Fitness star Kayla Itsines reveals secrets for getting back in shape after pregnancy

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USA TODAY

Giving birth is no easy task, even when you workout for a living.

Just ask Kayla Itsines, a renowned Australian fitness guru whose Instagram account has garnered over 11.6 million followers.

Itsines faced challenges when it came to working out postpartum, and she shared her tips for getting in shape after giving birth in an article for Women’s Health published Tuesday.

Despite having trained postpartum women before, Itsines admitted she didn’t fully understand the challenges they face until she became a mom.

“It’s funny because I’ve trained women postpartum throughout my career, but I didn’t fully understand the physical and emotional journey that comes with getting back into a workout routine post-birth until I went through it myself,” wrote Itsines, who gave birth to her daughter Arna via C-Section in April.

Itsines wrote her doctors gave her the OK to workout again six weeks after she gave birth.

“I had so many mixed emotions,” she wrote. “I was so ready to move my body again and start regaining my strength, but I was also nervous because your body goes through so many changes emotionally and physically through pregnancy.”

More: Brooklyn Decker on getting back in shape after second baby: ‘I almost vomited’

For her first workout, Itsines aimed to walk on a treadmill at her own pace for 30 minutes. She only made it for 15.

“That was the first time it really physically hit me that my fitness level was no longer the same as it had been,” she wrote. “At the same time, I had an overwhelming feeling of achievement. Although the session was really hard, it sparked a new determination and motivation in me not to reflect on what I didn’t do, but to celebrate what I did accomplish in that first workout.”

More: Shay Mitchell’s pregnancy: ‘I’ve just become a member of the swollen foot crew’

Itsines wrote the difficulty of working out after pregnancy inspired her to share her advice. One of Itsines’ main pointers? Do your best, but don’t be too hard on yourself.

“I was on a new journey to regain and rebuild my strength,” she wrote. “After all, progress is progress – whether I walked for just one extra minute or a few more feet than the day before.”

Itsines suggests new mothers to set specific goals, find a routine that works for them, get a workout buddy, expect (and stay positive through) setbacks and find a power playlist.

More: An episiotomy should be rare. What pregnant women can do to avoid one during childbirth

Most of all, Itsines said new moms should embrace themselves.

“I’ve always been motivated by improving my fitness in the gym, and now that I’m a mother, I’m motivated in another way: I want to show up and get my workout in because I want to be the strongest, most confident version of myself to be a good role model for my daughter,” she wrote.

More: Let’s all resolve to stop saying these things to pregnant women and new moms

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