Working out has always been one of my hobbies. I continued to workout through my entire pregnancy with my daughter, but once she was born my whole world turned upside down in ways I did not see coming. That may sound dramatic to some, but if you were a fitness junkie like me, you probably know the feeling. Stuck in the early postpartum stages of no sleep, wearing a diaper, looking in the mirror and not recognizing myself and “forbidden” from working out for 6 weeks was a huge struggle for me that I didn’t expect. I knew it was coming, but I thought I would have been able to handle it way better than I did.
How do new moms get in shape? I’ve come up with realistic workout tips for stay-at-home moms that helped me lose all 35lbs of the baby weight quickly.
- Workout early in the morning or while the baby is napping
Trust me, the only thing I wanted to do the second the baby fell asleep after a long night was either scroll mindlessly on social media and dissociate from reality or finally tackle the huge pile of dishes that have been staring at me for hours, BUT I will say I never regret skipping out on those things to do a quick workout. You know what they say (whoever ‘they’ is)… the only workout you regret is the workout you didn’t do! There is a 99.9% chance you will feel much better after. It will relieve stress and energize you to take care of your family.
- Quick & effective home workouts
I don’t know about you, but when I have a big grueling workout that I plan to do, I usually don’t do it at all. I put it off so long that it ends up in tomorrow’s schedule until it has been a week since I worked out. Oops! What has helped me is committing to at least 10 minutes of moving my body per day. Sometimes it’s a gentle flow. Sometimes it’s an intense HIIT workout. I’ve also found on the days I don’t feel like working out and do just a 10 minute sesh, I feel so good that I crave more and do another workout! It is very important to keep your goals small at first to build a habit. Once that becomes consistent, then add more. If you go too hard too soon, it is easy to quit!
- Workout with your children
You’re showing your child(ren) positive lifestyle skills that they will emulate and you’re getting a workout in. Win-Win! Your workout may not go perfectly as programmed, but something is better than nothing. Squats holding a baby are more challenging than plain ole air squats, let me tell ya.
- Go for a walk.
Walking is such an underrated exercise. Never underestimate the power of a nice long walk. My daughter loves getting outside in the fresh air and so do I. A pro to having an active dog is that it gets us out walking every single morning. Sometimes I like to get together with a friend and catch up while walking around a local park. It feels good to get some exercise in while socializing with another adult. Sometimes we will switch it up and go through some trails to get out in nature.
- Stop making excuses
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you NEED to take care of yourself. As a mom you may not have the same 24 hours in a day as that young hot personal trainer you follow on Instagram BUT we can always make the time we do have work. You deserve to take care of yourself. Putting your health on the back-burner isn’t being selfless it is actually being selfish.
What has helped you in your fitness journey as a new mom? I’d love to hear in the comments!