Hilaria Baldwin Had 4 Babies In 4 Years And Never Stopped Working Out

From Women's Health

If you follow Hilaria Baldwin on Instagram, you're well aware that the celebrity yoga instructor is a fitness fiend who posts everything from functional workout moves to better sex exercises. And you also probably know that she just welcomed her fourth (yes fourth!) baby with husband Alec Baldwin just four months ago.

So how in the world does this yogi keep up with her active lifestyle after having four children in the course of four and half years? She reminds herself that "staying active even when I don’t want to, even when I’m so tired I just want to sit on my butt, will make me feel better and I'll be healthier in the long run," she tells WomensHealthMag.com.

Hilaria notes that she was very lucky to have "easy labors and deliveries," but owes a lot of her postpartum "bounce-back" to the fact she was fit before getting pregnant, and worked hard to stay fit during her pregnancy. "Even though my body gets bigger, and I gain weight and slow down, I try to work out every day," she says, adding that she thinks it's important not to be afraid of your body when you're pregnant.

But working out doesn't mean hitting the gym for hours on end for Hilaria. "I’m very active with my kids, so even if I don’t go to the gym, I’m lifting them in and out of the tub and out of their high chairs," she says. "Or one day, my workout might be that I walk a lot." Plus she's all about squeezing in those functional fitness moments, as she often demos on her Instagram.

Hilaria is also a big fan of kegel exercises, "I think it really helps you during delivery with the pushing," she says. (Not to mention, as she's noted on Instagram, better sex.)

But despite her fitness discipline, Hilaria is diligent about checking in with her body. "I rest as long as I need to rest—I’ve had a whole life of learning to listen to my body," she says, explaining that she had an eating disorder while growing up, and broke her hip from overexercising at age 25. "So now, I’m hyperaware of how my body feels at all times."

That self-awareness came into play after giving birth to her fourth baby, Romeo, in May. Hilaria had pneumonia during delivery, and fractured her ribs afterward from coughing so much. She also had mastitis for the first time—a condition that causes painful inflammation of the breast along with flu-like symptoms, and often affects moms who are breastfeeding.

But as soon as her body felt ready, Hilaria got back to her routine. "My body is used to moving," she says.

Her advice to new moms who are struggling to exercise postpartum? "I know it feels hard, and you're tired. But if you can get at least five, 10, 15, maybe 30 minutes a day where you can move your body, you're going to feel more energized for your kids and more connected to your body," Hilaria says. "If you’re not able to take care of yourself, you’re not going to be able to take care of anyone else."

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