Today?s mum is a superhero! Being a mum, juggling chores, taking care of your other half, errands and admin plus working can play havoc on any exercise programme or stop you finding time to get fit.
Yet it can be done. Vicky Warr gives her easy to follow top tips to get you into shape ? and without having to go to the gym or go on a diet.
Treat school or nursery run?as your morning workout.
Walking briskly to and from nursery or school instead of driving means you get a workout, fresh air and what some call ?moving meditation?. The breathing and repetitive movement involved with walking or jogging promotes feelings of calm and tranquillity and reduces stress. Being outdoors releases endorphins, the natural hormones which promote a sense of feeling good. Plus by increasing your pace, you?ll burn more calories in less time.
Short bursts of strength exercise
You can do this in just 15 minutes a day, three times a week, using just your bodyweight in the comfort of your own home. Recent studies have shown that strength training boosts your metabolism by 10% and increases post-exercise fat burning by 100%.
Push-ups, squats, lunges, step-ups (using your stairs), are all ?multi-muscle? exercises so you use more than one muscle group with one exercise. Using more muscles means toning up more muscles.
While walking or jogging will burn calories and get you fit ? exercises using your whole body and lots of different muscles gets you amazing results.
Look for little windows of opportunity
When the baby naps, use that 10, 20 or 30-minute window to do some quick exercises at home.
Little and often is actually better than inconsistent exercise of one hour or longer, as it will keep your metabolism burning ? so you?ll more stomach fat and as your workouts are shorter, it?s over quicker!
Buddy up
If you and your partner exercise, it sends out a great signal to your children. Here?s how both you and your other half can fit it in?
???? Try getting up early (before the baby wakes) for a run or swim or to do your exercise.
???? Be active with your baby or child – running with a baby jogger is a great way to get back into running. But make sure start running with babies when they have neck control, which usually after six months.
???? Exercise with the baby ? try baby presses, baby lunges and baby squats.
Organise ?Fitness Friday?
Grab a willing friend who also has a baby and choose a day o the week when they come over to your house with their children or baby and you take it in turns to look after the children while the other one does some exercises for 30 minutes, then you swap.
Find out a mother and baby fitness class
If you?ve just had a baby, you often want to get back into shape and get out of the door to meet other mums! Postnatal fitness classes can fit the bill, as you can take the baby with you and not have to sort out childcare. These classes are social, fun and motivating ? they help lift the ?baby blues? and postnatal depression and get you fit.
Chores to music
When you have to do the washing, cleaning and tidying up, put the music on, set the timer for 15 minutes and get the whole family involved. Make it an activity ? go up and down the stairs, dance around as you put toys away and as you have the timer on you?ll have to move quickly to get it done!
Do something you love
Ask someone to look after your child and take some time out to do an activity you love. This should be essential for you ? dance, play a sport (netball is fast becoming popular), go hiking or take a swim. That way you won?t see exercise as a chore or punishment.
Vicky Warr is founder of the Beez Kneez (www.beez-kneez.co.uk) specialising in pregnancy and postnatal, mum and baby group fitness classes. Member of the Pre and Postnatal Guild of Instructors and Senior level YMCA-accredited personal fitness trainer.
Vicky consults for BBC Radio, Mothercare and Teapigs. She writes for Fit Future, a nationwide youth fitness initiative and many national publications including the Daily Mail and bounty.com. She is also a mum to Luca.
For details of prenatal and postnatal group fitness classes, visit: www.beez-kneez.co.uk
