Lost your fitness mojo as a new mum? Don’t stress, you can get it back
Fitness taken a back seat now you’re a mum? Here’s how to get it back
It’s hard for new mums to regain their fitness mojo and we are not all like the sports celebrities. Just because Serena Williams was back on the court six months after giving birth to her daughter Olympia, and British Olympic cyclist Laura Kenny returned to the saddle a mere six weeks after her son Albert arrived, let’s be realistic.
For the rest of us mere mortals, well it’s not that easy. Having a baby takes up a lot of your time and energy and it can sometimes feel as if the ‘old’ you is awash amid a rush of feeding, teething and cleaning up.
Your priorities have changed and you certainly won’t be under the same pressures as Williams or Kenny - and nor should you rush it, wait for your six week check and always keep your GP in the loop - but keeping fit and healthy is still important especially when it’s been important to you before you had your baby. You’ll need all your strength to keep up with the demands of a newborn yet finding your mojo for working out can play a vital part of your physical and mental wellbeing.
Pre-baby, finding time to incorporate exercise into your everyday life wasn’t that hard, but now that all that’s changed, how do you get your fitness mojo back?
1. Try something different: Whatever you were into pre-pregnancy, it may be time to try something new. If you feel sluggish about going to the gym, why not try a new class like Zumba or Boxercise? It could give you the lift you need - a change is as good as a rest.
2. Find a workout buddy: If you find it hard to get motivated, get a friend along. If you’ve made arrangements to meet someone, you won’t be able to back out at the last minute or use the baby as an excuse! Make it a regular thing - and see how much you enjoy it.
3. Track your steps: Get a pedometer or fitness band and track your movements during the day. It’ll give you incentive to move more when you can see your progress. Reaching the 10,000 steps a day is completely feasible, especially as a busy new mum. You just need to be a bit creative and push yourself to do a little extra each day.
4. Adjust routines: Incorporate the baby into your exercise regimes, either in a walk (stroller), hike (baby carrier) or just a workout on the sitting room floor. Just because your life has changed doesn’t mean you can’t get back into fitness - you just have to be adaptable.
5. Set goals: Identify a target – eg. to lose half a stone, fit into your pre-baby LBD in time for a forthcoming special occasion. Swim 10 lengths of the pool or run a 5k. Don’t make your goals too ambitious and give yourself a realistic amount of time to achieve them. Slow and steady is the best way forward, there’s no such thing as a quick fix.