Get into shape for the summer

It might seem like caring for your baby leaves you no time to care for yourself and never will it grate more than when bikini season is approaching! There’s no doubt that babycare is on ongoing process that makes planned exercise and gym sessions pretty difficult to schedule but there are still ways to work in fitness around your baby and get into shape for the summer.

The fact is, you don’t need to spend an hour at the gym every day to get fit and if your baby is very young it’ll be totally unfeasible. Instead, exercise around your baby’s schedule. It won’t actually be that difficult to fit in an hour of abs work through the day if you do it in four 15-minute sessions – after all, it all adds up. If you do find this difficult – for example if your baby is colicky and you don’t even get the odd 15 minutes to yourself – then work that into your routine by keeping her with you, in her sling.

And don’t forget breastfeeding – most experts agree it’s the single fastest way to shed post-baby pounds because even though you will have to consume more calories than usual to keep up your milk supply, your baby will consume enough milk to ensure a calorie deficit.

Exercise

Start small with exercise, especially if you didn’t get very much when you were pregnant, or had a cesarean delivery. Wait until after your six-week postnatal check and then gradually increase the intensity and frequency of your exercise. You’ll need to incorporate both cardio, toning and strength exercises. The simplest, easiest cardio option is simple walking – and you can take your baby with you in her stroller at naptimes. Vary the pace between slow and brisk – ideally, you should walk briskly enough so that holding a conversation with a walking buddy is difficult, as this will give your heart a great workout (even 20 minutes is enough to get your heart rate up).

It’s possible to do muscle stretching and toning exercises throughout the day – do calf raises while you prepare meals, leg lifts while you wash dishes, and squats while your baby is under her playgym or sitting on her play mat.

And don’t forget that tummy time isn’t just for your baby! Lying down with her means you can do simple butt-toning and back-strengthening moves – lie flat, with your chin resting on your folded hands, and alternately raise each leg four to five inches up off the floor, keeping it straight, for three sets of 12, each leg. Then flip over onto your back to do scissor-crunches, with your hands positioned just at your ears, and using your abs to pull your head and shoulders off the floor while bringing your right elbow across horizontally to touch your left knee, and vice versa. You also can work in some push ups to tone your biceps while you’re there.

Carrying your colicky baby around the house in her sling to settle her? Stand with your legs slightly apart and your toes slightly turned out. Lower yourself down, bending at the knees, as far as is comfortable, inhaling as you go. Then use your thigh muscles to push back up to your starting position. Again, aim for three sets of 12.

Your diet

Your goal shouldn’t just be to look as trim as you did before you became pregnant. You also need to think about feeling healthy and energetic, so you’ll also need to think about your diet. Try to avoid junk foods and sugary snacks that may give you a temporary energy boost and focus instead on eating plenty for fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein such as fish and chicken. This dietary approach, called the Mediterranean diet, has been shown to help you not only maintain a healthy weight but keep your heart healthy too.

If your junk food habit is hard to break, do it one step at a time – each week, cut out one unhealthy food item and replace it with a healthy choice. Before too long, healthy choices will start to outnumber the less healthy foods you eat.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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Last Modified: 17/05/2009

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