Getting pregnant means our bodies will never be the same. I don’t mean necessarily in a physical sense, although many of us will agree that this does happen, but more that it goes through such a huge change during the nine months of pregnancy. Once the baby arrives and you settle down, many women can often feel like their bodies are a little alien to them. Perhaps feeling like they have a bit of a belly, or have been left with stretch marks or stretched skin. It can be a huge confidence dampener and when you mix that with sleep deprivation it can make you feel a little low. So many mothers want to tackle a lifestyle change and look at ways to improve their health and fitness, just to get back in shape. While you should feel totally proud of yourself and your body, it’s nice to gain some control back over it and start feeling good about yourself once more. So I thought I would share with you some top tips to help you get back into the shape you want to be.
Don’t overdo it straight away
We can all be a little guilty of making a decision about doing something and them jumping in head first. But when to comes to something like exercising, if you haven’t done anything for a while, then this can lead on to cause injury and set you back a while. It’s also worth considering if you have any ongoing issues that you may want to address. Women are particularly prone to things like arthritis, especially in the hands and joints. So you might want to treat rheumatoid arthritis or other things you could be experiencing before tackling a full-on lifestyle change that includes exercise and a change of diet.
Be realistic with your goals
The next thing to do would be to set yourself some goals on what you want to achieve. It might involve you being a certain weight, fitting into those pre-pregnancy jeans or running a particular distance. Once you know what you want to do, be realistic with your smaller goals on how you achieve them. It’s a great way to stay motivated and on track.
Just staying hydrated can make the world of difference
Water is so important and could be a real life saver as a mom. With very little sleep and energy on sometimes your best days, water is a natural remedy that can have an effect on the quality of sleep you do get, your mood and even increase your energy levels. Keep a water bottle close by and regularly top it up.
Try working out at home
Often leaving the house can seem impossible, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be proactive in your quest to be fit and healthy. Consider working out at home to DVD’s or even YouTube tutorials. Anything from Yoga to HIIT sessions can be found on there.
Stay away from crash diets if you can
A diet will always give you a short term loss in weight, but in the long term, they often can’t be sustained. Instead, focus on a healthy more balanced diet and ensure you nourish your body with what it needs to function.
Just be more active
Finally, just being more active in general will help you start to look and feel better about yourself. So get to the park with the children, go out for a walk in the woods, or even walk to do the school run. Those little choices could make the biggest difference.
I hope these tips help you get back in shape.
