Hopefully you are now past the sleepless nights and round the clock feeding of a young baby, so turn your attention to yourself with these top tips from Nahdi pharmacists on how to get back in shape.
- Use nap time
Take advantage of your toddler’s downtime by using it to do some gentle exercise. If your little one sleeps well in a stroller, go out for a brisk walk – pushing the stroller at the same time will certainly get your heart rate going. Or if you want to up the pace, invest in a jogging stroller so your little one can sleep safely while you jog or even run around the block. If your little one prefers to nap at home, use an exercise video to do a workout or do some simple lunges, press-ups and sit-ups while they sleep – you don’t need any fancy equipment to start burning those calories.
- Back up
Find a friend who wants to get fit too. It’s hard to find the motivation to exercise after a busy day with your little one but if you have someone to do it with, you won’t want to let them down. Chatting while you exercise, if you have any puff left, also helps to stop things from getting boring. You’ll be amazed how quickly time will fly if you’re comparing notes about your little one with a friend.
- Dance
Chances are your little one loves music and as they get more mobile, they’ll love to dance or shuffle around in time to the beat. Instead of just clapping along, get off the sofa and join in the dancing.
- Routine
Just like babies, adults need routines too so if you can find time in yours for some regular exercise, try to grab it and stick to it. Even if that’s only for thirty minutes, twice a week in that small window of time between your toddler’s dinnertime and bedtime, make that your time to nip to the gym, go for a jog, or do some sit-ups.
- Walk the walk
Small changes to your daily routine can help you get fit without too much effort. Instead of driving to the park, think about walking or if it’s too far, park a bit further away and walk a few blocks. Take the stairs instead of the lift or bike to a café to meet your friend. All these things keep you moving and burning calories.
- Don’t overdo it
If you’re new to exercise or if you’ve not done any since before you were pregnant, you’ll need to start slowly and build it up. Remember to warm up and cool down before and after exercising to avoid injury and drink plenty of water to rehydrate.
- Don’t give up
Try not to get discouraged if you haven’t achieved that flat stomach after a month. Building exercise into your routine is more important than fast results. Not only will you be giving yourself more energy, you’ll be showing your little one that being active is important – an invaluable life lesson.
