Bump and Balance Fitness Michiana

Everyone wants to know the "right" time to get back to the gym after having a baby.

Some people will tell you to wait until you're cleared at your six-week appointment and others will tell you to jump right back in as soon as you feel ready.

Here’s my stance on the great six week debate: Being cleared for exercise doesn't automatically mean your body is ready for your *pre-pregnancy workouts*. But that doesn’t mean that all forms of workouts are off the table.

Early postpartum workouts are about rebuilding the foundation that your body can rely on in its current stage of recovery.

Here are the three things I recommend focusing on before diving back into the gym:
✨ Prioritize hydration and protein. Your body is healing, recovering, and possibly producing milk. Give it the fuel it needs.
✨ Reconnect with your core and pelvic floor. Pregnancy changes the way your muscles work. Before worrying about lifting heavier, help your body relearn how to breathe, brace, and generate pressure effectively.
✨ Check your expectations at the door. Start with about 20% of the volume or intensity you were doing before pregnancy and build from there. Endurance, strength, and confidence all come back faster when you stop trying to rush the process.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by where to start or you're worried about doing too much too soon, you don't have to figure it out on your own. Inside my 1:1 coaching, I create a personalized return-to-exercise plan based on your recovery, your goals, and your stage of motherhood. Comment ‘MAMA’ to learn more.

No one warned me how awful the transition from one to zero naps would be.

I went from having a predictable two-hour window every afternoon to catch up on work, tackle the never-ending laundry, and squeeze in a workout...
..to spending those same two hours negotiating with an overtired three-year-old who swears he isn't tired while simultaneously melting down over the wrong color cup.

I miss the consistent nap time. It gave me a rhythm to my days that I could rely on. And in the blink of an eye, that routine disappeared.

Motherhood has a way of doing that and no one warned me.

Just when you finally feel like you've figured it out, your baby starts sleeping through the night... then starts teething. They master potty training... then drop a nap. School starts. Summer begins. Another season arrives.

The routines that once worked suddenly don't anymore.

Consistency in motherhood looks a lot different than it did before kids. It isn't about doing the same thing every day, but rather it’s about learning how to adapt without giving up on yourself.

But one things for certain, I've stopped waiting for life to settle down before taking care of myself. Motherhood is always changing but showing up for myself has become my constant.

If you're struggling to fit workouts into your ever-changing schedule, feeling like every new season throws you completely off track, or wondering how you'll ever build consistency again, you don't have to figure it out alone.

Inside my 1:1 coaching, we build a fitness routine that works with your real life, not against it. As your kids grow, your schedule changes, and motherhood evolves, we'll adapt your plan together so you can keep making progress without starting over every few months. Comment ‘MAMA’ to learn more.

Spoiler alert: We didn’t start with three workouts. 

With her kids home from summer vacation and just starting a new job, three workouts felt daunting. While I knew she was capable of fitting three workouts into her weekly rhythms, she needed to prove it to herself. 

So we started with just one workout. Her weekly non-negotiable was to complete that workout at least once. 

I designed the workout for her to be able to do from home or the gym so that she would be able to have a little extra flexibility. The workout was short - just two sets of four exercises. 

It didn’t take her long to find the time to complete it at least once during the week but twice was a bit more challenging. So I reminded her that even if she didn’t have time to do the full workout, she could still find 5-10 minutes in her day to just do one or two exercises. 

Slowly but surely one or two exercises turned into two workouts and we repeated the process with a third workout. 

And here we are, crushing three workouts a week and feeling strong, confident, and more importantly empowered. 

It would have been easy to throw three workouts at her from the beginning and challenge her to complete them, but it was far more empowering when she was able to make those small steps herself. 

She might have looked at three workouts and immediately felt overwhelmed and never actually started. But now she’s proven to herself that she IS capable of more. 

I can’t wait to see what she does next. ♥️

Ready to see what you’re capable of? Comment ‘MAMA to learn more about my coaching.

Before I had my first baby, I had the perfect postpartum exercise plan.

I'd start my pelvic floor and core workouts, gradually increase the intensity of my workouts, and before long I'd lose the baby weight and be back to feeling like myself again.

Simple... right?

Whelp, my baby (and body) had other plans. 

Sleep deprivation hit harder than I expected. Feeding schedules changed by the hour. Recovery wasn't linear. Some days I barely had time to shower, let alone complete the workout I had mapped out.

Within just a matter of days, "perfect" plan was completely out the window and I felt as thoughI was failing. Eventually, I realized the plan wasn't the problem. It was the expectation that postpartum recovery should fit neatly into a calendar.

So I changed my approach.

Instead of asking, "Did I finish my workout?" I started asking, "How can I support my body today?"

✨Some days that looked like 10 minutes of breathing, core reconnect work, and a short walk. ✨Some days I lifted weights. Some days recovery meant taking a nap while the baby slept instead of forcing myself through a workout.

✨Consistency was about continuing to show up in whatever way my season of motherhood allowed.

That's exactly how I coach postpartum moms now. We create a plan that adapts to your recovery, your baby, your schedule, and your real life.

The best postpartum exercise plan isn't the one that looks perfect on paper, it's the one you can actually stick with.

Ready for a plan that fits into YOUR life? Comment ‘MAMA’ to learn more.

If you asked me how it’s going, I’d say this: You’re doing better than you think.

Motherhood was a jolt for me. It wasn’t all sunshine and bonding like I expected (or like I saw on social media).

✨ I didn’t feel connected with my son for weeks after he was born.
✨ I second-guessed every decision and doubted my instincts daily.
✨ I could barely find time to shower, let alone think about “getting back into a routine.”

For the entire first year, I thought I was failing because I didn’t look or feel like the moms who seemed to have it all together.

But here’s what I’ve learned over the past 6 years of being a mom:

💛 No one has it all figured out.
💛 Comparison steals your joy.
💛 And yes, you will feel like yourself again. She just might look and move a little differently, and that’s okay.

I know what it feels like to lose yourself in the thick of motherhood and not know where to begin and I created my coaching framework with that in mind.

So, what happens when we work together for the first 30 days?

We don’t jump into extremes or try to overhaul everything at once.Instead, we start small and build from there..

✔️ We create habits that fit your real life (not the ideal one you imagined)
✔️ We design flexible routines that give you structure and breathing room
✔️ We rebuild your confidence in your body, your strength, and your choices

Because you don’t need a massive transformation. You need someone to walk beside you as you find your footing again.

And if you’re ready to feel supported and seen in your journey, drop a “ME” in the comments or send me a DM. I’d be honored to support you.