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Baby steps Getting fit postnatally and considerations when returning to work Life is busy and with a newborn you can guarantee it’ll get busier. Mother of seven-week-old Jones and founder of Award winning business FIT, Karina Elliott knows just how you feel. I think most mothers know there is a need to be healthy for our babies and our own wellbeing. Exercise during my pregnancy and postnatally has not only meant a healthier body inside and out, but the emotional and mental benefits are helping me be a better mum! If you didn’t exercise during pregnancy, don’t let that stop you – we all have to start somewhere. Understandably, the last thing you feel like doing when sleep deprivation has kicked in is to exercise. In my experience it is the opposite, the endorphin release following exercise is worth it! I hold firm to the mantras ‘happy mum, happy baby’ and ‘healthy mum, healthy baby!’ Plan ahead: once you have medical clearance to begin light exercise after childbirth, make a start and make exercise a habit. It takes three weeks to form a habit. If we can establish this before we head back into the chaos of work/life balance then we’re half way there! Getting started is often not simple! Everyone is different. There are factors influencing our ability to work out; motivation, time, complications, support. Daily business routines are the same. We all at some stage lack motivation, struggle to find time, there can be complications with staff and so forth, and support from management or peers can be absent. How can we overcome these obstacles? Make an appointment with yourself! Fitness as in life mimics business. Put in the good work and you will reap rewards. We hear about setting goals but if you’re true to yourself, you are your own motivator. Diarise specific training times in your appointment calendar and stick to these. These are your physical health appointments. If you were meeting with colleagues or a client, you would seldom cancel due to your own professionalism. I have broken down my return to fitness into two segments: 1) Postnatal regime following medical clearance Now is the time to make the commitment to finding time for working out. This is your chance to establish the habit to carry you through to meeting your post pregnancy goals. 2) Fitness regime once back at work Where do we find time now? Mix up cardio and resistance training schedules as exercise variety is the key to success. If you held a gym membership, keep it! Resistance or weight training is a highly effective weight loss tool and another string to your bow in breaking up the weekly workout cycle. Sample programs
For the ‘back to work’ regime, finding time effective options are critical. The concept remains the same; mix up your cardio with resistance and throw in classes to shake it up. If budget allows, a 30 minute PT session is more effective than a 1 hour gym visit sitting on a bike. For another time friendly option, try a 15 minute Powerplate® session a couple of times per week as a quick, alternative exercise targeting those ‘mum muscles’. Exercise is not the only thing to consider. Diet is a key factor in any lifestyle and you and your baby are what you eat. A discussion with a nutritionist is recommended as everyone has different requirements depending on allergies, existing conditions or vegetarianism (prior to pregnancy I was a vegetarian of 22 years, my diet changed by design due to my baby’s requirements- my body was telling me something). Finally, stick with it! Yes, you will be tired but your body will get used to all the demands! Karina Elliott www.fitfitfit.co.nz Credit: Photographs Jody Lidstone from i.do. photography |
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