Being a new Mom is incredibly hard. There is no denying that. After 9 months of playing house to a living, breathing and kicking little-person, your body can feel alien after the birth. It takes a long while for everything to deflate a little and although you might just want to bounce back into shape, finding time could be a challenge. You may not want even to think about a workout regime for months, but if you do, there are some great resources available to you to make it work.
- Plan your workouts
Home workouts are going to be a blessing during this time. If you have a kettlebell or a skipping rope then squeezing in a gentle workout during nap time is going to be much more worthwhile. An excellent way to maximize your results when you only have a short amount of time is to know exactly what you’re going to do; even if you don’t know when! If you haven’t worked out your legs in a while, then schedule that to be your next routine. Be kind to yourself and take it gently.
- Wear your athleisure gear
One of the best and easiest ways to feel motivated for a workout is to change into the correct outfit. It sounds strange, but it really works. When you get changed in the morning, put on your yoga pants and a comfortable sports bra. You’ll feel ready for anything and if you do get the chance to workout that day – you’ll be more than ready!
- Know when it’s time to relax
This is crucial. You may want to get back into your size 10 jeans for that wedding you have to go to, but too much pressure will stress you out and be bad for the baby. There are so many lovely blogs online that you can browse when the baby is asleep, thebabytrend.com has some great articles that will amuse you. It’s important during this period that as well as keeping your body fit and healthy, you are also mindful and calm.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself – you have a newborn!
If you don’t get to exercise and pump the iron for a few days, well, that’s absolutely fine. You have plenty of time to settle into a gym routine, and it’s important that you stay chilled about it all. If you’re lucky enough to have a partner or a friend who can watch the little one for 30 minutes while you go for a run; that’s great! But if you don’t, don’t panic. Everything good will come in good time.
- Try something brand new
If you have never tried yoga or Pilates before, now is the time. Some people worry that they’ll hate it because it’s not ‘proper’ exercise. But trust me, it’s not easy! You’ll be stretching out your body like never before and it’ll do wonders for your back. Give it a go; you might never look back.