Easing Back Into Fitness

Nearly four weeks ago, my body went thru what I am calling "My Most Athletic Endeavor"....21 hours of labor followed by a C-section that resulted in my beautiful baby girl. Most of the woman I know, who underwent a C-section, took nearly a week to reach a level where they could move without pain. I was walking the mall only 3 days post delivery. I credit my speedy "recovery" to the fact that I remained active during the duration of my pregnancy. After all, I worked out the day I went in to be induced.

In spite of my speedy recovery, my doctor forbid me from exercise for six week. Now, that I am approaching the 4 week mark, I find my thoughts turning to exercise - and how I am going to approach my post baby workouts.

The first obstacle is going to be scheduling. Up till now, I have always worked out in the evenings - heading to the gym before heading home. Now, I have to consider the fact that I will be away from my daughter for 8 hours - do I want to tack another hour onto to that - if I continue in my old routine......I would not pick her up until 6:30 or 7:00 every night.

The second thing I have to consider is "How much do I do after a 6 week hiatus?". 6 weeks of no workouts means I have likely lost some muscle tone and aerobic endurance.

And lastly, what are my fitness goals post-pregnancy? For the last 9 months, my workouts were designed to help me maintain a good level of fitness and prepare my body for labor and delivery. Those goals were met, but what are my goals now.

After several conversations with M, consultation from my trainer, and discussion with my doctor...I have developed a plan for easing back into my fitness routine. Dr. H has cleared me to starting walking 30 minutes a day on my treadmill, with restrictions on speed - no faster than 3.5 mph hour and on the incline. These workouts will help me to gain a sense of where my body is and my aerobic capacity. Once I reach 6 weeks post delivery, I will be cleared to resume my workout levels.

My new fitness goals are two-fold. I want to develop more muscle tone and I want to run a 5K in the fall. Therefore, my workout plan will consist of 3 days a week of weight training and 3 days of doing the Couch to 5K plan. The scheduling of my workouts is still to be determined - as I need to figure out how my work schedule, M's work schedule, and Joycelen will mesh. However, I envision that my Couch to 5K workouts will likely happen in the mornings prior to work. And the weight training will happen twice during the work week and once on the weekends...my Mom has offered to watch Joycelen so that M and I can go to the gym later in the evenings. Her offer will allow us to have time with our daughter immediately after work.

That's my plan. Do any of you have suggestions?