Back in the Saddle after Baby
Getting back in the saddle after baby: so, you’re cleared! Uh, ok, so what now?
Without guidance, many women will take this to mean they can go run 3 miles, go tackle a HIIT workout, or go jump on the bike for “just an hour.” As athletes we have a tendency to hit it too hard too fast, and with few black and white rules on this, what else can we expect? We can expect BETTER. Navigating your own gray area on this is can be challenging, but here are some guidelines to get you enjoying the ride again.
After you've seen your pelvic floor PT for an assessment, try riding indoors first. If a cycling/spin class is your method of choice, commit to staying until your body gives you a red light. Give the instructor a heads up that this is your first class back! We’ll know if you leave early that it’s because you’re easing in, and a good instructor will check in with you afterwards to see how you felt.
Inside or out: Keep your bike fit where it was before- handlebars set higher, and/or seat may be a little lower. You can drop them slightly, but work your way back to that more aggressive or aero positioning. Once you've ridden for a few months consistently, it's time to stop back into your local shop or favorite bike fitter for a re-fit. A proper bike fit is just as important as your physical therapy appointments! You can actually do more damage to yourself, and waste energy on poor positioning (read, ride slower) if your bike is ill fitting.
GO EASY. Don’t expect to smash a 100% + interval for a while. If you’re going at a 6/10 RPE, make that your current 6/10, not what you think your 6/10 *should* be or was before you were pregnant. Stick to riding at RPE for your first few rides, or as long as you need to before bringing in your numbers. If you're really interested in the data (like me!) ride with your watch/computer and track it, but don't pay attention to it. I like to do the workout off of RPE and make some mental notes of how I felt during certain points, and then check my HR/ Power file afterwards to see what everything looked like by the numbers. Taking the step back to analyze when you're done takes the pressure off of you to speed up or push harder mid-workout if you notice your numbers are down. If the numbers start to stress you out, delete them from the process again until you find better patience with yourself.
After riding 6-8 weeks consistently, you can take that first threshold test, whether that's power or HR. DO NOT attempt to meet your previous power/HR numbers and don't set a goal for this! Do this test honestly and based completely off RPE. This is a starting point, and it should be viewed as that. What you did a year ago is irrelevant, this is where you are, now, and you're only going forward (faster!) from here.
As you begin to progress, increase cadence first before (slowly) loading in more gear. Adding both gear and cadence suddenly can cause symptoms like pain, heaviness and leakage. You may notice you need more out of saddle time, or that aero is uncomfortable, or that you may even need a new saddle all together. Talk to your bike fitter about these pain points when you go in and they can help you find a saddle that's a better fit.
If you experience any pain, incontinence, heaviness, or bleeding, STOP. Be patient, scale back and try again next time. Remember you just brought a baby earth side and taking it easy now will allow you to ride pain and injury free long term. Coming back too fast can lead to injuries that can sideline you just as fast as you started.
Be patient, mama, your faster days are just around the corner!