How to get More Exercise when you're a New Parent...
We are sharing 10 ways you can find the time to make movement a more achievable and realistic part of your day!
It can be hard to find the time to train the way you would like to, or have in the past when you are a parent. The demands of caring for children are tremendous and there is never any down-time or scheduled time off.
If you have just had a baby(0-3 months) we highly encourage you to focus on some rehabilitation work. Learning how to improve breathing mechanics, connecting to your pelvic floor and finding those lower abs and invite them to start working again. We also highly encourage you to be assessed by a pelvic floor physiotherapist, regardless of your mode of delivery. Check out our free guide to moving your body in the first 12 weeks after birth! Most people are ready to start our classes about 10-12 weeks postpartum, some may be ready to start earlier but that is less common. If you focus on proper rest, recovery and rehab in the first few weeks postpartum you will experience a smoother transition back into regular exercise. If you need more help and guidance on how to navigate those early weeks, please reach out!
TOP 10 Tips
1. Register for a class that is designed for postpartum bodies and one that includes your baby. Our Babywearing Fitness classes are perfect for that. Your little one is involved in the entire workout. Wearing your baby will reduce fussiness and minimize crying. Being hands free allows you to include free weights to build upper and lower body strength. Fun fact: Babywearing actually uses less energy than carrying your little one in arms.
2. Embrace shorter workouts. Lots of science and research supports the benefits of shorter workouts. You don’t need to spend hours in a traditional gym to get great results! Our Live Online Classes are only 30 minutes and require no travel time. They are a great way to get additional workouts and are always included in our special series passes! BONUS: All of your family members can join in if they want to! We often see partners and older kiddos taking advantage of our workouts.
3 .Walk, walk, walk. Build up to 30 minutes of walking most days, if not every day. Those of you who have a dog have an advantage! This is harder to do in the winter months, but there are indoor tracks throughout the region and the local mall is a great option too, just leave your credit card at home! Pro tip: When you run your errands park further away, take the stairs and take your next phone call standing and walking around (great suggestion for those who are back to work!)
4. Adjust your expectations and enjoy a “good enough” workout. You are not typically in the season of heavy lifts and personal bests in the first year postpartum. However, if you start now, you will be ready for more challenging workouts later! Also if you have little kids underfoot, you can expect a lot of interruptions. That is totally normal. Pro Tip: Have snacks, water and other high request items ready before you workout. Create a separate workout space for your kiddo to follow along. Our littlest members love connecting with their Fitmama Coaches and showing us how strong they are!
“Remember prioritizing your needs doesn’t mean “me first” it just means “me too”.”
5. Find a trainer that specializes not only in postpartum fitness, but in pelvic floor health and supporting people with diastasis recti. This is highly specialized training that goes beyond “do a kegal”. You want someone who understands body mechanics, pressure management, and how to adjust each workout to meet your needs (even in a group environment).
6. Be a priority and add your workouts to the family calendar. You are allowed to be on the list! Schedule each workout and treat it like you would a meeting with your boss or a date with your partner. If it's important to you, it will get done. Remember prioritizing your needs doesn’t mean “me first” it just means “me too”.
7. Plan to fail…..and have a back up plan in place. What will you do if your baby sleeps late, or is sick, or you have a workout scheduled but a personal appointment conflicts with your class time? How will you get your workout in??Having a good back-up plan is key. When my boys were little my back up was a home workout vs a visit to the gym. Eventually I dropped the gym membership, but I continue to reap the benefits of my home workouts!
8. Find a buddy. Maybe that's your partner (we often have partners join us online- it makes for a fun date night!). You will always meet a new mama friend at our classes! Familiar faces are looking forward to seeing you every week and getting to know you. Your coaches look for your reservation each week! We track attendance for each class, which can be helpful knowing we’re keeping tabs on you!
9. Know your WHY. When my boys were little my commitment to exercise was super high on the list (even more than it is now) because it was necessary to help manage my moods, and reduce my stress. Parenting is super hard and a lot of days I was a card carrying member on the struggle bus. Workouts were often the ONLY way to a better mood and less frustration and more enjoyment of my boys. Because I knew how essential my workouts were to my mental health I ALWAYS found a way. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't perfect and they looked pretty different from my workouts today, but they still counted and they were essential for me.
10. Invest in your health. Put a little skin in the game to help incentivize you to move more. There is no value in free. Its too easy to quit, pass it off and skip it. Remember, people are more likely to use the things they pay for.
Finally, remember, a little bit of movement is better than nothing at all! We highly encourage you to ditch the “all or nothing” mindset that is so prevalent in our thoughts around what success looks like, especially around exercise. Be kind and gentle to yourself and do your best. Our goal at Fitmama Strong is to help support you as you cultivate the art of showing up! Remember, consistency is the most important muscle we want to see you flex!
Fitmama Strong Durham has been operating in the Durham Region since 2010. We offer prenatal fitness, prenatal yoga, babywearing fitness, stroller fitness, live-online classes and and on-demand library of workouts. Our in-person and online community is a thriving and welcoming space for you and your littles. Find your program here
#startwithus and #growwithus by purchasing one of our class passes. We can’t wait to have you join us! (formerly FITMOM Durham)