Postpartum Fitness: Don't Compare Yourself To Women On Instagram

Having a baby is a beautiful thing, but times have changed for pregnant and postpartum women. The age of the internet has brought about the idea of photo-documenting every moment of our lives, including how our bodies respond to pregnancy. Instagram is a place for women to express the joys of motherhood. But viewing images of perfectly contoured faces holding their newly-delivered bundles and toned up tummies days after giving birth can leave us feeling down about ourselves. Every woman's frame is differently affected by pregnancy. Some women bounce back quickly, for others it takes time. Some women manage to never see a stretch mark, while others bare their little reminders with pride. It is important to remember that no matter what your postpartum body looks like, it is exactly as it should be. [bctt tweet="Postpartum Fitness: Don't Compare Yourself To Women On Instagram"] For personal trainer Katie Grace Kissel, she thought being a fitness buff would leave her like some of those new mothers on Instagram - tight and toned right after pregnancy. But Katie experienced more weight gain than she had planned, and certainly did not 'bounce back' like the fit mamas on her newsfeed. "I felt depressed, and frankly pissed off that I looked so different from the women I followed on social media. I kept getting emails from diaper companies with skinny, fit, smiling moms at the top that I would delete before reading because I did not look like them." Katie explains. However, Katie has learned how to embrace her body's changes and accepts that looking slender on Instagram is not what is truly important. "I am now four months postpartum and still 25 pounds heavier than I was a year ago. My body didn’t bounce back quickly, and didn’t look like pictures I had seen of other moms. And I am finally okay with it because I have learned that at least for me, this is normal." she concludes. "Every journey is different, every body is different, and every experience is different." Learning to love your body means accepting it at all stages of life. Being hard on yourself and comparing your size and shape to posts on social media is damaging to your self-esteem. Your body does amazing things (like making a tiny human, for starters), so be kind to it and pay no attention to what social media deems 'normal'. What are your thoughts on postpartum fitness and health? How do you feel about your post-pregnancy bod? Source: Columbus Underground [caption id="attachment_124642" align="alignnone" width="100"] @BodyRockOfficial[/caption] [caption id="attachment_124519" align="alignnone" width="100"] @BodyRockTV[/caption]