Get active
Physical activity can help you move through difficult stages in your grief. Exercise triggers the release of neurotransmitters like endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, which help your body regulate your mood. It can give you a sense of control and focus when everything else feels like chaos. Not a gym member? No problem! Below I'll share the strength training, yoga, and cardio activities that I did at home. These activities are geared specifically toward bereaved mothers facing postpartum body hurdles without their baby. Would you like support in your fitness goals? The Healing Hearts Weight Loss Challenge Facebook page is dedicated to moms who have lost a baby supporting one another in their postpartum weight loss.
I was eager to begin moving again after giving birth, particularly because that felt like something that I could take control of in this new universe where nothing seemed in my control anymore. I met with my doctor at two weeks postpartum and was assured that I could do some light walking and stretching, so I started looking online for exercises that were appropriate. This search left me sobbing. Every postpartum workout that I found showed illustrated movements with happy mothers kissing their new babies as they worked out alongside them or held a perfect plank pose over that little newborn face. I gave up and, for the next few weeks, went for long walks in the woods instead. I was given the "go ahead" to resume normal activity after six weeks since my bleeding had stopped and my stitches had healed. I started adding a yoga-cardio-strength training mash-up to each day that I felt well enough to do it. The truth is that there were many days I stayed in bed, cried, or wrote instead, but I always felt better on the days that I got my endorphins pumping with some movement. The exercises below were helpful to my healing process both physically and mentally, but please talk to your doctor about how much activity is recommended for your unique body and circumstances.
Relaxin is the hormone that was responsible for softening your joints and ligaments during pregnancy. Did you know that it can stay in your body for months after you give birth? This is a great reason to avoid exercises with jerky or jarring movements. Yoga is is my favorite option because it stretches your body and helps relax your mind. Grief inspires a wide range of emotions and there are poses that are supposed to help with each. All of the images below were found on Yoga Journal, a great resource for all things yoga, whether you are a beginner or an expert.
I was eager to begin moving again after giving birth, particularly because that felt like something that I could take control of in this new universe where nothing seemed in my control anymore. I met with my doctor at two weeks postpartum and was assured that I could do some light walking and stretching, so I started looking online for exercises that were appropriate. This search left me sobbing. Every postpartum workout that I found showed illustrated movements with happy mothers kissing their new babies as they worked out alongside them or held a perfect plank pose over that little newborn face. I gave up and, for the next few weeks, went for long walks in the woods instead. I was given the "go ahead" to resume normal activity after six weeks since my bleeding had stopped and my stitches had healed. I started adding a yoga-cardio-strength training mash-up to each day that I felt well enough to do it. The truth is that there were many days I stayed in bed, cried, or wrote instead, but I always felt better on the days that I got my endorphins pumping with some movement. The exercises below were helpful to my healing process both physically and mentally, but please talk to your doctor about how much activity is recommended for your unique body and circumstances.
Relaxin is the hormone that was responsible for softening your joints and ligaments during pregnancy. Did you know that it can stay in your body for months after you give birth? This is a great reason to avoid exercises with jerky or jarring movements. Yoga is is my favorite option because it stretches your body and helps relax your mind. Grief inspires a wide range of emotions and there are poses that are supposed to help with each. All of the images below were found on Yoga Journal, a great resource for all things yoga, whether you are a beginner or an expert.
YOGA POSES FOR
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YOGA POSES FOR
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Other Activities for Building Strength, Increasing Cardio, & Losing the Belly
If Yoga is not your cup of tea, there are other exercises that were helpful in building physical and emotional strength as I navigated postpartum life without my baby. I was in a hurry to lose my belly because I was especially sensitive to people noticing my pregnant shape and asking, "when are you due?" or offering congratulations. I felt some guilt at trying so hard to erase this sign of her, but the process of building my physical strength supported me in building my emotional strength as well. Here are a few exercises that I used most often. The following images were found on FitPregnancy.com.