Postpartum: My Season of 15-minute Workouts
Pregnancy and postpartum recovery looks and feels different to everyone. Here is a snapshot of my pregnancy and postpartum journey:
2015: I was pregnant.
2016: I gave birth to baby #1. I became a mother. I had to learn who this new me was, in this new postpartum body. I was pregnant.
2017: I gave birth to baby #2.
2019: I was in the best shape of my life—I weighed more than I ever have, much of that was muscle and made me look and feel strong. The global pandemic hit shortly afterward. I was no longer in the best shape.
2020: I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and secondary infertility.
2021: I was fortunate enough to get pregnant after taking one cycle of Femara (letrozole), a fertility drug that is used to stimulate ovulation.
2022: I gave birth to baby #3.
2023: I’m trying to get into shape now. I’m still learning who I am.
This has been the most challenging time for me in regards to getting in shape after carrying three babies, breastfeeding each of my kids for at least one year of their lives, living a more sedentary life during the pandemic, and having PCOS, which caused me to gain weight unexpectedly.
I also have far less time for myself than I did before having kids.
I have two children in school and a baby at home. I want to be the lead parent—a choice that my husband and I discussed at length before having kids and a decision we revisit often. In a nutshell, the responsibilities of the lead parent in my family include: taking care of all school/healthcare/dental care related items, caring for our baby, taking the kids to all of their extracurricular activities, meal prepping, housework, and so on.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I typically have anywhere between 20 minutes to 60 minutes to fit in:
5 minute warm up
15 minute full body kettle or dumbbell workout
5 minute stretch/cool down
3 minute shower
1 minute cold shower
“x” remaining time to make a salad, eat said salad, and take care of whatever is on my to-do list that I can check off while sitting down.
This is the season of life that I’m in right now: 15-minute full body workouts at home, three days a week.
I have calluses on the palms of my hands again—it feels pretty fabulous. For me, calluses are a tangible reward of what it means to keep pushing through, especially when things feel too hard, too uncomfortable, or too painful. Experiencing pain and struggle can build strength, resilience, and perseverance.
After three pregnancies and three postpartum journeys, my body is slowly, yet surely getting to where it needs to be. I’ll take it!