I want to be honest when I share these postpartum fitness updates. Working out is a priority for me for a number of reasons.
- It alleviates my stress and any anxiety that the day/week may have brought on.
- It makes me feel like me again and is my me time. It’s the only time I spend away from Tommy.
- I committed to running a half marathon sponsored by GNC May 1st.
- I enjoy it!
I do want to get my body back to what it looked like before Tommy but weight loss is not a priority right now. Even if I manage to lose the 7-10 lbs I still am holding on to, I’m almost certain my body will look different. I also am really digging the wine and double chocolate cookies, keeping track of calories is the last thing I want to track on my iPhone. So while I should be in a hurry given my job, I’m not. Fitness first. Then we’ll think about the diet and extra body fat.
- Monday: Rest – Since I’m now a weekend warrior, Monday’s are my days off usually.
- Tuesday: 4.5 mile run – My mom was in town and watched Tommy while I got to go for a mid afternoon run. I was pretty excited to get out of the house during lunch time. It felt like old times.
- Wednesday: 10 minute Arc Trainer, 30 minute Strength Training on my own – Nick’s mom came down for the night and so I took advantage of the child care and went to the gym for an hour.
- Thursday: 45 minute spin class Recycle Studio with Erin, I took advantage of Nick’s mom being around again to take a spin class at the new South End studio. Love it. Go if you haven’t yet!
- Friday: 15 minute Ab workout with Sara Haley’s 4th Trimester DVD. This was super easy and didn’t really challenge me unfortunately. Tommy had one of those days where he wanted to be held and didn’t want to nap unless he was on me so I didn’t get much done. Basically a rest day.
- Saturday: I joined UPPAbaby (amazing stroller company) for the MS Climb To The Top challenge. We climbed 61 flights of stairs in about 20 minutes. I didn’t run but walked at a brisk pace. This made me realize how in shape I already am. I thought I would be dying but I actually felt really good and surprisingly wasn’t sore on Sunday.
- Sunday: Another 45-minute spin class at Recycle Studio with Stephanie.
It was so nice having Nick’s and my mom around to help out with Tommy last week and allow me to get out of the house for hour on my own. They both live about 90 minutes – 2 hours away so they are close enough but yet it still feels like they are far away. I envy those of you with family close by.
It was also amazing to be a part of the UPPAbaby team at the MS Climb to the Top. What a fun event that takes place right in Back Bay at the John Hancock Building. At the end, you can see all of Boston. There are firefighters that complete the climb in full gear every year. Some people literally run up in as few as 7 minutes. It’s family friendly as well.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms include blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, and blindness and more. These problems may come and go or persist and worsen over time. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. It occurs in all ethnic groups but mostly effects caucasians of northern European ancestry. There is no cure and it currently affects 2.3 million people world-wide.
Exercising with Baby
This week I’m going to start going to Mama and Me fitness classes around the city. Tommy has been a pretty chill baby lately and loves his car seat. I think if I time it right, he possibly could sleep the entire time. I’ll be sure to share with you guys which ones I go to and how it plays out.
The biggest change I think in the past two weeks from an unpredictable Tommy to a chill baby was my realization that he should only be awake for 30 minutes to 2 hours at a time. Once he has been up for 90 minutes, I know he will start to get fussy because he is tired (most likely). Sure enough, if I put a swaddle on him and bounce a little, he falls right asleep. We didn’t realize this in the beginning as first time parents. As soon as we heard a cry we just thought he was hungry, wet or bored. I thought a sleepy baby fell asleep on his own. Rookie mistake 101.
I basically moved into my mom’s (an hr away) the first month, lol. She’s 5 weeks now, and about once a week we try coming home, I realize how hard it is without help, and 12 hrs later we’re back. This week my MIL is staying with us (from 2,000 miles away) so we’re back home…but likely will be back at my mom’s when she leaves, no shame, lol. I’ve gotten to nap because of my parents’ help…haven’t gotten around to working out yet other than babywearing walks, but I plan to start mommy and me yoga at the studio where I did prenatal yoga after my 6 week OB clearance.
Sounds like an amazing week of workouts. And those are the best motivators for working out, for sure! Enjoy your wine and cookies, you earned them!
elainea
toast the girl almighty
Wow, you are so motivated Sarah! Great week of workouts!
I’m reading 90 minute sleep method before baby arrives!
How are you doing!?!?! Baby is coming so soon, right???? Good luck. First two weeks are hard but it gets easier after that, I promise!!
Thank you for participating in Climb to the Top for the National MS Society!
My Mom has Multiple Sclerosis.
I worked for the NMSS Greater New England Chapter in fundraising for 3 years, where I made a lot of friends with event participants that have MS. So, I say I have a large “MS family”.
Thank you for climbing and sharing info on what MS is on your blog during MS Awareness Month!
amazing motivation. To answer your question about relatives: believe me sometimes you are better off having relatives at a distance! sometimes family can get on your nerves(ofcourse out of love) but dealing with hormones, baby and relatives at the same time is quite challenging. Not a personal experience but seen it happening in my family .
Hi Sarah,
I sent you an email as well but Workman Publishing just came out with a fantastic book about the 90 minute cycles of babies called The Natural Baby Sleep Solution. I would love to send you a copy to check out, if you’re interested!
I am expecting my first child and that is such a good tip! I don’t think I would have realized that either. Thank you for being so honest with all the “duh!” lessons you’re learning as a first-time mom. It’s really refreshing and helpful!
My mom has been staying with us in our tiny NYC apartment to help us with the baby. She sleeps on a little couch in our daughter’s room. People are in awe of the fact that we have been doing this for six months! She’s leaving soon and I think her departure is coming at just the right time. I’ve loved the help and company, but I now feel ready to figure things out with my husband on my own.
Oh and yes…figuring out the sleep stuff can be tricky, but once you have those “aha moments” it gets better! We started off with about 30 minutes of “awake time” before putting her down, then an hour and now she really can’t last longer than 90 minutes or so — occasionally 2 hours. I’ve been following the eat/awake-play/nap cycle pretty routinely, but of course you have to make adjustments based on the baby’s mood and what’s happening that day. It does seem weird, but sleep does beget sleep. Our daughter naps plenty during the day and still sleeps 10-12 hours a night. You’ll get there! I never thought we would and then…it happened. 🙂
Yes! You are VERY lucky!!! And I can’t wait for the 10-12 hours!