Today's blog features a guest post from Natalia, the author of the SIDKAY blog, a member of an acrobatic duet and a young mother. Natalya shares her personal experience of returning to running training after giving birth and, importantly, honestly talks about her mistakes.
Thank you Yulia for giving me the opportunity to share information on my website. I think that many new mothers are worried about the question of how to get back in shape as soon as possible. It's no secret that the best conditions for maintaining a figure are proper nutrition and exercise. But where to find time and strength with a baby in your arms? I will try to tell on my own example.
So, why running?
As for me, I got "infected" with running after reading Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. After that, 9 months later, I ran my first marathon, ran to the point of amenorrhea, but ended up getting pregnant. During this time, I never got sick and felt great. Therefore, being pregnant, I was waiting for when I could return to my favorite occupation. In general, everything is clear with me. We became close friends with running, I felt all the beauty of this sport, and I don't want to part with it anymore.
And what can running interest you? Apparently, there are several arguments:
- Unlike fitness halls and group classes, you are independent in terms of time. You can run in the morning, in the evening, during the day, and at night.
- You don't need an instructor or special training to run. You can start small.
- It's practically free! Except for a pair of running shoes and a running uniform (optional).
- You can run even with a stroller!
- During the run, you will have the opportunity to think about the plan for the day, some painful questions or just relax and be alone with yourself.
- A change of scenery and the feeling that you are running, you are in shape, cause a feeling of joy and self-satisfaction, which is so necessary for new mothers.
- Running is simply terribly useful: cleansing the body, improving the work of the heart, normalizing pressure, stimulating the digestive system, normalizing the hormonal background, reducing the volume of adipose tissue, reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and lung cancer, strengthening the immune system, developing general endurance, improving blood circulation in small pelvis, which is the key to the longevity of the "intimate" sphere of life, accelerating blood circulation, it also affects the length of a person's life.
But in order to feel all this, first you need to at least try it. And here comes the following question:
When can you start running after giving birth?
Again, as for me, I went for my first run 2 weeks after the maternity hospital. However, I will not advise anyone to do this and I will even say that it is better NOT to do this! It will not bring anything good for the body and will only delay the recovery period.
I tried to overcome children's distances of 3-4 km at a retired pace. As a result, after another self-torture for a distance of a little less than 6 km, I ran home in wet shorts. No, no, you don't have to think about the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, I had a stream of some kind of postpartum discharge. After that, I had to think (thanks to my mother's teachings) and stop my zeal. The half-marathon clearly did not fit into any plans now, but there were still hopes for a 5 km race.
The next time I went to the stadium only a week before the start (5 weeks after being discharged from the maternity hospital). She ran only 3 km at a minimal pace. Then there were 2 more training sessions of 4.5 and 3.5 km. This time the feelings were much better, everything was fine with milk for my son, so you can register for a 5 km race, which I did.
In general, we are all different and recover differently, but I would advise you to start light jogging no earlier than two months after childbirth, when the discharge will finally stop. Also, before starting, be sure to go to the gynecologist, let him see how the recovery process is going. For example, I got to the doctor only after the first attempt. This time she got good and ran with a clear conscience.
In any case, listen carefully to your body, increasing the load very gradually! My baby will be 3 months in a week and the longest distance during that time was 7 km, and that at a very easy pace. But the most important question remains:
Where to find time to run after giving birth?
Personally, running with a stroller was the main decision for me. And the baby is in the fresh air, and the mother does not spend time in vain. The only thing is, for these purposes, you will have to take care of the cart, preferably with shock absorbers and rubber wheels, and choose a suitable place with a smooth surface. An ordinary stadium can be quite suitable.
Also, if there are grandmothers, they will be happy to sit with their beloved grandson (granddaughter) while you are away for an hour. And no one canceled girlfriends either. It's just that now, when you go to visit your grandmother or friends, grab your sneakers and a running uniform, suddenly there will be willing babysitters.
And one more point: it is better to go for a run almost immediately after feeding, so that you have a small amount of time for a shower and other unforeseen circumstances.
That's all for now, and I have plans to prepare for the ice half-marathon. After all, just running is not interesting, does one need at least some kind of motivation. And the best thing is to win over yourself!
- Mriya.run: Space for Conscious Change. Learning, Practice & Tools
- The Mental Run
- Running after childbirth. Why is it necessary when starting and where to find time? (guest post)