How To Get Back On The Treadmill After Becoming A Mom
Whether you’ve just had your first baby or your fifth, congratulations. Of course, if you were always the active health and fitness nut before you became a mother (or in between each child) then you’re probably itching to get back on the treadmill and work towards being a macho, toned, and healthy mom again. That’s a good mentality to have because a healthy mother who looks after herself is also mentally stronger and better able to look after her children.
Of course, you’ve just been carrying a child in your womb for 9 months. You might still be feeling a little fragile and uncertain as to where you should begin with a workout routine. You’re well aware that your life is different now and you probably don’t have time to go to the gym for hours on end every single day. Here’s how to get back on the treadmill after becoming a mom (for the first, second, third, fourth, or maybe even fifth time).
Do a workout from home.
This is the best piece of advice any mother can take on board. If you’re a working mom then you probably think there’s no time during the day at which you could possibly find time to exercise now. You’re out at the office from 9-5 and then you come home to take the child off the babysitter’s hands and spend the entire evening looking after him or her; if you have multiple children ranging from all manner of ages then this task becomes even more taxing and exhausting. Of course, there’s always the possibility of working out from home.
You don’t need to hire a personal trainer or even buy a lot of gym equipment. You could simply stream workout routines on your cell phone or laptop. You should try it at www.momsintofitness.com/streaming-workouts if you’re wondering where to begin. In this modern age, there are really no excuses for avoiding working out. The busiest of people can find ways to fit an exercise regime into their day because everybody wastes a certain portion of the day doing unproductive things. Make yourself more productive by looking after your body; your brain will be more alert and you might find that you get everything else done far more quickly throughout the day (giving yourself more relaxation time).
Do a workout with the baby.
You might laugh at this idea, but I’m not talking about getting your newborn child to lift weights. In another of our articles, we talked about stroller runs, and they’re a really fun way for new mothers with “very little time” to get a dose of exercise into their day. You need to take your baby to the park anyway, right? They need some fresh air, and you need some fresh air. As long as you’re not sprinting so much that it disrupts the baby and rocks their stroller too much, heading off on a gentle jog or run through your local park is a great way to optimize your day. You’ve taken the baby outside for a little bit and you’ve squeezed some exercise into your busy routine. That’s multi-tasking.
Eat well.
Remember to eat. Again, you might scoff at this, but think about how much you ate back when you were a fitness nut before you became a mother. You’re probably so frantic and busy in your new role that you neglect the importance of eating properly. If you want to be able to exercise well, of course, then you need your carbohydrates and protein to keep your body energized and ready to tackle the world. Don’t cut down on eating if you want to be healthy. That’s not the way to do it (whether you were doing so consciously or not). Make sure you’re keeping your body fed so that you’re keeping your brain fed too. You need to be focused and alert in your exercise routine. Fruit, vegetables, and all the things you tell your kids to eat are important things that you need to eat too.
Walk everywhere.
If you need to nip to the local shop then walk there. If you need anything within a five mile radius then walk there. That idea might scare you, but, as mentioned over at lemonlimeadventures.com, it’s important that you’re getting outside every day anyway. Why not avoid wasting money on gas and, instead, get some exercise into your day? You want to teach your kids healthy habits too, so walking with them to school (if it’s within walking distance) is a great idea too.
The best way to keep on top of your fitness regime now that you’re so busy is to keep your body moving as much as possible. All cardio is good cardio. If you want your runs through the park or strength training exercises to be more successful then make sure you pad out the day with a simple dose of walking because this physical activity is certainly the easiest to squeeze into your day. Try to get 10,000 steps done a day, even if you don’t have time to workout properly on certain days. Get yourself a pacer to keep track; there are great apps you can get on your phone for this.
Exercise before the kids wake up.
This suggestion comes from the genius article over at www.noexcusemom.com, and there certainly are no excuses for avoiding exercise as a mom after considering this advice. Wake up one or two hours before the kids and work out in your lounge area or head off on a run through your local park. If you want to magically find extra hours in the day then this is the way to do it. No more complaining that there’s too much going on in the house or outside the house for you to find time to exercise; use those early hours of the morning to get your brain switched on and energized. Get your body moving, and your brain will be alert, active, and prepared for your kids when they wake up shortly after.
