Fit for purpose

Let’s face it, with a baby and/or a toddler at home, the idea of finding time to exercise can seem like a bit of a joke – even if you’ve got a bit of baby weight you’d like to lose. Don’t give up though – there are loads of activities you can do without pounding the treadmill and best of all, some of them are free.

Here, mums on tribesports.com, the online sports community, share their top tips for squeezing exercise into your busy baby schedule:

• Enhance your daily routine: Do you pop to the shops most days? Or are you already back at work? Any activity outside of the house involves a potential journey, which, if it’s walk-able, could be turned into an exercise opportunity. Why not jog, cycle or simply pick up the pace of your walking? You need to make your heart beat faster to increase your fitness and burn calories – dawdling won’t do.
• Make your home a gym: Apart from the time (and cost) factor, going to the gym can be daunting – especially if you’re new to it, or your post-baby body is making you feel self-conscious. Invest in some dumb bells, or simply use baked bean cans, and get squatting, shoulder pressing and bicep curling. Toning up your stomach involves no external equipment at all – just some well executed sit-ups. Your exercise routine need take no more than 10 minutes a day; easily squeezed-in while the little one’s sleeping. Just make sure you do each move properly and safely.
• Use your buggy: Either on your own, or with other mums, get pushing that buggy! It’s good for toning your arms and with a bit of imagination a buggy can become a great piece of gym equipment. Providing great buggy-based exercise ideas, plus an opportunity to meet other parents, is Buggyfit – organised classes located throughout the country. To find your nearest, visit: http://www.buggyfit.co.uk/.
• ‘Play’ at getting fit: Without being terribly stereotypical, if you’ve got a man in the house (be that son or partner) then you’ve probably got a games console – you may even be an avid gamer yourself. Wii Fit, Kinect for Xbox and Playstation Move all offer games designed to help you get fit. These can be specific programmes of exercise or more fun activities, such as dancing or playing tennis – why not invite some other Mum’s round, stick your babies in a sling (providing extra weight resistance) and challenge each other to a dance-off!
• Online workouts: There are loads of places online where you can download workouts and fitness programmes – like having your own personal trainer for free, or a fraction of the cost. Whatever you’re into, be it zumba, circuit training, yoga or boxercise, its available online; ideal if you get bored of doing the same thing.
• Safety in numbers: When it comes to keeping fit, getting together with old or new friends makes it more fun and provides motivation. Why not get your own group together and all schedule a weekly walk, run, or whatever else takes your fancy. There are loads of places where you can find fellow mums – through your local mother and baby groups or online, using forums like tribesports.com.

If you’ve been fit before, or even if you haven’t, getting back into, or starting some sort of exercise regime will make you feel better – both physically and mentally – better equipping you to deal with the upheaval of a newborn, while making sure you set-aside some time to focus on yourself.

Visit www.tribesports.com to share ideas and support with other mums trying to get fit.

Do you manage to exercise with offspring at home (or, like me, is exercise just a long-distant memory?) What Wii fitness programmes do you recommend? Have you tried Buggyfit? Share your motivational tips here!

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