How to Stay Fit While Breastfeeding

Only twice in my life have I craved an electrolyte supplement and eaten a meal just to be hungry for another right away: once when I was training for the Boston Marathon in 2018, and once while nursing my infant daughter.

Separately, breastfeeding and endurance exercise can leave you parched and famished. Together, working out and feeding a baby can take those side effects to the next level. For nursing athletes, it comes with the territory.

“The body’s requirement for nutrients is higher while breastfeeding than at any other stage in life,” says Marina Lane, RD, dietitian and certified lactation counselor based in Endwell, New York. If you’re training on top of that, nutrient turnover is even higher.

With your doctor's consent, you can optimize postpartum fitness with these adjustments.