OK, we mis-sold you. We don't have a catch all exercise move that will get you fit again in a jiffy. Get fit and finding yourself after having a baby takes time, effort and a positive view of yourself. We love you, your partner and family love you and your little bubba does too. Just know that you however little you manage to do, it helps.
Static lunges on the way to the kitchen; a few step-ups every time you go up the stairs; getting 10mins of HIIT or gentle cardio in in the garden whilst your little one's asleep and of course; or finally handing the baby over to be looked after by someone else so you can get a decent workout in, whether that's once a month or once a week.
Our fabulous Trainer, Caroline Bragg, suggests starting with squats. They're brilliant. No, really. Because:
- they automatically mean you do a pelvic lift;
- you can do them whilst you are holding the baby, waiting for the kettle to boil, or brushing your teeth;
- you work large muscle groups which burn calories as well as toning, and they speed up your metabolism;
- by changing your foot position you can target different muscles such as your inner thighs, quadriceps and glutes (aka your bum);
- you can supercharge them once you have good form, by adding weights (a baby is perfect!)
So here's how to do the perfect squat:
- Feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
- Arms relaxed and shoulders down
- Lower your bottom as if you are going to sit in a chair:
- your knees should be trying not to come over your toes
- bottom should be travelling backwards
- head and shoulders up and eyeline looking forward
- knees should be in line with your toes, not dropping in
- make sure your core is engaged during the whole move
- make sure you're engaging your bum and thigh muscles when you come up!
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Here's a helpful picture of what *not* to do with your knees:
Don't let them drop in!
They should be like this instead!
Make sure they're in line with your feet!
Start with 3 sets of 10 reps and work up from there.
You can do it! Look babies love it when you get them involved too!
Obviously you might be well ahead of this (fabulous!) but you can always include them into your normal gym/running/HIIT routine further down the line too. They're a great basis for core strength and pelvic floor health. Get in touch if you have any questions!