No actually I'm not. I'm here to tell you that when you feel like the picture attached to this post, that is exactly when you need to get off the couch and do some exercise. I have three kids - I get it. Most mornings (no wait on - every morning) is a madhouse of getting everyone organised and making sure they have brushed their teeth, put on CLEAN uniforms (seriously how hard is that???) had breakfast, packed their bags and get ready to go. All the while feeding the baby, getting him (and myself dressed) only to name a few. As you can see - ABSOLUTE MAYHEM! It is easy to get caught in the trap to say - "I don't have time to work out", or "After the morning I had I have no energy left!" But you see that is where you are wrong. Making the extra effort and throwing on a pair of runners and doing a workout first thing in the morning or straight after school run is always worthwhile. It releases all those fabulous endorphins which makes me a much nicer person (yes coffee does help too!) and instead of wearing me out - it energises me to get on with my day. Yes - getting your workout in at any time is important, but research has actually shown that people who exercise in the mornings stick to their regime. This is because they get their workouts in before any distractions can creep up (the doctor's appointment, the trip to the shops, the mountain of ironing waiting in the laundry....) Research has also shown that morning exercise improves sleep! (I am yet to test that theory out - since I still wake up a few times with a certain little toddler...) Whereas evening exercise can cause people to have trouble sleeping. Having your workout in the morning also helps to kickstart your metabolism and that prepares you for the rest of the day. So next time you see me post on Facebook about a morning class, instead of thinking "I can't", get your running shoes and workout gear on and get your butt over to the session! What have you got to lose other than unwanted calories?? You will thank me later and your body will thank you too! xox
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So it has begun! My long time dream is finally a reality! We kicked off our Mums and Bubs sessions on Tuesday and although there could've been more people, it was an enjoyable session all-in-all. So on that note I thought I would write an article on the benefits of postnatal exercise. As mums, we are so busy taking care of everyone, we forget to take care of ourselves. When you have a new baby, everything changes. You are sleeping a whole lot less (unless you are one of the lucky few who have sleepy babies - I'm still waiting for a complete night sleep 16 months later!!) and you have this little person demanding a whole lot of your time and energy. After looking after this little person, there is still housework and cooking and a husband to see to. We tend to put ourselves on the back burner. We absolutely shouldn't! Exercise has so many benefits and they are so worth the effort! Some benefits of postnatal exercise are:
So where do we find time in our busy days? Shouldn't we be resting when our baby is resting? The answer is yes - you probably should, but any exercise is better than no exercise at all. If bub is getting a bit fussy - load her up in a pram and go for a stroll. You will feel better being outdoors and she will probably drift off to sleep in no time! A great motivator and fitness idea is to find a postnatal mums and bubs fitness group in your area. The social aspect of the session can also go a long way to make new mums feel "normal". Also important is to remember that core stabilisation and pelvic floor exercises can be done any time. While you wait for the kettle to boil - contract your deep core muscles and pull in that pelvic floor. Hold it until the jug is boiled! Repeat that whenever you remember - e.g. waiting at a traffic light, changing baby's nappy - whenever you think of it. Contract the muscles and hold for at least 10 seconds, and don't forget to breathe. In fact - do it right now while you read the rest of the article! Very important to remember is to not beat yourself up when you can't make it to a workout. Sometimes life happens and we can't always do it all! Eventually life will calm down and you can get back into a workout routine. Make sure that when you exercise you are wearing a good supportive bra and, if you are breastfeeding, that your exercise sessions are after you feed bub. Also - only do exercises that are comfortable for you. As soon as you experience any pain or discomfort stop the exercise immediately. Also - don't expect to run a marathon 6 weeks after giving birth. Start slow - with low impact exercises and work your way up. Yoga, pilates, aqua aerobics, low impact aerobics and light weight training are all good starting points. Also - ALWAYS speak to your doctor or midwife before starting any postnatal exercise program. You may need to wait a bit and recover first. Don't feel despondent when this is the case. Eventually once your body has recovered properly - it will be stronger to do the exercise. I hope that this article was informative! If you have any more questions - drop me a line. I'm always happy to have a chat. (You can release your core and pelvic floor now!) Cheers! xox Nothing quite like a bit of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) to make my day. I had a killer workout session with my dear friend on Sunday - really lifting heavy and doing exercises that I don't normally include in my workouts. Well well well, Monday I was sore, but it was manageable. Yesterday I well and truly felt muscle that I didn't even know existed screaming out my name. Yes - even us Personal Trainers experience DOMS.Whenever we change things around (and we have to do that so our bodies don't become complacent and we hit that awful plateau), our bodies need a few days to acclimatise.The third day is always the worst |
AuthorCarien Hesselberg - Mother, Wife, Personal Trainer. Archives
February 2015
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