions, and photos are given for every step.

Hope this helps! AE

Carrie Beth said...

Thanks so much for the response, Amy Ellen! I use the Urban Rebounder minitrampoline and their DVD's because my knees are not the best. I have also used Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, but I cannot use it regularly because of knee issues. I like these, but am also interested in incorporating more strength training into my workout time- want to make the most of those few minutes that are carved out for exercise! After my babies, I used an exercise ball and postpartum DVD, but I have given it away and cannot remember the title!