Post Natal Fitness - Sleep is Vital

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

27 Nov 2006 12:25 PM

Yes, I know you're sleep deprived and I know that you're losing sleep and struggling to get things done, take care of that new little baby and you're still thinking about getting back into shape. This is part of the reason why we hold back on getting started on our fitness programs until 6 to 12 weeks after the baby is born. By the time your baby is three months old, they should hopefully be on a regular schedule of sleep and so should you.

Sleep is an important time for your body to perform repairs and maintenance for your body and it's important to fitness and to weight loss. All the exercise in the world won't get you into better shape if you aren't getting regular sleep and plenty of rest. So be sure that the fitness plans you put into place for yourself include regular sleep as well.

What This Means

Early morning workouts are beneficial for a variety of reasons, including more people who work out first thing in the morning are statistically more likely to continue with their workouts regularly. But this doesn't mean you should trade needed sleep for your workout. The important component of post-natal fitness is to be flexible in your workout schedule, ensuring that you get plenty of needed rest along with regular exercise.

You will likely have more success if you sign up for a stroller mom fitness class or break your workout up into ten to twenty minute chunks of time that you can perform and feel better about yourself without having to worry about the baby or missing sleep for yourself.

It's also important to recognize your own limitations - your workouts should energize you and make you feel better, if all they are doing is wearing you out more and stressing you out - then it's time to look for a new solution. We're going to continue this post-natal fitness series here at the fitness blog and as we go through the holidays and into the new year, I'll be posting workouts twice weekly to help you out - you can do as many or none of them as you see fit, but I'd love to hear from each and every one of you and what works for you.

Are you getting enough sleep?

Related Articles:

Women's Fitness: Your Duty to Yourself

Curves - Curve Ball or Are They on to Something?

Transformation Fitness: Get Fit Workout Plan

Post-Natal Fitness: So You Just Had a Baby

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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