You spend nine months carrying what feels like a bowling ball around in your belly. You spend nine months facing aches and pains in places you had never given a second thought. You spend nine months tired, yet unable to sleep. All in the name of pregnancy and bringing a beautiful baby into the world.

Then, the little bundle of joy arrives after a long and exhausting few (or multiple!) hours of labor and delivery. You have to feed and care for that wee little person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And then… you’re supposed to have the energy to get back in shape?!?!

I can relate to the exasperated feeling. I have had two children and worked hard to regain my level of fitness and achieve new goals after both. Around my daughter’s first birthday, I competed in a fitness competition. Nine months after my son’s birth, I ran my first half marathon.

I won’t lie and say it was easy. Committing to a healthy lifestyle certainly takes hard work, especially when considering the time commitment for caring for young children as well. However, I can assure you the commitment pays back in countless ways: more energy, increased self-esteem, stress relief, improved health, the ability to keep up with your children’s activity, and more.  It just takes some realistic approaches to achieve that post-baby fitness.

Start as soon as possible. I know it’s hard. I know when you’re getting only 3 or 4 hours of sleep, you don’t want to work out. I promise, though, that the longer you wait to get into the habit, the harder you make it on yourself. Fit in what you can, but sooner rather than later. Plus, it gives your body less time to acclimate itself to extra baby weight, so it tends to come off easier. Definitely an extra bonus!

Be realistic. I don’t expect you (or myself!) to go workout for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week with a 2 month old baby. You have to stay realistic with your time. What amount of time can you commit that will also still move you towards progress? That very likely may start at just 20-30 minute workouts 3-4 times a week. And that’s okay! Be realistic because then you can have consistency…and consistency is what adds up to success.

Make your time count. You know you only have a certain amount of limited time for workouts, so don’t dilly dally during that time! Have a plan and stay focused so you can accomplish a quality workout in that time. Use interval training, circuit workouts, compound exercises, and more to maximize your workout time as your fitness level improves.

But don’t go all out from the get-go. You have to have room to improve. If you pull out the most challenging workouts from the beginning of your venture back to fitness, where will you go when you reach a plateau? Start basic and make things more challenging over time, so your body always has ways to improve and make progress without getting burned out too early.

Set goals. Find something to motivate you to get in your workouts – whether signing up for a race with friends or buying some fun new post-baby clothes. Have a main goal, but make sure you set small, daily goals to help you achieve the main goal. Every little bit adds up!

View exercise as part of your “me-time”. Many women will feel guilty taking the time to go for a walk or hit the gym, instead of playing with their babies. I understand! However, we all deserve some quality time to ourselves and a workout is a great way to do that. You’re worth it! And it will benefit your family in the long run. Don’t forget that!

Track your progress. And in as many ways as possible. Find ways that work for you! If the scale drives you crazy, then focus on how a favorite pair of pants fit or take progress pictures to see the changes from month to month. Take measurements with a measuring tape or pay attention to how much easier carrying around an infant all day gets as you get stronger. Let it excite you and keep you going!

Don’t expect perfection. When you have to care for not only yourself, life will undoubtedly get in the way from time to time. Stay clear from the “all or nothing” mentality. I try to emphasize giving my best each day – sometimes that will mean less than the day before, but it will still be my best for that day. When I feel like I have fallen off the healthy living wagon, I try to figure out the triggers and then forgive myself so I can get right back on track. Progress won’t be linear. There will be ups and downs. Expect them to happen, then make the best of the journey. It’s worth it!

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