I have been asked many times, where do I begin and it simply starts with taking that first step, literally! This training plan is after your 6 weeks or 12 weeks depending on the birth of time off and then this plan gives you 6 weeks of a workout plan to ease back in!
You deserve it!
After 3 pregnancies and 3 postpartum recoveries the first thing to do is tell yourself that you deserve it. You deserve to take the time out of your day for yourself, you deserve to be healthy, and you deserve a healthy postpartum recovery. All of these workouts can be done with your baby or babies so you do not need to wake up at the crack of dawn or workout late at night. You can use your stroller to start with the slow runs. Do not put your newborn baby in a jogging stroller until they are able to hold their head on their own but they will be safe in their infant carriers. Another piece of advice is to utilize your local school’s track because the surface will be very smooth if you plan to use your stroller. The streets lead to lots of bumping which no newborn needs!
Walking
When I was first cleared from the doctor and sometimes even before I was cleared, I always started with walking. Walk on the treadmill while the baby is napping, take a walk outside with the baby, go out for a 20 minute walk alone after dinner, or go for a family walk at night. Bundle up in the winter or go after the baby is sleeping in the summer. Walking will get you started in the right direction. Even when you start running or strength training, keep the walking up as well!
Next steps
Now on to intensifying those workouts. This plan can start after you are cleared or you can start with walking for the first week and then starting this plan on week 2. Start out with an entire week of running 1 mile everyday. It can take you any amount of time but you want to run the whole time. The first couple of days are going to be very hard especially if you were not running or exercising much during pregnancy. But stay with it and tell yourself it is only a mile and it will only be painful for an allotted amount of time. At the end of 7 days, you will feel very accomplished.
Week 1
Monday – 1 mile
Tuesday – 1 mile
Wednesday – 1 mile
Thursday – 1 mile
Friday – 1 mile
Saturday – 1 mile
Sunday – 1 mile
But don’t stop here, the next week do one day one mile and then the next day do two miles, then back to 1 mile and vice versa. Those one milers will start to feel easy and the two milers will be a little more challenging.
Week 2
Monday – 1 mile
Tuesday – 2 miles
Wednesday – 1 mile
Thursday – 2 miles
Friday – 1 mile
Saturday – 2 miles
Sunday – 1 mile
Run slow but try not to walk! Go on a walk for recovery after the run. When you get to the third week, up the mileage but give yourself a rest day.
Week 3
Monday – 1 mile
Tuesday – 2 miles
Wednesday – 3 miles
Thursday – 1 mile
Friday – 2 miles
Saturday – 3 miles
Sunday – rest
Strength Training
Start week 4 with upping the mileage as well as adding in some strength workouts. Try to also incorporate some weight training on the 1 mile days to up your workout. Here are some great youtube recommendations for free workouts that I have used:
Sydney Cummings – Summertime fine workouts
Mad fit
Pop sugar
Grow with Jo
All of these youtube workouts have quick 10 minute, long 60 minute, and times in between (20-40 minutes) for workouts depending on how much time you have for it that day. Also, depending on the age of the child, get your kids involved! 1)Have them pick up a water bottle and pretend it’s a dumbbell. 2)Have them play a game of crawling under your legs when you are doing squats. They have to time it right to avoid getting bonked in the face! 3) Make it a game of who can catch Mommy if you are doing walking lunges. These are all tried and true things that I have done and the kids have fun! Or if you have a newborn, put them on their tummy time mat right next to you. As chaotic as that all sounds, you are still getting a workout and they are not being left to their own devices, literally!
Week 4:
Monday – 1 mile plus 10 minute youtube workout
Tuesday – 2 miles
Wednesday – 3 miles
Thursday – 1 mile plus 20 minute youtube workout
Friday – 2 miles
Saturday – 5 miles
Sunday – rest
Enjoy that Sunday rest day to sleep in, lounge on the couch or get errands done for the week but you have been working hard, and your body needs recovery time! Try to increase your pace as best as you can because you have been training for a whole month already!
Week 5:
Monday – 1 mile plus 20 minute youtube workout
Tuesday – 2 miles
Wednesday – 3 miles
Thursday – 2 mile plus 30 minute youtube workout
Friday – 3 miles
Saturday – 5 miles
Sunday – rest
You made it to the last week! If these mileages feel too long, condense them. If you start your 6 mile run, feeling “bleh” keep going and get past the first mile and then gauge from there. It is always hard to start those longer runs, but the feeling at the end as I always say is the pay off!
Week 6:
Monday – 1 mile plus 20 minute workout
Tuesday – 4 miles
Wednesday – 3 miles
Thursday – 2 miles plus 30 minute workout
Friday – 2 miles plus 20 minute workout
Saturday – 6 miles
Sunday – rest
Sign up for a race
You made it to the end and if you are able to keep up with these mileages, then your next step is signing up for a race! Get yourself in a 5k or even a 10k and challenge your body because we are all capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for! Having your babies watch you cross the finish line is a feeling that will bring happy tears to your eyes or they can be “I’m in pain, but I am done” tears. Whatever movement you choose, it will all be good for mental health and getting back to feeling yourself!
