Postpartum Workout with REPREVE

This post was sponsored by REPREVE, but all opinions, photography and content are my own. As always, thank you for supporting brands that make Style Your Senses possible.

Hi friends! Today I’m partnering with REPREVE to share what easing back into working out after baby looks like for me, as well as how my workout gear is actually made out of recycled plastic. First, I thought that it would be fun to share a little back story about myself. In college I majored in Textiles, Apparel and Merchandising really learned to appreciate all aspects of the industry, beginning with fibers and ending with the final product. At the risk of sounding like a total geek, I actually loved learning about construction, composition and patterns of various garments, because whether you realize it or not these things determine how likely you are to buy, wear and feel confident in your clothes.

Vaux Swift Tank | Onyx Element Legging

When REPREVE approached me about partnering to help spread the word about what they’re doing I was intrigued and excited! REPREVE is actually a brand of fiber made from recycled materials, including plastic water bottles.

Now I was REALLY intrigued. Another thing that you should know about me is that I do keep recycling top of mind. I’m not perfect when it comes to buying only sustainable or biodegradable products, but I will say that about 90% of the time our recycle bin is more full than our regular trash bin. I die a little every time I have to drink out of a plastic water bottle…and don’t get me wrong I DO do it from time to time…but it’s always seemed so wasteful to me. For 20oz of water (that I could have easily put in to a reusable water bottle), there now lives a plastic bottle that takes over 450 years to decompose in a landfill. Yep, just typing that out gives me hives.

Vaux Swift Tank 

But, what makes me feel better is knowing that REPREVE takes those used plastic water bottles and breaks them down, transforming them into a fiber that’s used to make tons of new and sustainable products (like the yoga top and pants that I’m wearing in this post)! Since this process offsets the need for new resources (such as petroleum), they emit fewer greenhouse gases in making the product, which is definitely something I think that we can all appreciate. Learn more about the patented process of how they break down water bottles and transform them HERE.

Since they started this process, REPREVE has transformed more than 5 billion (yes 5,000,000,000!!!) water bottles into their signature sustainable fiber. How amazing is that!??! What’s even cooler is that these fibers are likely already used in products you own since huge brands like Patagonia, Adidas and PB Teen are using the fibers in their products. See the full list of brands using REPREVE HERE.

Vaux Swift Tank | Onyx Element Legging

The pants and top that I’m wearing are made by a brand called Totemmi using REPREVE fibers. The minute I put them on I could feel a difference. The fabric is dense and super supportive yet breathable enough to be active in. Both pieces did an amazing job of holding things in place and I felt happy knowing that they were handmade in the USA out of sustainable materials.

This was the perfect outfit to ease back into working out again after giving birth to Lawson. I feel a little vulnerable sharing these photos because I am definitely a work in progress. These were taken at 4 weeks postpartum and while I could have easily figured out how to photoshop my swollen tummy or make my thighs look thinner, I think that that would take away from the rawness of my journey.

Vaux Swift Tank | Onyx Element Legging

I have 17 lbs left to lose until I am at my “happy weight” and honestly I think that I will have to really work to get there again. Since I’m not sleeping much and I’m still nursing pretty much on demand, my body is tapped out leaving very little energy left to workout. I know that we will work in to a schedule sometime soon and I’ll be able to focus more on my fitness, but that time is not now. For the time being, I am taking it slow and I wanted to show you some easy workouts that you can also do with your stroller if you’re in the same boat as me.

Everyday I try to walk at least one to two miles at a brisk pace. If I’m feeling good, I will use ankle weights to give my legs an extra challenge along the way as well. I either do this when Landry is in Summer camp during the day and take Lawson along or I’ll sneak out after dinner time between feedings for a solo walk. It’s a great time to clear my head and reflect on the day…sometimes I’ll call my mom or catch up on missed texts. It’s a little breath of fresh air during the day and it’s always welcomed.

At the end of my walk, I always try to get in some simple exercises to help tone up my legs. What I love is that these can all be done with the help of the stroller as well.

I start with standing side leg lifts. I usually do 3 sets of 25 reps on each leg, alternating legs between each set. These work the abductor muscles and really trim down those pesky “saddle bags” as I like to call them.

Next I do standing rear leg raises to work on the booty. I try to do 3 sets of 25-30 reps on each leg, alternating legs between reps.

Next I do assisted forward lunges while holding on to the stroller. These should really engage your core, without our exerting it and work on the quads, glutes and inner thighs. I do 3 sets of 20 reps, alternating legs between reps.

Next (and most awkward to photograph), I do plie squats to really focus on my inner thighs. Since this is what I consider my most annoying “problem area” I try to really ramp it up here and do 3 sets of 40 reps, taking a short walking break between each set.

I am so thankful to have you guys on this journey with me. It feels wonderfully refreshing to share these “before” photos and be proud of what my body just went through, knowing that it’s always a work in progress. I will continue to share updates and will detail more about how I continue to get back to my pre-baby weight in future posts.