Singer and mom of three Jessie James Decker is doing something rare for a celeb mom. Jessie, who just had her third baby four months ago, is being completely honest about how hard it is to get into shape post-baby. And, she’s not mincing words about how difficult it is to squeeze in any form of exercise when you’re a breastfeeding mom.
The country singer is known for keeping it real about getting in shape post-baby. Three weeks after giving birth to her third, baby Forrest, she shared a photo of her still-swollen belly on Instagram, and she just shared a heartfelt video lamenting how hard her third baby recovery has been on her body and what an effort it is to find time for exercise.
I sure can relate.
For me, exercise isn’t just about getting healthy and fit. It’s mental. Simply put, exercise keeps me sane. After the birth of my first child, I was desperate not to lose that precious hour of time that had me feeling good. I made a pact with myself to keep up with exercise. Of course, that’s no easy for any mom, but it is possible. Within a few months of the birth of my second, I’d established a regular workout routine that I still follow to this day.
First, I had to make peace with the amount of time I realistically had each day. Two-hour yoga classes were not an option anymore. I needed quick workouts that burned a lot of calories fast. I found a spinning studio five minutes from my house that had me back home within an hour.
Real change happened when I chose a consistent time to work out each day. That meant getting up before my kids and going to a class or the gym. Ugh, I know.
Then, I added in strength training. My bod wasn’t as tight as it used to be and no amount of cardio is going to make that post-baby pooch go away. I signed up for a gym near my house and alternated days of cardio and the gym. On those days when I just couldn’t get out of the house, I’d do push-ups and squats at home. It was something, which was better than nothing. It gave me hope that I could get back in shape.
The real change happened for me when I chose a consistent time to work out each day. That meant getting up before my kids and going to a class or the gym. Ugh, I know. But, I chose an hour of exercise over an hour of sleep. If my husband was traveling for work and I couldn’t sneak out in the morning, I’d download a workout app and do it after the baby went to bed. It wasn’t perfect, but it was doable.
And that’s exactly the point: Getting in shape post-baby is doable. It won’t be quick and your body may never be exactly the way it was prior to having kids, but it’s possible to feel hopeful, happy and healthy. So, if you’re a new mom and you’re breastfeeding, hang in there. Maybe you’ll be like me, doing push-ups on your living room floor until you can get more time and your baby needs you a bit less. But, you’ll get there. You created a beautiful little person. You can do anything.
