First of all, ladies I want to say massive congratulations for the fact you have created a mini human! Your body grew this person and went through some changes for this to happen. So, don’t give it too much of a hard time when you are trying to get into the fitness game. The main thing I want you to take away from this is that you won’t get back to where you were before as you are not the same person. Instead I want you to focus on becoming a fitter and stronger version of yourself 😊
I also want to stress that things take time so don’t be disheartened when things don’t happen as quickly as you would like. Please don’t be too focused on what is posted all over social media – it’s a snapshot of someone’s’ life and they tend to only show the highlights. Focus on you and you alone.
Now onto the main event …
Getting back onto the fitness wagon can be tough at any stage it takes some motivation and dedication. The hardest step is starting, I promise after you start it gets a lot easier. Whether you are coming to this after your 6-week clear, 6 months or 1 year+ it doesn’t matter we all start at the same place – The beginning.
Start Small
Take ‘baby steps’ if you will 😊 you will need to ease yourself back into exercise so don’t set your goals too high or unattainable. Create mini and achievable goals that will be easier to hit making it a lot more manageable spurring you on for more. I would also focus more on fitness and health goals rather than weight/looks for example in a month I want to be doing exercise 3 times a week, the month after I will start going to a class, I want to do 10 full press ups, run 3 k without stopping etc. Rather than I need to be Xkg by my birthday or fit into a size X in 2 months because then you will be become more fixated on the looks rather than the main goal at hand – getting fit and healthy. Your body will change in the process anyway and I know we all have aesthetic goals and that’s ok juts don’t let it take over, it’s the side line rather than the main event. I want you to feel confident in yourself so whatever it takes to get you there safely and effectively.
Walking
To start with just get moving, walking is the most underrated form of exercise but a pretty effective one. It will get the blood flowing, the body moving and your activity level up. By simply walking somewhere every day you will be working on your fitness as well as making your calorie output higher which in turn will help with any baby weight you are wishing to lose. Walking also happens to be free and something you can do with your little one so make it part of your daily routine.
Home
I get it gyms can be daunting especially when you are not feeling 100% or you have a hectic life that doesn’t really allow it. However, your home is a great place to workout. You can use your own body weight, furniture, resistance bands and any equipment you may want to buy for a mini home gym. 20-30 minute workouts can be just as effective as an hour if you put the effort in, all you will need is some space and music (if the little one isn’t asleep) and you are good to go. This way it becomes a lot easier to fit it into your day. It doesn’t have to happened every day instead let’s go for 3/4 times a week and go from there.
A great way I would recommend setting out your workouts would be in a circuit style. Pick 5 exercises, 12-15 reps of each, 3-5 sets with a 60-90 rest in between each set. Make sure to warm up properly and cool down with a stretch at the end.
Friends
What is better than being with friends? So why not get together and workout, whether that is at someone’s house, outside, at a class. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it is something you all enjoy and gets you fit in the process. It is a good way to keep you motivated but also accountable as you have another person relying on you which becomes a lot harder to give up on.
Yoga/Pilates
These 2 forms of exercise are a great way to get you moving but also help with relaxation. Please be careful if you are newly post-partum as your joints will be less stable and your abdominal will be weaker. There are some great you tube video workouts for these so you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home – again helping fit into your lifestyle.
FINALLY, the main thing … is to have FUN. Exercise, getting fit and healthy doesn’t have to be boring but I understand not everyone loves it so find a way to make it fun. You are more likely to stick at it, be motivated and enjoy it. I can also guarantee that you start to notice your body change but most importantly your confidence!!
I have been working with mummy and lifestyle blogger Holly (Hollygoeslightly) over on her blog to create a mini workout series that you can all do from the comfort of your own home. A combination of my fitness experience and her hands on life experience we wanted to give you all a realistic set of workouts that you can fit into your routine.
Here is one of the workouts I designed as a full body – all you need is a chair 🙂
You can check out the other 2 and Holly’s blog alongside them here 🙂
Vicki xxx
